Security will be a Critical Aspect of New AI Center
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — The recent signing of an agreement between the United Arab Emirates and the United States to create a large scale joint center […] More
Cipher Brief Expert View
Counter-AI May be the Most Important AI Battlefront
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — Artificial intelligence (AI) has truly captivated the American imagination, with increasing attention focused on the latest AI breakthroughs and capabilities. With each […] More
As Negotiations Over Ukraine Drag On, What Can Putin Stand to Lose?
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE – “How Many Divisions has the Pope Got?” Josef Stalin’s sarcastic, contemptuous dismissal of an appeal by Pope Pius XI to a higher […] More
What Comes After Istanbul Will Define Ukraine
Never give in—never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. […] More
The Latest
Tariffs Delivered the Jolt – Now Comes the Build
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE / OPINION — Bold moves lead to bold outcomes. President Trump understood that reshaping global trade would bring short-term pain, including market volatility and […] More
Resetting Ukraine Negotiations Could Prevent a Shift in Great Power Competition
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — The change in U.S. posture toward Ukraine, the expanding fracture between the U.S. and NATO, and what appears, at least for now, […] More
Trump is Handing Europe its Turn to Lead
OPINION / EXPERT PERSPECTIVE (LONDON) – U.S. President Donald Trump has only been back in the White House for 6 weeks, but the reaction in […] More
The Art of Negotiating with Vladimir Putin
OPINION / EXPERT PERSPECTIVE – As talks move forward between the U.S. and Russia with the intention of an agreement to end Moscow’s war in […] More
Will the new Administration bring new opportunity on Afghanistan?
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE / OPINION — In April of 2024, I offered some thoughts in The Cipher Brief on a possible way forward in Afghanistan. That […] More
The world can’t afford another ‘Mafia Don’ war when it comes to Russia
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE / OPINION – The upcoming peaceful inauguration of the next U.S. president should serve as a reminder to the world of the virtues […] More
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 […] More
Supreme Leader Khamenei’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Year
“Fate is a wheel that turns; in our pride, we sometimes forget how swiftly it can crush us beneath it.” – Attributed to Shah Ismail […] More
Are We Positioned to Win the Race for AI Supremacy?
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE / OPINION — In the high-stakes geostrategic race for artificial intelligence supremacy, the United States faces an unexpected adversary: its own government procurement […] More
Avoiding Strategic Surprise will be key in the next Administration
EXPERT Q&A – The Cipher Brief tapped Dave Pitts, former Assistant Director of CIA for South and Central Asia and range of other experts with […] More
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 […] More
China is Courting Thailand. Here’s Why the U.S. Should Care.
OPINION/EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — The strategic landscape of Southeast Asia is rapidly evolving, with China making significant inroads into a region where U.S. influence has been […] More
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 called […] More
U.S. Moving Big Guns to the Middle East to Deter, Protect and Defend
EXPERT Q&A — The U.S. began moving additional military assets to the Middle East in anticipation of a direct attack on Israel after the assassination […] More
Venezuela’s Post-Election Stand off Prompts Fears of a ‘Blood bath’
OPINION — Venezuelans went to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president or re-elect long-time strongman, Nicolas Maduro. Early on Monday morning, Venezuela’s […] More