Threat Report 2018: North Korea’s Nuclear Doctrine
Months of fruitful engagement between North Korea, South Korea and the United States may soon turn sour. Yesterday, Pyongyang warned that ongoing joint military exercises […] More
International
A Personal Plea in Support of Haspel’s Nomination
Observers counting potential Senate votes for the nominee to become the next Director of the Central Intelligence Agency say Gina Haspel’s prospects look pretty good. […] More
Threat Report 2018: Al-Qaida Patiently Rebuilding
As the United States relocated its embassy in Israel to the city of Jerusalem, al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri used the occasion to call for jihad, […] More
Threat Report 2018: ISIS In the Spotlight
Over the weekend, ISIS claimed responsibility for two deadly attacks: in Paris, France, a Chechnyan-born man stabbed five people and released a video pledging allegiance to […] More
Europe Reacts to U.S. on JCPOA: Keep Calm and Negotiate On
The word ‘resignation’ is being used here in London – not, for once, about the actual or potential departure of yet another of our ministers, […] More
An Israeli View on Trump’s JCPOA Withdrawal: “Hope Is Not a Strategy”
The White House is correct in pointing out the weaknesses of the JCPOA, some of which have even been candidly acknowledged by former U.S. officials […] More
For US, JCPOA is DOA. What Now?
Within hours of President Trump’s announcement that he was pulling out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iranian President Hassan Rouhani blasted the […] More
Exclusive: 72 Former CIA Officers Endorse Haspel for CIA Director
It’s finally Gina Haspel’s turn to be heard after weeks of back and forth between supporters and critics of her nomination as the next Director […] More
President Trump Announces Withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Deal
President Donald Trump announced Tuesday afternoon that the United States would withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, or JCPOA, and re-impose harsh sanctions on Iran—including […] More
Future Challenges for Special Operations Forces
The U.S. Special Operations Command has about 67,000 troops and an annual budget of around 14 billion dollars. That may not seem to be a […] More
Russia Chooses Autarchy—and Isolation—Over Cooperation
In a provocative new essay, Vladislav Surkov, a top aide to President Vladimir Putin, says Russia is ending a centuries-long quest to join the West and preparing for “100 years (200? […] More
From the CEO and Publisher: Consider Supporting The Cipher Brief
Running a media platform is a rough business these days. Especially for a small start-up, determined to keep a solid focus on the incredibly important […] More
Hard Questions about Gina Haspel’s Appropriateness to Lead CIA
As the senate prepares for what is expected to be a close vote this week on the nomination of Gina Haspel to become the next […] More
Syria’s Reality: A View from Amman
With increasingly confusing statements and actions from the White House and the Pentagon on U.S. policy toward Syria, The Cipher Brief presented a live briefing […] More
The New Risks, Realities and Opportunities in the Middle East
As Iran and Israel trade accusations over Iran’s nuclear program, and the U.S. sends indicators that it may pull out of the JCPOA agreement, The […] More
Can Trump Legally Withdraw from the Iran Deal?
President Donald Trump has repeatedly voiced his belief that the Iran nuclear deal is flawed and if it is not amended to cure those flaws, […] More
Preparing Markets for Russian Financial Retaliation
Financial sanctions imposed on Russia since its 2014 seizure of Crimea have hit President Vladimir Putin and his cronies where it hurts most—in the wallet. […] More
Artificial Intelligence: Welcome to the Age of Disruptive Surprise
With the last few years of progress in artificial intelligence, it is hard to look forward without excitement…and apprehension. If you are paying attention at […] More