Pakistan’s Proudly Double-Dealing Intelligence Service
Pakistan’s intelligence organization, known as Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), has ensnared the U.S. in a double game for years. Operating in the shadows of the Pakistani […] More
Pakistan’s ISI: The True Deep State
While the origins of the phrase may be traced back to Turkey, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI) today represents the defining example of a “deep […] More
Pakistan’s Double Game, Unpacked
Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is one of most powerful intelligence agencies in the world, as it works to further Pakistani interests in South Asia. The […] More
Treasury Pick Will Track Russian Money Laundering, Even Into Trump Circle
CIA veteran Isabel Marie Keenan Patelunas, the Trump Administration pick to be assistant treasury secretary for intelligence and analysis, told Senate Intelligence Committee members Wednesday […] More
Staying Secret in the Age of Social Media
Intelligence officers must often use a false identity — a legend or cover. How has social media and digital technology changed how they create and […] More
How Hostile Spies Study Social Media to Crack CIA Cover, Spot Likely Agents
Intelligence officers’ tradecraft is highly guarded for good reason. One of its most important aspects is establishing a cover identity so foreign governments and hostile […] More
Hiding in Plain Sight: Maintaining A Spy’s Cover in the Internet Era
Tradecraft. A term popularized in the novels of John le Carré, but practiced by spies throughout history. Tradecraft includes a number of methodologies, ranging from […] More
The “Waive-and-Slap” Approach to Iran
President Donald Trump’s administration slapped fresh sanctions on Iran on Tuesday, shortly after certifying the country is technically complying with the nuclear deal — a […] More
South Korea Proposes Talks with North Despite Pyongyang’s Skepticism
South Korea has extended an offer for military and humanitarian talks with North Korea. South Korean President Moon Jae-in ran on a platform of engagement […] More
Doubling Down on America’s Cyber Diplomacy
The main loss from the departure of Chris Painter, America’s top cyber diplomat, will not be the loss of one of the top U.S. civil […] More
Italy Needs Russian Oil, Gas – and Courts Russians to Buy Its Luxury Goods
Gone are the times when the Italian Communist Party preserved its political and strategic autonomy when competing in domestic politics, while supporting the Soviet Union […] More
Russia Plays on U.S., European Social Fissures
Russia interfered in France’s recent presidential elections, supporting far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, and is likely to meddle in Germany’s upcoming federal elections in September. […] More
Russia Meddles in Western, Northern Europe
Russia has increased its meddling in European countries outside the former Soviet bloc recently. Moscow’s support for populist parties – including France’s National Front, Italy’s […] More
UAE Hacking Allegation Roils Regional Crisis
More mixed signals have emerged on the rift between Qatar and some of its Arab neighbors, as a new report citing U.S. intelligence officials says […] More
Cutting Cyber Command’s Umbilical Cord to the NSA
Despite the many logistical and operational challenges of a transition, many acknowledge that U.S. Cyber Command must eventually separate from the National Security Agency. According […] More
The "Main Enemy": Russian Active Measures in the United States
“Mr. Sessions, are you familiar with what spies call tradecraft?” Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions in June. “A little bit,” replied […] More
Straight Out of the Russian Intelligence Playbook
Donald Trump Jr.’s June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer and a Russian-American Lobbyist – among others – begs the question, was this a Russian […] More