Over and Under Estimating the North Korean Threat

by Jim Walsh

In the span of one week we have seen North Korea test four missiles, evidence of U.S. attempts to sabotage North Korea’s missile program with cyber capabilities, the deployment of the controversial...

A License to Receive Intelligence?

by Charles Duelfer

Should government officials be licensed or pass a test before they can receive intelligence? The debate about whether to believe intelligence reporting on Russian hacking of the Democratic National...

Making the Unknowns Known in Space

by Casey Dreier

NASA has never hesitated in the face of the unknown. The space agency landed men on the moon in less than a decade. It has sent spacecraft beyond the edge of our solar system and peered into the...

An Understanding of the Mission: Former Military in Trump’s Cabinet

by Leon E. Panetta

Compared to the rest of his proposed cabinet, President Donald Trump’s pick of retired Marine Corps General James Mattis for Secretary of Defense has been one of his least controversial....

Questions Remain Until Trump Makes Russia Intentions Clear

by John Sipher

President Donald Trump has never shown much interest in foreign policy issues.  The few consistent themes he has supported are to defeat ISIS, restructure trade deals, and radically improve...

The Many Faces of Vladimir Putin: A Political Psychology Profile

by Kenneth Dekleva

In 2000, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, then a relative unknown outside of Russia, visited Japan.  Part of his trip included a visit to the Kodokan, the historic Judo school founded by Jigoro...

Putin's Perfect Gift

by Michael Morell

Noon on January 20th provides an excellent opportunity for Russian President Vladimir Putin to give President-Elect Donald Trump the perfect inauguration gift – Edward Snowden. A reminder:...

North Korea: A Vexing Problem for the New U.S. President

by Joel S. Wit

Kim Jong-un’s New Year’s speech has triggered fevered speculation about the possibility of an impending North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test, even provoking President-elect...

Cybersecurity Lessons Learned for 2017

by Jack Harrington

Pundits will pick over the lessons of 2016 for a long time, and as they do, cyber experts are looking at the past year and finding lessons as well, with far-reaching implications for our nation’s...

Uncertainty Ahead: Defense Technology and Acquisition Trends in 2017

by Cynthia Cook

The crystal ball may be unusually cloudy when it comes to predicting defense technology and acquisition trends for 2017, but the causes of this cloudiness are clear. The change in administration,...