Getting the Best Out of Moscow
Russia’s annexation of Crimea, intervention in eastern Ukraine, and meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election have escalated distrust and rancor between the U.S. and […] More
Security/Stability
The Master of Chaos vs. the Iranian Nuclear Agreement
The two-month mark is fast approaching when Congress could reimpose sanctions on Iran, possibly giving leaders in Tehran the right to pull out of the […] More
Two Years Likely Too Fast to “Win” in Afghanistan
America’s plan of attack in Afghanistan has evolved significantly, since President Donald Trump announced his new strategy for confronting the Taliban-led insurgency and the Islamic […] More
Being ‘Future Smart’ Means Thinking Years – Or Decades – Ahead
The U.S. arguably is facing more complex and serious threats to our national security than at any time in our history. Intelligence is critical to […] More
Another Deadly Scourge to Fear: Opioids as Weapons of War
As the U.S. public-health system struggles to alleviate the scourge of opioid addiction that killed more than 50,000 Americans in 2016, a variation on the […] More
Fixing the Foreign Agents Registration Act
The blowback over forcing Russian news outlets “Russia Today” (RT) and “Sputnik” to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) has raised questions about […] More
What’s Next for the Palestinians?
President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has left Palestinian leaders questioning the United States’ ability to effectively spearhead any […] More
How Recognizing Jerusalem Could Jettison – or Jumpstart – Peace Talks
The decision by President Donald Trump to officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital could give the U.S. added leverage to demand difficult concessions from the […] More
Pandith: Trump’s Move a Gift to Extremists
President Donald Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel Wednesday, prompting approval from Israel, and a building rumble of protest across the Arab […] More
The Ticking Time Bomb of Iran’s Proxy Industry
Saudi Arabia’s increasingly assertive moves against Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah have provoked understandable Western concern, particularly over the potential impact of these steps on Lebanon’s […] More
Network Take: Trump to Recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital
The Cipher Brief reached out to network experts retired Amb. James Jeffrey and CIA veterans John Bennett and Emile Nakhleh for their thoughts on the […] More
FISA Can Be Fixed Without Risking American Lives
Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance act is set to expire in five weeks, and to hear current and former intelligence officials tell it, […] More
Network Take: Death of a Gulf Strongman
Cipher Brief experts and CIA veterans Norman Roule, Emile Nakhleh and Rob Richer, together with former U.S. Amb. to Yemen Steven Seche, weighed in Monday […] More
Network Take: Shocked, Not, Over Flynn’s Guilty Plea
The Cipher Brief asked former CIA Russia hand John Sipher to react to the news that Trump administration National Security Adviser Michael Flynn admitted to […] More
Use What’s Known to Get to the Unknowns
The U.S. intelligence community has long considered its mission as the gatherer of secrets. But sometimes insights are hiding in plain sight among tweets, blog […] More
Why are Iran’s Hardliners Threatening Europe?
Europe has been on the forefront of defending the Iran Deal, better known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), from unraveling under the […] More
Bipartisan Hill Group Slams Trump’s China Policy
President Donald Trump’s wooing of Chinese President Xi Jinping has so far failed to deliver the results he promised since their first summit meeting in […] More
Tentative Deal May See Myanmar’s Rohingya Go Home—But To What?
Are Bangladesh and Myanmar poised to make progress to address the refugee crisis involving hundreds of thousands of ethnic Rohingya? Maybe. “The Cipher Brief has […] More