Showing results by author "David Ignatius"

A hyper-fast quantum computer is the digital equivalent of a nuclear bomb: whoever possesses one will be able to shred any encryption in existence, effectively owning the digital world. The question is: Who will build it first, the United States or China? The latest of David Ignatius' timely, sharp-eyed espionage novels follows CIA agent Harris Chang into a quantum research lab compromised by a suspected Chinese informant. The breach provokes a mole hunt that is obsessive, destructive, and - above all - uncertain.

Agents of Innocence is the book that established David Ignatius's reputation as a master of the novel of contemporary espionage. Into the treacherous world of shifting alliances and arcane subterfuge comes idealistic CIA man Tom Rogers. Posted in Beirut to penetrate the PLO and recruit a high-level operative, he soon learns the heavy price of innocence in a time and place that has no use for it. 

From a hidden enclave in the maze of Tehran, an Iranian scientist who calls himself "Dr. Ali" sends an encrypted message to the CIA. It falls to Harry Pappas to decide if it's for real.

Dr. Ali sends more secrets of the Iranian bomb program to the agency, then panics. He's being followed, but he doesn't know who's onto him, and neither does Pappas. The White House is no help---they're looking for a pretext to attack Tehran. To get his agent out, Pappas turns to a secret British spy team known as "The Increment".

In David Ignatius' gripping new novel, spies don' t bother to steal information...they change it, permanently and invisibly. Graham Weber has been director of the CIA for less than a week when a Swiss kid in a dirty T-shirt walks into the American consulate in Hamburg and says the agency has been hacked, and he has a list of agents' names to prove it. This is the moment a CIA director most dreads. Weber isn' t sure where to turn until he meets a charismatic (and unstable) young man named James Morris who runs the Internet Operations Center.

"The Big Hole in Obama's Islamic State Strategy" is from the December 7, 2015 Ideas and Controversy section of The Washinton Post>. It was written by David Ignatius and narrated by Sam Scholl.

When President Trump issues an election-time order to send up to 15,000 troops to confront what many experts say is a nonexistent threat on the U.S.-Mexico border, what should Defense Secretary Jim Mattis do about it?

"Mattis Is Walking the Trump Tightrope. It’s Agonizing to Watch." is from the November 01, 2018 Opinion section of The Washington Post. It was written by David Ignatius and narrated by Jenny Hoops.

Roger Ferris is one of the CIA's soldiers in the war on terrorism. He has come out of Iraq with a shattered leg and an intense mission: to penetrate the network of a master terrorist known only as "Suleiman". Ferris' plan for getting inside Suleiman's tent is inspired by a masterpiece of British intelligence during World War II: he prepares a body of lies, literally the corpse of an imaginary CIA officer who appears to have accomplished the impossible by recruiting an agent within the enemy's ranks.

Deep within Pakistan’s borders, a secret CIA team is being systematically dismantled by a cunning enemy. Soon, Sophie Marx, a young, ambitious agent, is on the ground searching for answers. But as she gets closer to the truth, she suffers a devastating betrayal and must risk more than her life to save the world from a terrifying fate.

Contemplating Russian nuclear threats during the Cold War, the strategist Herman Kahn calibrated a macabre ladder of escalation, with 44 rungs ranging from “Ostensible Crisis” to “Spasm or Insensate War.”

Imagine a bully who’s pounding your head against a wall. When you complain that it hurts and threaten to punch back, he offers to sign an international agreement against bullying. Meanwhile, he keeps pounding your head.

"Working with Russia on Cybercrime Is like Hiring a Burglar to Protect the Family Jewels" is from the September 05, 2018 Opinion section of The Washington Post. It was written by David Ignatius and narrated by Sam Scholl.

Suspenseful, compelling, and utterly believable, The Bank of Fear is unparalleled spy fiction in the best tradition of Graham Greene and John le Carré—a twisting tale of the ruthless greed and money laundering behind today’s headlines.

We may be missing the forest for the trees in the Russia story: The Kremlin’s attempt to meddle in the 2016 U.S. presidential election is part of a much bigger tale of Russian covert action — in which Donald Trump’s campaign was perhaps a tool, witting or unwitting. This secret manipulation, if unchecked, could pose an “existential threat” to Western democracy, argues Gérard Araud, France’s ambassador to Washington.

Why was Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman so afraid of Jamal Khashoggi that he reportedly gave orders this past summer to bring the Post contributing columnist back to Saudi Arabia?

"Why Was MBS so Afraid of Jamal Khashoggi?" is from the October 25, 2018 Opinion section of The Washington Post. It was written by David Ignatius and narrated by Jenny Hoops.

Arab leaders love the idea that President Trump is ready to give Iran a punch in the nose. But is this White House truly serious about challenging Iranian power in the Middle East? The evidence is mixed, at best.

"Is Trump Really Going to Punch Iran in the Nose?" is from the May 15, 2018 Opinion section of The Washington Post. It was written by David Ignatius and narrated by Sam Scholl.

What a moment for President Obama to deliver his valedictory address to the United Nations on Tuesday — defending the liberal international order at a time when it’s under severe stress around the world.

President Trump’s visit to the CIA on his first day in office shocked some agency veterans because of its combative, political tone. But several said they were glad that Trump seemed to have stopped demonizing the intelligence community and was presenting himself as its best friend.

"CIA Officers Give Mixed Reviews of Trump’s Strange Visit" is from the January 22, 2017 Opinion section of The Washington Post. It was written by David Ignatius and narrated by Sam Scholl.

Of all the people who have anguished responses to the death of Jamal Khashoggi, Prince Turki al-Faisal is a special case: This pillar of the Saudi establishment says in an interview that he is “shocked” by the loss of his longtime protégé, but is standing behind King Salman and the crown prince during this period of crisis.

"The Saudi Royal Family Circles Its Wagons in the Khashoggi Crisis" is from the October 24, 2018 Opinion section of The Washington Post. It was written by David Ignatius and narrated by Sam Scholl.

The long road that took Jamal Khashoggi to the front door of the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul and the horror that lay inside began in the 1980s in Afghanistan, when he was a passionate young journalist who supported the Saudi establishment — but couldn’t resist criticizing the royal family when he thought it was wrong.

"Jamal Khashoggi’s Long Road to the Doors of the Saudi Consulate" is from the October 12, 2018 Opinion section of The Washington Post. It was written by David Ignatius and narrated by Sam Scholl.

When August 2016 began, Paul Manafort was about 11 weeks into his job as chairman of Donald Trump’s campaign. But despite the political tumult, Manafort found time that month to meet at a swank Manhattan cigar bar with someone the FBI has suggested has ties to Russian intelligence.

"We Know an Awful Lot About Manafort and Russia. Trump Can’t Make It Disappear." is from the April 24, 2018 Opinion section of The Washington Post. It was written by David Ignatius and narrated by Sam Scholl.

"The Brave New World of Robots and Lost Jobs" is from the August 11, 2016 Opinion section of The Washington Post. It was written by David Ignatius and narrated by Jill Melancon.