
Another Inauguration – in Lebanon – Offers Hope for the Middle East
OPINION — If 2024 ended with “cautious optimism” about Syria, in the wake of that country’s ouster of the Assad regime, 2025 may be beginning with a […] More
OPINION — If 2024 ended with “cautious optimism” about Syria, in the wake of that country’s ouster of the Assad regime, 2025 may be beginning with a […] More
OPINION — The Ukraine war has often been characterized as a precipitating factor in the growing alignment of the United States’ key adversaries—China, Russia, Iran, and […] More
SPECIAL REPORT — Given how unpredictable 2024 proved to be – did anyone foresee the fall of Bashar Al-Assad, the decapitation of Hezbollah, an invasion of […] More
SPECIAL REPORT — In a year of world-changing events – from the Middle East to Ukraine, cyberattacks to undersea cable attacks, and much more – The […] More
SPECIAL REPORT — As we look back at the major national and global security events of 2024, it’s tempting to overuse certain words: stunning; staggering; […] More
OPINION — The lightning speed with which Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, toppled the brutal Assad regime in Syria signaled the demise of global Islamic jihad, […] More
EDITOR’S NOTE — Since Donald Trump’s victory in the November 5 election, The Cipher Brief has reached out to our network of experts for thoughts on what the […] More
DEEP DIVE — Amid all the uncertainty that has followed the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, one issue ranks highest for the U.S. and […] More
“Fate is a wheel that turns; in our pride, we sometimes forget how swiftly it can crush us beneath it.” – Attributed to Shah Ismail […] More
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT — In the week since Syrian rebels captured the capital, Damascus, ending the half-century rule of the Assad family in stunningly rapid […] More
EXPERT INTERVIEWS — The stunning uprising in Syria will have ripple effects that reach far from Damascus and the other cities that the rebels captured […] More
EXPERT INTERVIEW — The headlines would have seemed fanciful two weeks ago: “Rebel Army Ousts Assad” – “The Fall of Assad” – “Assad Flees to Russia” […] More
DEEP DIVE – The Assad family – Hafez al-Assad and then his son Bashar – ruled Syria for 53 years. Their regimes were known for […] More
DEEP DIVE — Even by the standards of the Middle East, it’s been a volatile and violent year – from Gaza to Lebanon to the […] More
EXPERT INTERVIEW — An already volatile Middle East has a new frontline: Syria. Actually, it’s an old frontline that’s returned to the fore, as Syrian rebels […] More
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE – Last week’s retaliatory strikes by the U.S. for the killing of three American military service members in Jordan last weekend, lasted only 30 […] More
SUBSCRIBER+REPORTING – The U.S. carried out a barrage of airstrikes against more than 85 targets in Iraq and Syria on Friday, shortly after the bodies of […] More
SUBSCRIBER+REPORTING – In the wake of Sunday’s strike that killed three Americans and injured dozens more at a small U.S. base in Jordan – the […] More
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE REPORTING — In the days after Hamas fighters launched a terrorist attack in Israel in October, an illicit amphetamine known as Captagon was reportedly found in […] More
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