Cooperation in the Mideast?
Trade and South China Sea dominated the agenda at the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue held in Beijing last week. However, with much focus on […] More
United States
Challenges for Agreement on Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is one important area where both China and the U.S. agree cooperation is necessary, but on very different terms. The Cipher Brief spoke to […] More
U.S. and China: Strategic Cooperation at Arm’s Length
As the 8th round of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue (SED) drew to a close on Tuesday, Chinese fighter jets buzzed a U.S. reconnaissance […] More
How Clinton and Trump Differ on National Security
The Defense Department under a President Hillary Clinton will for the most part continue in the direction it’s been going under President Barack Obama. Don’t […] More
Clinton Lays Out National Security Case Against Trump
In front of a backdrop of American flags, Hillary Clinton on Thursday called presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump’s national security ideas a series of “bizarre […] More
Reinforcing Substantial Momentum
Against the backdrop of an increasingly assertive China and a highly-provocative North Korea, President Barack Obama attended the G-7 summit in Ise-Shima, followed by a […] More
A New Era in the U.S.-Japan Security Partnership
Last Friday, Barack Obama became the first sitting U.S. President to visit Hiroshima after the city was destroyed by an American atomic bomb on August […] More
Coming Full Circle?
Seventy-one years ago, on August 6, 1945, a U.S. B-29 bomber dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killing an estimated 140 thousand people. The bombing […] More
Historic Enemies Cooperate Against North Korea
Last week, South Korea, Japan and the U.S. announced they will hold their first-ever joint anti-missile exercise next month, signaling an effort by Korea and […] More
Uniformly Qualified for High Office
In this, the oddest of election years in recent memory, there have been no shortage of improbable suggestions for safely traversing the electoral minefield. One […] More
Proliferation: The Danger Signs
North Korea’s nuclear saber rattling is raising concerns about further proliferation in the region. There is a risk that should they feel sufficiently threatened by […] More
The Gap Between Myth and Reality
In the self-created mythical world that Donald Trump has conjured up through his GOP presidential nomination campaign, the Islamic State terrorists will be gone “very, […] More
Finding Common Solutions
The Cipher Brief: Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan have the technical ability to pursue nuclear weapons, but all three have refrained. What conditions would have […] More
Biden Makes Surprise Trip to Iraq Amid Political Turmoil
Vice President Joe Biden touched down in Iraq on Thursday for a surprise visit to the country as it faces a deepening political crisis that […] More
Which Donald Trump Showed Up
The two Trumps were on display Wednesday talking about foreign policy and national security. Neither made much sense. “The Cipher Brief has become the most […] More
Pursuing a ‘Fail Fast’ Ethos for Defense Acquisition Reform
Over the last week, startup CEOs and defense industry experts have been ramping up efforts to push for a more agile, fast-paced way of dealing […] More
U.S. to Send More Troops to Iraq in Fight Against ISIS
More than 200 additional U.S. troops will be deployed to Iraq to help support and intensify the fight against ISIS, a move retired four-star General […] More
The U.S. and the Philippines: Shoulder to Shoulder in the South China Sea
On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced a “…regular periodic presence [in the Philippines] of American forces,” something that has not occurred since […] More