Russia is plugging battlefield losses with recruits from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, with many lured by fake job promises and coerced into combat. When they go home, their countries inherit the consequences. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/russias-foreign-fighter-pipeline?share_id=9156285

How do you defend elections, outpace China, and manage AI without compromising your values? Former NSA Director Paul Nakasone weighs in on the next era of cybersecurity.

Global Intel Report for Fri, Feb 6. > US-Iran talks. GRU general shot in Moscow. U.S.–Russia military channel reopens. SpaceX ownership scrutiny. This is what strategic turbulence looks like. Today’s Report: fast, authoritative, no fluff

The era of economic neutrality is over. This analysis argues that U.S. investors now face a stark choice, either back American re-industrialization, or help China win the economic Cold War. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/us-china-economic-cold-war?share_id=9148582

From fake videos to Arctic posturing, Moscow is testing Western unity in the High North. Here’s why Greenland matters more than the headlines suggest. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/greenlands-worth-a-fight-and-russias-trying-to-start-one?share_id=9145934

Export controls were supposed to stop China. They may be making China stronger. The unintended consequences of America’s AI chip strategy, explained. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/export-controls-backfire-the-china-innovation-paradox?share_id=9147992

New polling shows a stunning shift: key allies now view the U.S. as a greater threat than China. A must-read on the changing balance of global influence. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/the-rise-of-china-s-strategic-soft-power-and-its-global-impact?share_id=9146492

Global Intelligence Report for Monday, February 2, 2026

The 2026 National Defense Strategy closely tracks the administration’s broader security priorities, but notable omissions raise important questions about where U.S. strategy is headed next. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/the-2026-national-defense-strategy-no-surprises?share_id=9143145

China’s military leadership has been shaken to its core. Xi Jinping’s sweeping purge of top generals has hollowed out the PLA’s command structure, raising serious questions about readiness, morale, and decision-making, especially when it comes to Taiwan.

Trump’s latest Davos announcement is raising eyebrows, and questions, about power, diplomacy, and what comes next for global governance. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/inside-trumps-new-board-of-peace?share_id=9139466

Sanctions were supposed to slow Russia’s war machine. Instead, Moscow built a global workaround. Inside the networks, middlemen, and financial backdoors keeping Putin’s war economy alive.

Extremists are targeting kids online, Discord, gaming chats, Instagram, and more. This piece explains how recruitment works and why prevention programs must be rebuilt. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/they-re-coming-for-our-kids?share_id=9138775

Russia’s campaign against Ukraine’s power and heating systems is leaving civilians in the cold, and raising urgent questions about war crimes and accountability. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/russia-is-targeting-civilians-in-ukraine?share_id=9133683

Iran is facing its most serious unrest in years. But before Washington reaches for pressure, history offers a warning, from Iraq to Afghanistan, about what comes next. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/iran-at-the-breaking-point-how-afghanistan-and-iraq-still-inform-u-s-strategy?share_id=9136502

How Russia built its doctrine of gray-zone warfare, from non-contact war to information operations, and why it matters for today’s conflicts.

How did the U.S. become a global power, and what’s changed now? A look at American intervention, history, and the shifting logic behind U.S. force abroad. https://www.thecipherbrief.com/the-long-arc-of-american-power?share_id=9131681

New reports show the military failed to address known safety risks in the V-22 Osprey for years, even as deadly crashes continued. Investigators cite systemic breakdowns, delayed fixes, and unresolved hazards.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

“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.

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

Venezuela was a Surprise. What Could be Next? https://www.thecipherbrief.com/venezuela-was-a-surprise-what-could-be-next?share_id=9111924

Global Intelligence Report for Monday, January 5, 2026

Is Venezuela the Next Battleground for Strategic Influence and Control? https://www.thecipherbrief.com/a-trained-eye-sees-strategic-patterns-in-venezuela?share_id=9111578

Global Intelligence Report for Wednesday, December 24, 2025

After his recent visit to Ukraine, former CIA Executive Glenn Corn warns the war has entered a more dangerous phase — marked by fatigue, political strain, Russian disinformation, and growing doubts about U.S. resolve.

Global Intelligence Report for Tuesday, December 23, 2025

The Pentagon is weighing its biggest command shake-up in decades. But reorganizing combatant commands won’t be enough without deeper intelligence and interagency reform, writes Renee Novakoff, former Deputy Director of Intelligence for Sensitive Activities and Special Programs.

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