Daniel N. Hoffman
Columns by Daniel N. Hoffman
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
Iran has nothing to fear, everything to gain from low-level proxy war
Last week, Iran marked the 45th anniversary of the end of its 1979 Islamic Revolution with a massive military parade, while crowds burned U.S. and Israeli flags and shouted retread slogans. Published February 22, 2024
CIA recruitment videos target Russians put off by Putin’s follies
Having served in the KGB and as director of Russia's Federal Security Service, Russian President Vladimir Putin naturally turns to cloak-and-dagger espionage to take the fight to his adversaries, foreign and domestic. Published February 8, 2024
For the U.S., going it alone is not an option
After spilling so much blood and treasure in the "forever wars" of Afghanistan and Iraq, many Americans want to avoid becoming entangled in world affairs. But just as in the 1920s and 1930s, storm clouds have gathered. Published January 25, 2024
Threat alert for U.S. is again ‘blinking red’ in Gaza
Iran's proxy terrorists in Iraq and Syria, such as Lebanon's Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthis, represent a real and present danger to the U.S., the region and the global economy. Published January 11, 2024
