We Really Need to Fix the Saudi Problem
OPINION — In the annals of US history in the Middle East, there are few moments ingrained in the psyche of US government officials more […] More
Marc Polymeropoulos
An Open-Source Brief: former CIA Officer Marc Polymeropoulos
We’re starting a new segment on The Cipher Brief’s Open-Source Collection Podcast and adding to the line-up of curated headlines we bring you from around […] More
My Tribute to a CIA Legend
Marc Polymeropoulos served 26 years in the CIA before retiring from the Senior Intelligence Service in June 2019. His positions included field and headquarters operational […] More
My Choice for the Next D/CIA
Marc Polymeropoulos served 26 years in the CIA before retiring from the Senior Intelligence Service in June 2019. His positions included field and headquarters operational […] More
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A Raw Deal for the Palestinians
Cipher Brief Expert Marc Polymeropoulos served 26 years in the CIA before retiring from the Senior Intelligence Service in June 2019. His positions included field […] More
In a Weird Way, My Career at CIA Prepared My Family for this Pandemic
Marc Polymeropoulos served 26 years at CIA, retiring from the Senior Intelligence Service in 2019. He served overseas in the Middle East and South Asia, […] More
The Ex-Spy’s Reading List in the Age of COVID-19
In the age of COVID-19, The Cipher Brief reached out to our expert network to ask what they were reading. Cipher Brief Expert Marc Polymeropoulos […] More
Avenging the Death of Qassem Soleimani
The U.S. targeting and killing of Iranian Quds Force General Qassem Soleimani by a drone strike in Baghdad on Friday has prompted a series of […] More
The Most Tiresome Truths on Syria
OPINION — It has been several years since I thought deeply about Syria. And that is a shame, given my long time affection for the […] More
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
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
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