The Cipher Brief
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The Cipher Brief is the only media outlet focused exclusively on bringing you a higher level of confidence around national security events via news, analysis, and interviews with government and private sector leaders.
From memes to AI-driven influence, modern conflict is fought in the mind. A deep dive with the U.S.’s first “Cognitive Advantage” chief. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/the-countrys-first-cognitive-advantage-chief-influence-is-the-new-battlefield?share_id=9128888
January 16, 2026 at 7:33 PM
From memes to AI-driven influence, modern conflict is fought in the mind. A deep dive with the U.S.’s first “Cognitive Advantage” chief. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/the-countrys-first-cognitive-advantage-chief-influence-is-the-new-battlefield?share_id=9128888
Rivalry doesn’t rule out cooperation. From crisis management to counternarcotics and nuclear risk reduction, U.S.–China engagement still matters for the world. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/what-u-s-china-cooperation-means-for-the-world?share_id=9128695
January 16, 2026 at 4:41 PM
Rivalry doesn’t rule out cooperation. From crisis management to counternarcotics and nuclear risk reduction, U.S.–China engagement still matters for the world. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/what-u-s-china-cooperation-means-for-the-world?share_id=9128695
America’s toughest security challenges aren’t fought overseas. They’re enforced quietly at home, and the Coast Guard sits at the center of that mission. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/coast-guard-sovereignty-and-homeland-defense?share_id=9128462
January 16, 2026 at 3:33 PM
America’s toughest security challenges aren’t fought overseas. They’re enforced quietly at home, and the Coast Guard sits at the center of that mission. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/coast-guard-sovereignty-and-homeland-defense?share_id=9128462
Global Intelligence Report for Friday, January 16, 2026
Global Intelligence Report for Friday, January 16, 2026
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January 16, 2026 at 12:31 PM
Global Intelligence Report for Friday, January 16, 2026
A firsthand reckoning with Aldrich Ames, the CIA traitor whose greed sent brave agents to their deaths, and whose legacy still haunts U.S. intelligence. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/remembering-aldrich-ames-and-the-lives-he-destroyed?share_id=9124929
January 15, 2026 at 1:32 PM
A firsthand reckoning with Aldrich Ames, the CIA traitor whose greed sent brave agents to their deaths, and whose legacy still haunts U.S. intelligence. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/remembering-aldrich-ames-and-the-lives-he-destroyed?share_id=9124929
Global Intelligence Report for Thursday, January 15, 2026
Global Intelligence Report for Thursday, January 15, 2026
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January 15, 2026 at 12:29 PM
Global Intelligence Report for Thursday, January 15, 2026
A sharp review of Enduring Hostility examines how every U.S. president has tried, and failed, to reset relations with Iran, and why the standoff endures.
CAN IRAN EVER BECOME A “NORMAL ADVERSARY”?
BOOK REVIEW: ENDURING HOSTILITY: THE MAKING OF AMERICA’S IRAN POLICY
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January 14, 2026 at 5:54 PM
A sharp review of Enduring Hostility examines how every U.S. president has tried, and failed, to reset relations with Iran, and why the standoff endures.
Designating the Muslim Brotherhood as “terrorist” may do more harm than good—and risk pushing pragmatic Islamic movements toward radicalization. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/muslim-brotherhood-terrorist-designation-problematic?share_id=9115995
January 14, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Designating the Muslim Brotherhood as “terrorist” may do more harm than good—and risk pushing pragmatic Islamic movements toward radicalization. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/muslim-brotherhood-terrorist-designation-problematic?share_id=9115995
Global Intelligence Report for Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Global Intelligence Report for Wednesday, January 14, 2026
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January 14, 2026 at 12:34 PM
Global Intelligence Report for Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Global Intelligence Report for Tuesday, January 13, 2026- Pentagon bought device through undercover operation some investigators suspect is linked to Havana Syndrome.
Global Intelligence Report for Tuesday, January 13, 2026
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January 13, 2026 at 12:26 PM
Global Intelligence Report for Tuesday, January 13, 2026- Pentagon bought device through undercover operation some investigators suspect is linked to Havana Syndrome.
Maduro’s exit didn’t end Venezuela’s crisis. With the military and oil sector still controlled by regime loyalists, Washington faces tough choices about who to work with, and at what cost. An exclusive perspective by a former U.S. ambassador to Venezuela.
Now Comes the Hard Part in Venezuela After Maduro’s Fall
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — Now comes the hard part in Venezuela. Dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife are gone but the regime is still in power. Most Venezuelans, particularly in the diaspora, are pleased and relieved. Many are also apprehensive.
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January 12, 2026 at 6:46 PM
Maduro’s exit didn’t end Venezuela’s crisis. With the military and oil sector still controlled by regime loyalists, Washington faces tough choices about who to work with, and at what cost. An exclusive perspective by a former U.S. ambassador to Venezuela.
Was Maduro’s seizure a lawful arrest or an act of war? Cipher Brief Expert Geoffrey Corn breaks down why the Noriega analogy fails, what international law really says, and why POW status matters.
Maduro and Noriega: Assessing the Analogies
Asked if there were any restraints on his global powers, [President Trump] answered: “Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”
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January 12, 2026 at 4:04 PM
Was Maduro’s seizure a lawful arrest or an act of war? Cipher Brief Expert Geoffrey Corn breaks down why the Noriega analogy fails, what international law really says, and why POW status matters.
Global Intelligence Report for Monday, January 12, 2026
Global Intelligence Report for Monday, January 12, 2026
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January 12, 2026 at 12:11 PM
Global Intelligence Report for Monday, January 12, 2026
One KGB defector, one British gamble, and a Cold War turning point that Moscow never saw coming.
The Spy Who Came in Because He Wanted a Divorce
BOOK REVIEW: The Defector. The Untold Story of the KGB Agent Who Saved MI5 and Changed the Cold War
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January 9, 2026 at 7:25 PM
One KGB defector, one British gamble, and a Cold War turning point that Moscow never saw coming.
AI that doesn’t just analyze, but acts. What Agentic AI means for defense, investors, and the future of warfighting. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/agentic-ai-human-in-loop?share_id=9117942
January 9, 2026 at 6:54 PM
AI that doesn’t just analyze, but acts. What Agentic AI means for defense, investors, and the future of warfighting. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/agentic-ai-human-in-loop?share_id=9117942
Global Intelligence Report for Friday, January 9, 2026
Global Intelligence Report for Friday, January 9, 2026
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January 9, 2026 at 12:10 PM
Global Intelligence Report for Friday, January 9, 2026
From Tsarist secret police to today’s FSB, surveillance defines Russian power. An expert perspective on “naruzhka,” the all-seeing state, and why foreigners—and Russians—are always being watched. #Russia #espionage #intelligence
The Kremlin Files: Russia, the Modern Surveillance State
EXPERT OPINION / PERSPECTIVE — Ask any Russian intelligence officer about “naruzhka,” and you’ll see them nod knowingly. It’s the term for physical, trailing surveillance: watchers on the street who follow targets, track meetings, and report patterns. The Russians are experts at it, and they have be
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January 8, 2026 at 3:38 PM
From Tsarist secret police to today’s FSB, surveillance defines Russian power. An expert perspective on “naruzhka,” the all-seeing state, and why foreigners—and Russians—are always being watched. #Russia #espionage #intelligence
Global Intelligence Report for Thursday, January 8, 2026
Global Intelligence Report for Thursday, January 8, 2026
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January 8, 2026 at 12:24 PM
Global Intelligence Report for Thursday, January 8, 2026
Iranians are back in the streets demanding change, accountability, and a future beyond the Islamic Republic. Iran’s Supreme Leader Should Listen to the People.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Should Listen to the People
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January 7, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Iranians are back in the streets demanding change, accountability, and a future beyond the Islamic Republic. Iran’s Supreme Leader Should Listen to the People.
Global Intelligence Report for Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Global Intelligence Report for Wednesday, January 7, 2026
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January 7, 2026 at 12:34 PM
Global Intelligence Report for Wednesday, January 7, 2026
“We’re gonna run it,” Trump says of post-Maduro Venezuela. But what does that actually mean? Tom Nagorski examines the risks of U.S. control, oil interests, and why some experts fear a long, difficult nation-building project ahead.
The U.S. Says it Will “Run” Venezuela. What Will That Mean?
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January 6, 2026 at 10:58 PM
“We’re gonna run it,” Trump says of post-Maduro Venezuela. But what does that actually mean? Tom Nagorski examines the risks of U.S. control, oil interests, and why some experts fear a long, difficult nation-building project ahead.
A melting Arctic is becoming the world’s next geopolitical battleground—Polar War explains why. A former CIA Clandestine Service officer offers an exclusive review of the book by Kenneth R. Rosen.
Cold War, Hot Zone: Inside the New Arctic Rivalry
BOOK REVIEW: Polar War: Submarines, Spies, and the Struggle for Power in a Melting Arctic
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January 6, 2026 at 3:23 PM
A melting Arctic is becoming the world’s next geopolitical battleground—Polar War explains why. A former CIA Clandestine Service officer offers an exclusive review of the book by Kenneth R. Rosen.
What does Venezuela mean for oil, China, Russia, and U.S. power in the Western Hemisphere? Energy and intelligence expert Norm Roule explains the global stakes of the U.S. operation—and what comes next.
Venezuela’s Key Takeaways for the World
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January 6, 2026 at 2:49 PM
What does Venezuela mean for oil, China, Russia, and U.S. power in the Western Hemisphere? Energy and intelligence expert Norm Roule explains the global stakes of the U.S. operation—and what comes next.
Global Intelligence Report for Tuesday, January 6, 2026
Global Intelligence Report for Tuesday, January 6, 2026
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January 6, 2026 at 11:51 AM
Global Intelligence Report for Tuesday, January 6, 2026
Venezuela was a Surprise. What Could be Next? https://www.thecipherbrief.com/venezuela-was-a-surprise-what-could-be-next?share_id=9111924
January 5, 2026 at 2:58 PM
Venezuela was a Surprise. What Could be Next? https://www.thecipherbrief.com/venezuela-was-a-surprise-what-could-be-next?share_id=9111924