Afghanistan’s Tale of Two Extremist Movements
OPINION — There has been considerable comparison between the Taliban and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), as both groups originated from extremist ideologies and have learned […] More
Opinion
A Tale of Competing Agendas on Ukraine: Will history judge Trump as a Churchill or a Chamberlain?
OPINION / EXPERT PERPSECTIVE — In coming weeks, President Trump will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and after that meeting, with Russian President Vladimir […] More
Lessons from Israel’s Tale of Two Fronts
OPINION — On Oct 6th, Hamas was ready to launch an audacious attack. It was complex, involved thousands of fighters, and aimed to kill, capture, […] More
The Clock is Ticking on U.S. leadership in The Middle East
OPINION – It’s no secret that President-elect Donald Trump will be laser focused on his stated domestic and economic agendas when he takes up occupancy […] More
The Latest
Is the United States on the Verge of Civil War?
OPINION — Is the United States on the verge of civil war? It is a possibility that has been frequently raised in connection with the […] More
Why our Presidential Candidates Must Choose Ukraine
OPINION — As the days wind down to what will arguably be the most consequential election in the first half of the 21st Century, there […] More
Putin is Offering the West a Choice between War and Dishonor
OPINION – Russian President Vladimir Putin has started the largest conflict on the European continent since World War II. He is the architect and driving […] More
This Administration’s Final Decisions on Ukraine could be its most important
An Open Letter to U.S. National Security Advisor, The Hon. Jake Sullivan Dear Sir: The world is still at a critical inflection point in history. […] More
China is our only real Existential Threat, says Former Senior CIA Officer
OPINION — The United States faces a direct existential threat today that has not been matched in severity since the war between our own states – […] More
War, Legitimacy and Context in the Middle East
OPINION — Gaza. The word immediately evokes images of wartime carnage. For us, however, it represents something else: an example of the danger inherent in […] More
Ukraine’s Next Act Could Impose Higher Costs for Putin
OPINION — There is a bit of typical Russian humor going around Moscow these days. Vladimir Putin, troubled by the intrusion of enemy forces into […] More
Israel’s Internal Division are Opportunities for its Adversaries
OPINION — Before Hamas’ attack on October 7, Israel’s security leaders issued multiple warnings that internal strife – then mainly over Netanyahu’s pursuit of judicial […] More
Israel’s Bold Assassinations are Grabbing Attention
OPINION — For those of us who have worked in the ‘find – fix – finish’ world of U.S. counterterrorism operations, the last 48 hours […] More
How U.S. Adversaries are Eyeing Our Presidential Election
OPINION — Describing the conditions that set the stage for history’s largest, most costly war, Winston Churchill wrote in The Gathering Storm, “The malice of […] More
Putin’s Maskirovka and his Preference for U.S. President
OPINION — “Who ya gonna believe, me or your own eyes?” asked Chico Marx in the 1933 Mar Brothers film, Duck Soup, (though the quote […] More
How did the Presidential Debate Address U.S. National Security Issues? Not well.
OPINION – The Cipher Brief tapped expert Dave Pitts for his reaction to Thursday night’s debate from a national security perspective. “To the original national […] More
Dear Presidential Candidates: North Korea is Part of Putin’s Strategy
OPINION — The mutual defense pact that Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong Un signed on June 19, was a victory […] More
A Dark Path Ahead for North Korea
OPINION — As Russian President Vladimir Putin visits North Korea, it’s important to keep in mind the weapons including artillery shells and ballistic missiles, that […] More
A former CIA Officer Contemplates the Mission Ahead
OPINION — The transition away from any beloved career can be difficult, but for those who have had highly engaging, rewarding, and even exciting careers […] More