Daniel N. Hoffman
Columns by Daniel N. Hoffman
Some leadership lessons for new CIA chief Ratcliffe to ponder
The stakes for our nation could not be higher as former Texas Rep. John Ratcliffe takes the helm as the 25th director of the CIA. Published February 6, 2025
Alarm bells should be ringing for new Trump team in wake of ISIS New Orleans attack
The year 2025 began with a shocking ISIS terrorist attack on the homeland when Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a truck with an Islamic State flag into a crowd, killing 15 people in New Orleans. Published January 23, 2025
Good intelligence will be vital in charting the way forward in Syria
With the shocking collapse of Bashar Assad's dictatorship in Syria, the U.S. intelligence community is once again on the hook to produce the intelligence that will inform national security policy. Published January 9, 2025
A daughter’s legacy: Connecting with family and community
For my sons and me, the most cherished part of the holiday season is gathering with our family. There is nothing more sacred than spending time with our loved ones. Published December 26, 2024
Kellogg takes on tough mission in dealing with Putin
Kudos to President-elect Donald Trump for selecting retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg for the extraordinarily complex and challenging position of special envoy to the Russia-Ukraine war. Published December 12, 2024
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." While understandably focused on domestic priorities, the incoming Trump administration will have to deal with increasingly aggressive threats to our national security that have metastasized over the past four years. 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
