A View of Trump’s America from the Birthplace of Democracy
OPINION — Traveling in Greece on personal business during late October, it was remarkable to hear from a variety of Greeks, their unvarnished views of […] More
Trump
What Alexander Hamilton Taught Us About Impeachment
OPINION — More than 231 years ago, Alexander Hamilton foresaw the controversy around today’s impeachment inquiry into President Trump when he published Federalist Paper 65 on […] More
Trump and His Oil Fields
OPINION — President Trump’s sending U.S. military troops to control the oil fields in northern Syria can only be interpreted as introducing financial deal-making into […] More
Syria: WTF Do We Do Now?
President Trump announced this week that the U.S. had brokered a permanent ceasefire in northeast Syria as he also announced that he would be lifting […] 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
Forever Enemies and Forever Wars
Gary Grappo is a former U.S. ambassador who served as Minister Counselor for Political Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad; U.S. Ambassador to the […] More
Where’s a Whistleblower When You Need One?
OPINION – Why is there no Whistleblower in the case of President Trump’s October 6, phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan? Who was […] More
In Syria, Trump Takes U.S. Leadership Down Another Notch
OPINION — President Donald Trump’s decision to remove the small contingent of United States troops remaining in Syria is a disaster on multiple levels. It illustrates not […] More
An Epilogue for Syria
The Cipher Brief is bringing you a range of expert perspectives on Syria this week. General Jack Keane (Ret.), the chairman of the Institute for […] More
Unanswered Questions Amid Whistleblower Reporting
OPINION — White House officials initially learned of the first Whistleblower’s complaint about President Trump’s July 25, telephone call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky weeks before […] 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
Are We Headed for a Watergate Moment?
OPINION — Could there be a Hugh Scott in 2019? I refer to Sen. Hugh Scott of Pennsylvania, in office from 1958 to 1976, who […] More
Atkinson’s Dogged Push for Transparency
OPINION — Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson deserves praise along with the Whistleblower for pushing within the law to get President Trump’s highly protected […] More
A Fading Chance for Improvement with North Korea
During 2018 and part of 2019, the DPRK’s Chairman Kim Jong-un, South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in, and U.S. President Donald Trump collectively made diplomatic history […] More
Dunford’s Parting Thoughts on Afghanistan
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford retires later this month, but in his own quiet way he is leaving behind his recommendation for the current […] More
Why do we need Plutonium Pits?
OPINION — The Trump administration’s year-old plan to vastly increase future production of plutonium pits, the triggers of thermonuclear weapons, caught my attention just days […] More
Trump’s Test as India and Pakistan Clash over Kashmir Again
When the latest India-Pakistan flare-up arose over disputed Kashmir, my mind went back to Christmas Eve, 2001. My family was urging me to get to […] More
President Trump’s Polish Adventure
OPINION — President Trump’s scheduled trip to Poland this coming weekend to participate in that country’s Sept. 1, 80th anniversary of the start of World War […] More