Behind Benghazi
In 2012, after returning from an overseas tour of duty, I was assigned as the senior National Clandestine Service representative to the Central Intelligence Agency’s […] More
Agenda Setter
Open Up Intelligence Briefings to Third Party Candidates
American exceptionalism comes in many forms. When it comes to intelligence, there has been a unique tradition in the United States for more than 60 […] More
A Persistent and Resilient Adversary: Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
The history of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is a tale of 1001 nights that catalogues every dimension of frustration in combatting terrorism: […] More
In Afghanistan, Special Operators Continue to Burn Both Ends of the Candle
Things aren’t going so well in Afghanistan these days. The Obama administration plans to reduce America’s presence there by only about half as much as […] More
Russia's Checkered History of Intelligence Sharing with the U.S.
On July 15, the United States and Russia announced a tentative agreement on Syria which, according to media reports, would establish a joint command center […] More
Speed, Transparency and the Future of the NGA
In a fast paced world with ever increasing mountains of data, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has its hands full providing the warfighters, the intelligence […] More
Worse Before It Gets Better: The Threat From ISIS
Last Thursday, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency John Brennan testified before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence about the current capabilities of the Islamic […] More
Intelligence Briefings for the Presidential Nominees
Once the Democratic and Republican parties officially nominate their Presidential candidates at their political conventions this summer, the nominees will be offered intelligence briefings before […] More
For Director of New Cyber Center, Personal Leadership is the Ultimate Hack
Tonya Ugoretz, the President’s appointee to head the newly created Cyber Threat and Intelligence Integration Center (CTIIC), would not be faulted for wondering, “What have […] More
Uniformly Qualified for High Office
In this, the oddest of election years in recent memory, there have been no shortage of improbable suggestions for safely traversing the electoral minefield. One […] More
How Nicknames Have Defined South Korea’s Park Geun-hye
What’s in a nickname? A term of endearment? A backhanded compliment laden with criticism of one’s flaws? In South Korea, a politician’s nickname – given […] More
Nawaz Sharif: A Force to be Reckoned with in Pakistan
Nawaz Sharif was elected Prime Minister of Pakistan for the third time in March 2013. The euphoria of the elections brought to light Sharif’s pro-business, […] More
Lieutenant General Vincent Stewart: He Did a Lot More Than Show Up
From his spacious office overlooking the Potomac River, Lieutenant General Vincent Stewart has sweeping views of some of Washington D.C.’s iconic landmarks—the Washington Monument, the […] More
The Three Dynamics of the Fight Against ISIS
Michael Morell, the former Deputy Director and twice Acting Director of CIA, spoke with The Cipher Brief about battling ISIS and how the terrorist attacks […] More
Four Years with Kim Jong-Un
Over four years have passed since Kim Jong-un took over the leadership of North Korea after the death of his father, Kim Jong-il, in late […] More
What’s Wrong (and Right) with the CIA?
A Candid Conversation with former Acting Director Michael Morell Michael Morell, the former Deputy Director and twice Acting Director of CIA and the author of […] More
Can Merkel Survive?
For seven of the last eight years, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has topped Forbes’ list of the world’s most powerful women. Last year, she was […] More