Dead Drop: May 10

SHAMELESS (Self-promotion) A look behind-the-scenes at what’s happening at The Cipher Brief:

WHERE’S JACK WHEN YOU NEED HIM: The Cipher Brief hosted it’s very first D.C.-based event last week, with The Cipher Brief HONORS Dinner.  Apparently, honoring one recipient with a prestigious award at a D.C. dinner is no longer enough, so The Cipher Brief decided to honor five people, including CIA Director Bill Burns, Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, former PDDNI The Hon. Susan Gordon, veteran national security columnist Walter Pincus and Hollywood Executive Producer and Showrunner (of shows like ‘24’ and ‘Homeland’) Howard Gordon. Apparently, it was a pretty impressive event judging by the guest list, which included; former Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, Dr. Michael Vickers, former director of the CIA George Tenet, the man who held the directorship of both the CIA and the NSA, General Michael Hayden (Ret.), former Acting CIA Director John McLaughlin, former Member of Congress and Presidential candidate Will Hurd, former PDDNI The Hon, Stephanie O’Sullivan, and about a gazillion Cipher Brief Experts (yes, we made that number up).  Still, it was (in the words of Will Hurd) the greatest ‘Spy Prom’ ever.  It’s hard to disagree.  Though co-host Suzanne Kelly asked what we thought was the most pressing question of the evening: ‘When is Jack Bauer coming back?’ Guess you’ll have to tune in to The Cipher Brief for more on that one, (we have it on good authority that people want him back).