Members Only Clinton Security Policy: Willing to Use the Tools of Power
If Hillary Clinton wins tonight, it will likely be a relief to the Washington foreign policy establishment, our Allies, and probably even our adversaries. If […] More
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Members Only No Knock Out in the Final Round of the U.S. Presidential Debate
All things considered, there was ample discussion of critical national security issues during the third and final 90-minute debate of this heated and often nasty […] More
Members Only U.S. Top Spy Says Reaching Out to Private Sector is a "Daunting Task"
Collaborating with the private sector remains “a work in progress” for the U.S. government and intelligence community, but prioritizing that effort is crucial to protecting […] More
Members Only Dealing Loosely With the Facts: The Clinton Emails
The newly released FBI interview reports show that it was a Bureau official who initially suggested he would look into changing the classification of a […] More
Members Only Round Two of the U.S. Presidential Debates
It was a U.S. presidential debate unlike we have ever experienced. Personal attacks and accusations expressed by Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary […] More
Members Only NSA Leaks: How Could This Happen Again?
The filing of a criminal complaint by the U.S. government against a National Security Agency (NSA) contractor has once again raised the harrowing possibility that […] More
Members Only Nuclear No First Use: Ambiguity vs. Clarity
In a Presidential race dominated by immigration, trade, and an almost unprecedented level of political mudslinging, one could be forgiven for missing moderator Lester Holt’s […] More
Members Only No Alternative in Sight
Since June 2016, there has been a spirited debate in Washington regarding the U.S. adoption of a No-First-Use (NFU) policy. A NFU policy would be […] More
Members Only NFU is Good Nuclear Policy
Geopolitical tensions have risen in Europe since the Russia-Ukraine crisis in 2014; in South Asia with the flare-up in Kashmir; and in East Asia with […] More
Members Only Why Aren’t These Guys Running for President?
It was a raucous Vice Presidential debate Tuesday night, with both candidates repeatedly talking over each other, and each disparaging the positions of the other’s […] More
Members Only How the Terrorist Watchlist Works
How the Terrorist Watchlist Works In the wake of recent domestic terrorist incidents, the spotlight has once again fallen on the terrorist watchlist. What is […] More
Members Only The Presidential Debate: Divided They Stand on National Security Issues
The issue of national security is one of many to divide the two Presidential candidates in this, the most contentious of election campaigns. During Monday […] More
Members Only Homeland Security Committee Chair Unveils New CT Strategy
House Homeland Security Committee chair Michael McCaul (R-TX) on Tuesday will unveil his new counterterrorism strategy, a proposal meant to suggest ways to overhaul how […] More
Members Only The Post-9/11 U.S. Intelligence Community
Fifteen years ago, 19 hijackers and four planes shattered American illusions of security. An outside attack seemed remote to most Americans, and there appeared to […] More
Members Only A Mixed Bag
As we mark another 9/11 anniversary, the Cipher Brief asked me to assess the impact of the past 15 years on the American intelligence community. […] More
Members Only Measured Progress
In the aftermath of 9/11, the American intelligence community (IC) went through one of the most transformative periods in its history. From the creation of […] More
Members Only The Post-9/11 U.S. Military
The crisis after 9/11 forced every branch of the military to reevaluate its mission set, its structure, and its identity. Fifteen years later, the process […] More
Members Only U.S. Special Operations Forces at 9-11, Today, and for the Future
Following the tragic attack on 9-11, U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) and the CIA, supported by airpower, conducted a punitive expedition that resulted in the […] More
Members Only The U.S. Army: Battle Tested, Tough, and More Aware
In the 15 years following 9/11, the U.S. Army pivoted away from its traditional role and took on the challenge presented by new missions and […] More
Members Only The Potential Danger of Classified Intel Briefings in a Bitter Campaign
NBC’s Wednesday night “Commander-in-Chief Forum” gave some insights into how Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump might handle the job, but I first want to deal […] More
Members Only Nation’s Top Spy: U.S. Faces "Perpetual State of Suppression" of Terror
The Russians hack the United States’ systems “all the time,” Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told a conference of intelligence professionals on Wednesday. He […] More
Members Only What the Next President Faces: Tectonics
I was recently asked what I would tell a Presidential nominee or a President-elect to most worry about in today’s world. It was kind of […] More
Members Only Cipher Brief Network On Trump's Intelligence Community Comments
On Wednesday, Republican Presidential nominee, Donald Trump, received his first classified intelligence briefing at an FBI field office in New York City. The briefing, which […] More
Members Only Zika: A National Security Threat?
Calls for more funding to fight the Zika virus have intensified in the last week as concerns over the implications of a potential crisis in […] More