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Democracy

Iran’s Supreme Leader Should Listen to the People

EXPERT OPINION — The Iranian people are saying they want new leadership. And it’s not too hard to understand why so many merchants, university [...] More

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Global Democracy is in Trouble. The U.S. Intelligence Community Can Help

OPINION — In February 2023, the Biden Administration rapidly declassified intelligence related to China’s aerial intelligence collection activities [...] More

The Release of Anjem Choudary

Bottom Line Up FrontOn October 19, al-Muhajiroun co-founder Anjem Choudary was released from prison in the U.K. after serving over two years for [...] More

Don't Lose Sight of the Russian Threat to American 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 [...] 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 [...] 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 of Grigory [...] 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 [...] 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. [...] More

At Arab Spring Anniversary, Is Tunisia Really a Success Story?

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 the Arab Spring. [...] More

Brazil’s Democracy Suffers from Corruption

Brazil is increasingly becoming a less stable country and has been ranked one of the most worsened countries over the past year by the 2017 Fragile [...] 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 [...] More

Hong Kong and China: One Country, One Future?

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 of [...] More