Trump-Xi Summit Was No Pain, No Gain
At 8:40PM EDT last Thursday, as the two were wrapping up a ceremonial dinner with their families, President Donald Trump informed President Xi Jinping that […] More
Security/Stability
It Takes a Team to Stop the Bleeding from Insider Threats
The top counterintelligence priorities of the United States government are insider threats, protecting critical infrastructure, and supply chain security, according to National Counterintelligence Executive Bill […] More
The EU’s Strategy for Sahel Security
The security of the Sahel is crucial for the European Union. The Sahel region of Africa is plagued by poor governance, extreme poverty, frequent famine […] More
Keeping Watch on China’s Maritime Strategy in North Korea
Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping for the first time. While the two agree on the need to strengthen […] More
EU Economic and Military Investments in Africa Increase
Africa faces a number of security challenges, from terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and al Shabaab, to civil wars and violent conflicts in South […] More
Migration Spurs EU Investment in Africa
Recent heavy migration from Africa to Europe has renewed the European Union’s focus on maintaining stability and contributing to the economic development of its southern […] More
Trump Drone Policy Taking Shape
Less than two months after taking office, U.S. President Donald Trump’s approach to drone strikes appears to be taking shape. Although the Trump Administration has […] More
U.S. Shows Allies & Opponents: We Are Willing to Use Force
U.S. President Donald Trump, in a filmed statement from his Mar-a-lago resort Thursday night – where he is currently meeting President Xi – said the […] More
Trump Draws the Line in Syria
The United States launched a missile strike on a Syrian air base early Friday morning, local time, in response to this week’s deadly chemical weapons […] More
U.S. Message to Assad: The Game Has Changed
After the United States launched airstrikes against a Syrian airfield late Thursday night, The Cipher Brief reached out to Rob Richer, the former Associate Deputy […] More
Network Take: Do U.S. Airstrikes Mark Emergence of a “Trump Doctrine?”
Late on Thursday night, U.S. naval vessels stationed in the Mediterranean fired 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the Shayrat Syrian military air base near Homs. […] More
Taking the Initiative with a Threatening North Korea
Since June 25, 1950, when North Korea, with Soviet and Chinese backing, invaded the South, in an effort to reunify the country, North Korea has […] More
Erdogan Needs Enemies More Than Friends
On April 16, Turkey will hold a constitutional referendum, which if passed, promises to transform the country’s governing system. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stands […] More
Estonian Official Calls NATO, U.S. Vital to Defense
Estonia, both a European Union and NATO member, shares an entire eastern border with Russia but remains firmly embedded in the Western defense alliance. Mariin […] More
Natural Security Series: Global Security and Illegal Fishing in Somalia
On March 13, desperate Somali fishermen hijacked the tanker Aris-13 off the coast of Puntland, in the northeast part of the country. This was the […] More
Hacking 4 Defense: The Future of Innovation in National Security
In a world where globalization makes it possible for adversaries to compete with American technologies, the United States must consistently innovate and adopt new tools […] More
Thorns in the Bear’s Paw: Putin’s Vulnerabilities
Vladimir Putin is portrayed in the West as the master manipulator in foreign policy, creating turmoil in U.S. and European elections and outfoxing his rivals […] More
Putin vs. The Unknown
An explosion in the St. Petersburg metro on Monday tore open a subway car, killing at least 14 people and leaving dozens injured. Russian Prime […] More