Lessons Learned from Listening to Iran
OPINION — “Today I want to talk about Iran-U.S. mutual threat perceptions and deterrence policies, its historical perspective, but more from an Iranian perspective. I’m […]
Opinion
Terrorist Groups are Again Thriving in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan
OPINION — Last month, the U.S. Central Command said it conducted 20 joint operations in Iraq and 11 in Syria, killing five Islamic State operatives and capturing […]
Trust in Information for a more Perfect Union
SPONSORED COLUMN — Today’s information environment poses great challenges to our nation’s unity and security. Advances in wireless communication, content monetization, and artificial intelligence have […]
How to Avoid Past Mistakes in Ukraine
OPINION – The scale of both public and private sector interest towards Ukraine’s economy has been unprecedented in the aftermath of the colossal havoc caused […]
Uncovering a Relic of a Life Lived at CIA
OPINION — Evolving technology, shifting organizational behaviors, and information overload increasingly tested my decades-old operational instincts and as I looked at retirement options, the progress […]
Rethinking how the Pentagon spends its money is Mission Critical
OPINION — “Operation and maintenance and military personnel funding [in the Defense Department] typically must be obligated in the year for which they are appropriated. […]
Diogenes the Cynic’s Job in Russia just got harder
OPINION — No one should lament the passing of Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin. According to Russian officials, Prigozhin was a passenger on an Embraer Legacy 600 aircraft […]
Could Prigozhin’s Death be a Step Toward Sudden and Catastrophic Collapse for Putin?
OPINION — Who can be surprised that Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin met his timely end? Many have cited variations of the quote attributed to Ralph Waldo […]
Putin’s Godfather Role of a Lifetime
In light of the reported death of Wagner Group Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, The Cipher Brief tapped a number of experts for their thoughts on what […]
Prigozhin’s Final Lesson was that not even He Could Escape Kremlin Rules
OPINION – Wagner Group Leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was a violent man who lived life on a knife’s edge; that he reportedly met a violent end […]
What’s Happening in Niger Should be on Everyone’s Radar
OPINION — In late July 2023, the democratically elected President of the West African nation of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, was overthrown by members of the […]
Despite Some Flaws, the U.S. Needs Section 702
OPINION — “It is no exaggeration to state that signals intelligence, made possible by Section 702 information, is likely to inform every substantial national security […]
North Korea is a Case Study on whether China will still Collaborate for the Greater Good
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — In numerous Track 2 discussions between former U.S. government officials, academics and their Chinese counterparts, the 2003-2009 Six-Party Talks process is cited […]
A Roadmap for Strengthening Ukrainian Resiliency in the Medium to Long Term
ACADEMIA — The ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia has left Kyiv at a crossroads with a range of questions to consider for the future. […]
The Real Value of the Troops-to-Teachers Program
OPINION — In 1992, Congress passed legislation in the fiscal 1993 Defense Authorization Bill that required the establishment of a five-year program “to assist eligible […]
An Entertaining Mission (if you choose to accept it)
OPINION — One of the best things about being a retired CIA ops officer is now that people know I was a “spy,” I am […]
Remembering the Horror of Nagasaki
OPINION — Nagasaki, Japan, was not supposed to be the target for America’s second atomic bomb that was dropped 78 years ago, this week. And […]
A Journey Through Space Command
OPINION — “The DoD [Department of Defense] seeks to accelerate space-relevant technology development across the commercial space enterprise through numerous innovative programs, to include AFWERX/SpaceWERX.” […]