Book Review of Cold War on Five Continents: A Global History of Empire and EspionageBy Alfred W. McCoy/ Haymarket BooksReviewed by: Jean-Thomas NicoleThe Reviewer — Jean-Thomas Nicole is a Policy [...] More

Global Intelligence Report for Friday, January 2, 2026

[...] More

Ruling Venezuela with a 2,000 Mile Hammer is Not Likely to End Well

Ruling Venezuela with a 2,000 Mile Hammer is Not Likely to End Well

Rule by proxy just isn’t as simple as the Trump Administration wants to make it sound. While the long-term goals of the Administration in Venezuela [...] More

15 January, 2026

Michael C. Casey

15 January, 2026

Ethan Masucol

Americas Latin America

Russia Signals Minimal Desire for Peace

As Russia continues it's brutal bombardment of Ukrainian cities, talks between Moscow and the U.S. to end the war appear on very different [...] More

14 January, 2026

Ethan Masucol

14 January, 2026

Ethan Masucol

Russia Europe Ukraine

Uber Krysha: How Russia Turns Crime into Power—and Poison

Uber Krysha: How Russia Turns Crime into Power—and Poison

Current discussion of Russian "hybrid warfare" tends to revolve around concepts like disinformation, proxy militias, cyber operations, sabotage, and [...] More

14 January, 2026

Gregory Sims

14 January, 2026

Ethan Masucol

Russia Alternative Perspectives Europe

Iran’s Crumbling Revolutionary Facade: How Today’s Protests Could Reshape the Region in 2026

Iran’s Crumbling Revolutionary Facade: How Today’s Protests Could Reshape the Region in 2026

I am closely watching the growing size and momentum of protesters across Iran’s cities, rural areas, and pious communities who are bravely and [...] More

13 January, 2026

Paula Doyle

13 January, 2026

Ethan Masucol

Iran Middle East Paula Doyle

Trump’s Power Doctrine: A $1.5 Trillion Military, Greenland Ambitions, and a World Ruled by Force

Trump’s Power Doctrine: A $1.5 Trillion Military, Greenland Ambitions, and a World Ruled by Force

“After long and difficult negotiations with Senators, Congressmen, Secretaries, and other Political Representatives, I have determined that, for the [...] More

13 January, 2026

Walter Pincus

13 January, 2026

Ethan Masucol

Americas North America United States Walter Pincus Fine Print military

How China Built AI Dominance on Stolen American Silicon

DEEP DIVE — Federal prosecutors in Texas, in December, unsealed charges and related details exposing a sprawling scheme that quietly siphoned some of [...] More

12 January, 2026

Hollie McKay

12 January, 2026

Ethan Masucol

China Tech/Cyber Asia

The Kremlin Files: Russia, the Modern Surveillance State

THE KREMLIN FILES / COLUMN — Ask any Russian intelligence officer about “naruzhka,” and you’ll see them nod knowingly. It’s the term for physical, [...] More

08 January, 2026

Sean Wiswesser

08 January, 2026

Ethan Masucol

Russia Europe Intelligence

The U.S. Says it Will “Run” Venezuela. What Will That Mean?

DEEP DIVE – As audacious and complex as it was for the U.S. to extract Nicolas Maduro from Venezuela – and to do so without a single U.S. casualty – [...] More

06 January, 2026

Tom Nagorski

06 January, 2026

Ethan Masucol

Americas Latin America

I've Tracked Terrorist Networks for Decades. I've Never Seen Anything Like 764.

I've Tracked Terrorist Networks for Decades. I've Never Seen Anything Like 764.

In 2021, a fifteen-year-old in a small Texas town started something from his bedroom. He’d dropped out of school. He spent his days online, deep into [...] More

06 January, 2026

Dexter Ingram

06 January, 2026

Ethan Masucol

Terrorism

Homepage About Us Advertise Careers Contact Get our Newsletter

Opinion The Dead Drop Podcasts

For general inquiries please email info@thecipherbrief.com