Daniel N. Hoffman
Columns by Daniel N. Hoffman
U.S. intelligence learned hard lessons from Ames’ treachery
Earlier this month, around the time the U.S. military was rendering Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro to justice, convicted spy Aldrich "Rick" Ames was taking his last breaths in a federal prison. Published January 22, 2026
Putin holds out for domination
I'll never forget the most unexpected conversation I had with my uncle Fred back in December 2006 after I returned from Iraq. Published January 8, 2026
Remembering U.S. intelligence officers taken by terrorism
On Dec. 30, 2009, I was in Moscow when jihadi website writer Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi blew himself up in a suicide attack on the Americans serving on a U.S. base in Khost, Afghanistan. Published December 25, 2025
How Trump can exploit the China-Russia fissure
While engaging in shuttle diplomacy to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Trump administration should grapple with the significance of the moment relative to China's new cold war on us and our allies. Published December 11, 2025
Thanksgiving, a time for gratitude
A few weeks ago, my older son was working tirelessly on what for him was a challenging high school English assignment, which required him to write about a meaningful moment in his life. Published November 27, 2025
Terrorist networks find haven again in Afghanistan
During one of my headquarters assignments at the CIA, I was responsible for briefing the director every morning on the latest sensitive developments worldwide. Published November 13, 2025
Halloween-worthy disguises have long been critical arrows in the CIA quiver
My late wife, Kim, always made Halloween an especially joyful holiday for our family, using the accomplished hair and makeup skills she honed while working as a CIA disguise technician. Published October 30, 2025
Show Putin his Ukraine strategy is failing
On May 1, 2011, I had a front row seat in the CIA's Counterterrorism Center, tracking U.S. SEAL Team operators who were delivering justice to Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. Published October 16, 2025
Needed: A peace plan that doesn’t reward Putin
A peace settlement negotiated without rewarding Russian ruler Vladimir Putin's imperial land grab would not only guarantee Ukraine's independence but also ensure we protect Europe. Published October 2, 2025
Republicans, Democrats can unite in standing up to China’s new world order
Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Beijing earlier this month, Chinese leader Xi Jinping choreographed the dance of the world's most nefarious dictators. Published September 18, 2025
Putin breathes deception and manipulation
Going back to the days of the Soviet KGB, Russian intelligence officers have ruthlessly trained their sites on assessing and evaluating their adversaries. Published September 4, 2025
The curative power of laughter
Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, I received an unexpected call from Joe Sibilia, who produces the morning radio show for former "Saturday Night Live" comedian Joe Piscopo. Published August 29, 2025
U.S. pivot in Iraq offers lesson for Israel in Gaza
I'll never forget the day I first arrived in Iraq in the autumn of 2006. The country was in turmoil, and the George W. Bush administration was dramatically shifting its failing strategy. Published August 21, 2025
Father’s Day lessons for life
This year on Father's Day, I joined a slew of parents cheering on our sons in an end-of-season soccer tournament. Published August 7, 2025
America’s main enemy is Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been at war with Ukraine since 2014. He has been at war with democracy his entire life. Published July 22, 2025
Battle damage assessment will determine next steps in Iran
When I joined the CIA decades ago, the first thing my fellow trainees and I learned was that there was no manual for conducting overseas espionage operations. Published July 10, 2025
Iran is down but still dangerous
A nuclear threshold state, Iran found itself in the crosshairs of the U.S. and Israel over its ballistic missile capability, proxy terrorist network and refusal to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Published June 26, 2025
The transformational power of fatherhood
I'll never forget that day decades ago when I told my father that the CIA had hired me and I would be starting work there in three months. Published June 12, 2025
The enduring lesson of ‘Operation Ghost Stories’
This June will mark 15 years since the FBI arrested 10 Russian deep undercover intelligence officers in an exquisite Justice Department counterintelligence operation code-named "Ghost Stories." Published May 29, 2025
America’s China strategy needs urgent overhaul
The US is under siege from the Chinese Communist Party but is not close to doing enough to counter, defend and deter China's multifarious threats to its national security. Published May 15, 2025
