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Terrorism

What Would Follow a Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation?

What Would Follow a Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation?

DEEP DIVE — On November 24, 2025, President Trump launched a process to designate Muslim Brotherhood chapters in Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan as [...] More

Middle EastTerrorism

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Why Al Qaeda Refuses to Die

Why Al Qaeda Refuses to Die

DEEP DIVE — More than two decades after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Al Qaeda is not only alive — it has adapted, expanded, and quietly embedded [...] More

AfghanistanTerrorismAsia
Can India and Pakistan be Brought Back from the Brink of War?

Can India and Pakistan be Brought Back from the Brink of War?

EXPERT INTERVIEW – One week after a deadly terror attack, India and Pakistan stand at the precipice of military conflict, and as one scholar and [...] More

ReportingTerrorism

The Future of Counterterrorism: A Proactive, Tech-Driven Strategy

Michael Salazar

The Future of Counterterrorism: A Proactive, Tech-Driven Strategy

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of his employer.OPINION — In an era when terrorist [...] More

Alternative PerspectivesTerrorismMichael SalazarTech/Cybernational security
Parsing the Opportunity from Extreme Challenges in the Middle East
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expert interview

Parsing the Opportunity from Extreme Challenges in the Middle East

EXPERT INTERVIEW / PERSPECTIVE – The Middle East has changed dramatically over the past four years, creating both extraordinary challenges and [...] More

IranIsraelMiddle EastTerrorism

Trump Administration's Counterterrorism Policy Should Begin at Golan Heights

Colin Clarke

Trump Administration's Counterterrorism Policy Should Begin at Golan Heights

Christopher Costa

Trump Administration's Counterterrorism Policy Should Begin at Golan Heights

EXPERT PERSPECTIVE / OPINION — We’ve seen all this before, the U.S. mission in Syria is not mission complete – it was not in 2018 – and it’s not done [...] More

Middle EastCipher Brief Expert ViewTerrorismChristopher Costa

Is the United States on the Verge of Civil War?

Bruce Hoffman

Is the United States on the Verge of Civil War?

Jacob Ware

Is the United States on the Verge of Civil War?

OPINION — Is the United States on the verge of civil war? It is a possibility that has been frequently raised in connection with the outcome of the [...] More

TerrorismBruce Hoffman

Sinwar is Dead. What Does it Mean for Power Dynamics in the Region?

Norman T. Roule

Sinwar is Dead. What Does it Mean for Power Dynamics in the Region?

EXPERT Q&A – In what many Cipher Brief Experts are calling one of the most significant events in the year-long war in Gaza, the killing of Hamas [...] More

Middle EastCipher Brief Expert ViewTerrorism
Top Counterterrorism Official: Gaza War Has Inspired Dozens of Terror Plots
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exclusive

Top Counterterrorism Official: Gaza War Has Inspired Dozens of Terror Plots

EXCLUSIVE — The acting Director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) Brett Holmgren told The Cipher Brief's 2024 Threat Conference [...] More

ReportingTerrorism
Cipher Brief Experts Offer Reflections on 9/11 - and What Came After
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special report

Cipher Brief Experts Offer Reflections on 9/11 - and What Came After

SPECIAL REPORT — It’s been a very long ride since terrorists sent by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden set out on a fateful mission to deliver terror [...] More

North AmericaAmericasTerrorismReporting

A Personal Perspective on 9/11 and the War that Followed

Admiral James 'Sandy' Winnefeld (Ret.)

A Personal Perspective on 9/11 and the War that Followed

CIPHER BRIEF EXPERT PERSPECTIVE – Just before 3:00 p.m. local time just outside the Strait of Hormuz, the Safety Officer aboard the USS ENTERPRISE [...] More

DoDCipher Brief Expert ViewTerrorismmilitary
Three Years After Taliban Return, Terrorists Find Safe Haven in Afghanistan
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deep dive

Three Years After Taliban Return, Terrorists Find Safe Haven in Afghanistan

EXCLUSIVE REPORTING — Three years after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the return of the Taliban to power, the country has once again [...] More

AfghanistanTerrorismAsia
Outgoing NCTC Director Lays Out Today's Very Real Terrorist Threat
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exclusive

Outgoing NCTC Director Lays Out Today's Very Real Terrorist Threat

EXPERT Q&A — Christine “Christy” Abizaid was sworn in as director of the National Counter-Terrorism Center (NCTC) in June of 2021, as the threat of [...] More

national securityAmericasUnited StatesTerrorismReporting