Intelligence Project

As details are released about the upcoming summit between the U.S. and Russia, Intelligence Officers are expected to ramp up collection efforts in order to prep the field ahead of talks. The Cipher Brief's Russia experts Robert Dannenberg, Daniel Hoffman, Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, and Lt. Gen Kevin McGlaughlin give their take on the top five points to understand as the US prepares for the upcoming summit. 

Now is a time for all of us, whatever our political persuasion, to stand up for what we believe. Think. Speak. Act. But do not sit on the sidelines and fail to answer the call that this country was founded upon — liberty and justice for all. To paraphrase President Trump, all power to the people. Well, we the people must take the mantle! In this hour of greatest need that this nation has faced in its illustrious history, generations of Americans have risen to the challenge of determining who we are, as a people, not content to allow our rulers to define our principles and our values for us.

One day, we imagine, drones will carry products right to consumers’ doorsteps. Retailers, supermarkets and restaurants will deploy squadrons of remotely controlled flying machines to deliver whatever people want whenever they want it.

At least that’s the popular lore. Unfortunately, the reality is different. For now, broad adoption of drone delivery is neither economical nor practical. Today’s commercial drones simply can’t carry anywhere near the weight of ground vehicles. They also are a lot more expensive to operate than trucks or trains. On top of that, air traffic controllers couldn’t manage them safely nor would the public tolerate them constantly buzzing their neighborhoods – even if they could be managed.

The future of drones is in the data not the products they can deliver.

Sophie Shevardnadze of RT interviews Rolf Mowatt-Larssen on the dangers of politicizing intelligence.

Many of the threats and missions identified in the 2018 National Defense Strategy Summary are similar to those of earlier defense strategies. But the priorities have changed dramatically. The 2018 NDS declares that “interstate strategic competition, not terrorism, is now the primary national security concern,” and the United States is in a “long-term strategic competition” with its main adversaries Russia and China.

It is with a heavy heart that the Intelligence Project must announce the passing of Dr. Charles G. Cogan, longtime associate and friend of Harvard University. He passed away peacefully in his sleep on December 14, 2017, a month shy of his 90th birthday. Chuck, as we knew him, continued to research, write, attend and contribute to Intelligence talks at Harvard until his finals days. We will all miss his indomitable spirit, razor-sharp mind, and cheerful interaction with all he encountered. He substantially enriched the educational experience of students, researchers, faculty and guests.

A speedy but proper resolution of the standoff with Qatar is clearly in American interests. Consistent with President Trump’s May 20 Riyadh speech, and his just-announced plan of action against Iran, such a resolution must include Doha’s cessation of all forms of support for extremist Islamic movements and the end of its flirtation with Tehran.

Since 11 September 2001 the United States has been able to drive the global counterterrorism agenda as it saw necessary. Those days are over. The global environment has permanently shifted. The open rivalry with Moscow and growing competition with China are going to increase the potential costs on U.S. counterterrorism activity and outright restrain it in others.

Avril Haines, former CIA Deputy Director and former Deputy National Security Adviser to President Obama, chats with Aroop Mukharji (@aroopmukharji) about being a woman at the CIA, why we don’t know much about North Korea, what it’s like inside the White House situation room, and how she went from indie bookstore owner to No. 2 at the CIA.

It is ironic that when President Trump finally made his first major foreign policy decision, he ran with the advice of his “cooler heads” — the Generals he admires — over his own instincts to cut U.S. losses and get out of this jungle. In extending U.S. involvement in Afghanistan for the narrower purpose of battling the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, ISIS and associated groups, every U.S. soldier killed and wounded in Afghanistan from this day forward becomes in effect a casualty of the scourge of terrorism the president is determined to thwart.