The Danger of Terrorist Retaliation
Since his death at the hands of a US drone strike in Baghdad last week, much has been said about Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and […] More
Terrorism
What Happens Next with the Tensions Between Iran and the United States?
Bottom Line Up Front Iran responded to the death of IRGC-QF Major General Qassim Soleimani by launching nearly two dozen ballistic missiles at Iraqi […] More
Avenging the Death of Qassem Soleimani
The U.S. targeting and killing of Iranian Quds Force General Qassem Soleimani by a drone strike in Baghdad on Friday has prompted a series of […] More
Saudi Air Force Officer Murders Three U.S. Navy Sailors in Pensacola
Bottom Line Up Front On Friday December 6th, Saudi Air Force Second Lieutenant Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani murdered three U.S. Navy sailors and injured 8 […] More
Trends in Global Terrorism
Bottom Line Up Front According to the U.S. State Department, global terrorism clustered in three regions in 2018, with South Asia, the Middle East, […] More
No Longer Worried About ISIS? Think Again.
The killings of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and his possible deputy by U.S. special operations forces are major losses for the extremists, ones that are likely […] More
The Cipher Brief’s OSINT Trend Line Report
The Cipher Brief’s NEW Open Source Collection Report (OSINT) uses open source data to track trends around the world that impact national and global security. […] More
U.S. Leadership is Needed to Stop Terrorism
The nation and the world welcomed President Donald Trump’s Oct. 27 announcement that ISIS leader Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed by the U.S. military at his […] More
Baghdadi May be Dead, but the So-Called Islamic State Will Live On
Bottom Line Up Front On October 26, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in a raid by U.S. forces in northern Syria near the Turkish […] More
The Regional Impact of al-Baghdadi’s Death
Cipher Brief Expert Norman T. Roule served for 34-years in the Central Intelligence Agency, managing numerous programs relating to Iran and the Middle East. He […] More
Al-Qaeda is Strengthening Its Networks Throughout the Sahel
Bottom Line Up Front Al-Qaeda maintains a stronger position in the Sahel than Islamic State-affiliated groups. Although Western targets have been struck in recent […] More
Disinformation and Terrorism
Bottom Line Up Front While much of the discussion around disinformation focuses on the role of nation-states, violent non-state actors have also developed fairly […] More
An Epilogue for Syria
The Cipher Brief is bringing you a range of expert perspectives on Syria this week. General Jack Keane (Ret.), the chairman of the Institute for […] More
Mastermind of 2008 Mumbai Terror Attacks Arrested
Bottom Line Up Front Pakistani authorities have arrested Hafiz Saeed, founder of the terrorist group LeT and mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Pakistan […] More
Milley’s Mindset
Army Gen. Mark Milley indicated he would continue Pentagon independence from some of President Trump’s policies at his confirmation hearing to become the next chairman […] More
Islamic State’s Sinai Affiliate Remains a Destabilizing Force in Egypt
Bottom Line Up Front Just last week, the Islamic State’s affiliate in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula launched a deadly attack, killing eight police officers at […] More
French Foreign Fighters Sentenced to Death in Iraq
Bottom Line Up Front Just last week, seven members of the so-called Islamic State, all of them from France, were sentenced to death by […] More
In Story of Jihadi John, Don’t Trust the Headlines
Almost a year ago, I was approached by an award-winning documentary director and lauded journalist, Richard Kerbaj. He was seeking insight and background on Al […] More