The Release of Anjem Choudary
Bottom Line Up Front On October 19, al-Muhajiroun co-founder Anjem Choudary was released from prison in the U.K. after serving over two years for inspiring […] More
Posts Tagged ‘Democracy’
Don’t Lose Sight of the Russian Threat to American Democracy
It has now been 18 months since the November 2016 presidential election, during which the U.S. intelligence community believes Russia acted not only to interfere […] More
Sadr Prepares for Role as Kingmaker
Cipher Brief Note: Shiite Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr assured Iraqis this past weekend that the next Iraqi government will be ‘inclusive’. Al-Sadr, who once fought U.S. […] More
Behind the Curtain of Vladimir Putin’s “Democracy”
In the latter part of the 18th century, not too long after an earlier annexation of Crimea by Russia, a Russian governor by the name […] More
Russia Aims to ‘Demoralize and Confuse Us’
Much has been written about Russia’s interference in the 2016 election – the theft and selective leaking of information, the attempt to tamper with state […] More
Trump Races Down ‘Road to Authoritarianism’
Don’t be diverted by gossip and bizarre tweets. The most important record of events shows that President Donald Trump and his allies are taking the […] More
American Democracy’s “Third World” Mutation
During my career as an operations officer in the CIA’s Clandestine Service, I was fortunate to have served in a number of out-of-the-way places. Where […] More
At Arab Spring Anniversary, Is Tunisia Really a Success Story?
This Sunday marks seven years since a wave of protests erupted across the Middle East and North Africa in what came to be known as […] More
Is Hong Kong Losing its Identity?
Hong Kong’s society and economy have changed under 20 years of Beijing’s influence. Chinese capital has bought out companies and real estate and job seekers […] More
Hong Kong and China: One Country, One Future?
Xi Jinping will make his first visit to Hong Kong as president of China this week as the territory prepares to commemorate the 20th anniversary […] More
Hong Kong and Beijing: Getting Back to “Basics”
Twenty years ago, when Britain handed Hong Kong back to China, Beijing agreed to administer the island according to the Basic Law, which would preserve […] More
Populism Spreads Across U.S., Europe But Could Halt as Economy Rallies
A populist wave is washing over the United States and Europe, which have seen populist leaders take the helm – U.S. President Donald Trump – […] More
Is Populism Another Name for Political Emotionalism?
What is the definition of populism? What are the common threads that tie together populist movements? Does populism work? The Cipher Brief’s Kaitlin Lavinder spoke […] More
We Are Asking the Wrong Questions about Populism
The upsurge of populism in the United States and Europe has us asking the wrong questions. The issue that should concern us is not what […] More
Could Iran’s Elections Indicate a New Future?
Iranian voters sent a strong message to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, decisively electing incumbent President Hassan Rouhani to a second term in office. The […] More
Election Exposed Deep Polarization Within Iran
The Cipher Brief’s Bennett Seftel sat down with Suzanne Maloney, Deputy Director of the Foreign Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, to discuss how the […] More
The Struggle Continues in Iran
Hassan Rouhani’s decisive victory in the Iranian presidential elections held last week reveals that after 38 years, Iranians are still struggling to resolve the conflicts […] More
Iranian Elections Unpredictable and Exciting
Friday’s presidential election in Iran marks a pivotal moment for the Islamic Republic. Although ultimate power in the country remains in the hands of Supreme […] More
Fragile States Index Reveals Grievance in Unexpected Places
What is the most stable country in the world? Which is the most fragile? What determines those qualities? In 2017, South Sudan was ranked the most […] More
Will Moon Bring Back Sunshine Policy in South Korea?
From day one, South Korea’s new President, Moon Jae-in, has shown he will be a different type of leader. He confirmed a campaign promise that […] More
Will Moon Push for Engagement with Pyongyang?
In his first days in office, newly elected South Korean President Moon Jae-in has tried to reassure the governments of the United States, Japan, and […] More
South Korea Voters Mandate Reform
After months of uncertainty following the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye, South Korea has a new president. Moon Jae-in, a human rights lawyer and former […] More
Does Moderate Political Islam Exist?
The term “political Islam” has become commonplace after the Arab uprisings of 2011, during which Islamist groups rose to political prominence across the Middle East […] More
The Best of Times and Worst of Times for Moderate Political Islam
The concept of political Islam has deep historical roots in Islamic societies and, during the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011 in the Middle East and […] More