U.S. Nuclear Arsenal a Deterrent, Not an Impromptu Threat
Within the next week, North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un and President Donald Trump will face situations that will require them to take steps that […] More
Global Issues
Tillerson Not Happy About Russia Sanctions Bill, Wants Better Relations
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says “neither the President or I are very happy” with a new Congressional bill sanctioning Russia, but he expects President […] More
Cipher Brief Expert View: Sharif’s Resignation a Win for Pakistani Military
On Friday, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resigned after the Pakistani Supreme Court disqualified him from office on charges of corruption. Sharif’s family finances were […] More
U.S. Abandoning Global Leadership After Withdrawal from Climate Pact
U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accords last month was widely denounced as a blow to global climate change cooperation. […] More
Climate Change: A Real Challenge to U.S. Military Readiness
When President Donald Trump decided to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement this June, it confirmed the administration’s intent to pull back on international efforts […] More
The Paris Agreement and American Leadership
President Donald Trump’s decision to unilaterally withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement this June was met with immediate outcry from both domestic opponents […] More
How Kuwait is Surviving the Gulf Crisis
Next week, on August 2, is the 27th anniversary of the day Saddam’s forces stormed across Iraq’s southern border with the goal of annexing their small […] More
Bridging the Gulf: Kuwait Mediates the Latest Dispute
The ongoing diplomatic confrontation between Qatar and four Arab nations – Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt – has exacerbated regional tensions […] More
Kuwait Sees No Benefit from Gulf Sqaubbling
With the dispute between Qatar and its neighbors nearing the two-month mark with no resolution in sight, Kuwait has stepped in as a mediator in […] More
India and China’s Game of Chicken at the “Chicken’s Neck”
The recent tensions between India and China have entered their sixth week. What began as a dispute over the location of a Chinese road building […] More
Border Dispute: China Won’t Back Off, India Can’t Back Down
After six weeks of tension between China and India over a Chinese road building project on contested territory, neither side is prepared to back down. […] More
Network Take: Assessing Trump’s First Six Months
It has been a tumultuous first six months for the Trump Administration, as the ongoing investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election […] More
Natural Security Series: Holding China Accountable for Harming Oceans
Beijing’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) have released a comprehensive plan for maritime economic development and cooperation across […] More
The Inside Story on U.S. Sanctions
Financial sanctions have emerged as a vital strategic weapon for the United States and a primary means of non-military confrontation with nations, companies, and individuals […] More
How the U.S. Financial Blacklist Shapes Foreign Policy
The U.S. government imposes sanctions on individuals, companies, and nations for a variety of reasons, but the practical consequences are always the same: U.S. sanctions […] More
U.S. Sanctions Aim to Change Rogue Behavior
David Cohen, former Deputy Director of the CIA and Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, says the U.S. sanctions program is […] More
Hong Kong and China: One Country, One Future?
Xi Jinping will make his first visit to Hong Kong as president of China this week as the territory prepares to commemorate the 20th anniversary […] More
Hong Kong and Beijing: Getting Back to “Basics”
Twenty years ago, when Britain handed Hong Kong back to China, Beijing agreed to administer the island according to the Basic Law, which would preserve […] More