Turkey Warns the U.S. It Will Launch Cross-Border Strikes into Syria
Bottom Line Up Front The U.S. will likely maintain an enduring military presence in Syria for years, in an extremely complex operating environment. Washington […] More
Global Issues
The Urgency of Resetting Relations With China
Bottom Line Up Front: The Trump Administration is confronting China on issues that have been developing for years and have percolated to the top of […] More
Russian Disinformation Campaigns Continue to Sow Doubt in the West
Bottom Line Up Front Russia continues to use social media disinformation to sow doubt, effectively deploying an army of trolls across the Internet. On […] More
Re-Evaluating Cyber Security for 2019
2018 was a rough year for customers and companies impacted by cyber breaches. Businesses from Under Armour to Facebook to Marriott were targeted by hackers, […] More
The Yemen Policy Debate Heats Up
Bottom Line Up Front The October killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has shifted U.S. congressional opinion sharply against Saudi Arabia’s de-facto leader, Crown […] More
‘Bringing Down the Hammer’ on China Trade Negotiations
Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou is out on bail in Vancouver while she fights an extradition request to the United States. This, as President Donald Trump […] More
Avoiding ‘Fire and Fury’ with North Korea
Bottom Line Up Front: Six months after the historic June 11, 2018 Summit between President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jung Un, the American public […] More
General Jack Keane Awarded Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Award
The Cipher Brief extends its congratulations to Cipher Brief Expert, General Jack Keane, on being awarded this year’s ‘Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Award’ at […] More
Response to Ebola Outbreak in Congo Disrupted by Security Risks
Bottom Line Up Front The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the second largest in history, with more than 422 […] More
A Gathering Arms Race Between Great Powers
Bottom Line Up Front On December 04, NATO formally accused Russia of being in violation of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. Since 2014, […] More
The Battle Against Deadly Biological Threats
A five month-long outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has reached dangerous levels and the risk of further spread is high. Thirty-six […] More
The Continuing Slide Toward Authoritarianism in Hungary
Bottom Line Up Front The Central European University, a well-respected academic institution established at the end of the Cold War, is being forced to […] More
Cyber: “The System is Blinking Red Once Again”
At a recent private D.C. dinner, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen gathered with academics and cyber experts from the private sector to talk candidly about […] More
Costs and Consequences of Counterterrorism
Bottom Line Up Front The U.K. Parliament has issued a report detailing shortcomings with how its security services handled five terrorism cases in 2017. […] More
Trump and Xi Meet at G-20 Amidst Deteriorating China-U.S. Relations
Bottom Line Up Front On December 1, President Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Argentina. The […] More
Trying to Feed Civilians While Starving Terrorists of Funds
Bottom Line Up Front According to its Office of the Inspector General, a top priority for USAID in 2019 is reforming its projects in […] More
Consequences of the ‘Ever-Nearing,’ ‘Never-Clearing’ Brexit Negotiations
Bottom Line Up Front On December 11, the British Parliament will vote on a ‘finalized’ deal for exiting the European Union (EU). The deal […] More
What Scares Vladimir Putin?
The U.S. is calling for more rigorous enforcement of sanctions against Russia after Russian ships fired on and seized three Ukrainian boats on Sunday, claiming […] More