Ending Support for the War in Yemen
Bottom Line Up Front On February 13, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 248-177 to require the administration to end support for Saudi Arabia’s […] More
Clinton
American Democracy in Trouble
No matter who wins today’s election, the American democratic system is in trouble. Should Donald Trump win, the country would have a president who has […] More
Decision Day in the U.S.: Daunting Security Challenges Ahead
When the new president walks into the Oval Office on January 20th, the American leader will most likely find a note from Barack Obama, a […] More
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
The Latest
Keep Ash Carter at Defense
Hillary Clinton should keep Ash Carter as Defense Secretary if, as expected, she wins the presidency next week. With American troops fighting in Syria, Iraq, […] More
Priorities for the Next U.S. Administration
Since the turn of the century, perhaps earlier, there has been a consistent distancing between the U.S. and Latin America. Today it is difficult, perhaps […] More
The World is Watching: The American Election and Germany
In what may be his last foreign trip as President of the United States, Barack Obama will make a stop in Germany in mid-November. This […] More
Clinton: A "Reliable Partner"
Germany – a strong U.S. ally – is watching the American presidential race very closely, with a critical eye. The Cipher Brief’s Kaitlin Lavinder met […] More
Trump: A "Loose Cannon"
A Donald Trump presidency could spell bad news for transatlantic relations, including the U.S.-German relationship, according to many experts. The Cipher Brief’s Kaitlin Lavinder traveled […] More
Giving Congress a Say on a No-Fly Zone in Syria
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton should tell voters over the next two weeks that if elected, she would seek congressional authorization before ordering the Pentagon […] More
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
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
"Grave Threats": American Security and the Next U.S. President
From Syria, to climate change, North Korea, and the largest global refugee flows in history, the next President will face a uniquely challenging set of […] More
If This Were a Real World Election
Fox News’ Chris Wallace has said as moderator, he plans to make “foreign hot spots” one of the 15-minute topics in tomorrow night’s final presidential […] More
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
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
The Case for No-First-Use
The conditions under which a U.S. president might use nuclear weapons has in recent weeks become a topic of national conversation. Toward the end of […] More
The World is Watching: The American Election and Iran
For the Islamic Republic of Iran, the stakes couldn’t be higher when it comes to the outcome of the upcoming U.S. presidential election. With a […] More
Trump Means Business
The 2016 U.S. Presidential Election is fraught with uncertainty for the electorate, political establishment, and the world. The Iranian political establishment is closely observing the […] More