2019: New Beginnings & Old Challenges
Bottom Line Up Front As 2019 begins, the U.S. and its allies will continue to deal with crises that started years ago and have […] More
Syria
Syria’s Future Dependent on Past
SPECIAL TO THE CIPHER BRIEF — There is vast confusion, and much existential angst about the future of the Middle East region if the U.S. […] More
Prepare for a Return of ISIS
There is considerable debate over whether ISIS in Syria has been defeated to a significant enough degree that it would not be able to quickly […] More
How Russia Will Play a U.S. Syria Withdrawal
Russian President Vladimir Putin is publicly welcoming President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria. In a press conference on Thursday, Putin said […] More
The Greater Cost of U.S. Absence in Syria
As part of our special coverage on Syria, The Cipher Brief spoke with expert Emile Nakhleh, former member, CIA’s Senior Intelligence Service, to get his […] More
Iran’s Uncontested Influence in Syria
As part of our special coverage on Syria, The Cipher Brief spoke with Norm Roule, the former National Intelligence Manager for Iran at the Office […] More
President Trump’s Syria Surprise
The 19 December announcement by President Trump to withdraw ground troops from Syria was surprising to everyone but should have come as a shock to […] More
The U.S. Remains Incapable of Formulating a Coherent Syria Strategy
Bottom Line Up Front On December 19, 2018, President Trump unexpectedly announced a full withdrawal of all U.S. troops in Syria within the next […] More
Trump’s Team on Syria Weighs Risk
Reports that President Trump has ordered a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria are not inconsistent with prior messages we’ve heard from the President this […] More
Turkey Warns the U.S. It Will Launch Cross-Border Strikes into Syria
Bottom Line Up Front The U.S. will likely maintain an enduring military presence in Syria for years, in an extremely complex operating environment. Washington […] More
Trying to Feed Civilians While Starving Terrorists of Funds
Bottom Line Up Front According to its Office of the Inspector General, a top priority for USAID in 2019 is reforming its projects in […] More
The Staggering Cost of the Never-Ending ‘Global War on Terror’
Bottom Line Up Front By October 2019, the U.S. will have spent approximately $6 trillion in efforts related to support of the so-called ‘global […] More
Children of the Caliphate: Uncertain Futures and Living in Limbo
Bottom Line Up Front Approximately 700 children were born in the caliphate to parents from Western countries, although many European governments are either unsure […] More
Increasing Tensions Between the U.S. and Russia in Ukraine
Bottom Line Up Front The armed conflict in Ukraine has received scant attention in the Western media lately, however, tensions have recently increased between […] More
China’s ‘Heavy Hand’ in Xinjiang
Bottom Line Up Front China just recently legalized ‘vocational training centers’ in Xinjiang province in the western part of the country, intended to engineer […] More
Iran’s Proxies in Iraq
Bottom Line Up Front Iran’s Shi’a militia allies in Iraq enable the mullahs to exert substantial influence over Baghdad, and will continue to do so […] More
The High Operational Tempo of European Counterterrorism Operations
Bottom Line Up Front: On September 26, Danish police arrested two men on charges of trying to send money and drones to the Islamic State […] More
Killing Civilians to Save Civilians in the Fight Against ISIS
Bottom Line Up Front: On September 27, the U.S. Defense Department reported that 1114 civilians have been unintentionally killed in anti-Islamic State airstrikes since August […] More