Daniel N. Hoffman
Columns by Daniel N. Hoffman
Trump admin to face many foreign threats
To borrow former CIA Director George Tenet's phrase describing warnings before the 9/11 attacks, the global threat landscape is "blinking red." Published November 28, 2024
North Korea’s Kim should pay for his Ukraine misadventure
Having long supplied Russia with artillery and ballistic missiles to support the Kremlin's war in Ukraine, Kim Jong-un has reportedly sent 10,000 troops to fight alongside the Russian army in the Kursk region. Published November 14, 2024
CIA must serve next president without fear, favor or bias
Revolutionary War philosopher and pamphleteer Thomas Paine once wrote that "the right to vote is the right upon which all other rights depend." Published October 31, 2024
CIA would like to talk to a few good Iranians
Last month, the CIA posted instructions on social media sites on a secure means of contact via the internet for Iranians interested in sharing sensitive information with the U.S. government. Published October 17, 2024
Russian dictator Putin brazenly targets America’s news media outlets
We have the ancient Roman poet Virgil to thank for the phrase "Beware of Greeks bearing gifts." Published October 3, 2024
Chinese spies are lurking in or around the offices of our elected leaders
Earlier this month, the FBI arrested Linda Sun, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from China, who had served for a time as the deputy chief of staff to New York Governor Kathy Hochul. Published September 19, 2024
Putin is at war with democracy, and democracy must win
President Vladimir Putin has stated publicly that he believes Russia's invasion of Ukraine amounts to a proxy war against NATO. Published September 5, 2024
Prisoner swap with Russia was a success
Earlier this month, the U.S. and Russia completed their largest prisoner swap ever involving 24 people. Published August 22, 2024
CIA officer’s sacrifice shows need to crack Havana syndrome mystery
Havana syndrome was first detected in 2016, when U.S. diplomats serving in Cuba reported experiencing vertigo, headaches, fatigue and hearing loss. Published August 8, 2024
Why a strong NATO is more important than ever
At the NATO summit last month, for the first time the alliance had publicly and explicitly confronted the new "axis of tyranny" -- the deepening collaboration between Russia, North Korea, China and Iran. Published July 25, 2024
Putin, having miscalculated, is increasingly desperate
There's a popular expression in Finland that best characterizes Russian President Vladimir Putin's national security strategy: "Hata ei lue lakia" -- "In desperate times, law does not matter." Published July 11, 2024
Being curious and not judgmental
"Be curious, not judgmental." Published June 27, 2024
Don’t let Putin bolster weak hand in Ukraine with nuclear bluff
Seeking to buttress his self-proclaimed image as the defender of a besieged Russia, President Vladimir Putin told voters that the Kremlin would be ready for nuclear war with the West. Published June 13, 2024
Profiles in courage as Rees family confronts cancer — again
A few days ago, I learned that my friend Erik Rees' wife, Stacey, was diagnosed with breast cancer. She will undergo surgery and radiation on June 4. Published May 30, 2024
Speaker Johnson offers a lesson in the power of intellectual honesty
Training in clandestine operations in the earliest days of my CIA career was a formative experience, and not just because I learned how to recruit spies and steal secrets. Published May 16, 2024
Iran-Israel clashes show tricky dynamics of deterrence
Speaking at the George W. Bush Presidential Center last month, CIA Director William Burns declared that Iran's recent unprecedented attack on Israel had "turned out to be a spectacular failure." Published May 2, 2024
Bringing back Americans unlawfully detained in Russia
After the Soviet Union collapsed, Russian President Vladimir Putin nominally resigned from the KGB with the rank of lieutenant colonel. But he never really left the KGB. Published April 18, 2024
Putin’s failed blame game in terror attack exposes brittle regime
Even before the terrorists who slaughtered concertgoers at Moscow's Crocus City Mall were apprehended, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev accused the government of Ukraine of being responsible. Published April 4, 2024
Perils in cyberspace expand as dictators unite against U.S.
One of the more ominous consequences of Russian leader Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, the most destructive land war in Europe since World War II, has been the tectonic shift in the geopolitical landscape it has caused. Published March 21, 2024
Don’t be fooled — Putin is losing and Ukraine deserves our support
It's worth reminding ourselves that just two years ago, the U.S. and its NATO allies expected Kyiv to fall in a matter of days after Russia launched its brutal invasion. Published March 7, 2024
