Putin’s Playbook for the West
The Cipher Brief continues it’s coverage on Russia this week in light of the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. We tapped Cipher Brief Expert […] More
Archive for ‘Michael Sulick’
Moscow’s History of Accusing Americans of Espionage
French philosopher Voltaire claimed that “if God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.” The Kremlin, whenever it wishes to free a […] More
Daniel Silva’s House of Spies: Old Spies Don’t Die or Fade Away
As General Douglas MacArthur famously said, “Old soldiers don’t die, they just fade away.” In the world of fiction, old spies don’t die or fade […] More
Putin Could Pretend to be Peacemaker in Afghan Conflict
Over the last few months, Taliban orchestrated attacks have wreaked havoc across Afghanistan on a near-daily basis, leading to mounting deaths tolls for Afghan and […] More
Putin Looks Elsewhere to Retaliate Against U.S. Acts in Syria
On June 18, a U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet shot down a Syrian Air Force Su-22 fighter bomber near the town of al-Tabqa in eastern […] More
State of Play: A Paean to Putin: The Oliver Stone Interviews
Showtime claimed its four-part documentary of Oliver Stone interviews with Vladimir Putin provided “unparalleled access” to the Russian ruler and “intimate insight into his personal […] More
State of Play Review: Homeland Finale, “America First”
In this year’s finale, all the tangled strands of the plot against the President-elect converge in a thrilling resolution—but, as always in Homeland, the season […] More
State of Play Review: Homeland, “R is for Romeo”
Viewers can’t step out for popcorn while watching Homeland, or they might miss a fleeting glimpse of a person or object in a scene that […] More
Thorns in the Bear’s Paw: Putin’s Vulnerabilities
Vladimir Putin is portrayed in the West as the master manipulator in foreign policy, creating turmoil in U.S. and European elections and outfoxing his rivals […] More
State of Play Review: Homeland, “The Flag House"
In Homeland’s latest episode, the CIA’s Dar Adal tightens the screws further on those struggling to foil his plot. He directly threatens President-elect Keane, conspires […] More
State of Play Review: Homeland,“Sock Puppets”
Another Homeland episode means Dar Adal commits yet another heinous deed. In this episode, Dar allows the Mossad to kidnap top CIA asset Majid Javadi, […] More
State of Play Review – Homeland Season 6: “Alt. Truth”
The prospect of foiling the plot against the President-elect appears even bleaker as the CIA’s Dar Adal stymies our heroes at every turn. By the […] More
Homeland Season 6:“Imminent Risk”
The CIA’s Dar Adal was eventually revealed as the mastermind of a plot against the incoming President, but in this episode, the villain emerges as […] More
Homeland Season 6: "The Return"
The central plot of this season’s Homeland has now been revealed to be a full-blown right wing conspiracy against an incoming President considered soft on […] More
Homeland Season 6: “Casus Belli”
The previous episode of Homeland ended not with a whimper but a bang when the “Medina Medley” van driven by Sekou Bah exploded on a […] More
Homeland Season 6: "A Flash of Light"
This season’s parallel plots begin to converge in episode four. Carrie’s houseguest, Peter Quinn, still recovering from his near-death experience, hasn’t been involved in the […] More
Homeland Season 6: “The Covenant”
The latest episode of Homeland introduces new plot twists into the two parallel story lines: the government case against jihadist Seiku Bah and CIA officer […] More
Homeland Season 6: "The Man in the Basement"
In this second episode, “Homeland” heroine Carrie Mathison is revealed, not surprisingly, to be a central figure in the two parallel plots launched in the […] More
Homeland Season 6: "Fair Game"
After globetrotting the past few years, Homeland returns to the United States. All the season’s events take place in New York City, site of one […] More
The U.S. and Russia: No Détente Anytime Soon
In the recent past, every new U.S. administration has attempted to improve relations with Russia to address mutual security threats such as combating terrorism. Both […] More
"Order to Kill": Appealing to America's Derring-Do, Pioneer Spirit
CIA operative Mitch Rapp, the ruthlessly efficient hero of Vince Flynn’s thrillers, has singlehandedly prevented a string of terrorist attacks since the series began in […] More
Measured Progress
In the aftermath of 9/11, the American intelligence community (IC) went through one of the most transformative periods in its history. From the creation of […] More
Tom Clancy Duty and Honor: A Coming of Age Thriller Without the Geopolitical Intrigue
Duty and Honor is the latest in the multi-volume series by Tom Clancy and his successors featuring Jack Ryan and his son Jack, Jr., who […] More
Daniel Silva's The Black Widow: Eerily Reminiscent
Daniel Silva’s The Black Widow is the most relevant to contemporary events and most chillingly prescient of all his celebrated novels. Gabriel Allon, the art […] More