How Dirty and Dangerous Will Putin Get in Ukraine?
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE – Russian officials are warning of a nuclear ‘dirty bomb’ threat as Moscow continues attacking energy and civilian targets in Ukraine. It’s the […] More
China’s Post-Ukraine Playbook
Cipher Brief Expert and retired CIA Senior Executive Mark Kelton took part in a Russia panel during the recent Cipher Brief Threat Conference, along with […] More
Is a US – China Face-off over Taiwan Looming?
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — Chinese President Xi Jinping opened the 20th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party on Sunday with a speech that makes clear where […] More
Taiwan and the Perils of Strategic Ambiguity
The concept of strategic ambiguity has its advantages but also its perils. It means that a US President may have just a few hours to […] More
The Impact of JCPOA
As the world waits to see whether a new nuclear deal will be agreed to with Iran, Cipher Brief CEO & Publisher Suzanne Kelly spoke […] More
We Know Afghanistan’s Past but Where is it Headed?
The United States’ policy errors which led to the chaotic exit from Afghanistan were only surpassed by Pakistan’s blunder in championing the Taliban and the […] More
The New Age of Energy Crisis and Diplomacy
The energy pressures created by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are continuing to shape a new global energy future. An EU embargo on Russian coal imports […] More
Justice by Hellfire: The Killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri
It’s possible that the terrorist leader, wanted for his role in plotting the 9/11 attacks and later becoming the head of al Qaeda after the […] More
Today’s Terrorist Threat
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — MI5 Director General, Ken McCallum’s, joint address on 6th July with the FBI Chief saw a welcome rebalancing of the Security Service’s […] More
The Middle East and the Cost of Strategic Inconsistency
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — The main objective of President Joe Biden’s recent trip to the Middle East was to signal to both partners and adversaries that […] More
The Biggest Winner in Ukraine is Beijing
Toby Esterhase: “You’re an old spy in a hurry, George. You used to say they “The Cipher Brief has become the most popular outlet for […] More
What the East-West Rift Over Ukraine Really Means
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — Threats from Russia and its “ally” Belarus are still coming as the invasion of Ukraine grinds through its fifth month but where […] More
This is How Putin’s Strategic Patience May Pay Off in Ukraine
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — Russia is gradually beginning to prevail in Ukraine and the West is just starting to lose focus. Neither France and Germany nor […] More
The Potential of Integrating Intelligence and Intuition
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — When I was just starting out at CIA, there was an analyst in my group who worked in a particularly methodical way. […] More
A Path of Cooperation and Opportunity Between the U.S. and the UAE
The impressive string of world leaders visiting the UAE following the recent death of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, made clear that the UAE plays an […] More
‘Who’s The Fairest Vlad of All’: Expert Perspective on the Russian President’s Next Move
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — “Mirror, mirror on the wall—who’s the fairest one of all?” is the famous misquote from the movie Snow White. Speaking at a […] More
The Spies Sent Back to the Cold
EXPERT ANALYSIS — Since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine began, Europe has embarked on a purge of Russian spies that has been described as “the largest mass […] More
NATO Prepares for Battle
In an apparent reversal of more than 200 years of military neutrality, Sweden’s governing party on Sunday, announced that it will support an application to […] More