Recruiting Spies in the Trump Era
Marc Polymeropoulos retired in June 2019 from the Senior Intelligence Service ranks at the CIA after a 26 year career in operational headquarters and field […] More
CIA
In Syria, Trump Takes U.S. Leadership Down Another Notch
OPINION — President Donald Trump’s decision to remove the small contingent of United States troops remaining in Syria is a disaster on multiple levels. It illustrates not […] More
Trump’s Impact on the Five Eyes and Beyond
OPINION — As we digest the Trump administration’s unorthodox style of governing in the foreign affairs arena, it is worth focusing on a key aspect […] More
The Dangerous Business of Exfiltrating Spies – Part Two
When someone decides to spy on their own country for the U.S., they know they’re taking a risk. But when news broke recently that the […] More
The Dangerous Business of Exfiltrating Spies – Part One
When news broke recently that the U.S. had extracted a high-level Russian official in 2017 who had close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, it […] More
Dr. Shakil Afridi: How a Valuable U.S. Intelligence Asset Became a Liability
EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY — The house had been watched for quite some time. The home in Abbottabad was just about a mile from the Pakistani Military Academy […] More
Afghanistan and the Dark Side of No Man Left Behind
As the U.S. administration is contemplating the next steps in our march toward departure from Afghanistan (what some consider a much needed disengagement from an […] More
Life as an Intelligence Officer in the Age of Twitter
There has been much concern and consternation in the media— some perhaps understandable after two plus years of tweets and “off the cuff” statements by […] More
An Intelligence Officer’s Guide to Dissent
(Editor’s note – Thursday, August 15 is the last day of work for Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and his Principal Deputy Director Susan […] More
What Really Happened at CIA Black Sites
Former CIA and FBI official Phil Mudd knows a lot of details you probably don’t about CIA black sites. He knows, because he was associated […] More
Author Alex Finley Dishes on Life as a Spy
Alex Finley worked for CIA’s Directorate of Operations for about six years in the early 2000s. Her roles took her to places like West Africa […] More
Iran, Tankers and the Threat of Greater Destruction
New audio of the seizure of a British-flagged tanker indicates the vessel was too far away from help to avoid being forced to change course […] More
Trump’s Best Chance for a ‘Deal of the Century’ in the Middle East
Tensions remain high between the U.S. and Iran with no recognizable movement toward formal negotiations, and the Administration’s recent effort in Bahrain to gain support […] More
Life as a Female CIA Targeting Officer
[ED NOTE from Cipher Brief CEO Suzanne Kelly: I met Nada Bakos, the author of The Targeter: My Life in the CIA, Hunting Terrorists and […] More
Iran’s Next Surprise
When he became Secretary of Defense in early 2001, Donald Rumsfeld publicly expressed his concern about the inevitability of surprise. He often reminded other officials […] More
Restoring Deterrence with Iran
Putting Iran in a desperate situation without viable alternatives is likely to result in desperate responses. Two oil tankers carrying Japanese-related cargo were attacked in […] More
John Walker Lindh and the Dilemma of American Terrorists
Bottom Line Up Front Toward the end of May, John Walker Lindh was released from U.S. federal prison after serving 17 years of a […] More