ON MARCH 11, 2020, AS SOON AS the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, the Chanticleer Intelligence Brief (CIB) went into a contingency mode of operation. Like any intelligence agency would do, our organization immediately re-tasked its dozens of members with monitoring the progression of the pandemic in various areas of the world, including the United States. By mid-March, CIB analysts had formed asynchronous clusters of open-source intelligence collection, which reported daily to their Heads of Desk.

This rapid re-organization and re-purposing of the CIB produced the CIB COVID-19 Intelligence Project, an open-source intelligence collective, whose goal is to provide descriptive and estimative analyses of the complex medical, social, economic and political effects of this global crisis. The results of our work are aired weekly on our CIB COVID-19 Intelligence Report podcast, which becomes available every Wednesday. The podcast is produced and presented by CIB faculty mentor Dr. Joseph Fitsanakis, and features reports and appearances by a host of CIB analyst and senior analysts. Podcast episodes are available here.

CIB COVID-19 INTELLIGENCE PROJECT EDITORS

• Sophie Sherwood – Strategic Security Editor. Focuses on the effects of COVID-19 on global geopolitics, the status of regional powers, as well as the United States and foreign intelligence and military communities.
• Derrick Storzieri – International Security Editor. Focuses on the effects of COVID-19 on international crime and terrorism, and on the activities of international non-state actors.
• Jackson Hauf – International Security Editor. Focuses on the effects of COVID-19 on conflicts between and within states, as well as on supranational structures like the European Union and the United Nations.
• Fabio – Asia Editor. Focuses on the impact of COVID-19 on the security landscape of the African continent, with particular reference to Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent.
• Audrey Oien – China Editor. Reports on the effects of COVID-19 on Chinese politics, society and the economy.
• Kaitlin Presnell – Arabian Peninsula Editor. Focuses on the impact of COVID-19 on the security landscape of Arabian Peninsula, with particular reference to the ongoing war in Yemen.
• Ana Maria Lankford – Intelligence Community Editor. Reports on developments in the US Intelligence and Security Communities in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Michael Beatty – Russian Armed Forces Editor. Focuses on the impact of COVID-19 on the Russian Armed Forces, with reference to weapons systems and tactics.
• Morgan-McKay Hoppmann – India and Pakistan Editor. Reports on the bilateral relationship between India and Pakistan as it relates to the effects on the pandemic.
• Nicole Pfadt – East Africa Editor. Studies the security landscape of East Africa with special reference to the internal politics of Ethiopia.
• Madison Scholar – United Kingdom Editor. Provides in-situ reports from the United Kingdom about the political and security impact of the pandemic.
• Jake Vaughan – Brazil Editor. Monitors the internal politics of Brazil as the country responds to the COVID-19 crisis.
• Kelsey Kerouac – Central and Southern Africa Editor. Reports on the activities of non-state militant actors in Central and Southern Africa, with particular reference to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• Kennedy Smith – Mexican Drug Cartels Editor. Monitors the impact of COVID-19 on the Mexican drug cartels and the Mexican government’s security response to the drug epidemic.
• Hannah Clegg – Russian Politics Editor. Analyzes the impact of COVID-19 on domestic Russian affairs with reference to the viability of the administration of President Vladimir Putin.
• Augustine Batten – Arctic Security Affairs Editor. Reports on Arctic Security with reference to Russian military and diplomatic affairs in the region.
• Piper Danzek – Israel and Palestine Editor. Studies the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic on the politics of Israel and Palestine.
• Sandra Ataalla – Egypt Editor. Provides reports on the dynamics of domestic popular unrest in Egypt during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
• Jake Viator – Iraq Editor. Monitors the activities of governmental and non-governmental actors in Iraq, including the various militias that are active on the ground.
• Rae McArthur – Border Security Editor. Reports on the effects of COVID-19 on the construction of the US-Mexico border wall.
• Cole Hancock – Colombia Editor. Provides updates on the security situation in Colombia, with a focus on counter-terrorism.
• Hannah Crumpton – Food Security Editor. Studies the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the food growth, production and supply chain in the US and globally.
• Gabrielle Hawkins – German-Russian Relations Editor. Reports on the affects of COVID-19 on the relations between Germany and Russia.
• Tyra Bjorlo – Boko Haram and al-Qaeda Central Editor. Provides updates on Boko Haram in Nigeria and al-Qaeda Central Command activities.
• Dr. Joseph Fitsanakis – Editor-in-Chief. Co-ordinates open-source intelligence collection, collates information coming in from the CIB Desks, and presents the CIB COVID-19 Intelligence Project podcast.