Violence in Mexico Surges
Mexico’s homicide rate is surging. Government and independent sources are reporting an up to 18 percent increase for 2016, compared to last year. This comes […] More
Security/Stability
The Future of U.S.-Mexico Security Cooperation
Earlier this month, a police truck burned on the side of the road in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, with meter high flames melting the interior and the […] More
Reform the Mexican Judicial System
The increase in violence over the last year has spread evenly across Mexico (as shown in Figure 1 below) which compares state-level intentional homicide rates […] More
An Extremely Vulnerable Turkey
One day after Russia’s ambassador to Turkey was killed in Ankara, foreign ministers from the two countries met in Moscow to discuss the crisis in […] More
A Cipher Brief Update: Will the Turkey-Russia Thaw Endure?
Police in Turkey have detained six people following the killing of Russian Ambassador Andrey Karlov. State media reports that the attacker’s mother, father, sister and […] More
Gen. Petraeus: The Need for a Calibrated Response to Russian Hacking
General David Petraeus, former Director of the CIA, says the U.S. response to Russian hacking of the 2016 election must be calibrated to avoid a […] More
An Open Letter to the Men and Women of the U.S. Intelligence Community
Editor’s Note: The ongoing debate over the intelligence involving the Russian hack of the Democratic National Committee is highlighting a lot of other underlying issues […] More
Trump, Russia, and the CIA: Allies and Adversaries Confused
When asked by The Cipher Brief about how both allies and adversaries might view President-elect Donald Trump’s early, contentious relationship with the CIA, former Acting […] More
"Widespread Disquiet" Amongst Allies On Trump-CIA Flap
All week, The Cipher Brief has been covering the news that Russia not only interfered in the U.S. presidential election, but according to CIA analysts, […] More
Trump vs. CIA: Leaving Adversaries Mystified?
U.S. competitors and adversaries are probably” mystified,” says the Atlantic Council’s Mathew Burrows, by President-elect Donald Trump’s refusal to accept a CIA assessment that Russia […] More
Egyptian and Israeli Cold Peace Has Never Been Warmer
Although relations between Egypt and Israel have often been referred to as a “cold peace,” the emergence of mutual security threats over the past few […] More
Netanyahu and Sisi Building Strong Security Ties
The Cipher Brief spoke to Perry Cammack, a fellow in the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, about the current state […] More
Maintaining Relationships Behind Closed Doors
Despite a historically tenuous relationship, current ties between Israel and Egypt are far better, explains David Schenker, Director of the Program on Arab Politics at […] More
Trump's Attacks Do Not Bode Well for the CIA, Former Officers Say
What impact will President-elect Donald Trump’s attack on the Intelligence Community have on the CIA as it steels itself to deal with its already contentious […] More
Espionage Strategy: Russia's Long View vs. America's Short-Term Goals
As part of our special coverage of Foreign Influence, Domestic Division: Russia, the 2016 Election, and Trump’s Rebuke of the U.S. Intelligence Community, The Cipher […] More
An Open Letter to the Secretary of Defense Nominee
President-elect Donald Trump recently announced he will nominate retired United States Marine Corps General James “Mad Dog” Mattis for Secretary of Defense. Gilman Louie, founder […] More
Fmr. CIA Acting Dir. Michael Morell: "This Is the Political Equivalent of 9/11"
The Washington Post report on a secret CIA assessment concluding that Russia intervened in the U.S. Presidential election with the intention of helping President-elect Donald […] More
Trump in East Asia: No Time for Spring Training
President-elect Donald Trump’s first meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appears to have gone smoothly, though it remains too soon to say what policies […] More