The Far-Reaching Danger of ISIS in Syria

by Kimberly Kagan

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is defending President Trump’s decision to withdraw support for Kurdish troops in Northeast Syria, saying Turkey has a “legitimate security concern’. ...

Pushing Back on Iran: A Different Approach

by Kenneth Pollack

Kenneth M. Pollack is a Resident Scholar of the American Enterprise Institute. It’s not surprising that a great many people would like to push back on Iran, including the Trump Administration. ...

Why Talks with the Turks Matter More Than Ever

by James Jeffrey

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is in Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.  On the Agenda are a number of important strategic issues among the NATO allies,...

The Rule of Law Is Under Attack

by Nate Jones

As a former Department of Justice detailee to the National Security Council, I fully appreciate the value that rule of law brings to this country.  Lately, however, I’m finding it harder and...

Sadr Prepares for Role as Kingmaker

by John Nixon

Cipher Brief Note:  Shiite Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr assured Iraqis this past weekend that the next Iraqi government will be ‘inclusive’.  Al-Sadr, who once fought U.S. troops after the invation...

Terrorism and the Future Lone Wolf Threat in America

by Carol Rollie Flynn

There is one truth in terrorism that intelligence officials and national security experts have seen proven over the past few years: terrorist tactics are continuously evolving.  The Washington Post...

In Putin’s Fourth Term, What—If Anything—Threatens His Control?

by Steven L. Hall

On May 7, Vladimir Putin was inaugurated for his fourth six-year term as President of Russia. He gained more than 76 percent of the vote and—despite concerns over the legitimacy of the vote—does...

Inside Haspel’s Hearing Room

by Charlie Allen

If you watched the questioning of the President’s nominee for Director of Central Intelligence on C-SPAN, you probably missed the significant display of U.S. Intelligence heavyweights sitting...

The 2011 U.S. Withdrawal from Iraq: Relevance for Syria Today

by Ambassador James F. Jeffrey

Following the near destruction of ISIS in Iraq and in the U.S. “zone” in northeastern Syria, and then a call recently by President Donald Trump to pull out of Syria, administration officials,...

North Korea: From Wishful Thinking to ‘Possible’

by Joseph DeTrani

The Panmunjom Declaration gives us hope that denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is possible.  The Summit of South Korean President Moon Jae-in with North Korea’s Kim Jung-un was heavy on...