Hanoi Summit Success Likely to Come at a Cost
The world is watching Hanoi this week as President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un hold their second summit meeting in less than […] More
Intelligence
Reluctant Justice for Returning Foreign Fighters and Families
Bottom Line Up Front As the last territory held by the so-called Islamic State is reclaimed, the issue of what to do with returning […] More
Energy and Aid as Leverage in Venezuela
Bottom Line Up Front The U.S. has enacted sanctions against Venezuela’s national oil company as well as against embattled President Nicolas Maduro’s inner circle. […] More
Approaching a Dangerous Precipice in South Asia
Bottom Line Up Front On February 18, Pakistan-based militants killed four Indian soldiers during a raid in Kashmir, just days after 40 Indian soldiers […] More
Setting U.S. Relations with Saudi Arabia on a Correction Course
There was never any question that America’s relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would become one of its most important in the region and […] More
Four Big Takeaways from the Munich Security Conference
The Cipher Brief asked expert and retired four-star General David Petraeus for his big takeaways after attending last weekend’s Munich Security Conference. First, the wedge between […] More
A Tenuous Peace Deal in the Central African Republic
Bottom Line Upfront Earlier this month, fourteen armed groups from Central African Republic agreed to a peace agreement following talks in Khartoum, Sudan. The […] More
The Islamic State Will Live on Through Its Affiliates
Bottom Line Up Front Even after the collapse of the territorial caliphate in Iraq and Syria, the Islamic State will live on through its […] More
I Was in the CIA. Trump’s Petty Fights and Insults Will Make Us All Less Safe.
Steven Hall spent more than 30 years in the CIA, the bulk of them running and managing intelligence operations in Eurasia and Latin America. He […] More
False Flags in Cyberspace: Targeting Public Opinion and Political Will
Bottom Line: In the digital age, determining the origins of cyberattacks is already difficult, but cyber actors can further muddy attribution by diverting blame for […] More
The Special Operations Mission: A View from the Hill
It’s been a busy national security week in DC. Congressional lawmakers and the President managed to reach a deal that would fund the government but […] More
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
Civilian Casualties and the Struggle for Transparency
Bottom Line Up Front A partially declassified study of U.S. military operations demonstrates the difficulty in accurately counting and mitigating civilian casualties. Disparities exist […] More
The Serious Trust Deficit Between Washington and Pyongyang
OPINION — Two senior U.S. military commanders in the Indo-Pacific area this week questioned whether North Korea would ever denuclearize, just 12 days before the next […] More
Trump-Kim Nuclear Diplomacy: Round Two in Vietnam
Bottom Line Up Front At the end of February, U.S. President Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un will meet in Vietnam following […] More
A State Without Territory
Bottom Line Up Front On February 10, U.S.-backed forces surrounded the Syrian town of Baghouz Al-Fawqani, the ‘last’ remaining stronghold of the so-called Islamic […] More
Iran’s Resilient Revolution
Bottom Line Up Front The 40thanniversary of Iran’s Islamic Revolution finds the country in a stronger regional position than at any time since the […] More
SOF Leader’s Advice For Reaching Full Potential
The Cipher Brief’s new Friday column, ‘Cipher Select’ talks with retired Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Rob Lively, who spent 28 years in the U.S. Army, […] More