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Everyday Espionage Podcast
The Iran War Isnt Ending Its About to Hit America
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Ex-CIA: Iran Cant Beat the U.S So Theyll Burn Everyone Else
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Ex-CIA: Trumps Iran Strike Was a DISTRACTION (Heres Why)
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CIA Insider: Youre Already in World War 3 You Just Dont See It Yet
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Ex-CIA Spy: What Happens Next in Iran Will Shock the World
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Ex-CIA: The Real Reason Trump Bombed Iran
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Why Every Empire Collapses (And Why America Might Be Next) - CIA Spy Sounds Alarm
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Ex-CIA Spy: How Israel Secretly Tracks Irans Leaders
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The CIA Nightmare Scenario If Trumps Iran Strike Backfires
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CIA Spy: Chinas Plan to Take Taiwan And Why It Could Trigger WW3
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Ex-CIA Spy: The Real Reason the Iran War Started
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CIA Spy: The Psychological Skill 99% of People Dont Have
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The REAL Reason Iran Didnt Retaliate (Its Already Happening)
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The U.S. Secretly Crushed Maduro Heres How It Really Happened
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Europe Is Sleepwalking Into Collapse And Russia Knows It
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CIA Training: How to Brainwash & Influence Anyone (Ethically)
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While America Was Distracted Saudi Arabia and China Built Power
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CIA Honey Traps: How Governments Turn Good Men Into Traitors
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CIA Spy: America Is Losing And Youre Not Ready
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CIA Spy: Why the FBI Looked the Other Way on Epstein (A Dark Reality Check)
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The CIA Method to Seduce & Charm Anyone in 5 Minutes
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Ex-CIA Officer Explains Whats MISSING From the Epstein Files
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Why the CIA Bans Processed Food (But Youre Told Its Safe)
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Rewire Your Brain to Get Anything You Want (CIA's Dark Method)
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The CIA Routine That Turns You Into The 1% (Become A F*cking Weapon)
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Use These CIA Rules for Money, Power, and Control
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Give Me 11 Minutes and Ill Kill Your Overthinking (CIA Rule for Rapid Decisions)
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Give Me 11 Minutes and Ill Kill Your Overthinking (CIA Rule for Rapid Decisions)
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Give Me 11 Minutes and Ill Kill Your Overthinking (CIA Rule for Rapid Decisions)
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CIA 2026 Survival Guide: If Youre Predictable, Youve Already Lost
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CIA Spy Reveals 3 Steps To Un*ck Your Life Fast | Andrew Bustamante
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The CIA Hack To Achieve More in 1 Week than Most People Do in 1 Year
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Learn This CIA Spy Skill Before 2026 Or Stay Powerless | Andrew Bustamante
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CIA Spy: This ONE RULE Will Make You a Weapon in Life | Andrew Bustamante
FREE TEST: Find Your Spy Superpower HERE - https://yt.everydayspy.com/4bD9cWs ORDER my CIA memoir 'Shadow Cell' before it's global release on September 9, 2025 and I'll send you my personal CIA photo journal that documents the entire Shadow Cell operation in more than 120 private photographs! Step 1: Click HERE to buy my new book - https://geni.us/ShadowCellBook Step 2: Purchase the hardcover, audiobook, or ebook through any of the official book stores on the website Step 3: Send the receipt for your purchase to my team at: info@everydayspy.com Step 4: A real-life human being from my team will respond to your...
The Psychological Secret That Helped Me Survive Combat
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Learn more from Gus: https://everydayspy.com/gus
Retired Navy SEAL DEVGRU operator Karl 'Gus' Gustavson talks about quitting, how to find control in hard situations, and the love/hate relationship Navy SEALs develop with the ocean. Every time I sit with Gus, I am humbled and inspired, and I hope you are also!
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EXCLUSIVE: Why Trump & Netanyahu Want War with Iran
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Why Trump & Netanyahu Want War with Iran Andrew Bustamante sits down with biotech CEO Ilan Sobel to expose the unspoken truth behind Israel's war posture, Iran's rising aggression, and the U.S.'s uncertain role in the chaos. It's not just about politicsit's about survival, science, and the future of democracy in the Middle East.
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Life Lessons from a Navy Diver Turned Ocean Nomad
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Learn more from Trevor: https://everydayspy.com/trevor
Trevor Fortner, an accomplished Navy special warfare veteran and private military contractor, has never shied away from a challenge. Even going as far as spending 2 years on a sailboat with his wife raising 2 kids. If you are a fan of the ocean, a sailor yourself, or just curious about how a seaman views life after the sea, you'll love this conversation.
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The Art of Reinventing Yourself From Navy SEAL to MMA to CEO
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Mitch Aguiar is a hero in more ways than one Navy SEAL Team 10 operator, Pro MMA athlete, thriving entrepreneur and influencer. His story is one of powerful dedication and tenacity with powerful lessons you can use to get ahead and stay ahead in life, business, and personal success. Don't miss this awesome convo with a man you never want to meet in the ring
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The Psychology of Winning: How CIA Trains Spies to Achieve Any Objective
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Learn more from Alex: https://everydayspy.com/alex
Fitness and health are not easy they take work, dedication and consistency. Social media may be selling simple solutions in pills and challenges, but what they are promising isn't fitness they are selling espionage. Learn how the fitness industry is lying to you and why its so hard for people to tell the truth in this awesome chat with my personal exercise scientist, Alex Van Houten
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He Survived Navy Special Warfare, Blackwater, and Secret Intel Ops | Trevor Fortner
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Learn more from Trevor: https://everydayspy.com/trevor
Trevor Fortner is a Navy special warfare veteran, Blackwater private military contractor, and seasoned intel consultant. His professional journey is a wild ride, from hanging out the back of an amphibious assault ship to fast-roping into combat zones in a polo shirt. Humble and wildly successful, you'll love learning from Trevor.
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The SECRET Message In Moby Dick's Final Chapter | Day 11
Find your Spy Superpower: https://yt.everydayspy.com/4j4CPAZ I just finished reading Moby Dick, by Herman Melville, and I'm shocked by how much the ending of this book moved me. SPOILER ALERT: I share the ending of Moby Dick in detail as I deliver my analysis of the lessons, insights, and relevancy shared in the final chapters. In many ways, finishing this book is the completion of a 30-year journey for me, and I'm overwhelmed with humility and gratitude as I share these thoughts on a book that for so long has been impacting the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
CRITICAL LESSONS I Learned from AUSSIE MILLIONAIRES | Day 10
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Aussie entrepreneurs aren't that different from American entrepreneurs, only they have to work with a weaker currency and a softer workforce. That makes their business leaders and success stories all the more impressive! Here was my experience with Aussie market movers and business owners after a trip down under.
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I Visited AustraliaAnd RELEARNED What It Means to Be American | Day 9
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I recently returned from a trip to Australia where I was reminded how the world views America. I flew through airports without TSA or heavy security, and learned how Aussies see the terrorist attacks from 9/11. For anyone with Australia travel in mind, this entry is for you.
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ESPIONAGE vs. SALES: The Shocking Connection | Day 8
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Espionage, business, and sales, all revolve around the same core principle: Value. The problem is, society has lost their understanding of this simple, powerful word. If you are a career professional, entrepreneur, or just now starting your career/business, you don't want to miss this lesson on what CIA taught me about building, showing, and maintaining value.
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THIS is The MOST Powerful Lesson I Learned at CIA | Day 7
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There is a powerful lesson CIA taught me that transformed my life, career, and even my business today. That lesson was understanding the difference between motivation and manipulation. Today, I want to give that lesson to you.
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Meet The Exercise Scientist Behind The EverydaySpy Fitness System!
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Alex: https://everydayspy.com/alex
I'm super excited to introduce you to the exercise scientist who keeps me and Jihi in top physical fitness shape Alex Van Houten! Alex has an awesome story of fighting a genetic disorder, overcoming chronic pain, and living out his faith in his work and his personal life. If you are fit, were fit, or want to get fit, don't miss this awesome conversation.
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How I Used CIA Training to Face My WORST Parenting Nightmare! | Day 6
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We all have to do hard things sometimes. Whether we choose them or they are required of us, difficult times are always ahead. As a parent and business owner, nothing has equipped me better for dealing with difficulty than one simple lesson I learned at CIA. This is that lesson
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My First Month as an Entrepreneur Made Me Question EVERYTHING | Day 5
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The unknown can be a scary thing, especially for people struggling with stress, anxiety, depression or other common mental health challenges. My time at CIA taught me an incredible framework for dealing with the unknown, and I'm excited to share that with you today.
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Day 4 | How CIA Skills Helped Me Build a Multi-Million Dollar Business
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It can be daunting when you have to do something new, something scary, or something for the first time. Luckily, there are very few things you have to do that haven't been done before. CIA taught me the value of trusting the process. Even though it may not be perfect, it's better than starting from scratch.
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Day 3 | How THIS CIA TACTIC Made My Marriage LAST!
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Nobody ever talks about how much marriage sucks. You hear all the great things about being married your whole life, and then you get a cold dose of reality on your own. And even though it gets harder, it also gets better. The parallels between marriage and a CIA operation are pretty powerful, when you see them for what they are.
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Day 2 | How My TOXIC Childhood Made Me A CIA MASTER of DECEPTION!
My stepdad always wanted me to be smart. What he never expected was that my version of smart would be directed by CIA, and I would learn how to lie and deceive better than my enemies. Thanks for trying, dad.
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Day 1 | How CIA Trains Spies to Make Lasting Impressions
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Middle age brings unique challenges and unique opportunities. And even though it can feel overwhelming, CIA has tools that can help stay focused on the opportunities ahead instead of the losses left behind.
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TRAILER | Andrew Bustamante Releases His SPY JOURNAL
Welcome to the Spy Journal! CIA teaches officers to use radical transparency to combat the confusion that can come from living and working in multiple names, places, and operations. While some officers keep diaries, I'm choosing to practice my radical transparency with this video journal. I'll share my thoughts, my challenges, and my breakthroughs along with the CIA skills I'm using along the way.
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EXPOSING the Donald Trump Agenda: An Ex-CIA Spy Couple's Perspective
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Trump is in his second term, the government is getting shook up, and our business is growing faster than we ever thought possible! In this conversation, Jihi and I tell you a bit of what life is like for us under the new Trump administration and where we plan on taking you in the future.
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Breaking Down the Georgia Shooting
In the last few weeks we have seen the successful accusation and prosecution of parents held criminally liable for violent behavior on the parts of their children during school shootings in the United States. This turn in the judicial process is raising questions all over the country as people ask themselves whether this is true justice or a violation of individual rights. Today we tackle this question head-on and ask ourselves not only what the purpose is, but what the future holds for this significant change in due process. Find your Spy Superpower: https://yt.everydayspy.com/3WNlWB0 Learn more about your ad choices....
Who's Really Behind Kamala Harris?
The whole world is watching the 2024 election in the United States. With high stakes (and high drama!), the race between former President Donald Trump and candidate VP Kamala Harris is sure to be one for the history books. But the real question isn't who will win it's who has a real plan to give Americans a better life. The race doesn't end in November for the average American in only STARTS in November.
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CLICK HERE to see Andy and Jihi's private Spy Back-to-School webinar https://yt.everydayspy.com/3AkKnhq
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Trump Just Won the Presidential Election
After surviving an assassination attempt in Butler, PA, a defiant and proud Trump was whisked away by his secret service detail with blood on his face and his fist high in the sky. While the staunchest anti-Trump and pro-Biden voters out there are unlikely to change their mind, the majority of American voters are still undecided about their final candidate. But in a moment on a hot Pennsylvania afternoon, Trump changed from a villain against democracy to a hero for democracy by taking a bullet in defense of the country he loves or at least that's how his campaign is...
Netanyahu Bombs Rafah | EMERGENCY Podcast
Stop data brokers from exposing your personal information. Go to my sponsor https://aura.com/everydayspypodcast to get a 14-day free trial and see how much of yours is being sold. The whole world is watching to see whether sound judgement and humanity will win out in the final hours before Israel launches a possible ground assault into Rafah in the Gaza strip. Warnings from the UN, the Human Rights Watch, and multiple democratic allies including the US have all shared that the assault could constitute genocide. History is being made and the world is watching... Find your Spy Superpower: https://everydayspy.com/spyquiz Learn more...
The War We've All Feared is HERE | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 34
Meet Andy and Jihi this February - the perfect couples Valentine's gift! https://everydayspy.com/couples Americans are dead in Jordan. Iran is to blame. What will happen next? With a full-blown crisis in the Middle East, a war in Europe, and the most important election in Joe Biden's career just a few months away, the stakes couldn't be higher. Jihi and I tackle these concerns and more in our first in-studio conversion for 2024. We can't wait to hear your thoughts and share our own. Find your Spy Superpower: https://everydayspy.com/spyquiz Learn more from Andy: https://everydayspy.com/ Join the SpyTribe: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EverydaySpy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everydayspy/...
THIS can make your relationship MUCH happier | How to Love Like a CIA Spy Couple
Meet Andy and Jihi this February - the perfect couples Valentine's gift! https://everydayspy.com/couples Marriage gets a lot of bad press, and it's no surprise why! Anyone who has tied the knot only to watch their sex-life decrease, fights increase, and stress peak around kids and career we totally know your pain. But a ray of hope recently came out for married couples everywhere after a study at University of Chicago. Today, Jihi and I are sharing those results and giving you some insight into our own marriage warts and all! Find your Spy Superpower: https://everydayspy.com/spyquiz Learn more from Andy: https://everydayspy.com/...
"This Is A Middle East CRISIS" | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 32
The war between Israel and Hamas has officially turned into a full blown Middle East Crisis. With rockets and deaths happening from Iran to Iraq, violence has spread far beyond its original border between Gaza and Israel. It's time to have a hard conversation about the people, politics, and perceptions surrounding this growing conflict. And even more importantly, what it might mean for you, us, our families, and the future.
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The US Presidential race is speeding up with the Iowa caucus results complete and the New Hampshire Primary coming soon! As Americans watch political promises, lies, and tactics take center stage, Jihi and I wanted to take a minute to break down our perspective of where things are right now, some facts about Iowa, our thoughts on Donald Trump and Nikki Haley, and where we see America (and the world) going next.
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The Battle For Taiwan: Covert Influence vs Military Force | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 30
2024 just started off with a bang! The Taiwan elections, US Missile attacks in Yemen, and the inevitable failure of New Year Resolutions are all on the docket for Jihi and I in our first conversation of the new year. If you are concerned about what is coming in the weeks and months ahead, let us share our perspective and feel free to drop your own comments on where you agree, disagree, or learn something new. Find your Spy Superpower: https://everydayspy.com/spyquiz Learn more from Andy: https://everydayspy.com/ Join the SpyTribe: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EverydaySpy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everydayspy/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/EverydaySpy Learn more about your ad...
EXPOSING The Deep State's Role in the White House | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 29
The holidays are looming, in-laws are harassing, Israel is bombing, and we all just want a day off! Today is not that day, but you're close join me and Jihi for a conversation about spy skills to make the rest of 2023 a success, Cuba spy stories, how to beat in-laws at their own game, and of course an update on our life and business.
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How To Manipulate People Like a CIA Spy | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 28
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Exclusive Report: Israel Intel Failure in Hamas Attack | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 27
After a long travel project on the road, Andy is back in the studio just in time to talk about breaking news that points to a potential Intelligence Failure by Israel that could have prevented the surprise attack from Hamas on Oct 7, 2023. With the Gaza cease-fire agreement extended and more hostages being released, the whole world is wondering what happens next.
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CIA Spies EXPOSE the Future of AI | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 22
Technology doesn't just change your everyday life, it also transforms the battlefield and the face of human conflict. From the Civil War to the War in Ukraine, technology continues to serve both to enhance and destroy human life. As parents and former CIA operatives, Jihi and I are always watching for new innovations in the tech sector. And recent creations from grenade-dropping drones to self-driving cars speak to a strange new era we face as parents, professionals, and partners. If you are as curious about technology as we are, don't miss this conversation. And as a bonus, stay to the...
CIA's WARNING: The Dangerous Impact of Tribalism Unveiled | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 26
Narrative and propaganda are as real and relevant today as they ever were. And the building blocks for both exist in emotional and rational thinking. Whether you're watching breaking news or reading about the newest fad diet, you are constantly being bombarded with messages that are designed to shape the way you think. In this episode, Jihi and I break down how you can combat the biases built into politics, advertising, and media to keep yourself and your family safe. Find your Spy Superpower: https://everydayspy.com/spyquiz Learn more from Andy: https://everydayspy.com/ Join the SpyTribe: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EverydaySpy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everydayspy/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/EverydaySpy Learn...
The #1 Trait I Learned from CIA | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 25
Some of the most impactful skills CIA taught me and Jihi had nothing to do with weapons, locks, or lies. In this episode, we are excited to share what we learned about building, training, and improving personal courage. It's not what you think, and not at all what the movies make it look like.
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Uncovering the Untold Story: CIA Insights on Union Strikes | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 24
Hundreds of thousands of Americans are on strike, in industries from automotive to entertainment. But the history of strikes in America goes back much further than most people realize. And there's a logical reason for why strikes are successful, popular, and on the rise, even though the number of unions in the United States has decreased by almost 300%. Join me and Jihi as we walk through one of the most contentious issues facing America today and what it means for the future of your career, your family, and our economy. Find your Spy Superpower: https://everydayspy.com/spyquiz Learn more from Andy:...
CIA Spy's REACTION to Biden's Israel Address
I don't know how long YouTube will allow this video to stay up. In it, I break down the 3 types of lying techniques President Biden used to influence the American People during his Emergency Presidential address last week. The world is struggling to make sense of what is happening between Israel and Palestine right now. The toll of victims continues to rise, an unprecedented siege of Gaza is expected any day now, and a humanitarian crisis including millions of innocent people is unfolding before our eyes. At the peak of international tensions, US President Biden made an address to...
The DESTABILIZATION of AFRICA: CIA Spies Tell ALL | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 23
Check out AURA digital security for yourself for 2-weeks absolutely FREE by clicking on my sponsor link here https://aura.com/everydayspy Strong-man governments are on the rise and authoritarian regimes are growing in popularity by the day. Nowhere is proof of this massive global shift more clear than in Africa where a record number of coups have taken place in once-hopeful democracies. But before you judge war-torn Africa as a lost cause, consider the fact that we live in a world that rewards the strongest. In fact, you might even be guilty of it in your own house, just like me Find...
Netanyahu's PREDICTABLE Response Against Hamas | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 21
The Hamas incursion into Israel shocked the world, but Israel's response did not. The humanitarian crisis developing in Gaza with each passing day is already capturing the attention of the world within days of the surprise attack. And what comes next is both sad and predictable, in much the same way as Netanyahu's response to the original attack was both sad and predictable.
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CIA High Performance SECRETS | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 20
Every parent worries about the trauma they cause their child. And every adult knows the trauma they endured growing up. But what most people don't realize is that there is a formula that can turn childhood trauma into high-achievement. The same children that grow up feeling ignored, unloved, and not-good-enough can become the adults that do amazing things. CIA knows the formula, and today Jihi and I are giving it to you.
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Israel vs Palestine: Hamas Declares WAR | EMERGENCY Podcast
This weekend, the terrorist group Hamas launched a successful surprise attack into Israel that left the world shocked. While some are calling the attack an intelligence failure, Israel has declared war on Hamas in the Gaza strip. With an active war in Europe between Ukraine and Russia rounding a second year, the Middle East was on the brink of peace. So the question everyone is asking is 'Why did Hamas attack NOW?' Today, we answer that question Find your Spy Superpower: https://everydayspy.com/spyquiz Learn more from Andy: https://everydayspy.com/ Join the SpyTribe: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EverydaySpy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everydayspy/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/EverydaySpy Learn more about your...
UNVAILING CIA Recruitment: SKILL vs TALENT | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 19
It's amazing what you can learn spending one day on a horror movie set! And under all the masks, makeup and monster costumes was a powerful lesson we're excited to share with you today. For anyone frustrated or disappointed by education in America, this is a must-see!
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CIA Sleep Cognitive Techniques | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 18
I am a total sleep-geek. I love sleep, respect it, crave it, and obey it. I know that makes me a lame date and a bit of a party-pooper, but it's worth it! Join Jihi and me as we dive deep into what makes sleep work mentally and physically, and how you can transform your sleep habits literally overnight with a few CIA sleep hacks for a great night's rest. And if you've ever wondered what Jih and I did for our first jobs, come sit with us and find out! Find your Spy Superpower: https://everydayspy.com/spyquiz Learn more from Andy:...
DECODING UN General Assembly 2023 | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 17
Be sure to checkout the awesome FREE info kit from today's sponsor Birch Gold at https://birchgold.com/spy The world is experiencing a major shift in global power. Recent international summits from the G20 meeting to the UN General Assembly have shown an increasing divide between East and West. European allies to the US have changed their positions on the Ukraine War, prioritized trade with China and Russia, and are refocusing their efforts on their own domestic issues. Meanwhile, crises in Latin America and West Africa drain US dollars, energy, and efforts. Jihi and I can't wait to share the CIA lesson...
China on Track to OUTPACE USA in SPACE | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 16
You know what it's like to work too hard, stay up too late, and push yourself a little too far. Burnout is not fun. But it is also predictable and preventable when you know what to look for. The signs aren't as obvious as you might think! Sit with Jihi and me as we tell you how we learned to identify and avoid burnout in the field running multi-week and multi-month operations. And while you're at it, you can learn about Jihi's super nerdy fascination with the US Space Force! Find your Spy Superpower: https://everydayspy.com/spyquiz Learn more from Andy: https://everydayspy.com/...
Inside CIA's Game: Unraveling Hard Power vs Soft Power | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 15
Check out AURA digital security for yourself for 2-weeks absolutely FREE by clicking on my sponsor link here https://aura.com/everydayspy Today I got taken to SCHOOL on FEMINISM by my brilliant and beautiful wife! If you've always wondered what it really means to be 'feminist,' if you grew up in a home with a bra-burning momma, or if you just want to hear a couple hilarious stories from two spies with feminist roots this is the episode to watch! We also get to share a pretty cool little spy lesson buried deep under all the talk about sexism and sex appeal,...
CIA SPY Couple DECODE Marriage | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 14
here are two words that immediately strike hope and sadness into the heart of every married parent 'Date Night!' Hope because we all remember what it's like to fall in love and have uninterrupted romantic time together. And sadness because we know how impossibly difficult it is to relive those days once you have children. Jihi and I share your pain and are on our own path toward perfecting date night. If you want our recipe for great connection, romance, and mommy-daddy time, tune in! We'll give you a few spy skills to win over the kids along the way...
HOW WE MET: Love, Espionage, and Family | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 13
Did you ever have a conversation with your significant other and realize they were actually kinda scary? Well, that just happened to me today! And you get to be part of my realization. In the face of her sheer-scariness, I had to come clean about a dirty little secret I'd been keeping from her. Luckily, I have all of you as witnesses to keep me safe Ready to join us in SkunkWorks? Apply FREE here: https://everydayspy.com/skunkworks Find your Spy Superpower: https://everydayspy.com/spyquiz Learn more from Andy: https://everydayspy.com/ Join the SpyTribe: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EverydaySpy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everydayspy/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/EverydaySpy Learn more about your ad...
The Day That CHANGED The World: Patriots' Day | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 12
This is not your average 9/11 conversation. Is it respectful - yes. Does it honor the lives lost that sad day - yes. But it is also an honest, open dialogue about the world before and after everything changed. It's full of laughter, love, and more than a few flirtatious exchanges because the 9/11 tragedy is what brought the two of us together. In many ways, it was the place where our love story started. Want to read my lesson on what makes a person become a terrorist? Click here https://everydayspy.com/the-making-of-a-terrorist/ Find your Spy Superpower: https://everydayspy.com/spyquiz Learn more from Andy:...
Starlink EXPOSED: The Truth Behind Elon Musk's SpaceX | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 11
Check out AURA digital security for yourself for 2-weeks absolutely FREE by clicking on my sponsor link here https://aura.com/everydayspy Sometimes you have to learn something all over again before you see it clearly. That's how I felt after spending two days studying space with my son at the Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL and learning how the US Rocket Program was built off of stolen Nazi technology! When you consider the global impact of technology for both war and peace, you can't help but wonder what the future holds. Tech leaders like Elon Musk may not be as crazy or...
EXPOSING Xi Jinping's DEADLY Masterplan | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 10
Like any other marriage, ours is a marriage of constant debate, arguments, and miscommunications. You'd think that CIA would have fixed all that, but in many ways they just made it worse! Let's dive right in and talk about why different types of communication exist and how they make life so much more complicated than it has to be. Since we're stepping on each other's feelings, let's go ahead and talk about China's broken population policies and why Jihi and I both agree there is a scary future ahead for the forbidden kingdom. And if you want to hear about...
Term Limits: CONFRONTING Congress | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 9
We the people of the United States need to get serious about whether we want to keep the fools we have in congress! The statistics don't lie our leadership in the US is older than it's ever been, blocking the path for tomorrow's leaders and keeping new, fresh ideas out of a government that has been deadlocked in partisan politics for over a decade. It is human nature to avoid what CIA calls 'Hard Conversations', but the time has come to have a hard conversation right now. And Jihi and I are willing to start it as long as you...
IT'S OVER: The US Dollar Is Finally Collapsing | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 8
Happy Birthday Jihi! This is a bit of a surprise for the lady and love of my life, but that's what makes birthdays fun, right!? Aside from the fact that I'm asking my poor wife to work on her special day, it's a great chance for us to talk about Ripple cryptocurrency, family traditions, and how we landed at CIA despite being such different people. And if you've ever wondered what the best college major is to become an intel officer, stick with us to the end and we'll answer that exact question! Find your Spy Superpower: https://everydayspy.com/spyquiz Learn more...
America's HIDDEN Agenda In Ukraine | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 7
Russia has pulled out of the Ukraine grain deal and offered to feed Africa on its own. 17 African leaders have tried to broker peace in Ukraine, visiting both Kyiv and St Petersburg but they are up against a whole lot more than they realize. Jihi and I are chomping at the bit to jump into this geopolitical mess with you right now! And if you stay to the end, we'll lift the skirt a bit about our own personal thoughts about aliens, UFOs and extraterrestrial visitors Find your Spy Superpower: https://everydayspy.com/spyquiz Learn more from Andy: https://everydayspy.com/ Join the SpyTribe:...
New World Order: BRICS Summit Threat | EMERGENCY Podcast
The BRICS leaders are meeting in South Africa and the world may never be the same. With multiple western allies considering joining the BRICS trading bloc, G7 countries (and the power they yield) could be gutted. At the most risk of losing influence is the US, and the opportunity for China to gain power has never been clearer. This is everything you need to know right now.
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Hawaii is experiencing the most lethal wildfires in all American history. The death toll keeps rising as the tragedy grows. In the Southeastern US, it's the middle of Hurricane season. Out West they are seeing record breaking heat waves that are leaving many stranded or dead. In the midst of whatever threat may be pressing on you, Jihi and I wanted to share our insights and training about 'Go Bag' preparation and action. Not just for you, but for your family, pets, and loved ones. Safety has always been a top priority for us and we know it is for...
2 Navy Sailors Spying For China | EverydaySpy Ep. 5
Every veteran in America right now is asking themself the same question: 'Should I encourage the younger generation to sign up for military service, or not?' And for any man or woman who has served in uniform, the question is a hard one to answer. With a military recruitment crisis in full swing and record-breaking foreign espionage infiltrating our US Military ranks, the heroes and soldiers of tomorrow are few and far between. If you want to know my answer to whether you should sign up or skip service, make sure you stay to the end of this conversation! Find...
The Cold War didn't end for everyone when the Berlin Wall came down. While the US moved into an economic boom that ultimately dragged us into the 20-year global war on terrorism, other Cold War adversaries stayed locked in the fight. And now that we are coming out of our 20-year cave, we are waking up to realize that the fight is still on. And if that isn't crazy enough, some people still believe the earth is flat! Find your Spy Superpower: https://everydayspy.com/spyquiz Learn more from Andy: https://everydayspy.com/ Join the SpyTribe: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EverydaySpy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everydayspy/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/EverydaySpy Learn more about...
Are ALL Men Created EQUAL? | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 3
Jihi and I are blown away by your positive feedback from our first two conversations! It's humbling and exciting to get to answer your questions and share our insights on the world. Now, let's jump in and talk spy stories, life stories, and geopolitical realities!
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Recession, Housing and Financial CRASH | EMERGENCY Podcast
The drop in credit rating for the US government by Fitch is another strong indicator that American financial health is struggling. Along with persistent inflation, a struggling tech sector, and the highest interest rates in decades, the inability of the federal government to maintain strong credit is a sign that Americans need to fight back against the kind of brinkmanship politics that have become common in Washington. Life is about to get much more difficult for you and me, all because our politicians fail to respect taxpayer dollars. Find your Spy Superpower: https://everydayspy.com/spyquiz Learn more from Andy: https://everydayspy.com/ Join the...
Donald Trump's FAILED Indictment | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 2
You've heard it from your parents, grade school teachers, and even your first boss: " You only get one chance at a first impression." Well, CIA taught us something very different. And if you want to know whether your middle school counselor or my CIA instructor was more correct, all you have to do is consider former President Donald Trump his incredible ability to capture attention and keep support. Join us for a deep dive into 'impressions' and the Trump indictment, and what the future holds for both in today's conversation. Find your Spy Superpower: https://everydayspy.com/spyquiz Learn more from Andy:...
2 Spies, 1 Podcast | EverydaySpy Podcast Ep. 1
Welcome to the brand new EverydaySpy Podcast! Join former CIA officers officers Andrew Bustamante and Jihi Bustamante to discuss and dissect everyday topics from news headline to lifehacks. Whether you are a student trying to make a career in intelligence, or a parent just trying to make it through the day, Andrew and Jihi are excited to give you spy tips, tactics and insights that give you an unfair advantage in everyday life. Get ready to boost your knowledge, mindset, and confidence! Find your Spy Superpower: https://everydayspy.com/spyquiz Learn more from Andy: https://everydayspy.com/ Join the SpyTribe: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EverydaySpy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everydayspy/ Twitter:...
Using Leverage to Get What You Want
The Rolling Stones once famously sang, "You can't always get what you want," to a crowd of 1.5 million people in Rio de Janeiro in 2006. And while their lyric has become one of the most memorable musical verses of all time, it is not techincally correct. In today's episode, Andrew shares a CIA tactic that flies in the face of culture, self-help, and social norms. Get ready to learn how you can use leverage to get what you want now and and forever more.
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How to Win Every Argument
Arguments are never fun, rarely productive, and always frustrating. Whether at home, at work, or out-and-about, the fastest way to end a good time is with an argument. That's why CIA uses a shockingly simple secret to not only end arguments, but win them at the same time! In this episode, Andrew lays out the process you can use to transform every argument into agreement for the rest of your life.
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The Secret Shortcut to Winning Negotiations
How much easier would your life be if you never lost a negotiation? Well, today is the first day of that new life! There is a simple and powerful secret that spies use to win every negotiation. And that CIA HACK has incredible value in the everyday world. In this episode, Andrew gives you a bulletproof plan to make more money, close more business, and unlock the career success you've always wanted.
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Skills That Can Kill
If you have been struggling to find the perfect job -- or pulling your hair out trying to find the right employee -- get ready to be shocked when you find out why! Employees and employers have a lot more in common here then you think. Join Andrew as he explains the flaw in the human brain that makes you feel these professional frustrations, and get a simple HACK you can use to start enjoying your career again.
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The Secret to Becoming Popular
Having a healthy social life is a constant balancing act between being unknown and being known. But in business and career, being 'unknown' can ruin you; it can kill your career ambitions and end your business before they ever even start. In this episode, Andrew explains a little-known HACK he learned at CIA to grow popularity, reputation, and credibility even among people who have never met you! If you know the feeling of hitting a glass ceiling, getting stuck in a professional rut, or being 'blocked' from your personal goals, you don't want to miss this conversation... Learn more about...
The Undeniable Power of Positive Incentives
There is no super power more powerful than getting people to do what you want. Every comic book hero and villain struggled because at some point someone resisted them. In this episode, you learn how to use the one power most people never understand. Whether you use it to be a hero or a villain is up to you...
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Consumers vs. Producers
Human beings have an inherent desire to be useful, but people are not all useful in the same way. Maximizing your success requires that you tap into the usefulness of others just as much as you lean on your own personal strengths. In this episode, Andrew shares a powerful hack that CIA uses to get the most out of every officer and human asset they recruit. WARNING: You cannot unlearn what you are about to learn...
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Small Gift, Big HACK
We live in a society that gives gifts. Gifts were designed for two original purposes: 1) to show gratitude, or 2) to win favor. Since the dawn of mass marketing and hallmark holidays, however, gift-giving has mutated into something much less enjoyable and much less useful... until today. In this episode, Andrew gives you the 3 gift-giving HACKS that CIA uses to win favor, influence, and power. Whether you want to shortcut your next promotion or win over your lover, you are only 3 steps away from the perfect gift!
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How to Drive Like A Spy
One thing spy movies get right is that every covert field officer is trained to drive like a badass! Elite operators use advanced driving skills (aka: vehicle dynamics) to escape capture, crash through barriers, drive at high speeds and even survive hostile attack. In this episode, Andrew lays out the rules for advanced driving and gives you the core skills you need to practice and perfect the same vehicle dynamics elite operators use to keep themselves and their families safe.
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How to Become Irresistible
Nobody likes being ignored, and yet we ignore most of the people we meet. Have you ever wondered why? In this episode, Andrew gives you the ultimate life HACK to capture and keep someone's attention any time you want it. This is your chance to get into the mind of every client, customer, and date you want to win-over now and for the rest of your life.
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The Hidden Power of Average
Get ready to unlearn everything you were told by your parents, teachers, college professors and peers. Elite operators do not strive to be the best -- instead, they strive to be average. And you'll be shocked when you find out why. In this episode, Andrew breaks down how average goals can unlock elite performance in you today, through the new year, and for the rest of your life.
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Fortune Telling to Build Fortunes
Learning from history means learning to predict the future. Massive changes in technology, economics, and world power have transformed mankind in unbelievable ways. Corporate and government leaders realize that; and they have a plan for the future. In this episode, Andrew explains what the world's elite are predicting and how you can use their knowledge to stay one-step ahead of your neighbor, your boss, and protect those you care the most about.
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Your Human Instinct Working Against You
Every death in the field carries a cost and a lesson. The cost is paid in blood and tears, but the lessons are invaluable for saving the lives of others. In this episode, Andrew shares a powerful lesson in human instinct that was first discovered in the Vietnam War, trained into Special Operators, and even codified into State Law in Utah. This is science that saves lives, stops bad guys, and wins case law.
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Razor Blades, Secret Clubs, and Billionaires
Some spy ops are just plain sexy. They have all the glitz, glamour, and glory you see on TV and in movies. And even better, you get to bring home your own stories. This story is one of those...
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A Weekend with Millionaires
The wealthiest people in the world know that good news often comes out of bad news. And when you work with millionaires, you have to be ready for them to give you lots of bad news. Join Andrew as he shares a powerful lesson he learned from a room full of multimillionaires... even if you don't want to hear it.
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How to Win the Perfect Mentor
Mentorship is one of the most important elements to your long-term success. But finding a good mentor willing to spend their time with you is not easy. In this episode, Andrew gives you the secret to find and win a great mentor. And even more important, he tells you what the wrong kind of mentor looks like, and why you may be working with the wrong mentor right now.
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A Deathtrap in Disguise
The most skilled drivers in the world don't have their photos plastered on NASCAR, F1 or even Rallycross websites and magazines. Instead, they hide in the world of covert ops -- a world ruled by Tier 1 MARSOC Raiders. Join Andrew as he shares a lesson from his Tier 1 MARSOC friend and fellow EverydaySpy instructor about hard lessons learned off the track...
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Warzone View From a First-Class Seat
The current conflict in Ukraine has topped headlines and commanded the attention of the world. And even as journalists dawn flak jackets in the streets and drones capture images overhead, the most inspiring stories aren't happening on the front line... they are happening in the shadows. Join Andrew as he share a story you haven't heard about heroes you don't know exist.
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A Secret CIA Leadership Tool
Elite spy agencies need leaders just like every other corporate organization. But the way they find and cultivate their leaders is very different than what you read about in leadership books and see advertised on your LinkedIn feed. In this episode, Andrew explains the simple secret to how CIA develops and trains their leaders to do what others can't and go where other's won't.
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How Elite Operators Change Their Life
The greatest lessons you need to learn often get lost. People are either too successful to share their secrets, or they fail too fast and their experience is lost forever to history. In today's episode, Andrew give's you a peek into how one elite UK Royal Navy SBS officer has changed his life on his own terms. And how he views money in a way that most people do not...
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The Self-Discipline Lie
Human nature drives you whether you like it or not. And the secret sauce to success comes when you stop fighting nature and learn to make it work for you instead. In this episode, Andrew shares a secret known only to Tier 1 operators, athletes, and soldiers; a secret that you can use to master your everyday life to win massive success.
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The Ultimate Brain Hack
Your brain does things without your permission. It is doing things right now that you did not choose; it's making choices you don't agree with... and it does it all without you even realizing it. In this episode, Andrew explains how your brain (and everyone else's brain) is a tool you can use to get an unfair advantage in your career, business, and social status.
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How to Gamble Big and Win
The last week in December is a time when people everywhere stop and reflect on what they want to do differently in the new year. In this episode, Andrew shares a few success stories from the field and asks a different kind of question for you to consider. Whether you are in school or in business; raising a family or raising seed capital for a new venture, there is value in knowing one important answer before you ring in the new year...
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An Ugly Kind of Justice
Justice isn't always simple, clear, or fair. Sometimes justice happens in ways nobody wants to admit or talk about. In this episode, Andrew shares a story where justice was delivered in a way nobody would expect, in a part of the world very few get to see. And with the right combination of pressure and patience, justice always prevails...
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Making Advantage Out of Need
Human nature is slow to change. That makes it a powerful and predictable advantage for you to use in your career, relationships, and business. In this episode, Andrew shares two current examples of how human nature gave one person an unfair advantage while leaving another person behind in the game of success. When you learn how to transform your need into value for someone else, you unlock incredible power, money, and influence.
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Realizations at Gun Point
Moments of clarity are easy to miss and even easier to forget. So when they happen, you have to grab them and hold on for the ride. In this episode, Andrew shares a recent and powerful moment of clarity that is about to change his life and his business in a big way. And you get to choose whether you will hold on for the ride or get off now.
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Integrity of Purpose
There will always be people who laugh at your ambition, talk-down your talent, and try to convince you to give up. And its easy to feel like the easiest way to end the pain is to join them in their constant criticism of others. In this episode, Andrew explain the secret that holds those people back and why you have the opportunity to win bigger, greater, richer wealth than then can even imagine.
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Where Your Ideal Customer is Hiding
To wrap-up Season 5, Andrew is taking you on a deep-dive into how his company uses CIA personality testing to find and identify the perfect customer for any business. If you run your own business, or have a career in sales, HR, customer service or senior management, DON'T MISS this incredible HACK to find the customers you've always dreamed of.
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The Business of Making Opportunities
People think spying is the business of keeping secrets. But they're wrong. Spies make their living by finding secrets, and that takes a special kind of skill that you can use to build your career and grow your business. In this episode, Andrew introduces you to his private intel network and tells you exactly how you can work with them, too...
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The CIA Secret to More Opportunity
CIA operations work a lot like your everyday job. You can spend a lot of time plotting, planning, and waiting like everyone else... or you can do something different. In this episode, Andrew tells you a story about one of his current undercover CIA colleagues and how he plans to short-cut success the day he leaves CIA. If you are looking for the ultimate CIA cheat-code to success... you just found it.
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How Not to Hide in Plain Sight
There is incredible power in anonymity. When nobody knows who you are, what you are doing, and ignores you even being present, you have every advantage over them. You are hiding in plain sight. But sometimes, you don't want to disappear. Sometimes, you may want to be found. In this episode, Andrew explain how to ensure you are seen by the right people, and stay invisible to the wrong people.
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Independence Day Secrets Nobody Told You
American independence was less about the birth of a nation and more about the survival of a people. But while history books skip the grittier details that led to the 4th of July, there is an awesome espionage lesson hidden between the pages. In this episode, Andrew explains the value and power that stress can have for making tomorrow better than today.
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A Victory Worth Celebrating
Not every spy lesson is equal, and not every spy looks they way you might expect. In this episode, Andrew shares a spy story about a covert CIA operative that you should have been able to see a mile away. And a shop that you'd never think would come to the rescue.
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The CIA Cheat Code to Never Getting Overwhelmed
Winning and losing in espionage relies as much on avoiding mistakes as it does being skilled. The same is true for you in your professional field. Top-tier competition is tight, and mastery is common. In this episode, Andrew explains the powerful CIA tool field operators use to keep from making mistakes in high-pressure situations. Now you can have the same secret solution in your hip pocket anytime you need it...
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The Spy Mistake in Paris
Spying is a game as old as mankind. But the way to win isn't always about being the best and what you do. Sometimes the best way to win is to be the one who makes the fewest mistakes. In this episode, join Andrew as he shares one mistake in Paris that forever changed the course of history between two world powers. And learn how you can use mistakes to win in your own everyday life.
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Spying Through a Mother's Eyes
The sacrifice and challenges of motherhood remains one of the best kept secrets in the world. There are stories, songs, and even holidays dedicated to the women we call 'mother,' but the truth of what they experience is hidden. In this episode, Andrew shares his own history with mothers and their impact on his life, as well as an interesting spy lesson you can learn by cracking the code that mothers around the world keep to themselves.
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Desert Helicopters and Operational Efficiency
Everyone wants to do more with less, faster than before, and without any mistakes. So why doesn't it happen? Andrew found the answer while flying with a dozen blacked-out helicopters over a barren desert. And today, you get to learn the same truth.
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How to Break Into Private Intelligence
More than 74k people every month apply for government jobs in the intel sector. 98% of them are rejected. But at the same time, a much smaller group is breaking into private intelligence, making more money, and doing the same impactful work. In this episode, Andrew breaks down what private intelligence is (and isn't) and explains the surprising connections between federal intelligence and the private intelligence sector. Make sure to check out https://everydayspy.com/red to start building your own private intel skills!
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The Master Spy Game You Never Knew
Operations do not run like everyday life... but you can make everyday life run like an operation. In this episode, Andrew talks about one of his CIA mentors and a secret game that mentor taught him about operational success. Learn the game for yourself and find out how you can use it to drive predictable outcomes for everything from your career to kids and family.
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The Unexpected Ops Skill That Boosts Your Success
It is easy to get discouraged by the things you want that other people have. Smart marketers and sleazy salesman have been selling the lie that you can get more without giving anything up... even as they take your money. In this episode, Andrew explains how field operators accomplish incredible things with limited resources. And how you can do the same when you use one powerful tool.
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Predator, Prey, and Not Playing Fair
Good surveillance can operate right under your nose without you even knowing they are there. And even though your tail may have all the advantages, you have one powerful tool that can flip the odds in your favor. In this episode, Andrew teaches you how spies beat surveillance in the field and how you can use the same skill to beat your opponents in everyday life.
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The Covert Op Lifecycle Advantage
Intel operators do not see time the same way as everyone else. Some people think time is a resource. Others think it is a tool for trade. Operatives view time as something completely different. In this episode, Andrew walks you through the lifecycle of a covert op to give you a unique advantage that only field operators understand.
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The Secrets of Sabotage
We all grow up loving spy movies and books for the action! Guns shooting, bombs going off, buildings being destroyed. And while the real thing is often just as exciting as a movie, it is very different in one powerful and important way. In this episode, Andrew shares a secret about intelligence operations that you can use to take control and gain leverage in any everyday situation.
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Why Others Fail and You Don't Have to
Everyone loves to talk about opportunity, hope, and new beginnings at the start of a new year. But a conversation about Failure might be more productive. In this episode, Andrew breaks down how elite operatives view, process, and ultimately avoid failure even when the odds are against them. If you have felt the sting of failure, or worry that you may be failing, this is a conversation you don't want to miss...
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Covert Signals and the Business of Spying
Welcome to Season 5! The goal for this season is to start taking action on the skills we've mastered in the last 4 seasons. That means its time to talk about field tradecraft! And the best place to start studying tradecraft is with covert signals. In this episode, Andrew explains covert signals you've seen in movies and a few you've never heard of. You might be surprised to learn how many signals you aren't even aware you are missing...
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Spying on Season 5
It's been an exciting and fun 4 seasons of growth! And I'm super pumped to give you a peak into what I am working on for season 5. If you've been thinking about jump-starting your plans for 2021, then you are in the right place. This is a community that serves you...
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The Anatomy of a Conspiracy
It's never wise to laugh off a conspiracy too quickly. History has given us enough examples of conspiracies proven true that we would be wise to listen before we laugh. But what makes a conspiracy happen in the first place? In this episode, Andrew cuts to the heart of conspiracy too show you where conspiracy theories come from and how they grow. And if you are ready to take a conspiracy challenge, visit EverydaySpy.com/live to test your skills.
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The Missing Link in the Info Chain
Spy movies and mainstream media always talk about the process of 'analysis'. Many of the world's top experts even carry the title of 'analyst.' But the value of analysis and the power of an analyst is based in a skill you rarely ever hear about. In this episode, Andrew gives you the skeleton key to unlocking information like a spy and puts the power of analysis into your hands... forever.
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That Awkward Phase of High School and Presidential Elections
There is a pattern to information. You have seen the pattern in your everyday life, from high school to today, because it is human nature. And you are about to see the final phase of the pattern all over headlines and media. In this episode, Andrew describes the information phase know as 'information overload' and how it is used to deceive you to steal your attention.
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What Librarians and CIA Agents Have in Common
People mistake information as something you have to personally have in your mind. They assume that If you know a lot of information, you are smart, if you don't, you are dumb. Nothing could be further from the truth. In this episode, Andrew explains why information doesn't have to be in your head to be of value to you, and he shares a few secret people that can help you gain access to information you never even dreamed possible.
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Everyday Precision Without the Bullets
We all know what it's like to have our words misunderstood. We also know it's like to misunderstand what someone else is trying to say. Sometimes these errors are innocent... and sometimes they are not. In this episode, Andrew and Jihi share a few personal stories and a few current examples to show you exactly how specific words can help you or be used against you.
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The Two Lies You Will Remember From This Day Forward
Spies are taught that not all lies are equal. The thing that separates lies is the intention behind the lie; was the lie intentional, or was the lie not intentional. In this episode, Andrew describes the relationship between lies, intent, and how the two impact the current political climate and your everyday life. For anyone out there feeling lied to... you will never forget this.
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How to Dissect a News Article to Tell if it's Real News
The 24 hour news cycle is a constant grind on your senses, emotions, and patience. Every headline tries to grab your attention, but what happens when they do? What value is really in the article itself, and is it even real news? In this episode, Andrew will dissect a current headline news article and show you exactly how to tell if what you are reading is worth reading at all...
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How to Stay Three Steps Ahead of the Next President
The 2020 Presidential debates begin tonight and both candidates are going to lie to your face without getting caught. How? Using a mental loophole that politicians, advertisers and dictators have used for generations. In this episode, Andrew prepares you to see through debate deceptions and distractions so you can see the truth that millions of other voters will miss.
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The Dirty Truth About Polls The News Doesn't Want to Admit
To see the world, you must look through something - eyes, windows, glasses, screens. And while what we see seems real, we never stop to think that someone else could be looking at the same thing but seeing it very differently. In this episode, Andrew and Jihi discuss the way your brain interprets information differently than those around you. And how you can change the lens your using to view the world...
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How to Decode News Headlines and Skip the Slant
News headlines work hard to capture your attention in a few simple words. But those same headlines also give away a lot of information about their truthfulness, intent, and purpose. In this episode, Andrew shows you how to break down any news headline and know right away whether you can trust the information in the article. Don't miss this chance to look at everyday news and know right away if you can trust it!
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The Curious Case of Sharing Lies
Ever wonder why fake news and false information spreads so quickly? You see headlines and news pundits talking about fact and fiction all the time, but the truth behind how bad information spreads is simpler than you might think. In this episode, Andrew explains where research and espionage intersect and result in misinformation.
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The Reason Kids Perform Better Than Adults
We all say that kids can absorb a ton of information quickly, like a sponge absorbing water. But what exactly is it about children that gives them that superpower? And can an adult have it? In this episode, Andrew explains the science behind how kids learn and gives you the secret to how you can get that magic back.
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Grey Dynamics
Former US SOF SIGINT Operator on the Upcoming Grey Dynamics OSINT Course
Gabe Fanelli is back. Our Director of Training, 14 years active duty Army, Bronze Star recipient, SIGINT operator from West Africa to Syria, walks us through the new OSINT Operator Course, module by module.This one is different. It is not a tools course. Tools go down. This is about building the analytical brain behind the tools: critical thinking, bias recognition, geo and chronological verification, the dark web, ad tech surveillance, corporate intelligence, and the ethics that hold all of it together.We also went somewhere most podcasts will not go. AI in the kill chain. 900 strikes in 12 hours. The...
From SIGINT to OSINT: Gabriel Fanelli on Languages, Intelligence, and Being Useful
Gabriel Fanelli is back on the Grey Dynamics Podcast, and this time as our new Director of Training.Look, I've been wanting to have this conversation since we first met. Gabe's trajectory is different from most people in the intelligence world. Bronze Star recipient, 14 years in the Army, former SOCOM instructor, fluent in Arabic, and now leading our training programs at Grey Dynamics. But what makes this conversation special isn't just his resume.We went deep on this one. We talked about what it really means to be a crypto linguist, not the Hollywood version. But the actual work of listening...
From Starlink to Sim Cards: The Privacy Erosion Intel Pros Aren't Talking About
Even trained intelligence professionals make critical OPSEC mistakes in their personal lives. In this episode, Ahmed Hassan sits down with Allen Pace, host of the OPSEC Podcast, to discuss the operational security vulnerabilities that compromise even the most experienced officers. From burner phone misconceptions to the false security of Starlink, they dissect real-world examples of tradecraft failures. Allen shares insights from his upcoming technical guide for intelligence teams, while Ahmed challenges the erosion of privacy rights in Europe and beyond.Key topics include:Why personal life is the widest OPSEC gap for professionalsCommon burner phone mistakes that reveal identityHow your phone's sensors...
Former Senior CIA Officer Raymond White Returns to Discuss the Human Intelligence Fundamentals Course
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics Podcast. This week, we welcome back Raymond White, a former CIA senior case officer with over 25 years of experience in the field. Raymond spent his entire career as a case officer focusing on counter-proliferation and counter-terrorism, earning the nickname The Snow Leopard within the agency. He also served as head of the CIAs enterprise training program for aspiring case officers. Raymond has now created what he describes as the most comprehensive Human Intelligence (HUMINT) course available anywhere. We spoke about the course structure, the psychology and ethics of espionage, historical case studies like...
Former Australian Commando Scott Ryder on Tier One Culture
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics Podcast. Today, we kick off season five guest lineup with Scott Ryder, a former operator of the 2nd Commando Regiment with more than twenty years of experience in the Australian Army, including multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as domestic experiences with the Tactical Assault Group - East. Scott is not only a veteran but also an author. Today, we are covering some insights from his book Forged in Fire: an Australian Commando's Story of Life and Death on the Frontline, from the right way to write about special forces without...
Former CIA Case Officer and Station Chief Douglas London on Asset Recruitment and Tradecraft
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics Podcast. Today, we are hosting an episode with Douglas London, a former clandestine service case officer and station chief with over three decades of experience in downrange assignments. London career with Langley ranged from recruiting assets in hostile environments to operating under official cover.Douglas London is also a Adjunct Associate Professor at Georgetown Universitys School of Foreign Service where he teaches Intelligence and National Security Studies. During the episode, the author of The Recruiter: Spying and the Lost Art of American Intelligence will share his insights on current tradecraft in human intelligence. Find DouglasLinkedIn ProfileTwitter...
Grey Dynamics Presents the OpSec Podcast: A Guide By Former USIC Cyber Contractor
Welcome back to Grey Dynamics. Today, we are thrilled to announce the OpSec Podcast, a project from our cyber intelligence and operational security expert, which will be produced and edited in-house every couple of weeks. Allen, the show host, is a seasoned intelligence and defence professional with over twenty years of experience, including military service, government contracting and the private sector. Specialising in Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) collection operations. Allen holds a Master of Science in Cybersecurity and top-tier certifications including CISSP and CASP+. Additionally, his career spans global assignments leading multinational teams and supporting mission-critical programs for the United...
New Intelligence Courses, OPSEC and Political Risk with Ahmed Hassan
The Grey Dynamics Podcast welcomes you back. Today, we are doing another solo episode with important announcements. These include new school courses focused on Human Intelligence (HUMINT), as well as new podcasts and guides on Operational Security (OPSEC). Both of the initiatives are spearheaded by veteran intelligence officers and operators.Find Ahmed HassanLinkedInGrey Dynamics PodcastRelated LinksGrey Dynamics Intelligence Capability Development and TrainingGrey Dynamics Operational SupportGrey Dynamics Open Source Intelligence ServicesGrey Dynamics Case Studies Grey Dynamics StoryAdvance Your Intelligence Career Today!We are the first fully online intelligence school helping professionals to achieve their long term goals. Our school with tons of new...
Ahmed Hassan on Grey Dynamics Media Side, Intelligence Operations and Training
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics podcast. This week, we are doing another editors note with some current insights about the company. During this episode, I will be discussing how Grey Dynamics deals with -sometimes opposite- worlds of operational contracts and media publications. Furthermore, I will also provide some recommendations from the intelligence professionals looking to enter intelligence and security company management.Find Ahmed HassanLinkedInGrey Dynamics PodcastRelated LinksGrey Dynamics Intelligence Capability Development and TrainingGrey Dynamics Operational SupportGrey Dynamics Open Source Intelligence ServicesGrey Dynamics Case Studies Grey Dynamics StoryAdvance Your Intelligence Career Today!We are the first fully online intelligence school helping professionals...
Former CIA Intelligence Officer and Daily Briefer David Priess
The Grey Dynamics Podcast welcomes you back. Today, we have an amazing guest: David Priess, a former intelligence officer, intelligence manager and daily briefer of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) during the Bill Clinton and George Bush administrations. Additionally, David Priess worked at the State Department as a desk officer in the Near East Bureau.Find David PriessLinkedInHow to Get Rid of a President: History's Guide to Removing Unpopular, Unable, or Unfit Chief Executives The President's Book of Secrets: The Untold Story of Intelligence Briefings to America's PresidentsAdvance Your Intelligence Career Today!We are the first fully online intelligence school helping professionals to...
Former Diplomat and Founder of Intrigue Media John Fowler
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics podcast. Today we are honoured to have John Fowler, founder of the global affairs start-up International Intrigue Media and former Australian Foreign Service diplomat. During his diplomatic career, he served and lived in Beijing and Shanghai after a lengthy training in Mandarin. John Fowler also holds a Master of Business Administration from the London Business School.Find John FowlerLinkedInIntrigue MediaRelated Links:Chinese Maritime Militia: Little Blue Men Fishing for TroubleChinas Rising Military CapabilitiesThe Inner Workings of Wagner with John LechnerChinese Espionage Against the West: No Sign of Letting UpBeijings Security Balancing Act: The China-Myanmar Economic CorridorAIC:...
Former CIA Senior Team Leader and GRS Veteran Thomas "Tom" Pecora
Grey Dynamics welcomes Thomas Pecora, a former CIA/GRS Senior Security Manager with over twenty-four years of experience working in protective operations, crisis management, physical security, and counterterrorism missions in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Iraq, Sudan and the Philippines.Tom was awarded both the Intelligence Star for voluntary acts of courage performed under hazardous conditions and the Career Intelligence Medal for exceptional achievements that substantially contributed to the mission of the agency. He is also an adjunct professor at Wright State University and the author of the book, Guardian: Life in the Crosshairs of the CIAs War on Terror.Find Thomas PecoraLinkedInGuardian: Life in...
The Inner Workings of Wagner with John Lechner
Grey Dynamics welcomes John Lechner to the podcast. He is a journalist and researcher, focusing on security issues with a heavy approach to on-the-ground coverage. John is also an expert on Russias growing influence in Africa. He speaks fluent Russian; advanced French, Turkish, and Georgian; and conversational Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian (BCS), Chechen, German, and Sango.You can find his articles published in Foreign Policy, War on the Rocks, Kyiv Post, The Diplomat, Africa is a Country, African Arguments, The National Interest, and Defense One, among others. Additionally, his book on the inner workings of the Wagner Group is for sale on AmazonFind John...
Former Naval Counter Intelligence Officer and Founder of Grey Bull Rescue Bryan Stern - Episode 60
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics podcast! This week we are speaking again to Bryan Stern, founder and head of Grey Bull Rescue Foundation. Bryan has 25 years of military experience, including combat tours with the US Army and Navy. His specialisms include unconventional warfare, hostage rescue, and counterterrorism. During the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, Bryan organised flights to evacuate 117 US citizens after the US military had left. Since then, Grey Bull Rescue has conducted thousands of missions and rescued over 7,100 people from crises around the world. We spoke about breaking a US citizen out of a Russian...
Former Paramilitary Operations Officer Ric Prado on his life in the Shadows - Episode 59
Ric Prado teamed up with Grey Dynamics to give away signed copies of his book. The only thing you have to do to win is to comment blackops under the episode of this post. You will receive a DM with instructions!Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics podcast! The week we are talking to Ric Prado, a former CIA paramilitary operations officer and clandestine Special Activities Division (SAD) operator. Ric spent 24 years in the CIA, operating in the Middle East, Latin America, and East Asia. During the war on terror, Ric served as Chief of Operations at the CIA Counterterrorist...
How Write a Killer Intelligence Report - Bonus Episode
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics podcast! This episode looks at how to write a Killer Intelligence Report. It builds on many of the skills students learn in our intelligence fundamentals course. This is from our live workshop from the 6th of November. Presented by Marcel Plitcha, lead instructor of the Grey Dynamics Intelligence School. He is currently completing his PhD at St Andrews and is a former DOD Analyst and FBI contractor. We cover the key elements you need to understand how to write an effective intelligence report!Check out the Grey Dynamics Intelligence School CoursesFind the Grey Dynamics Intelligence...
Former German Military HUMINT Operator Christoph Stegemann - Episode 58
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics podcast! This week we are talking to Christoph Stegemann, former head of the Bundeswehr's HUMINT school. Christoph has worked across the German intelligence community in both the military and civilian agencies. In 2019, he moved on to work in Germanys private intelligence sector. Since then he has gone onto to work corporate intelligence teams and worked to counter the use of performance enhancing drugs in professional sports. We spoke about working alongside different nations, not overly relying on technology, how the German private intelligence sector looks and much more.Find Christoph Stegemann:LinkedInWe spoke about:0:00 Christophs...
Global Intelligence Leader Lewis Sage-Passant on the Private Intelligence Industry - Episode 57
Save $500 on our Intelligence Cycle Fundamentals CourseEnroll Now!Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics podcast. This week we are talking to Lewis Sage-Passant about the obscure and understudied world of private sector intelligence. Lewis is the Global Head of Intelligence at a major pharmaceutical company and an Adjunct Professor at Science Po. Previously, Lewis served in the British Armed Forces and worked in private intelligence roles in the energy, banking and software sectors. His new book, Beyond States and Spies: The Security Intelligence Services of the Private Sector provides an overview of corporate intelligence structures and functions. We discussed how...
Editor's Notes 03: Intelligence Courses Update
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics podcast! This week, Marcel Plichta, the lead instructor of the intelligence school, joins us to discuss writing a killer intelligence report, the future of the course, and the feedback we have received.Join our "How to Write a Killer Intelligence Report" workshop:Click here to register instantly!We spoke about:0:00 - How to write a killer intelligence report workshop 4:02 - Discussing the Grey Dynamics Intelligence School (GDIS) and feedback 14:54 - Future GDIS courses on HUMINT and Crypto Intelligence Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Former Senior CIA Officer Raymond White on HUMINT and Training the Next Generation - Episode 56
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics Podcast. This is our first episode of season 4! This week we are talking to Raymond White, a former CIA senior operations officer. Raymond has spent over 25 years in the agency, in the directorate of analysis and directorate of operations. He has worked on issues such as Irans Nuclear capabilities, the Syrian civil war and North Korea. As well as training the next generation of intelligence officers. Since his career in the CIA, Raymond has founded Wolfpack Consulting. Teaching clients CIA methodology for optimal outcomes. We spoke about CIA priorities over the years,...
Former CIA Collection Management Officer on Life with Esther Atwell Episode 55
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics Podcast! Today we are talking to Esther Atwell, a former linguist and collection manager who spent over a decade at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Esther has had a varied career beyond intelligence, working as a tutor, realtor and court interpreter on the island of Hawaii. We discussed working in the CIA and overseas, what it takes to work in intelligence, immigrating to the US and much more. Esther is also the partner of our previous guest, CIA operations officer John Atwell.Find Esther Atwell:LinkedInWe Spoke About:1:10 - Early life, learning languages, tutoring, livining overseas...
Former 22 SAS & 14 Int Operator Michael Hawkes on his Illustrious Career
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics Podcast! This week we are talking to Michael Hawkes, a former 22 Special Air Service operator. Michael spent twenty four years in the British Army, twelve of which in the SAS. Including six in covert operations. He also served as a military advisor to UK's intelligence services. For the last twenty two years he has had a successful career in corporate security, working all over the world. We spoke about his experience in UKSF selection, his time in Northern Ireland, getting kidnapped in Bosnia and much more.Find Michael Hawkes:Hawkes & Co. LinkedInWe Spoke About:0:00...
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022) an Intelligence Perspective - Episode 53
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics podcast. This week we are discussing Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (2022) in all its action packed Hollywood glory. As usual we'll be looking at the story from an intelligence perspective, digging into the games' realism, what it got right and what it got wrong.Contents in Mission Order:0:00 - Intro 6:27 - Strike 16:23 - Kill or Capture 19:23 - Wetwork and Tradecraft 29:29 - Borderline 33:31 - Cartel Protection 37:15 - Close Air and Hardpoint 42:18 - Recon by Fire 46:12 - Violence and Timing 49:05 - El Sin Nombre 53:37 -...
Crypto Currency Intelligence with Keven Hendricks - Episode 52
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics Podcast! This week we are talking to Keven Hendricks, an expert and pioneer in Crypto and Dark Web investigations. Keven is the founder of Ubivis, a project dedicated to combatting the spread of narcotics using the dark web. He has worked previously under the FBI and DEA, taking part in various task forces. We discussed adapting to the changing crypto landscape, taking down criminals operating on the dark web, privacy in crypto, the tools he uses to keep himself secure and much more.Find Keven Hendricks:UBIVIS ProjectWe Spoke About:1:10 - Kevins background3:54 - Being part...
Director of MENA Analytica Dr Andreas Krieg on Strategic Weaponization of Narratives
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics Podcast! This week we are talking to Dr Andreas Krieg, director of MENA Analytica and associate professor at King's College London. He is also the author of Subversion: The Strategic Weaponization of Narratives. Andreas has a wealth of experience in the private sector, academia and supporting the UK armed forces training and doctrine. We discussed learning how to spot opportunity, getting exposure outside of academic circles, ways forward for the situation in Gaza and much more.Find Dr Andreas Krieg:King's College London LinkedIn X Facebook YouTube Subversion: The Strategic Weaponization of NarrativesWe Spoke About:0:44 -...
Sibylline Head of Global Intelligence Gareth Westwood on Intelligence Management - Episode 50
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics Podcast! This week we are talking again to Gareth Westwood, Sibylline's head of global intelligence. Gareth is a highly experienced practitioner, having previously worked for the UK government in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Ministry of Defence and in the private sector with AstraZeneca. We talked about demystifying the private sector, implementing AI and machine learning into intelligence, what makes a great leader and much more.Find Gareth Westwood:LinkedInSibyllineWe Spoke About:0:35 - Response to the podcast2:07 - Gareths background and demystifying the private sector5:20 - How Sibyllines team is set up and how...
Editor's Note 02: Building Self Reliance and Musings About Somalia
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics podcast. This week we are doing another editor's note. I discussed some updates concerning the course, the new website, upcoming espionage week as well as some reflections on my time in Somalia and journey with Grey Dynamics. Enjoy!Contents:1:07 - Grey Dynamics Intelligence School 5:01 - Website changes 6:57 - Forthcoming intelligence guides 8:53 - Phase two of the course 10:16 - Espionage Week 11:22 - Ahmed on Somalia and its future 19:31 - Reflections on experinces, work ethic and more 28:33 - Cultural RecommendationsRelated Links:ahmed@greydynamics.com IncogniAdvance Your Intelligence Career Today!We are the first fully online...
German Military Intelligence Officer and Trainer Ole Donner on Intelligence Education - Episode 49
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics Podcast! Today we are talking to Ole Donner. Ole is a former German Bundeswehr Officer and analyst. He spent time his teaching intelligence strategies, such as structured analytic techniques. Now he has own training and consulting company called Grnder Strukturierte Analyse Deutschland. He is also a research fellow at the Institute for Intelligence and Security Management. We discussed his time in the military, how to get into intelligence in Germany, tradecraft, key intelligence readings and much more.Find Ole Donner:LinkedIn Grnder Strukturierte Analyse Deutschland Clear Thinking: Structured Analytic Techniques and Strategic Foresight Analysis for Decisionmakers...
Senior CIA Ops Officer John Atwell on Culture Change, Working with Five Eyes and Career Advice - Episode 48
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics Podcast! Today, we are talking to John Atwell. John spent over twenty-three years of experience in operational and analysis roles at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Since leaving the agency, John has spent time as a consultant, become a columnist for the Haiwaii-Tribune Herald, became editor of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers and a college lecturer at Haiwaii Community College. We discussed the culture shift in CIA after 9/11, views on allied and adversarial agencies around the world, advice for a career in intelligence and much more.Find John Atwell:LinkedInThe Island Intelligencer on SubstackWe...
DIA Counterintelligence Officer and Scholar on the FSB with Kevin P. Riehle - Episode 47
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics Podcast! Today, we are talking to Kevin Riehle. Kevin has thirty years of experience in the US intelligence community and specialises in Russia and Counter Intelligence. Retiring in 2021, Kevin now works as an academic and author. He is currently a lecturer at the Brunel Centre for Intelligence and Security Studies (BCISS). Kevin's latest book, "The Russian FSB: A Concise History of the Federal Security Service", takes a detailed look at the service and its activities.Enter to the giveaway to win a signed copy of Kevin Riehle's "The Russian FSB"In celebration of Kevin's new book...
Editor's Note 01: Intelligence School News, Next Guests and Reading List
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics podcast. Today, we are trying something new! This is the first episode of Editor's Notes, where we keep you updated on what we're up to. We'll be discussing the Grey Dynamics Intelligence School, future podcast guests, our new website and what I'm reading. Enjoy!Related Links:Grey Dynamics Intelligence School University of Salford QUALITY CPD (QCPD) Accreditation Kevin Riehle - The Russian FSBAdvance Your Intelligence Career Today!We are the first fully online intelligence school helping professionals to achieve their long term goals. Our school with tons of new material is currently under construction and will be...
Influence and Interference: Decoding Politics and Power with Drew Biemer - Episode 46
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics podcast! Today we have Drew Biemer back with us again. Drew is a strategic management and communications professional with 2 decades of experience in governmental, public and civil affairs. His prior experience includes congressional and gubernatorial campaign management, legislative staffing, executive protection, geopolitical risk management, investigations, intelligence, and public information. We spoke about how dark money gets into the political process, how nation-states interfere in third-world countries' elections, targeting using social media and much more.Find Drew Biemer:LinkedInWe spoke about:1:06 - The presidential nomination process 8:14 - How dark money gets into the US electoral...
From Unconventional Warfare to Hybrid Warfare with former SF Operator Curtis Fox - Episode 45
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics Podcast! Today, we are talking to Curtis Fox, former Green Beret, author, graduate of Georgetown University and currently a program manager. His book 'Hybrid Warfare: The Russian Approach To Strategic Competition & Conventional Military Conflict' is out now. We discussed some of the fascinating topics covered in it. Including how Russia has applied hybrid warfare in Ukraine since 2014, the collapse of effective cooperation between the FSB and GRU, as well as the destruction of Russia's special forces capability.Disclaimer: All of Curtis Fox's opinions are his own and do not reflect the policy of...
Electronic Warfare, SIGINT and Corporate Intelligence with Michael Blicher Soerensen
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics Podcast! This week we are talking to Michael Blicher Soerensen. Michael is a veteran of the Danish army, specialising in electronic warfare and SIGINT. He is currently a global security site lead at Meta. We discussed what makes a good analyst, deploying to Iraq, corporate intelligence and much more. Enjoy!Find MichaelLinkedInWe spoke about:2:40 - Michael's background5:15 - Opportunities after working in SIGINT and Electronic Warfare9:17 - Killings your darlings10:40 - Adjusting to work outside of the army14:09 - Learning to build rapport with collegues in the workplace16:22 - What makes a good intelligence analyst20:21...
From the Defence Human Intelligence Unit to Recruitment with Mack - Episode 43
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics Podcast! This week, we are talking to Mack! Mack is a former British Army Infantryman and Team Leader. He then went on to be recruited as an Intelligence Officer in the tri-service Defence Human Intelligence Unit (DHU). After leaving the armed forces, Mack became a recruiter. Spending some time working in the Private Equity space, before joining cyber specialists Trident Search, where he is now. We discussed transitioning from infantry to intelligence, Mack's time in DHU combatting the Islamic State, the importance of culture in the work environment and much more.Find Mack:LinkedInWe spoke about:0:33...
What do Humanitarian NGOs and the Private Sector want from Intelligence? With E. - Episode 42
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics podcast! This week, we are talking to a risk management expert in the humanitarian sector. E. has previously worked in the military and private security sector in many countries and conflict zones. We'll discuss the opportunities presented during crisis, how humanitarian NGOs use intelligence and the complexity of navigating the current information space.We spoke about:0:00 - Intro and E's background 5:13 - Getting into humanitarian security 7:26 - How the private sector can learn to see risk as an opportunity 9:00 - Why is the private sector so conservative with risk 14:23 - Is...
Special Boat Service, Afghanistan and Close Protection with Pasha Munro
Welcome back to the Grey Dynamics podcast for season 3! We're kicking things off with a fascinating guest today, Pasha Munro. Pasha served as a Royal Marine Mountain Leader and Special Boat Service operator as part of UKSF in the British Armed Forces. Today, he is the director of operations at the private security company Black Box Global. Pasha has honed his skills in high-pressure environments, where precision, adaptability, and a relentless pursuit of excellence are paramount. His extensive experience in conducting complex operations and mitigating security risks allows him to provide invaluable guidance and leadership in safeguarding organisations and...
Episode 39: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) an Intelligence Perspective
We're back to discuss the 2019 reboot of Call of Duty's Modern Warfare series! In this episode we'll be talking about the inspirations for the campaign, the controversies that made headlines, chemical weapons and much more.Make sure to stay tuned for the first episode of season three, coming very soon!You can find Marcel Plichta on:Grey DynamicsLinkedInTwitterYou can find Michael Elmer on:Grey DynamicsLinkedInWe Spoke About:0:00 - Intro1:27 - Context5:54 - Marines vs. Spetsnaz in Kastovia20:26 - The London Attack27:07 - Russian occupation in Urzikstan36:11 - US Marines and CIA search for Al-Qatala38:03 - Storming of the US embassy in Urzikstan44:27 -...
Grey Dynamics Intelligence School: The Origins, Structure, and Vision for the Future
Welcome to the Grey Dynamics Intelligence School (GDIS). In this special podcast, we provide an all-encompassing look at our unique approach to intelligence training, discussing our origin story, course structure, and future vision.Recognising a gap in existing intelligence training a disconnect between academic studies and on-the-job experiences we founded GDIS. Our mission? To bridge this gap and offer an effective transition from theoretical knowledge to practical intelligence work.The heart of our intelligence training is a series of six crucial modules, each addressing a distinct phase of the intelligence cycle:Intelligence FundamentalsIntelligence Direction FundamentalsIntelligence Collection FundamentalsIntelligence Processing FundamentalsIntelligence Analysis FundamentalsIntelligence Dissemination FundamentalsOur...
Episode 38: Career Advice from Intelligence Professionals
Today we are rounding up the best advice we have had so far in season 2 of the podcast! Advice from professionals from across the industry, whether it be corporate, government, or non-profit, it's all here. Be sure to check out the episodes featured. This is our last episode of season 2, but keep on the look out for bonus episodes over the summer.Professionals Featured:Mike Evans (0:23)Benjamin Strick (7:09)Skip Schiphorst (9:14)Jordan Ponath (13:35)Mike Monnik (21:07)Paul Scharre (25:02)Lucas Webber (30:42)Alec Bertina (32:33)Jonah Leff (37:22)D. (40:44)Kelly Wong (42:45)Bryan Stern (44:32)Register your interest in the Grey Dynamics Intelligence School!The Grey Dynamics Podcast is...
Episode 37: Information Insurgencies, Energy Security and Great Power Competition with Drew Biemer
Today, I spoke to Drew Biemer, a strategic management, and communications professional with over two decades of experience in governmental, public, and civil affairs. Currently serving as the administrator of the Site Evaluation Committee and agency director for Energy Facility Siting, Permitting, Investigation, and Enforcement in the US State of New Hampshire.His political experience spans campaign management and legislative staffing at the local, state, and federal levels, working with notable figures such as members of Congress, governors, and presidential candidates.As a frequent panellist and moderator at energy conferences in the US and Africa, Drew shares his expertise in resilience, energy...
Episode 36: Warzone Extraction, China vs Taiwan and Project Dynamo with Bryan Stern
Today, I spoke to Bryan Stern, who has 25 years of service focused on intelligence and special operations with the US. He specializes in counter-terrorism, counter-proliferation, hostage rescue, personnel recovery, critical technology protection, and unconventional warfare against near-peer threats. He is a Purple Heart recipient and is credited with being a military first responder at the World Trade Center on the morning of the 9/11 attacks. Currently, he manages Project Dynamo, a non-profit international search, rescue, aid, and assistance organization. Initially established to aid individuals in leaving Afghanistan after the US withdrawal, Project Dynamo has since been involved in extracting...
Episode 35: Australian Intelligence, Demystifying HUMINT and Mental Health with D.
Today I spoke to D., a former Military Intelligence operator from Australia. He has also worked in law enforcement and is currently doing contracted work. We spoke about his experience transitioning from combat engineer to intelligence operator, his time in Afghanistan, mental health, demystifying HUMINT, getting into OSINT and more.You can find D. on:InstagramWe spoke about:The reality on the ground in Afghanistan during his deployment (3:08) Staying on and changing roles after his first deployment (4:55) Transitioning from a combat engineer to intelligence (6:21) Lessons learned and experiences on deployment in intelligence (9:42) Whether he maintained any relationships from operations...
Episode 34: Canadian Intelligence, the ICC and Career Development with Kelly Wong
Today I spoke to Kelly Wong, a security analyst in the Canadian Senate. She has previously worked for multiple private intelligence firms and has interned at the International Criminal Courts. We discussed the challenges and rewards of working in intelligence, the obstacles ethnic minorities face in the application process, and Kelly's advice for young professionals.Apologies for the mic quality in this episode.Disclaimer:Any views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by the Interviewee are solely that of the Interviewee and do not reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of any institution or organisation.You can find Kelly on:LinkedInWe spoke about:What working at the...
Episode 33: ISKP, Taliban Response and Violent Non-State Actors with Lucas Webber
Today I spoke with Lucas Webber, co-founder of Militant Wire, an organization focused on providing independent analysis of militant activity and armed conflict around the world. We discussed Russia's "White Power Rangers", Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), interviewing violent non-state actors, Lucas' writing process and more.You can find Lucas on:Twitter LinkedIn Militant WirePractitioners We Spoke ToLucas background and The Militant Wire (0:43) What is Lucas currently working on? (06:48) The White Power Rangers (7:56) Who is ISKP? (10:30) ISKPs media operation (14:51) The Taliban and GDI response to ISKP (17:41) What makes ISKP so robust? (21:06) What does Lucas process...
Episode 32: Intelligence Tradecraft Week, Tools, Tips and Tricks
It is Intelligence Tradecraft Week here at Grey Dynamics, so for this week's episode we thought we'd round up the tools and tricks used by practitioners we've had on the podcast, in the real world. They cover social media tools, advanced search techniques, monitoring services, AI and more. Be sure to check out their full episodes, linked below.Practitioners We Spoke ToBenjamin Strick (0:39)Jordan Ponath (4:21)Gareth Westwood (10:17)Paul Scharre (15:09)Skip Schiporst (18:19)Intelligence Tradecraft Week:A Guide to Human Intelligence (HUMINT)Is Human Intelligence Still Possible in the Digital Age?A Guide to Covert SurveillanceA Guide to Criminal IntelligenceA Guide to Front Organisations' Role in...
Episode 31: Russian Private Military Contractors in Ukraine with Alec Bertina
This week I spoke to Alec Bertina, a non-traditional security actor researcher, specialising on Russia security affairs. In this episode, we discussed the wild and confusing network of Russian private military contractors, the people behind them and their mission. From ex-special forces to far right to oil and gas companies, there are many actors at play here. Alec does a fantastic job of breaking down the key groups and their motivations.You can find Alec on:TwitterLinkedInSubstackWe spoke aboutAlecs background (1:15)Wagner PMCs background and role in Ukraine (3:51)Wagners intelligence operation (7:33)Who is Prigozhin? (10:34)Power struggles in the Russian military establishment (12:35)Rusich Group...
Episode 30: Finland in NATO, UGVs and ChatGPT for Intelligence Analysts with Marcel Plichta
This week I caught up again with Marcel Plichta. Marcel is a member of the Grey Dynamics team, he is also a PhD candidate at St. Andrews and an Ex-DIA Analyst. We discussed the context of Finland's NATO membership, the state of UGVs, the Great power competition in Africa, and how generative AI models like ChatGPT could be applied to intelligence in practice.You can find Marcel on:Grey DynamicsTwitterLinkedInWe spoke aboutContext of Finlands NATO membership (1:05)The state of UVGs (9:58)The limited footage available of UGVs deployment (14:29)Potential Wagner attack on Chinese miners in CAR (17:35)The Wests waning influence over Africa (23:09)Iranian...
Episode 29: Arms Tracking, Drone Supply Chains and Blow Back with Jonah Leff
Today I spoke with Jonah Leff, the director of operations at Conflict Armament Research (CAR). He has extensive experience investigating sanctions violations and advising policymakers on issues related to armed violence and conflict. We discussed the role of OSINT in his work, 3D printed guns, drones in Ukraine and much more.You can find Jonah on:Conflict Armament Research LinkedIn TwitterWe spoke aboutJonahs background (1:11) Why did it take governments so long to take an interest in arms tracking? (11:54) What role does open source play in CAR's process? (15:39) The tools they use (18:42) 3D printed guns (21:43) Nonpermissive countries and...
Episode 28: Drone Threat Intelligence, 3D Printing and Dark Networks with Mike Monnik
Today I spoke with Mike Monnik, CEO of DroneSec. They focus on drone threat intelligence, documenting the latest developments in the use of drones by malicious actors. We discussed the use of drones in bank robberies, drone innovation in Myanmar, Chinas role in the supply chain and much more.You can find Mike on:DroneSecLinkedInWe spoke aboutWhy Mike started DroneSec (0:34)The most recent developments in drone threat intelligence (7:49)Drone bank robberies (15:59)Man in the middle attacks using drones (18:05)Tactical drone innovation in Myanmar (31:13)How much of the innovation is crowd-sourced and how much is indigenous to drone-involved conflicts (37:26)What is the next...
Episode 27: AI Arms Race, Drone Warfare and Cognitive Enhancement with Paul Scharre
Today I spoke with Paul Scharre, the vice president and director of studies at the Center for New American Security (CNAS). Previously he has worked for the Office of the Secretary of Defense as well as being a team leader in the US Army's 75th Ranger Regiment. Scharre's latest book "Four Battlegrounds: Power in the age of artificial intelligence" discusses some of the bleeding edge issues facing US national security. We discussed the use of drones in Ukraine, limiting China's access to cutting-edge chips, data advantages and much more.You can find Paul on:Website CNAS Twitter LinkedInWe spoke aboutWhy AI? (2:18)...
Episode 26: OSINT and SOCMINT for Threat Intelligence with Jordan Ponath
Today I spoke with Jordan Ponath, senior intelligence analyst at Lockheed Martin, ex-US Marine, and self-described 'data geek'. Jordan leads a team constantly on the lookout for threats to his organization using OSINT and SOCMINT techniques. In this episode, we get into the tools he and his team use as well as unconventional routes into the sector. You can find Jordan on:LinkedInWe spoke aboutJordans background (1:34)Having an unconventional background in intelligence (6:30)The changes to TweetDeck (8:19)How travelling affected Jordan (11:18)What a day in Jordans team looks like and the tools they use (14:40)What is the most fulfilling part of Jordans job?...
Episode 25: News in the Age of Social Media with The Rage X
Today I spoke with The Rage X again, now going by his real name, Carlos. He has been closely following breaking news on conflicts since the second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020. I spoke with him about his background, his process, and the importance of reading into both sides of conflicts.You can find The Rage X on:WebsiteTwitterInstagramFacebookTelegramWe spoke aboutCarlos' background (01:20)Creating The Rage X (12:32)His process (20:42)His favourite sources (24:01)Reading into both sides of conflicts (25:40)Having to create content designed for social media (28:04)His motivations (33:57)What is required to work around these topics (40:45)Related Links:What is an Intelligence Analyst?So, You Want...
Episode 24: Sahel Security Week, French Exodus & Wagner COIN Efforts with Menastream
Today we spoke with Hni Nsaibia, the man behind Menastream. Hni is among the most knowledgeable people online regarding the Sahel, particularly in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. He is also a senior researcher at ACLED. We discussed his background, the situation in the region, and the key external actors.You can find Hni Nsaibia on:MenastreamACLEDWe spoke aboutHni's background (0:53)Growing Menastream (11:11)Overview of the current situation in the Sahel (13:41)Malian government's newfound lethality with Russian support (22:36)The trajectory of Burkina Faso (26:24)Wagner's business model in Africa (29:19)The trajectory of Niger (31:13)The situation in Chad (36:55)How Mauritania has remained unscathed (41:51)The UN...
Episode 23: ChatGPT, The Intelligence Community & Career Advice with Mike Evans
Today I spoke with Mike Evans, head of intelligence at Securitas. Mike has been working in the private intelligence sector for nearly a decade, now leading an award-winning threat and intelligence service. He also has an intelligence background within the military. In this episode, we dive into topics such as the rise of AI, getting into the industry for young analysts, and what keeps us up at night.You can find Mike Evans on:LinkedInTwitterWe spoke aboutMike's background (00:54)Mike's team set up and capabilities (03:28)Sharing information for the greater good in the private sector (07:21)How military intelligence shaped Mike's thinking (10:23)How an...
This week I caught up with Marcel Plichta. He is a PhD candidate at St. Andrews, Ex-DIA Analyst and a colleague. We discussed the details of the upcoming Grey Dynamics Intelligence course, some recent events, and what we have been into recently. You can find Marcel Plichta on:Grey DynamicsLinkedInTwitterDaily BeastWe spoke aboutUpdate on Wagner Group (0:50)Sahel Week (9:02)Chinese Spy Balloon (15:41)Russian & Iranian Spearfishing (19:00)The Earthquake in Trkiye & Syria (22:32)Details of the Grey Dynamics Training / Capability Development Program (25:15)Underestimation of the spread of technology in Africa (31:15)Useful Tools (35:34)Cultural Recommendations (40:09)Related Links:HDX Humanitarian Data ExchangeKahneman Daniel: Thinking, Fast & SlowWhat...
Episode 21: GEOINT, OSINT & Facing Vicarious Trauma with Benjamin Strick
This week I spoke to Benjamin Strick, director of investigations at the Centre for Information Resilience. He leads teams using open source intelligence to support civil society, media, government and accountability mechanisms. He is also a Bellingcat contributor and previously worked as an investigator at BBC Africa Eye.You can find Benjamin Strick on:Website LinkedIn Twitter YouTube FacebookWe spoke aboutBenjamin's background (2:46) Investigative diligence and the power of collaboration in OSINT (6:02) Mapping complex situations (7:52) Benjamin's most fulfilling project (12:13) Adding value and being a specialist (15:20) Generalists versus Specialists (19:19) Facing vicarious trauma (25:14) Why he does OSINT tutorials...
Episode 20: OSINT, Military Career Transition & Language Skills with Skip Schiphorst
Welcome back for season two of the Grey Dynamics Podcast! We're kicking things off by talking to Chinese and Arabic OSINT trainer, Skip Schiphorst. Skip is an ex-Dutch Royal Marine who went onto do Chinese studies and now teaches OSINT skills.You can find Skip Schiphorst on:Twitter LinkedInWe spoke aboutSkip's background (1:08) Language learning tips and tricks (20:06) The social importance of learning a language (30:07) Teaching a Chinese and Arabic OSINT course (39:44) Researching workshop (44:55) Understanding different national perspectives (47:43) The importance of analysis and critical thinking (54:40) What media Skip is consuming at the moment (59:08) Advice (1:02:25)Related...
Episode 19: Call of Duty Modern Warfare, an Intelligence Perspective (Pt. 3)
Part 3 of our series analyzing the Call of Duty series from an intelligence perspective. In this episode we look at 2011's Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3, the most extravagant game yet. Storming Wallstreet, assaulting a hotel in Dubai, shootouts on the London Underground, and a chase through the Catacombs of Paris. It has it all.You can find Marcel Plichta on:TwitterGrey DynamicsLinkedInYou can find Michael Ellmer on:Grey DynamicsLinkedInTwitterWe spoke aboutFailing as a grey man in Amsterdam.Russian Spetsnaz in India.The Russian Navy in New York.Illicit trade routes through Sierra Leone.SAS shootout on the London Underground.Chemical weapons.Mid-flight plane hijacking.Call of Duty's...
Episode 18: Call of Duty Modern Warfare, an Intelligence Perspective (Pt. 2)
Part 2 of our series analysing the Call of Duty series from an intelligence perspective. This episode we look at 2009's Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. We travel the world from Afghanistan, to Brazil to the Virginia suburbs. Encountering Far Right Terrorists, Gun Runners, Spetsnaz and PMCs.You can find Marcel Plichta on:Twitter Grey Dynamics LinkedInYou can find Michael Ellmer on: Grey Dynamics LinkedIn TwitterWe spoke aboutRangers in Afghanistan. CIA Recruitment and Deep Cover. James Bond level spectacle. How realistic is the "No Russian" mission? Russian in the Virginia suburbs. Evil PMCs. Russian gear and the Ratnik Program. Perspectives in...
Episode 17: Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare, an Intelligence perspective
When we're not with family, some of us at Grey Dynamics are spending the holiday break playing the new Modern Warfare! As a bonus for the holidays, we decided to record some episodes looking at the franchise's realism. In this first episode, we will take a look at the granddaddy of modern shooters, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.You can find Marcel Plichta on:Twitter Grey Dynamics LinkedInYou can find Michael Ellmer on: Grey Dynamics LinkedInWe spoke aboutRealism in the series. Special Air Service (SAS). Where is JSOC? The consequences of nukes in the Middle East. Russian Civil War. Ghillie Suits....
Episode 16: Covert Action, The Royals, Coups & Espionage with Rory Cormac
Today I spoke with Rory Cormac, an international relations lecturer at the University of Nottingham. He specialises in UK covert action and has written six books on the matter. Including his latest "How To Stage A Coup and ten other lessons from the world of secret statecraft".You can find Rory Cormac on:TwitterUniversity of NottinghamWe spoke aboutThoughts on the recent German coup attempt.Do coups work?The difference between UK & US intelligence culture.Staying away from conspiratorial mindsets.Foreign espionage in UK academia.The royal family and their relationship to UK intelligence.Intended consequences of covert action.Learning from failures.The Grey Dynamics Podcast is available on all...
Episode 15: Expert advice for getting into intelligence
Today I thought we would round up some of the best advice from our guests so far on the podcast. If you would like to check out further advice, here is Marcel Plichta's article on becoming an Intelligence Analyst. You can also find the links to the individual podcasts featured in this episode below.We spoke toJason L. spoke about being impartial, learning a language, writing for intelligence and more.Jack Margolin spoke about having a sense of purpose and finding your niche.Julie Nel spoke about problem-solving mindsets, constantly learning and not relying only on technology.Dave Luke spoke about finding a mentor,...
Episode 14: Tsunami Torpedoes, Ukrainian USVs & Narco Subs with HI Sutton
Today I spoke with HI Sutton a.k.a Covert Shores. He writes about the changing world of underwater and seabed warfare, covering secretive and unusual vessel technologies used to fight beneath the waves. Combining the latest open-source intelligence (OSINT) with traditional science of defense analysis.You can find HI Sutton on:TwitterMastodonhisutton.comWe spoke aboutIllustrating cutting-edge technology in MS PaintHow Ukrainian USVs are changing naval warfareThe future of FrogmenNarco SubmarinesTsunami creating Russian Poseiden torpedoRussian Submarine activity in the ArcticThe Grey Dynamics Podcast is available on all major platforms!SpotifyApple Podcast Google PodcastAmazon Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 13: WW3 Averted, Wagner in Mali and Reality TV With Marcel Plichta
Today I spoke with Marcel Plichta! He is at the moment doing his PhD at St. Andrews. And before that, he was an intelligence analyst for the DIA, which stands for Defence Intelligence Agency and is the Pentagons intelligence agency.You can find Marcel on:TwitterLinkedInWe spoke aboutUkrainian interceptor missile lands in Poland The Role of OSINT on TwitterBritish military withdrawal from MaliWagner PMC in Mali The importance of intelligence training Kamikaze drone solutions in Ukraine Reality TV Show "Make Me Prime Minister" The Grey Dynamics Podcast is available on all major platforms!SpotifyApple Podcast Google PodcastAmazon Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 12: Update on the Caucasus and the Future of Journalism With Mike Godwin
Today I spoke with Mike Godwin! Mike is a freelance journalist who focuses on defence and security matters in Eastern Europe and the caucuses as well as NATO. He's a combat veteran of the United States Army and currently lives in Tbilisi, Georgia, where he runs his own journalism and OSINT platform.You can find Mike on:WebsiteInstagramTelegramTwitterLinkedInWe spoke aboutMike's experience in the US ArmyHis life as a journalist in GeorgiaSouth Ossetia and Abkhazia How Partisanship influences journalism The importance of on-the-ground experience The Role of Caucuses in the Ukrainian invasion Importance of having a life outside of your work The Grey Dynamics Podcast is available on all major...
Episode 11: SOCMINT, OSINT and Censorship with RageX
Today I spoke with RageX! he collects, processes and processes before turning that into analysis 2.0. He focuses on Social Media intelligence (SOCMINT) and open-source intelligence (OSINT). On all his platforms, he caters to an audience of around 500 thousand.You can find RageX on:WebsiteInstagramTelegramTwitterTumblrWe spoke aboutStudying conflicts through OSINTFinding victims of war crimesHis loyalty to the truth The use of social media to disseminate information and intelligence His struggles with censorship on social media and powerful interests The Speed of dissemination on Twitter Telegram is a conflict search engine Power of information warfare in Ukraine The Grey Dynamics Podcast is available on all major platforms!SpotifyApple Podcast Google PodcastAmazon Podcast...
Episode 10: Selling Terror Online and Information Warfare with Anna Kruglova
Today I spoke with Anna Kruglova! Anna is a Lecturer of Terrorism Studies and a Programme leader for MA Terrorism and Security at the School of Arts and Media at the University of Salford. She obtained her PhD in international studies from Queens University Belfast and her MA in international conflict studies from Kings College London and her MSc in Security Studies from UCL. Her research interests are focused on terrorist propaganda and she is particularly interested in exploring what role the Internet, media and social media play in the recruitment process and radicalisation. She recently published a book Terrorist Recruitment, Propaganda and Branding: Selling...
Episode 9: Drones, Robotics, AI and Hybrid Warfare in Ukraine with Samuel Bendett
Thank you for joining the Great Dynamics Podcast, today I spoke with Samuel Bendett! Samuel is an advisor with the CNA Strategy, Policy, Plan, and Program centre where he is a member of the Russia Studies program.He's also an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for New American Security. His work involves research on Russian defense and technology developments, unmanned and autonomous military systems and artificial intelligence, as well as Russian military capabilities and decision-making during crises. And he's also an honorary Mad Scientist, which is very cool with the US Army TRADOC Math Scientist Initiative!We Spoke aboutRussian military developments and failures...
Episode 8: Corporate Intelligence, Global Risk and OSINT Tips with Gareth Westwood
In this episode of the Grey Dynamics Podcast, I spoke with Gareth Westwood. Garrett is an 11 year veteran of the intelligence community in the uk. He served in different roles in the military as well as in the foreign service. In the last two years, He spent his time building and running an internal global corporate intelligence team in a large pharmaceutical company as the head of Global Intelligence. We Spoke about:Gareth's career starting as Music teacherThe intersection of complex musical composition and technical intelligence analysis The value of joining the military and foreign service Why it is crucial to focus on...
Episode 7: Intelligence Led Policing, OSINT and Facing PTSD With Julie Nel
In this episode of the Grey Dynamics Podcast, I spoke with my old mentor partner and friend Julie Nel! Julie is an experienced senior leader within the security industry, with a career spanning 30 years across UK Military and Law Enforcement. She specialises in Intelligence and Serious and Organised Crime and has served as Force Director of Intelligence and the National Lead for Intelligence in Her Majestys Inspectorate of Constabularies (HMIC).Currently, she is the founder and managing director of the private intelligence and investigative firm B4secure We Spoke about:Julie's career in the military and policeThe value of intelligence-led policingThe creativity of OSINT...
Episode 6: Humanitarian work, Exploration and the Art of Storytelling with Dave Luke
In this episode, I sat down with my friend and former British Army engineer, paratrooper turned humanitarian, adventurer, filmmaker and entrepreneur Dave Luke.Dave is Artios Global's CEO and an Information and Strategy advisor who has led humanitarian relief, research assessments and media production in complex emergencies and transitional states for 15 years. He has worked in more than 50 countries.We discussed:His journey from Northern Ireland to the highest peaks in the world.His love for humanitarian workThe art of storytelling and its role in research and intelligence.How to lead with unconditional honesty and trustBuilding your own tribeBeing fearless in approaching opportunitiesFor more information...
Episode 5: Illicit Nuclear Technology Procurement and Dark Networks With Jack Margolin
Thank you for joining the Grey Dynamics podcast. We have a very special guest, Jack Margolin! Jack is the program director of the Conflict-Affected States Program at C4ADS, which is a nonprofit organization that uses publicly available information and emerging technology to disrupt international crime and conflict. He has investigated corruption, arms trafficking, and nuclear proliferation from Russia to South Sudan.We spoke aboutIllicit Nuclear Technology Procurement by companies in Pakistan and IndiaSudanese state-owned cartel and its connections with the Wagner Group Comparing and contrasting publicly accessible information (PAI) and open source intelligence (OSINT) Flight data tracking using C4ADS's proprietary ADS-B Exchange data...
Episode 4: Punxsutawney Phil and FBI Insider Threat Detection With Kyle Cunliffe
Hello everybody! Thank you for joining the Grey Dynamics Podcast. I'm your host Ahmed Hassan. We spoke with Kyle Cunliffe. Kyle is a lecturer at Salford's University Intelligence Programs. His research focuses on intelligence and Cyberspace, particularly where those two meet. We spoke about The difficulties facing human intelligence practitioners in a growing world of high-tech surveillance. How video games inspired Kyle to study intelligence.The Tensions between intelligence scholars and practitioners.Knowing what you are good at and utilising that for a role in Intelligence.Information overload through social media.And much more!The Grey Dynamics Podcast is available everywhere If you want to get in touch with Kyle: @Kyle_Cunliffe...
Episode 3: Former DIA intelligence Analyst Marcel Plichta
Marcel is at the moment doing his PhD at St. Andrews. And before that, he was an intelligence analyst for the DIA, which stands for Defence Intelligence Agency and is the Pentagon's intelligence agency. Right now he lives in beautiful Scotland working on other exciting problems that he will talk about with us today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 2: Former Military Intelligence Analyst Alcon S2
Today we spoke with former military intelligence analyst and New Zealand native Alcon S2. We talked about the role of OSINT in social media discourse and taking the mystique out of intelligence analysis tradecraft on social platforms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 1: Interview with former CIA Officer, Jason L.
Thank you for joining the Grey Dynamics podcast today! We have a very illustrious guest, Jason L. Jason served as a Marine for 12 years. After that, he joined the Nuclear Security Industry. And from there on out, he was recruited by the CIA. Today he has a different role in the Intelligence Community (IC).The Podcast is available here and on most streaming platforms! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Trailer Grey Dynamics Podcast
The Grey dynamics podcast offers insight into the often murky and hidden world of intelligence. Brought to you by current and former intelligence practitioners that know the routes through the grey zone. With your host Ahmed Hassan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
John Kiriakou's Dead Drop
S1E23 Good Company, Bad Company
THE BLURB: John wasn't the only CIA officer who refused training in the CIA's new "enhanced interrogation" techniques - despite assurances from the CIA's legal team. This episode's guest, author and former CIA officer Glenn Carle spent two decades in the agency. Like John, Glenn broke with the CIA over the subject of torture. Glenn was part of a team interrogating another high value Al Qaeda target, and, like John, came to appreciate that torture was completely ineffectiv"The Interrogator" heree as a way to procure information from a detainee.SHOW NOTESYou can learn more about Glenn's book "The Interrogator" here and...
S1E22 The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
THE BLURB: John finds that working in the private sector (doing corporate intel at Deloitte and Touche) for big money, perks and benefits has its advantages over working a lot more for a lot less at the agency. Then one day - when everything's going gangbusters for John, he gets a call from Brian Ross at ABC News. And everything changes. But, how did Ross find John? And why was the news media so slow to take up and believe the torture story? By the time reporters like Ross found their way to John, they were in a feeding frenzy....
S1E21 End Of Times
THE BLURB: Everything must end - including a CIA career. While John had planned to make a lifetime career of the agency, circumstances dictated otherwise. So, to a large degree, did his new immediate boss-from-hell. In this episode, John begins to suss out a new, post-CIA life just over the horizon. The problem will be getting out of the CIA in one piece.SHOW NOTESFor more great podcasts like Dead Drop, please visit https://costardandtouchstone.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1E20 Changes
THE BLURB: Returning from the mission in Pakistan, John decided his kids needed him to stay closer to home for a whie. He applied for and got a domestic assignment. The problem? His new boss, a pencil-pusher named Mary Margaret hated him and did everything she could think of to prove it.SHOW NOTESFor more great podcasts like Dead Drop, please visit https://costardandtouchstone.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1E19 Torture
THE BLURB: If this story has a heart of darkness, this is it. How did American policy find its way to legitimizing torture? In this episode, we'll take you down that terrible road. America became a torturer because certain people - including then Vice President Dick Cheney - wanted us to be that thing. We'll also describe how the Bush Administration's wordplay, dancing around the word "torture", made torture inevitable. SHOW NOTESFor more great podcasts like Dead Drop, please visit https://costardandtouchstone.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1E18 Cross Currents
THE BLURB: After John watched Abu Zubaydah's plane rendition him to what turned out to be a black site in Thailad, he still had lots of other terrorists to interrogate. He felt contrite after getting overly physical with a detainee - but no one else in the chain of command felt John had been out of line. Returning stateside, John is approached by the agency. They want to know if he's interested in learning enhanced interrogation techniques. He wasn't. And, so began the fracture that would ultimately set John apart.SHOW NOTESFor more great podcasts like Dead Drop, please visit https://costardandtouchstone.com/...
S1E17 Zain
THE BLURB: For 70 hours, almost three days, John was responsible for handling Abu Zubaydah, the terrorist the agency believed was Al Qaeda's number three. Though their time togeter was relatively short - and Zain (Abu Zubaydah's actual name) spent much of it unconscious - John did manage to build a human connection with him and began to appreciate the person inside the nom de guerre. Zain is renditioned elsewhere. John goes back to work interrogating all the other terrorists they'd grabbed alongside Abu Zubaydah while Abu Zubaydah begins to encounter the treatment that would ultimately lead to torture.SHOW NOTESFor...
S1E16 Captured
THE BLURB: The hunt for Al Qaeda's number three, an elusive terrorist with the nom de guerre Abu Zubaydah, intensifies but seems to go nowhere. The team scoops up lots of smaller prey, but can never seem to pin down Abu Zubaydah himself. And then an anonymous walk-in tip leads to a (literal) phone line which leads to... Abu Zubaydah? SHOW NOTESFor more great podcasts like Dead Drop, please visit https://costardandtouchstone.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1E15 The Hunt Begins
THE BLURB: John lands in Pakistan where the hunt for Al Qaeda's leadership begins with the hunt for the perfect safe house. John also begins to coordinate his team with Pakistani intelligence (not a very trusting relationship). And then a tip comes in: Al Qaeda's number three, a terrorist with the nom de guerre Abu Zubaydah, has been spotted in Pakistan. John is tasked with coming up with the plan to capture Abu Zubaydah.SHOW NOTESFor more great podcasts like Dead Drop, please visit https://costardandtouchstone.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mini Episode 5 Betrayal
THE BLURB: Aldrich Ames was a CIA counterintelligence officer who was convicted of espionage on behalf of the soviet Union and Russia in 1994. Ames was responsible for the arrest and eventual execution of numerous Soviet and Russian officials secretly working on behalf of US intellifence, and had compromised more highly classified CIA assets than any other intelligence officer at the time of his arrest. What caused Rich Ames to betray his craft and his country? Why does any spy go rogue?SHOW NOTESFor more great podcasts like Dead Drop, please visit https://costardandtouchstone.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1E14 Game On
THE BLURB: With America - and the CIA - at war, everyone wants to fight, especially John. But, his skill sets aren't the required ones as the War On Terror begins. The CIA, it turns out, had an actual plan to deal with Osama bin Laden. After settling some old business back in Greece, John begins to work on the CTC's leadership, looking for a way to in to Afghanistan. And then one opens up... SHOW NOTESFor more great podcasts like Dead Drop, please visit https://costardandtouchstone.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1E13 Hostages
THE BLURB: After Joanne kidnaps John's two sons - instead of making them available for his six weeks summer vacation with them - John uses his espionage skills to track them all down. Hothead that he is, rather than wait for the legal system to work to his benefit, John nearly ruins everything by iniating a "hostage situation" of his own. At work, John's time in the penalty box is about to get truncated - as more and more Agency resources get focused on a terrorist quickly growing in prominence on the Agency's radar: Osama bin Laden.SHOW NOTESFor more great...
S1E12 The Grind
THE BLURB: Back in America, John settles in to a year or so "in the penalty box" because of what happened in Athens. John's divorce from Joanne gets complicated by Joanne's brinksmanship. But John does what he must to keep himself in his sons' life. Despite all the Life complications, John scores a small succuss at work. Whatever joy that produces gets undercut when Joanne kidnaps the boys. SHOW NOTESFor more great podcasts like Dead Drop, please visit https://costardandtouchstone.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1E11 Have Human Spies Become Obsolete?
THE BLURB: In this episode, John chats with former CIA officer turned wildly successful novelist BARRY EISLER about spying and how it lends itself to storytelling. After a three year stint as a covert officer in the CIAs Directorate of Operations, Barry worked as a technology lawyer and startup executive in Silicon Valley and Japan, earned a black belt at the Kodokan Judo Institute and began writing great, award-winning thrillers including the #1 bestsellers Livia Lone, The Night Trade, and The Killer Collective. John and Barry discuss the current state of spies, spying and spycraft - and whether it might...
S1E10 Blind Spot
THE BLURB: John's assignment in Athens comes to a head when an assassination attempt on him goes awry with tragic results. But that merely compounds the situation at home when John learns - from his 6 year old son - that his wife's been cheating on him. SHOW NOTESFor more great podcasts like Dead Drop, please visit https://costardandtouchstone.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1E9 The Hothead
THE BLURB: The very things that made Athens a great counter-terrorism assignment also made it incredibly dangerous. John's intensive training was designed to make him paranoid. It succeeded. Not all threats were terrorism. Some were just local criminals being criminals. Still, living in Athens was mostly a joy. There was ample good food and culture. But the threat of violence was both persistent and pervasive. So was the paranoia.SHOW NOTESFor more great podcasts like Dead Drop, please visit https://costardandtouchstone.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1E8 The James Bond Academy
THE BLURB: When John turned his back on being a deskbound analyst in favor of risking his neck out in the field, he knew he'd made the right decision. Blowing things up - including cars - and playing spy games made him incredibly happy. Who wouldn't be happy? In this episode, John takes you way behind the scenes at the CIA's "James Bond Academy" - an actual place (just not with that name) where the CIA trains its agents how to be the best spies they can be.SHOW NOTESFor more great podcasts like Dead Drop, please visit https://costardandtouchstone.com/ Hosted on...
S1E7 The Shadow Of Richard Welch
THE BLURB: On the one hand, being assigned to handle counter-terrorism in Athens was a dream job. On the other, it had nightmarish implications and very real dangers up to and including assassination. That's what happened to a former Athens station chief, the highly regarded Richard Welch. A Greek terrorist group assassinated Welch outside his residence after he attended a Christmas party. In this episode, John comes face to face with Welch's shadow - and begins to sense something of his own future in it. SHOW NOTESFor more great podcasts like Dead Drop, please visit https://costardandtouchstone.com/ Hosted on Acast. See...
Mini Episode 4: Grave Concerns
THE BLURB: Both spying and the subject of this episode - cemeteries - piqued John's youthful curiosity at roughly the same age. Spying, of course, became John's vocation. But John's love for cemeteries - especially for the people buried in them - became a very happy ridealong. Working around the world for the CIA meant visiting cemeteries around the world. In this episode, we preview "GRAVE CONCERNS", a new podcast series that we'll begin dropping in March 2026 (that's soon)! The podcast is based on a brand new book John's written - "REMAINS OF THE DAY: The Definitive Guide to...
S1E6 A Failure Of Analysis
THE BLURB: When his assignment to Bahrain ends, John finds himself back at CIA HQ in Langley, settling in to life as an analyst - a bored drone at a boring desk. It doesn't take long for John to hanker instead for something more satisfying: something in operations - out in the field. Something a little more dangerous... SHOW NOTESFor more great podcasts like Dead Drop, please visit https://costardandtouchstone.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mini Episode 3: A Spy's Guide To... Sofia
THE BLURB: In this episode, we preview a new podcast series that we'll start dropping in Spring 2026 - "A Spy's Guide To" which will look at the great cities of the world (and the not-so-great) entirely from the perspective of spies and spying. It'll be like a travel guide for spooks. Since spies have to live in these cities (in addition to working them), we'll approach and appreciate our first city guide - to SOFIA, BULGARIA - as we will all of these cities - like a spy would. A City is a place to recruit agents, locate safe...
S1E5 Singin' In Bahrain
THE BLURB: At first glance Bahrain was a good starting assignment. It was a veritable paradise, a great place to learn without much pressure. The US Navy was based there. And, it was a literal paradise. Working (on the surface) for the State Department, John pissed off Bahrain's Prime Minister while charming its Emir. The days of no pressure ended with a literal bang when terrorists blew up the Khobar Tower, a building housing US Air Force personnel in nearby Saudi Arabia, plunging John into action.SHOW NOTESFor more great podcasts like Dead Drop, please visit https://costardandtouchstone.com/ Hosted on Acast. See...
S1E4 Good Spies, Bad Endings
THE BLURB: Among the things that make spies tick is fear. Fear of being caught - and then tortured and/or killed. Stories like Beirut Station Chief Bill Buckley's are what keep spies like John Kiriakou up at night. Buckley came to the CIA from the US Army where he was a highly decorated special forces officer. Once recruited by the CIA, Buckley served successfully in places like Cambodia, Egypt and Pakistan. Beirut was another story - a difficult one filled with questions.SHOW NOTESYou can find Fred Burton and Samuel Katz's Beirut Rules here -https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31019046-beirut-rules?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=wsCKRCuTSK&rank=1 For more great podcasts like Dead...
Mini Episode 2: Pete Seeger, American Hero
THE BLURB: From the time he was 5 or 6 and became aware of him, John always admired and wanted to know folk singer and activist Pete Seeger. In fact, John vowed to become friends with the legend - which, in fact, John did: he and Pete did become friends. How an event that echoed across Pete's life also echoed across John's. SHOW NOTESFor more great podcasts like Dead Drop, please visit https://costardandtouchstone.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1E3 Golden Boy
THE BLURB: Having been recruited into the CIA by legendary CIA officer Jerry Post - and by applying himself completely - John's CIA career took off with a bullet. If ever there was a CIA Golden Boy, John was it. That fact that he came up as a golden boy would prove ironic in the end. In this episode, John goes from briefing the President in the Oval Office to the theatre of war itself: Iraq. It's good to be a "Golden Boy". But it isn't all good.SHOW NOTESFor more great podcasts like Dead Drop, please visit https://costardandtouchstone.com/You can find...
Mini Episode 1: Sadam's Shrink
THE BLURB: Talk about getting thrown into the deep end of the pool! When Iraq and Kuwait - John's new "area of expertise" - suddenly go to war (Iraq invaded Kuwait), John unexpectedly finds himself called to the White House - where, as a 25 year old newbie - he's asked to brief President George H W Bush, Vice President Dan Quayle and the the intelligence chiefs on what Saddam will do next. That's what happens when you become the CIA's Sadam Whisperer. Or his shrink.SHOW NOTESFor more great podcasts like Dead Drop, please visit https://costardandtouchstone.com/ Hosted on Acast. See...
S1E2 The New Recruit
THE BLURB: After a graduate class professor recruits John, he throws himself into a mystifying series of tests all seemingly designed to trip up his desire to become a spy for America. How exactly does an institution like the CIA train people to spy for it? Welcome to your first class! SHOW NOTESFor more great podcasts like Dead Drop, please visit https://costardandtouchstone.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1E1 What Makes THIS Spy Tick
THE BLURB: John Kiriakou knew when he was 9 years old that he wanted to be a spy. Plenty of people want to be spies but only a few ever actually become spies. In E1, John tells his origin story. Where he and his family came from had a lot to do with his success as an intelligence officer working in dangerous places. From wanting to be James Bond to actually becoming something a lot like Bond. It's "How To Be A Spy, Part 1".SHOW NOTESFor more great podcasts like Dead Drop, please visit https://costardandtouchstone.com/To listen to Just The Photographer,...
S1E0 Coming Very Soon
THE BLURB: Enjoy this brief preview of "John Kiriakou's Dead Drop: What Makes A Spy Tick" - a brand new podcast that will take you deep inside the mind of one of the best known spies in the whole world: former CIA officer John Kiriakou. You've heard former spies talk about spying, but you've never heard a spy go this deep into a spy's psyche - starting with his own.SHOW NOTESFor more information and an even deeper dive into the show - jkdeaddrop.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Spy Talk
Stone Age Tactics
Former CENTCOM commander Gen. Joseph Votel says military leaders should refuse a Trump order to bomb Iran "back to the Stone Ages"Joseph Leonard Votel is a retired four-star general in the United States Army who was commander of United States Central Command from March 2016 to March 2019. Before that, he served as commander of the United States Special Operations Command.Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter | https://twitter.com/talk_spyAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Scapegoats with Yossi Melman
Trump and Netanyahu finger others for Iran war problems.SpyTalk speaks with Yossi Melman, an investigative journalist with The Jerusalem Post about issues USA and Israel have with the methods and objectives of the war.More from Yossi Melman | Yossi Melman | The Jerusalem Post | www.yossimelman.com | (@yossi_melman)Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Eve of Destruction
Former CIA operative and Senior DOD Official Mick Mulroy Details Trumps Bad Options on Iran.https://www.loboinstitute.org/Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitter:https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Identity Crisis
Acclaimed Iranian American writer Hooman Majd talks about the likely future of the Islamic Republic.Hooman Majd is an Iranian-born American journalist, author, and political commentator focused on Iranian affairs.https://x.com/hmajdMinister without Portfolio: Memoir of a Reluctant ExileFollow Michael Isikoff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitter: https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Ballistic Diplomacy in Iran
Ex-CIA op sees no end in sight for Iran conflict."What you're now looking at is perpetual war," says Reuel Gerecht, former Iran target officer in SpyTalk interview.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Trump's Wars Raise Stakes For Taiwan
Former top intel operative David Shedd says it's now "50-50" Xi will invade next year.David SheddThe Great Heist Chinas Epic Campaign to Steal Americas SecretsFollow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
War Fever
Trump, Iran at fateful crossroads, top Middle East expert Jon Alterman says on the SpyTalk podcast.Jon Alterman https://www.csis.org/people/jon-b-altermanFollow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Who Is on the DOJ's Secret "Domestic Terror" List
Congressmember Mary Gay Scanlon speaks with SpyTalk's Michael Isikoff about the secretive government list of domestic terrorist groups Attorney General all but confirmed the existence of in her recent trip to The Hill.Then Karen Greenberg and Michael Isikoff talk with writer and retired American FBI agent, Mike German about the implications and consequences of the NSPM7 memo and the FISA court.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Whats Going on with Tulsi Gabbard?
Former senior CIA official Larry Pfeiffer discusses the DNIs strange behavior with SpyTalk hosts Jeff Stein, Michael Isikoff and Karen Greenberg.Larry Pfeiffer | https://www.linkedin.com/in/larrypfeiffer/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
The New Wizards of Espionage
How A.I. is revolutionizing the spiesand spy catcherstoolkits. With ex-CIA officer Aaron Brown.Aaron Brown | https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-brown-lumbra/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Terrors Comeback
ISIS and other Afghan-based terror groups are growing stronger, a new UN report says. Expert Colin Clarke explains why.Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Battlefield Greenland
Former senior Danish intelligence officer Jacob Kaarsbo talks about Trumps murky designs on Greenland and NATO.https://jacobkaarsbo.substack.com/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Will the Iranian Regime Survive?
Two prominent Iranian-American journalists, Jason Rezaian of the Washington Post and Hooman Majd of NBC News, say the regime may be losing its grip.Jason Rezaianhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/people/jason-rezaian/Hooman Majdhttps://www.hoomanmajd.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortHosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Gulp of America
CIA in Venezuela, Cuba and BeyondWith Luis Ruedahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-rueda-b060a217/andPeter Eisnerhttps://substack.com/@petereisnerFollow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortHosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Her Grandfather Was a Nazi Spy
Christine Kuehn talks about her shocking discovery in Family of Spies"Family of Spieshttps://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250344465/familyofspies/
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
The House of Secrets
Tom Blanton talks about 40 years of unearthing CIA plots at the National Security Archive.https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Trumps Antifa Fiction
Top former national security official Josh Geltzer separates fake from real threats.
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
The Pipe Bomb Suspectand More
Ace investigative reporter Carol Leonnig talks about her latest scoop and new book on Trumps DoJ, Injustice: How Politics and Fear Vanquished America's Justice Department.
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Sidelining the FBI's Spy Hunters
Investigative reporter Ron Kessler and retired former senior CIA officer John Sipher on the GOP plan to give Tulsi Gabbard control of neutralizing spies and terrorists.John Sipherhttps://www.thecipherbrief.com/Risking a National Security Disaster by Ronald Kesslerhttps://www.spytalk.co/p/risking-a-national-security-disaster
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Pushing Back on Lawless Venezuela Strikes
Top Democrat Sen. Jack Reed calls Trump threats off the wall...
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Has Trump Authorized Assassinations?
Intelligence historians James Risen and Peter Kornbluh on Trump policies and Cold War excesses.More from James Risenhttps://www.theguardian.com/profile/james-risenMore from Peter Kornbluhhttps://www.democracynow.org/2025/11/7/gunboat_diplomacy
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Whats the Covert Action Plan for Venezuela?
Veteran war reporter and Latin America expert Doug Farah throws cold water on Trumps campaign against Nicholas Maduro.
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
The CIA's Contrarian
After spending years tracking Al Qaeda, former analyst Gina Bennett talks to SpyTalk about her storied career, her new spy novel and the rising threat of "politicized misogyny."Gina BennettIf Two of Them Are Dead
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
The Shadow World of Foreign Policy Lobbyists
Ken Vogel talks about his new book, Devils Advocates: The Hidden Story of Rudy Giuliani, Hunter Biden, and the Washington Insiders on the Payrolls of Corrupt Foreign Interests.Follow Ken Vogel on Twitterhttps://x.com/kenvogel
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
How Real is "A House of Dynamite"?
Former White House Situation Room Director Larry Pfeiffer Talks Fear and Facts with SpyTalk.
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Jake Tappers Terror Case Detective Yarn
In a new book the CNN anchor unspools the inside story of a unique terrorism case.Jake Tapperhttps://x.com/jaketapperRace Against Terrorhttps://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Race-Against-Terror/Jake-Tapper/9781668079447
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David McCloskey Strikes Again
The acclaimed spy thriller author and ex-CIA analyst talks about his new novel, The Persians, set in the clandestine war between Israel and Iran.DAVID MCCLOSKEY
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America on Trial
John Ryan and his gripping tale of yet more Guantanamo secrets.
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Revealed: Interrogation Tapes of Saudi Suspect in 9/11 Case
Two British journalists find fresh evidence implicating a key Saudi suspect who escaped U.S. justice.Liz Harrishttps://lizharris.journoportfolio.com/https://x.com/lizharris72Amardeep BasseyAmardeep Basseys Profile | Freelance Journalist | Muck RackThe article:Revealed after 24 years, how UK was forced to free 9/11 plotterThe podcast:The Story | The Times and The Sunday Times
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Inside the Secret Hostage Talks
Wall Street Journal reporters Drew Hinshaw and Joe Parkinson talk about their new book Swap on the SpyTalk podcast.
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Guerrilla War
24 years after his fathers assassination, anti-Taliban leader Ahmad Massoud vows stepped up resistance to the Kabul regime. But Jon Lee Anderson of the New Yorker sees little path for success.
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How the US Watched the Shah Crumble
"King of Kings" author Scott Anderson describes how feckless US officials helped usher in the Iranian revolution.
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Top House Intel Dem Plays Hardball with Gabbard
DNI ignored Jim Himes until he warned her on Section 702 Renewal.
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Putin to Trump, Nyet
A veteran diplomat dissects Trump's failure to get Putin to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine.Former Ambassador Daniel Fried, who spent years dealing with Putin's Russia, says it's time for Trump to "stare down" the dictator.
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Bondi Kills DoJ Domestic Terrorism Unit
Former top unit lawyer Tom Brzozowski provides SpyTalk with exclusive details.
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Inside the US-Cuba Spy Swap
The secret deal that temporarily suspended the Cold War is revisited by Foreign Policy Executive Editor Dan Ephron and SpyTalk host Michael IsikoffDan EphronSpy: The U.S., Cuba, and the Secret Deal That Ended the Cold War
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Intel Battle Royale
Former top NSA, CIA & ODNI official Larry Pfeiffer discusses Tulsi Gabbards attacks on CIA handling of Russia election report with hosts Jeff Stein and Michael Isikoff
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Massacre at the FBI
Special Agent Mike Feinberg tells how he was forced out in Kash Patels wholesale purge of FBI officials suspected of disloyalty to Trump.
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Top Former CIA Russia Report Official Rejects Ratcliffe Note Knocking U.S. Intelligence Analysis on 2016 Election
Susan Miller, who captained 2016 election analysis, says there was no coercion from CIA chief Brennan on Putin's interferencebut was pissed FBI insisted on Steele Dossier inclusion.
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CIA at Risk
Former senior CIA ops manager Luis Rueda talks about an imperiled spy agency with host Jeff Stein.
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Tulsy Gabbard, Missing in Action
Former National Intelligence Council chief Gregory Treverton tells SpyTalks Michael Isikoff he wonders why DNI Tulsi Gabbard still has her job - and why her agency should be substantially reduced in size.
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On the Brink
Former Obama adviser Ned Price discusses Trumps options on Iran with SpyTalk hosts Jeff Stein & Michael Isikoff.
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CIA AT RISK
Trump-MAGA infestation of spy agency poses national security threat, senior CIA ops veteran Luis Rueda tells SpyTalk host Jeff Stein.Luis RuedaHow to Take Greenland
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Buckley and the CIA
Sam Tanenhaus, author of new biography of William F. Buckley, Jr., joins Michael Isikoff to discuss the conservative columnist's early role as a CIA spy and his longtime relationship with his one time agency boss, Watergate burglar Howard Hunt.Buy the bookBuckley: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy...
The Intel Mess
Gabbards meddling with intel disqualifies her, Sen. Mark Warner says on SpyTalk podcast with Michael Isikoff
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China Spy Worries + Russia
Former top CIA exec Sue Miller talks all things espionage with Jeff Stein & Michael Isikoff.Susan Miller https://www.thecipherbrief.com/experts/susan-miller
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Spy World Politicos
Its not good that ex-spooks are going public, former CIA officer Steve Cash tells the SpyTalk podcast, but were terrified by Trump.Steven A. Cashhttps://bsky.app/profile/cashsteven.bsky.socialhttps://thesteadystate.org/
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Trumps Plane Wont Fly with Rep. Jim Himes
Rep. Jim Himes, top Dem on the House Intel Committee, talks with Jeff & Mike about the Qatar grift and more bad things going on under Tulsi Gabbard.
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Air Fright
Russias airliner sabotage ops are examined by science writer Jeff Wise and SpyTalk host Jeff Stein.Jeff Wisehttps://x.com/ManvBrainhttps://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/inside-new-security-threats-in-the-skies?https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/aviation-flights-white-house-tcas-drones.html
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Letting Russia Off the Hook
Trumps shutdown of Russian war crimes investigations is the focus of former US Ambassador-at-large Stephen Rapp and SpyTalk host Michael Isikoff.
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The Last Spy Story of the Vietnam War
Former CIA officer Frank Snepp shares a stunning spy story of the Vietnam Wars chaotic end with host Jeff Stein
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The CIA, Iran and a Conspiracy of Silence
Doug Waller talks with Michael Isikoff about his new biography of CIA master spook Frank Wisner, quarterback of the 1953 Iran coupand so much more.The Determined SpyDouglas Waller
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Insanity Claws
Pulitzer-winning intelligence historian Tim Weinerdiscusses the latest wackyand disturbingnews from inside the Trump administrations national security team with SpyTalk host Jeff Stein
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CIA Opened Oswalds Mail!
Host Michael Isikoff, JFK conspiracies-buster Fred Litwin, and national security analyst Peter Kornbluh dissect MAGA Rep. Anna Lunas wacky hearing featuring Oliver Stone and other assassination plot zealots.Peter KornbluhFred Litwin
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"There's not a day I do not think about those Americans" who died in Iraq
Luis Rueda, once the director of the CIA's Iraq Operations Group, reflects with Michael on the many mistakes the U.S. government made during the war in Iraq-- and the fatal consequences.Luis Rueda
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A Former CIA Spy Catcher Weighs Trumps Russia Turn
Sue Miller not only headed CIA Counterintelligence, among other high positions during her 39-year career. She oversaw the agency's controversial assessment of Russian interference in the 2016 election. And she thinks Trumps pro-Russia moves should be an ongoing counterintelligence concern.
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Vindman: Putin is "Toying" with Trump
The star player in Trumps first impeachment tells Michael Isikoff there will no ceasefire in Ukraine and calls DC prosecutor a henchman for launching bogus probe of him and his brother.
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What's Ukraine Thinking?
Former senior CIA operations official Glenn Corn talks with Jeff Stein about his recent trip to Ukraine and its prospects in a rapidly and radically changing diplomatic landscape
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The Ghosts of Munich
Former US NATO envoy and Army General Doug Lute discusses JD Vance insults of allies, administration abandonment of Ukraine to Russia with SpyTalk podcast host Michael Isikoff.
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Trumps CIA and Russia
Veteran former senior CIA operations official Bill Murray talks with Jeff Stein about the challenges of countering aggressive Russian intelligence ops, from the Cold War to Trump IIs radical policy shifts toward Moscow.William D Murray - Vice-President and co-founder - Council on Intelligence Issues | LinkedIn
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Betrayal: Trump Justice Departments War on the FBI
Former top FBI counterterrorism agentChris OLeary tells host Michael Isikoff how Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove was a diligent prosecutor of Jan. 6 rioters before he turned on his teammates at Trump's behest.
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How Might Trump Deploy DHS Intelligence?
Former Senior DHS Intelligence Counsel Spencer Reynolds talks with host Jeff Stein about the troubled past and uncertain future of the agencys Intelligence & Analysis wing under President Trump.More from Spencer Reynoldshttps://www.brennancenter.org/experts/spencer-reynolds
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A Bonanza" of Spyware Abuses
Ronald Deibert of Citizen Lab tells host Michael Isikoff how his research firm has uncovered the shocking abuse of commercial spyware by foreign governments and spy agencies around the world, resulting in a proliferation of "Watergate-like scandals.Follow our guest:Ron Deiberthttps://x.com/RonDeibertChasing Shadowshttps://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/Chasing-Shadows/The Citizen Labhttps://citizenlab.ca/https://x.com/citizenlab
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Is Chinese Intelligence Really Subverting TikTok?
The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Jim Himes, tells host Michael Isikoff there is "zero evidence" TikTok is providing data on Americans to Beijing, plus talks about the "really, really scary" Jan. 6 pardons and more.Congressman Jim Himes
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Inside the White House Situation Room
Former senior CIA official and situation room Director Larry Pfeiffer goes inside the White House situation room with SpyTalk host Jeff Stein.Follow Larry PfeifferLarry Pfeiffer (@LarryPfeifferDC) / XThe Hayden Center
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Upending Jan. 6 Reality
Former Jan. 6 committee chief counsel and federal prosecutor Timothy Heaphy talks with SpyTalk podcast co-host Michael Isikoff about the president-elect's false claims about the Capitol riot and the major role social media played in that and the 2017 Charlottesville rally by white supremacists. He also recommends the FBI loosen its rules that restrict its ability to investigate social media posts.https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/773012/harbingers-by-timothy-j-heaphy/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information...
Whats Up for Trumps FBI?
Top former FBI counterspy executive and NYC Terrorism Task Force honcho Lauren Anderson addresses the looming uncertainty over Day One, January 20, with SpyTalk host Jeff SteinLauren C. Andersonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/laurencandersonintl
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How the Syrian Rebels Beat Assad
Anti-Assad activistMouaz Moustafa in Damascus tells Michael Isikoff how he got advance word about the rebel offensive that would topple the Assad regimeincluding the hidden hand that foreign intelligence agencies may have played in laying the groundworkand how the regimes secret files may shed new light on the relationship that DNI-designate Tulsi Gabbard had with the Assad regime.Mouaz Moustafahttps://twitter.com/SoccerMouazSyrian Emergency Task Forcehttps://setf.ngo/https://twitter.com/SyrianETF Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for...
Why Kash Patel is the Most Dangerous Trump Nominee Yet
Garret Graff, historian and journalist, explains why Trump's intention to install the fierce MAGA loyalist in charge of the U.S. government's premier law enforcement agency charged with thwarting terror attacks and protecting the nation's secrets endangers the bureau's mission for years to come.Garret GraffGarrett M. Graffhttps://twitter.com/vermontgmg
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Is Putin's Russia a Terrorist State?
SpyTalk's Michael Isikoff talks to Chris Costa, former chief of counter-terrorism at the NSC and now executive director of the International Spy Museum, about the mounting threat of Russian hybrid warfare-- including acts of sabotage, arson, assassination and cyber intrusions-- and whether it is time to designate Putin's Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. Costa also weighs in on President-elect Trump's pick of Tulsi Gabbard to be DNI and Sebastian Gorka as the new counter-terror chief at the NSC.More from our guest, Chris Costahttps://www.defenseone.com/voices/christopher-p-costa/14609/Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoff Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff...
Clear and Present Dangers
Tim Weiner, the Pulitzer-winning author of groundbreaking histories of the CIA, FBI and more, discusses Trumps troubling nominees for top national security jobs with SpyTalk host Jeff Stein.Tim Weinerhttps://bsky.app/profile/tim-weiner.bsky.social
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Matt Gaetz and Trump's Deep State Revenge
National Security lawyer Mark Zaid discusses Trump's stunning selection as Florida congressman Matt Gaetz to be Attorney General and what it might mean for his plans to target "corrupt actors" in U.S. intelligence and national security agencies who crossed him in the Russia probe.Mark Zaidhttps://twitter.com/MarkSZaidEsq
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WHATS NEXT FOR THE CIVIL WAR PREPPERS?
New Yorker staff writer Charles Bethea joins Jeff Stein to discuss his startling reportage on thousands of Americans preparing for a civil war or other countrywide disasters.Charles Betheahttps://www.newyorker.com/contributors/charles-bethea
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Jared Kushner's Saudi Gravy Train (with Rep. Jamie Raskin)
Rep, Jamie Raskin tells SpyTalk why he wants DOJ to investigate whether Trump's son in law is serving as an unregistered agent of the Saudi government due to the $2 billion he's gotten from the Saudi wealth fund, as well as another newly discovered $87 million in "management fees." The feisty Maryland progressive also discusses his thoughts on the election and whether Trump is even eligible to serve as president under the 14th amendment.Jamie Raskin | TwitterOctober 24, 2024 The Honorable Merrick Garland Attorney General of the United States U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow...
Can Trump Election Violence Be Thwarted?
Extremism tracker Clara Broekaert talks about political violence in the lead-up to the 2024 election and what conditions have made violent political rhetoric possible.Clara BroekaertClara Anna-Christine (@ClaraBroekaert) / XClara Broekaert - The Soufan GroupUS Crisis Monitor - ACLEDhttps://acleddata.com/us-crisis-monitor/#map
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Would Trump Revive "Fire and Fury" for North Korea?
As president, Trump was known for his "bromance" with North Koreandictator Kim Jung Un, holding two summits in Singapore and Hanoi and engaging in a "love letter" correspondence with him that he took with him to Mar-A-Lago after he left office. But before that, journalist Zach Dorfman reminds us, Trump came perilously close to unleashing a nuclear strike on the country--an attack that, then Secretary of Defense feared, would"incinerate a couple of million people." In a SpyTalk podcast, Dorfman also talks about how, under Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign on the country, the Pentagon and CIA updated ambitious-- and somewhat quixotic--...
WAR GAMEs Chilling Scenario for the Next Jan 6
The filmed games organizer Janessa Goldbeck joins host Jeff Stein to discuss the jarring results of the all-too-real exercise .Janessa Goldbeckhttps://twitter.com/jgoldbeckVetVoice Foundationhttps://vvfnd.org/War Gamehttps://wargamefilm.com/
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How Will Israel Strike Back?
Former FBI analyst and Hezbollah expert Matt Levitt says an attack on Iranian intelligence facilities - rather than nuclear sites- may be coming.Matthew Levitthttps://x.com/levitt_mattHezbollah: The Global Footprint of Lebanon's Party of Godhttps://a.co/d/9Ln5srY
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A Spys Life in Congress
Can a good spy become a good politician? I mean, not as an undercover agentspy agencies are pretty good at thatbut in an overt way, in, say, the messy US Congress.Or, put another way, can the skills that a CIA officer employs in clandestine operationsgregariousness, empathy and, lets face it, a learned talent for manipulating people, be put to good use in a place like a deeply polarized Congress?This week Im putting those questions to Abigail Spanberger, a former member of the CIAs clandestine service, who in 2018 won a seat in Congress from Virginia as a Democrat, breaking, by...
Dissecting Israel's Pager Op
Top cyberwar expert and former Trump White HouseHomeland Security Advisor Thomas Bossert tells host Michel Isikoff that Israels deadly exploding pagers op was a brilliant tactic that Hezbollah's terrorists deserved.Tom Bosserthttps://twitter.com/tombossertTrinity Cyberhttps://www.trinitycyber.com/
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Inside Assad's Torture Chamber
Sam Goodwin tells us about his harrowing ordeal as a prisoner in one of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad's torture chambers. It is an extraordinary story of a young American from St. Louis who embarked on a personal adventure to visit every country in the planet only to be ensnared when he made it into Syria by Assad's security forces, who threw him into one of their most notorious prisons as a suspected CIA spy. His account, told in his new book called Saving Sam, the true story of an American's disappearance in Syria and his family's extraordinary fight to bring...
Another China Spying Shocker
Over a period of roughly 14 years, according to the feds, Linda Sun rose through the ranks to become deputy chief of staff to Governor Hochul, before she was fired for unspecified reasons and became a target of federal investigators. But according to the DoJ, the 41-year-old was secretly using her position to advance Chinese political and business interests and steal relevant documents. In return, the feds say, Beijings spy service showered the couple with millions of dollars that afforded them lavish homes, a Ferrari Roma sports car, andpeople had fun with thisspecial salted duck dishes prepared by a Chinese...
Former US Envoy to Russia on Ukraines Bleak Future
John Sullivan, the former U.S. ambassador to Moscow under Presidents Trump and Biden, worries that the Ukraine war could go on for "decades" and offers some candid views on his dealings with Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
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Kabul Calamity Consequences
Washington Post investigative reporter Craig Whitlock, author of The Afghanistan Papers, is Jeff Steins guest on the sad anniversary of the chaotic retreat.Craig WitlockCraig Whitlock - The Washington Post
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Another 9/11-Style Attack in the Works?
SOMEWHERE IN THE REMOTE MOUNTAINS of Pakistans southwest province of Balochistan, a shadowy, 29-year-old veteran of the Afghan Army is believed to be holed up, keenly conscious that the U.S. government has placed a $10 million bounty on his head.Read Michael Isikoffs piece for the SpyTalk Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/p/another-911-style-attack-in-the-works?Colin P. Clarke - The Soufan Grouphttps://x.com/colinpclarkeFollow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoff Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and...
SPY FAMILY SHOCKERS
This week, were going to take a look at the shock and disorientation the children of spies face when they learn that one, or both, of their parents are not who they say they are.Jeffs guest, Johanna McCloy, didnt know she was the daughter of an American spy until she was 15 years old.Johanna McCloyhttps://johannamccloy.substack.com/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of...
9/11 Families Feel Betrayed by Gitmo Deal
The Pentagons stunning plea deal with 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-defendants was negotiated and announced without briefings for the families of victims of the terrorist attackan apparent failure that drew a furious reaction Thursday from a leading 9/11 victims group.Brett Eaglesonhttps://www.911justice.org/Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFind Me the Votes: A Hard-Charging Georgia Prosecutor, a Rogue President, and the Plot to Steal an American Election Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz...
HOW TO SPY
Veteran CIA ops officer Jim Lawler talks about the tricks of the trade with host Jeff Stein.Jim Lawlerhttps://www.spyex.com/expert/james-lawlerhttps://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09FMVF622
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Secret Service Meltdown
Former DHS Intel Chief John Cohen on the Butler, Pa. fiasco with guest host MichaelIsikoff.Michael Isikoff on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/Isikoff
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Mafia Spies
Mafia Spies is based on a 2019 book by the same name by veteran investigative reporter Thomas Maier, with the subtitle, The Inside Story of the CIA, Gangsters, JFK, and Castro. Which in turn was based largely on declassified files relating to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The TV series includes dramatic recreations of critical moments in the plots, lively, insightful commentary with longstanding experts on Cuba, Castro and the Kennedys, as well as on-camera interviews with a few, still living relatives and associates of the key gangsters in the conspiracies, Johnny Rosselli and Sam Giancana.The series...
Can the FBI Stop Proud Boy Plots This Time?
Reuters reporter Aram Roston with Jeff Stein on the Proud Boys resurgence.Aram Rostonhttps://twitter.com/aramrostonhttps://www.reuters.com/authors/aram-roston/
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Can the FBI handle the load?
Frank Figliuzzi talks with Jeff Stein about the Bureaus dizzying challenges.Frank Figliuzzihttps://twitter.com/frankfigliuzzi1LONG HAUL: Hunting the Highway Serial Killershttps://www.harpercollins.com/products/long-haul-frank-figliuzzi
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HOW THE NCIS FAILED BIG WITH FAT LEONARD
Fat Leonard was a maritime fixer who provided harbor protection, barges, cranes, food, fresh water, sewage collection, and anything else a nuclear powered aircraft carrier might need. Its absolutely astonishing how easily Leonard corrupted so many ranking Navy officers by providing them with prostitutes, booze, cash and airline tickets.Craig Whitlockhttps://twitter.com/CraigMWhitlockFat LeonardHow One Man Bribed, Bilked, and Seduced the U.S. Navyhttps://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Craig-Whitlock/162473096 Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about...
US-ISRAELI SPY WARS
There are friendly nations, but no friendly intelligence services, goes an old saw in the spy business. What that means in practicality is that we have close intelligence relationships with our allies, but in many cases, we also spy on each other, not entirely trusting what theyre telling us. In no place is this convoluted arrangement better exemplified than the security relationship between US and Israel, who have a long history of snooping on each other while closely working together on mutual targets, like Iran and its allied militias, like Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and now, Hamas...
The Man Who Gets the Secrets
Jason Leopold, a senior reporter with Bloomberg News, has literally been getting under the skin of government bureaucracies for decades. His weapon: The Freedom of Information Act, enacted by Congress in the mid-1960s because the feds, well, had an insidious propensity to bury embarrassing, or even illegal, acts under layers of official secrecy. Over the years the law has been strengthenednot that its stopped the government from continuing its bad behavior.Thats where Leopold, a multiple prize winning, much admired, relentless digger, comes in. The 55-year-old journalist is a legend for forcing the government to release explosive documents ranging from Hillary...
Tipping Off Our Enemies to Terrorist Attacks
Last months spectacular terrorist attack on a concert venue on the outskirts of Moscow, which left 144 people dead, was quickly followed by startling news that US intelligence had warned the Russians about the impending assault. When the Kremlin said the warnings hadnt been specific, moreover, US officials pushed back, saying, in effect, Oh yes they were, and added details to its rejoinder. Likewise, it turned out that back in January, US intelligence had warned Iran about an impending Islamic State terrorist attack at a gathering to honor its fallen Quds Force leader Qasem Soleimani, who had been killed by...
More Havana Syndrome Questions
New SpyTalk Contributing Editor Mike Isikoff pokes holes in 60 Minutes blockbuster story.Michael Isikoffhttps://twitter.com/IsikoffFollow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short
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Spies and Sex: A History of Honeytraps
Jeff talks with Henry Schlesinger, author of "Honey Trapped: Sex, Betrayal, and Weaponized Love."Henry SchlesingerHoney Trapped: Sex, Betrayal, and Weaponized Lovehttps://a.co/d/cwXy65Z
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A Life in CIA Trickery
Jonna Mendez, former CIA chief of disguises, discusses her new book, In True Face: A Woman's Life in the CIA, Unmasked.Jonna MendezIn True Face: A Woman's Life in the CIA, Unmaskedhttps://www.amazon.com/True-Face-Womans-Life-Unmasked/dp/154170312XFollow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising...
Russia, Russia, Russia
Former top CIA ops official Dan Hoffman talks with Jeff about options on Putin.Daniel Hoffmanhttps://twitter.com/danielhoffmanDCFollow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short
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The Taylor Swift Infowar Tutorial
Former US Army influence ops specialist Paul Cobaugh talks with Jeff about combatting conspiracy mongering.More from Paul Cobaughhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-cobaugh-5253b335/truthaboutthreats.com/
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Red Cell Study on China Rise
Former CIA officials Kristin Wood and Martin Petersen built a Red Cell project on The Cipher Brief to challenge experts to explore how China came to supplant the US by 2041.Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising...
Green Berets and Covert Ops
Former Special Forces and CIA case officer James Stejskal chats with Jeff Stein about Berlin, Russia and more.More from our Guest:James Stejskalhttps://www.amazon.com/stores/James-Stejskal/author/B00NXOQG4Y?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=trueFollow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short
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The CIA in 2024
Former senior CIA officer Glenn Corn talks with Jeff Stein about the agencys new generation and its challenges in the Middle East, Russia, and Ukraine in 2024.More from our Guest:Glenn Cornhttps://www.thecipherbrief.com/experts/glenn-corn
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Chinese Military Hackers in Our Pipes
The Washington Posts Ellen Nakashima talks with Jeff about Beijings secret infiltration of US infrastructure.Ellen Nakashimahttps://twitter.com/nakashimaeFollow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short
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The Week in Spy Plots & Murder
Former CIA ops officer Douglas London joins Jeff to discuss spooky events from Gaza to Moscow, Kyiv & beyond.Doug Londonhttps://twitter.com/douglaslondon5Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short
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A Thriller in Ukraine
The Washington Posts Shane Harris joins Jeff to discuss his scoop on Ukraines murky op to sabotage the Nordstream-2 pipeline.Follow Shane Harrishttps://twitter.com/shaneharrishttps://www.washingtonpost.com/people/shane-harris/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedbackhttp://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short
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Target Moscow
CIA Russia Hand John Sipher discusses spying and sabotage ops against Vladimir Putin.Follow John Sipherhttps://twitter.com/john_sipherFollow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short
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THE CIAS EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN
Liza Mundy, author of The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA, is this weeks special guest.Follow Liza MundyLiza Mundy (@lizamundy) / TwitterPre-Order THE SISTERHOOD out 10/17https://www.lizamundy.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback, too.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries:...
A Life in the Wilderness of Mirrors | CBS News David Martin reflects on 40 years covering national security
This week, Jeff talks with award-winning journalist and groundbreaking author of Wilderness of Mirrors, National Security Correspondent for CBS, David Martin.David C. Martin (@CBSDavidMartin) / Twitter XFollow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback, too.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy &...
Can Anyone Stop Cyber Terrorism?
This week Jeff talks cybersecurity with Michael Mestrovich, the former director of the CIAs Technical Services Office; former Principal Deputy Chief Information Officer for the U.S. Department of State, and current Chief Information Security Officer at Rubrik.Michael Mestrovich | LinkedInRubrik LeadershipRubrik a Multi-Cloud Data Control CompanyFollow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback, too.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an...
A CIA EPITAPH ON 9/11
Jeff talks with retired former CIA Al Qaeda expert Cindy StorerCynthia Storer | Johns Hopkins Advanced Academic ProgramsCynthia Storer | UTEPPre-Order the book Jeff mentionedThe Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA - Kindle edition by Liza MundyFollow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback, too.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information...
Sex, Lies and Women at the CIA
Jeff talks with CIA operations veteran Laura Thomas about the gains and losses for women at the spy agency.Follow Laura ThomasOn Twitter - Laura Thomas (@laurae_thomas)Substack The Action LineRead Lauras piece Espionage is a Man's World - by Laura ThomasFollow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback, too.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information...
A CIA Family Drama
Jeff talks with John Hadden, author of Conversations with a Masked Man: My Father, the CIA, and Me."https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short
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Oppenheimers Origin
Jeff Stein talks with Kai Bird, co-author of American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer.Follow Kai Birdhttps://twitter.com/Kaibird123American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimerhttps://www.kaibird.com/book/book_details/1Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
CIA-CHINA SPY WARS: Real and Imagined
David Ignatius talks about his new thriller The Tao of Deception.Follow David Ignatiushttps://twitter.com/IgnatiusPostRead The Tao of Deceptionhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/interactive/2023/tao-of-deception-david-ignatius/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
CIAs RUSSIA CHALLENGE
Jeff talks with top former CIA Russia hand John Sipher about spy agency ops and Moscows leadership crisis.Follow John Sipher on Twitter:https://twitter.com/john_sipherFollow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short
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The Forever Spies
Jeff talks with Calder Walton, author of Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East and West.Calder Waltonhttps://twitter.com/calder_waltonSpies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East and Westhttps://www.amazon.com/Spies-Epic-Intelligence-Between-East-ebook/dp/B0BHTMFTLS/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2MI0Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
The Senator Who Roped the CIA
Journalist James Risen speaks with Jeff Stein about his new book on Sen. Frank Churchs unprecedented investigation of CIA misdeeds, from assassination plots to LSD mind-control experiments to spying on Americans.James Risenhttps://twitter.com/JamesRisen1The Last Honest Manhttps://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/james-risen/the-last-honest-man-senator/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy...
Behind the Bust of Chinas Brash New York Spy Base
Former CIA and DoD Chinese espionage expert Nicholas Eftimiades talks with Jeff about Beijings newly aggressive covert campaigns against pro-democracy activists in the US.Nick Eftimiadeshttps://twitter.com/neftimiadeshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/eftimiades/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
That Monster Leak
Legendary retired CIA officer Jim Lawler talks with Jeff about the massive leak of highly classified Pentagon documents.Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
JITTERS: Can FBI Stop Extremist Violence This Time?
Law enforcement and extremist reporter Ali Winston says the FBI is getting better, but radicals are metastasizing.Ali Winstonhttps://twitter.com/awinstonFollow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Ukraine Air War Heats Up
David Cenciotti, founding editor of The Aviationist, speaks with SpyTalk about the collision of a Russian warplane and a US MQ-9 reconnaissance drone and news that Poland istransferring four MiG-29s to Ukraine.Our Guest:David Cenciottihttps://twitter.com/cencio4The Aviationisthttps://twitter.com/TheAviationisthttps://theaviationist.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy...
Intelligence Tricks, from Covert to Overt Covert Ops
Political scientist, author, and senior aide to the chair of the Church Committee Loch Johnson joins Jeff to talk about oversight of intel agencies; the political weaponization of intel; and more.Loch Johnsonhttps://www.amazon.com/Third-Option-Covert-American-Foreign/dp/0197604412/ref=sr_1_2?qid=1677258335&refinements=p_27%3ALoch+K.+Johnson&s=books&sr=1-2Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
YET ANOTHER SPY AGENCY SECURITY BREECH
The McGonigal scandal is just another chapter in a pathetic history of outrageous security lapses at the FBI, CIA and NSA, says investigative reporter James Bamford, author ofSPYFAIL: Foreign Spies, Moles, Saboteurs, and the Collapse ofAmericasCounterintelligence.Follow our guest:James Bamfordhttps://mobile.twitter.com/washauthorSpy Failhttps://www.amazon.com/Spyfail-Saboteurs-Collapse-Americas-Counterintelligence/dp/1538741156/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1673890947&sr=8-1Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal...
Are Spies Sociopaths?
Former top CIA officer James Lawler says the manipulation practiced by agent handlers could be described as sociopathic. We talk about that and his latest thriller.
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
THE BORDER: INSECURITY AND INTEL
In part two of his interview with SpyTalk former DHS "border czar" Alan Bersin discusses with Jeanne Meserve obstacles to securing the southern border against human smugglers and traffickers. Alan Bersinhttps://twitter.com/AlanBersinhttps://twitter.com/TheWilsonCenter https://twitter.com/BelferCenterFollow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries:...
DATA AND THE DRUG WAR
Former DHS "border czar" @AlanBersin talks with @JeanneMeserve about how poor intelligence sharing is hampering the fight against transnational criminal organizations, and how new technologies could help conquer the problem.Follow Alan Bersin on Twitter:https://twitter.com/AlanBersinFollow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for...
The Threat Matrix
In the aftermath of the Salman Rushdie attack Colin Clarke of the Soufan Group gives his assessment of Iran's capability to strike within the US.Jeanne Meserve also talks with FBI veteran J.J. Klaver about the impact ongoing attacks may be having on the bureau and its work.Colin Clarkehttps://twitter.com/ColinPClarkehttps://twitter.com/TheSoufanGroupJ.J. Klaverhttps://mobile.twitter.com/FBIFollow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an...
Rage on the Right
Expert analysis of the online and real life fallout from the Mar-a-Lago search with Heidi Beirich of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism.And Rita Katz of the SITE Intelligence Group tells Jeanne Meserve the internet has rewritten the terrorist playbook for both domestic extremists and jihadis.Follow our Guests on Twitter:Heidi Beirichhttps://twitter.com/heidibeirichhttps://twitter.com/globalextremismRita Katzhttps://mobile.twitter.com/Rita_Katzhttps://twitter.com/siteintelgroupFollow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short...
Eyes in the Sky and on the Ground
How will a new Iranian spy satellite change dynamics in the Middle East? Jeanne Meserve discusses with Iran expert John Krzyzaniak of the Wisconsin Project for Nuclear Arms Control. And Jill Dougherty, former CNN Moscow bureau chief, looks at how Russia's clampdown on information is impacting intelligence agencies.Follow our Guests on Twitter:John Krzyzaniakhttps://twitter.com/john_krzyzaniakhttps://twitter.com/WisconsinProjJill Doughertyhttps://mobile.twitter.com/jillrussia/https://twitter.com/TheWilsonCenterFollow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us...
Getting the Bout
With a possible prisoner swap in the offing, SpyTalk explores the suspected intelligence ties of Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout with Stephen Braun, co-author of Merchant of Death: Money, Guns, Planes, and the Man Who Makes War Possible. Jeanne also talks with journalist Jill Dougherty, who met Bout face to face.Follow our Guest on Twitter:Stephen BraunMerchant of Death: Money, Guns, Planes, and the Man Who Makes War Possiblehttps://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/1033695.Merchant_of_DeathJill Doughertyhttps://mobile.twitter.com/jillrussia/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow...
Internal Upheaval in Ukraine
Are Russian collaborators undermining Ukraine's war effort? Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sacked two top officials who he says failed to root out Russian sympathizers and spies within their agencies. Jeanne discusses the problem and its impact with Olga Lautman, senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis and co-host of the Kremlin File podcast.Follow our Guest on Twitter:Olga Lautmanhttps://twitter.com/OlgaNYC1211Kremlin File podcasthttps://twitter.com/KremlinfileCenter for European Policy Analysishttps://twitter.com/CEPAFollow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on...
Trust and Theft
John Taylor, co-author of The Psychology of Spies and Spying, tells Jeanne Meserve how important trust is in a profession that is all about treachery and deceit.August Cole of the Atlantic Council talks to Jeff Stein about Chinas theft of military technology.Guests:John Taylor -The Psychology of Spies and Spyinghttps://www.afandjt.com/August Cole -https://twitter.com/august_colehttps://www.augustcole.com/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by...
Neo-Nazi Spy; Blindspots in Space
The USA and China are in a new space race. Astrophysicist at Rhea Space Activity, Shawn Usman, talks about securing cislunar space with Jeanne Meserve.Leigh Baldwin co-wrote Follow The Leader in The Atavist which tells the tale of a German Neo-Nazi spy who worked for Putin. Jeff Stein talks with him about the piece.Guests:Leigh Baldwin -https://twitter.com/LeighBa1Read Follow the Leader -https://magazine.atavist.com/follow-the-leader-nazi-putin-sonntag-cold-war/Shawn Usman -https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-usman-8b4169169/Rhea Space Activityhttps://www.rheaspaceactivity.com/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk...
Shape Changes: Right-Wing Extremists and the US-Russia Cold War (originally aired 1/6/2022)
Originally released on January 6, 2022This week: Jeanne Meserve talks with the Atlantic Councils Jared Holt about the evolving face of right-wing extremism. Joe Weisberg, creator of the hit spy drama The Americans, defends his argument on ending the Cold War with Russia with Jeff Stein.Jared Holthttps://twitter.com/jaredlholthttps://www.atlanticcouncil.org/expert/jared-holt/Joe Weisberghttps://twitter.com/joeweisberghttps://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/12/17/russia-united-states-cold-war/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortSubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz...
Best Estimates and Underground Nukes
Former CIA intelligence analyst Gail Helt discusses US intelligence strengths and weaknesses with Jeff Stein. Deputy Director, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Matthew Kroenig talks about North Koreas nuclear capabilities and ambitions with Jeanne MeserveGuests:Matthew Kroenigtwitter.com/MatthewKroenigThe Atlantic Counciltwitter.com/AtlanticCouncilGail Helthttps://twitter.com/gheltFollow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection...
Of Spies and Dirty Wars
Former Deputy CIA Director John McLaughlin andJeanne Meserve discuss the case of a deep cover Russian spy rolled up in Holland. Mossads war on Iran gets scrutinized by Middle East expert Jonathan Broder and Jeff Stein.Guests:Jonathan Brodertwitter.com/BroderJonathanJohn McLaughlinhttps://twitter.com/jmclaughlinSAISFollow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use...
Broken
Former top CIA, Pentagon, and State Department intelligence official Carl Ford tells Jeff Stein US intelligence is broken. Domestic extremism expert Jon Lewis discusses the uptick in white supremacist violence with Jeanne MeserveGuests:Carl Fordtwitter.com/CarlWFord1The Footnotehttps://fordc.substack.com/Jon Lewishttps://twitter.com/Jon_Lewis27The Program on Extremism at George Washington Universityhttps://twitter.com/gwupoeFollow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information...
Behind the Masks
Is Putin really sick? Former CIA medical officer Leslie Pyenson assesses signs of Putins failing health with Jeanne Meserve, and author Jefferson Morley discusses his new book, Scorpions Dance: The President, the Spymaster, and Watergate, with Jeff Stein.Guests:Leslie PyensonJefferson Morleyhttps://twitter.com/jeffersonmorleyFollow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection...
Afghanistan Relations; Domestic Terrorism
Former President of the FBI Agents Association and retired FBI Special Agent, Tom OConnor talks about the need for a domestic terrorism law in the United States. Also, political scientist at Rand, Andrew Radin discusses options the US has with future relations with Afghanistan. With Jeff Stein and Jeanne Meserve.Guests:Tom O'Connorhttps://twitter.com/tfoconnor83Andrew Radinhttps://twitter.com/andrewmradinhttps://twitter.com/RANDCorporationRead the Report Andrew Co-authored:Engage, Isolate, or OpposeAmerican Policy Toward the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistanhttps://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PEA1540-1.htmlFollow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe...
Treachery
Former CIA officer Robert Baer talks about the CIAs unresolved search for another Russian mole in its ranks, while diplomatic historian Kelly McFarland addresses the ramifications of Russias blockade of Ukrainian wheat exports. With Jeff Stein and Jeanne Meserve.Guests:Robert BaerRobert Baer: Books, Biography, Blog, AudiobooksKelly McFarlandhttps://twitter.com/McFarlandKellyMSound Off - Supporting Veterans on Their Termshttps://sound-off.com/https://twitter.com/SoundoffSubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short...
Going Mental
Cult expert Steven Hassan talks with Jeanne Meserve about deprogramming racist murderers and ex-CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos tells Jeff Stein about a new mobile app to reduce suicides among counterterrorism veterans.Guests:Steven Hassan, PhDhttps://twitter.com/CultExpertMarc Polymeropouloshttps://twitter.com/MpolymerSound Off - Supporting Veterans on Their Termshttps://sound-off.com/Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our...
Revelations
Newly declassified FBI and UK documents on Saudi intrigues in the 9/11 attacks are discussed by former FBI Supervisory Agent Mark Rossini, and reporter Haley Britzky talks about her expos of brutal harassment at the Marine Corps Intelligence School. With Jeff Stein and Jeanne Meserve.Guests:Haley Britzkyhttps://twitter.com/halbritzMark Rossinihttps://twitter.com/MarkRossiniSubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company....
Deep Dive
Christopher Drew, author of the definitive book on submarine espionage past and present, talks with Jeff Stein.And we dig into the new bestseller The Bin Laden Papers with author and New America Senior Fellow Nelly Lahoud.Guests:Christopher Drewhttps://www.facebook.com/chris.drew.9250https://twitter.com/nytdrewhttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/23829.Christopher_DrewNelly Lahoudhttps://www.newamerica.org/our-people/nelly-lahoud/https://yalebooks.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780300260632Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use...
Space Spies and Chinas New Move
Robert Cardillo, former head of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, talks anti-satellite warfare and Oval Office briefings, while Chinas stealth move into the Solomon Islands is analyzed by The Soufan Groups Mollie Saltskog. With Jeanne Meserve and Jeff Stein.Guests:Robert Cardillohttps://twitter.com/cardillogroupMollie Saltskoghttps://twitter.com/msaltskoghttps://twitter.com/TheSoufanGrouphttps://twitter.com/TheSoufanCenterSubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection...
THE NEW COLD WAR
Robert Cardillo, former head of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, discusses the role of spy satellites in Ukraine and how images can be spoofed, while investigative reporter and author Scott Anderson dissects the differences between the old Cold War with Russia and the emerging new one. With Jeanne Meserve and Jeff Stein.Guests:Robert Cardillohttps://twitter.com/cardillogroupScott Andersonhttps://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/633/scott-anderson/Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short...
Russian Killers, American Plotters
Jeanne Meserve talks with retired Army Gen. Kevin Ryan about the Russian militarys chaos in Ukraine, while journalist Janet Reitman dissects the FBIs mishaps in the Michigan Wolverine Watchmen trial with Jeff Stein.Guests:Brigadier General Kevin Ryan (U.S. Army retired)https://twitter.com/Kennedy_Schoolhttps://twitter.com/BelferCenterJanet Reitman, Journalist Covering National Security and Extremismhttps://twitter.com/janetreitmanhttps://twitter.com/NewAmericaSubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See...
Covert Actions: Russia and China
Intelligence historian Tim Weiner talks with Jeff Stein about CIA ops against Russia from the Cold War onward, and Chinese espionage expert Nick Eftimiades discusses Beijings covert campaigns against US-based dissidents with Jeanne Meserve.Guests:Tim Weinerhttps://twitter.com/Folly_and_GloryNicholas Eftimiades:https://twitter.com/neftimiadeshttps://www.atlanticcouncil.org/expert/nicholas-eftimiades/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortSubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal...
SPIES AND NEO-NAZIS
Veteran former CIA operations officer Lucy Kirk talks with Jeff Stein about changes in the spy game since Russias invasion of Ukraine, and leading extremism scholar Daveed Gartenstein-Ross goes deep on Ukraines neo-Nazi problem with Jeanne Meserve.Guests:Daveed Gartenstein-Rosshttps://twitter.com/daveedgrhttps://valensglobal.com/Lucy Kirk:https://twitter.com/Decktorahttps://www.lucykirkauthor.com/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortSubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and...
Jamming up the Russians
Former Navy electronic warfare expert Bryan Clark talks about techniques the US can use to spoof Russian troops, and Adam M. Smith, who focused on sanctions in the Obama administration, details the challenges of separating oligarchs from their hidden stashes. With cohosts Jeff Stein and Jeanne Meserve.Guests:Bryan Clark:https://twitter.com/HudsonInstituteAdam M. SmithFormer Senior Advisor to the Director of the U.S. Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)https://www.gibsondunn.com/lawyer/smith-adam-m/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortSubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe...
Nuclear Risks and Putin's Quest for Glory
Former CIA officer and former head of Department of Energy intelligence Rolf Mowatt-Larssen assesses the risks in Vladimir Putin's takeover of Ukraine's nuclear power stations in a conversation with Jeanne Meserve.And Lawrence Wilkerson, retired US Army Colonel and former chief of staff to General Colin Powell, tells Jeff Stein that this brutal war is Putin's attempt to secure a revered place in Russian history.Guests:Rolf Mowatt-Larssen:https://www.belfercenter.org/person/rolf-mowatt-larssenLawrence Wilkersonhttps://www.belfercenter.org/person/rolf-mowatt-larssenTake our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortSubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe...
Russias Dirty Tricks
Maverick strategist Sean McFate, a former private mercenary, talks about the Ukraine deployment of Russias paramilitary Wagner Group, while ex-senior CIA ops officer Gregory Sims says US security officials should expect the unexpected not to be caught flat-footed by a cornered Vladimir Putin, including big surprises" like 9/11 and Pearl Harbor.Guests:Sean McFate:https://twitter.com/seanmcfatehttps://www.seanmcfate.com/Gregory Simshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-sims-b39a1115a?trk=pulse-article_main-author-cardhttps://www.thecipherbrief.com/experts/gregory-simsTake our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortSubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short...
Options for Fighting Russians in Ukraine
Former CIA officer Douglas London talks about covert possibilities against the Russians with Jeff Stein. Former Cyber Command and NSA Chief Mike Rogers talks about the cyber side of the war with Jeanne Meserve.Guests:Douglas London:https://mobile.twitter.com/douglaslondon5Admiral Michael S. Rogers, USN, Ret.Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortSubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection...
Russian Spy Chiefs, Ukraine Hit Squads
Russian intelligence expert Filip Kovacevic profiles Putins spy bosses with Jeff Stein, andForeign Policymagazine correspondentAmy Mackinnon detailsRussian plans for Ukraine roundups and assassinationswith Jeanne Meserve.Filip Kovacevichttps://twitter.com/ChekistMonitorAmy Mackinnonhttps://twitter.com/ak_mackhttps://twitter.com/foreignpolicyTake our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortSubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Inside Putins Brainand the Soul of an Intel Warrior
Jeanne Meserve talks with Angela Stent, author ofPutins World, and Jeff Stein catches up with former US Army Lt. Col. Ron Capps, whos capturing the pain of war in his beautiful songs and stories.Angela Stenthttps://twitter.com/AngelaStentPutin's Worldhttps://www.twelvebooks.com/titles/angela-stent/putins-world/9781455533015/Lt. Col. Ron Cappshttps://twitter.com/ron_cappshttps://roncappsmusic.com/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortSubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and...
A Spys Soul and a Pipe Bomb Mystery
Jeanne Meserve talks with The Soufan Groups Colin Clarke about the unsolved mystery of the Jan. 6pipe bombs case, and Jeff Stein plumbs a spys 'sociopathic soul' with acclaimed CIA case officer Jim Lawler.Colin Clarke on Twitter@TheSoufanGroup@ColinPClarkeJim Lawler's book: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/living-lies-james-lawler/1140040320Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortSubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection...
Spy Wars Over Ukraine
John Sipher, who once ran CIA operations against the Russians, talks about US options for dealing with an invasion of Ukraine, while BrianMurphy, a former top DHS intelligence official, deconstructs the Kremlin's disinformation campaign against us. With cohosts Jeff Stein and Jeanne Meserve.John Sipherhttps://twitter.com/john_sipherhttps://twitter.com/AtlanticCouncilBrian Murphyhttps://twitter.com/NatSecBrianhttps://twitter.com/LogicallyAITake our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortSubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com...
Disconcerting Developments
The FBIs explanations for its Jan. 6 failures don't add up, reporter Jason Paladino tells Jeff Stein. And Jeanne Meserve dives deep into the creepy Metaverse with terrorism researchers at the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center.Our guests:Jason Paladinohttps://twitter.com/jason_paladinohttps://twitter.com/gridnewsThe National Counterterrorism, Innovation, Technology, and Education Center@NCITE_COEAustin C. Doctorhttps://twitter.com/austincdoctor@UNOmahaSam Hunterhttps://twitter.com/dr_samhunterJoel ElsonTake our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortSubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by...
There Will Be Blood
Retired Green Beret Col. David Maxwell discusses paramilitary options against Russian invaders in Ukraine, while former US-Iran nuclear deal negotiator Ernest Moniz offers perspective on new talks with hardliners. With Jeff Stein and Jeanne Meserve.David Maxwell*https://twitter.com/DavidMaxwell161http://maxoki161.blogspot.com/*A previous version of this episode placed David Maxwell with Georgetown. This corrected version notes that he is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.Ernest Monizhttps://twitter.com/ErnestMonizTake our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortSubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk...
How Foreign Spies Infiltrate US Policeand more
Former top FBI counterspy Frank Figliuzzi tells Jeff Stein how foreign agents woo state and local US police, and Jeanne Meserve learns how satellite sleuths track Chinas Uighur genocide from RAND Corp expert Scott Harold.Our Guests:Frank Figliuzzihttps://twitter.com/FrankFigliuzzi1Scott Haroldhttps://twitter.com/ScottWHaroldSubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data...
Shape Changes: Right-Wing Extremists and the US-Russia Cold War
This week: Jeanne Meserve talks with the Atlantic Councils Jared Holt about the evolving face of right-wing extremism. Joe Weisberg, creator of the hit spy drama The Americans, defends his argument on ending the Cold War with Russia with Jeff Stein.Jared Holthttps://twitter.com/jaredlholthttps://www.atlanticcouncil.org/expert/jared-holt/Joe Weisberghttps://twitter.com/joeweisberghttps://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/12/17/russia-united-states-cold-war/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortSubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information...
Possible Incursions and Future Insurrections
This week: Jeff Stein talks with contributing editor for Spytalk Jonathan Broder about Russia, Ukraine, NATO, and the United States; retired Major General Paul Eaton talks with Jeanne Meserve about the growing problem of members of the US military believing the Big Lie.Jonathan Broderhttps://twitter.com/BroderJonathanhttps://www.spytalk.co/p/temperatures-rising-in-us-russiaMajor General (ret) Paul Eatonhttps://twitter.com/PaulDEaton52https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/12/17/eaton-taguba-anderson-generals-military/Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortSubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz...
Military Spies and Military Subversives
Former DIA deputy director Doug Wise talks with Jeff Stein about the role of US military intelligence in Ukraine, and WRC-TV investigative reporter Scott MacFarlane updates Jeanne Meserve on the Jan. 6 probes.Follow our guests:Scott MacFarlanehttps://twitter.com/MacFarlaneNewsDoug Wisehttps://twitter.com/DHWise007Take our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortSubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of...
Smashed Plots and Then Some
This week: Jeff talks with former counterterrorism analyst at the CIA Aki Peritz about the largest counterterrorism investigation in history that foiled a truly wild terror plot; and Jeanne talks with Anna Puglisi, Senior Fellow at Georgetown's Center for Security and Emerging Technology, and Michael German, Fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice, about the unfair and unproductive targeting by the FBI of scholars in the United States with ties to China. For more from our guests:Aki Peritz https://twitter.com/AkiPeritzAnna Puglisihttps://twitter.com/AnnaPuglisi838 Michael Germanhttps://twitter.com/RethinkIntelTake our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on...
Warm Water, Cold Threats
Retired NCIS senior agent Mark Fallon discusses censorship of his exposs on Guantnamo & torture with Jeff Stein, and distinguished Jamaican futurist Anthony Clayton lays out a scenario for terrorist attacks in the Caribbean.For more about our guests:Mark Fallon:Twitter.com/glyncohttp://markfallon.us/Professor Anthony Clayton:Twitter.com/Prof_A_Claytonhttps://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/focus/20211023/anthony-clayton-jamaica-2050-part-1-turbulent-years-aheadTake our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortSubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our...
Connecting All the Dots
Hoover Institution cybersecurity expert Amy Zegart talks with Jeanne Meserve about the urgent need for US spy agencies to better exploit open source intelligence, and Mindhunter coauthor Mark Olshaker discusses with Jeff Stein how two sex predators in the CIA got away with it.Follow:Amy Zegarthttps://twitter.com/amyzegarthttps://www.hoover.org/profiles/amy-zegartTake our listener survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortSubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com...
Hiding In Plain Sight
The CIAs former chief of disguises tells Jeff Stein about some of her greatest capers, and Jeanne Meserve talks with author Garrett Graff about a top secret search for an Al Qaeda nuclear bomb.Follow our guests:Garrett Graffhttps://twitter.com/vermontgmgSubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for...
SLINKING AROUND
Former senior CIA officer Duyane Norman talks with Jeanne Meserve about deep cover ops in the digital age, and extremism expert Jason Blazakis discusses Qanon as a national security threat with Jeff Stein.For more from our guests:Duyane Normanhttps://twitter.com/duraynoJason Blazakishttps://twitter.com/Jason_BlazakisSubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal...
Assassins and Infiltrators
JFK assassination expert Jefferson Morley discusses Joe Bidens continued suppression of Kennedy assassination documents with Jeff Stein, and Jeanne Meserve talks with former FBI agent and homeland security official Erroll Southers about extremist inroads in police forces.Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for...
Spymasters and Crypto Cash
This week: Jeff talks with Chris Whipple, author of The Spymasters: How the CIA Directors Shape History and the Future; plus Jeanne speaks with Juan Zarate, former Treasury Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing, about the bad guys use of cryptocurrencies.For more from our guests:Chris Whipplehttps://twitter.com/ccwhipJuan Zaratehttps://twitter.com/JCZarate1Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information...
Conspiracies of Dunces
Jeff Stein explores crazy coup plots andspydefectors in Venezuela with Latin America expert David Smilde, and Jeanne Meserve talks with ABC News investigative reporter James Meek about his disturbing new documentary about the deaths of Green Beret operatives in Niger.Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerSubscribe to SpyTalk Reportinghttps://www.spytalk.co/Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter:https://twitter.com/JeanneMeservehttps://www.jeannemeserve.com/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising...
Spy World Frenemies
Mossads got a killer new boss and the US is buying China-made drones. Jeff Stein and Jeanne Meserve drill down on both.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
The Peanut Butter Spies, CIAs China Initiative & Secret Service Burnout
Washington Post intelligence reporter Shane Harris discusses odd happenings in the spook world with Jeff Stein, and former Secret Service Special Agent Jonathan Wackrow analyses a new report on tanking morale in the uniformed division with Jeanne Meserve. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
For Your Eyes Only
Legendary Condor author James Grady discusses James Bonds evolving cinematic villains with Jeff Stein, and Jeanne Meserve digs into the massive hack of a far-right server with extremist expert Heidi Beirich. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Head Case
From Vietnam to Vienna, reported cases of Havana Syndrome are on the rise.Diplomats, intelligence officials and their families are experiencing debilitating symptoms including headaches, dizziness, nausea and memory loss.Dr. James Giordano, Professor of Neurology and Biochemistry at Georgetown University Medical Center, has been investigating Havana Syndrome since the first cases were reported and discusses what we know, and what we still need to learn, with Jeanne Meserve. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can...
Accidents Will Happen
Chinese espionage expert Matthew Brazil and Jeff Stein break down the controversy about Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milleys backchannel contact with his Chinese counterpart, and Jeanne Meserve and transnational crime expert Tom Sanderson discuss the emergence of Talibani Afghanistan as a terrorist state. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries:...
Girding for New and Old Threats
Extremism expert Kathleen Belew talks with Jeanne Meserve about new factors raising the potential for violence at Sept.18 Capitol protests, while former senior CIA ops official Dan Hoffman tells Jeff Stein that the Kabul collapse has given Al Qaeda and ISIS new life. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries:...
The Man Who Loved Spying
In a riveting new memoir, former senior CIA officer Doug London celebrates a career in espionage, but in a lengthy conversation with host Jeff Stein, he offer candid, even brutal observations on how 20 years of counterterrorism warped the agencys priorities and managers. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries:...
Kabuls loss and a new 9/11 terror warning
Author Craig Whitlock talks with Jeff Stein about US intelligences place in 20 years of lies and deception in Afghanistan, and Jeanne Meserve interviews Coast Guard Commandant Karl Schultz about a terror alert for the 9/11 anniversary. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
The Human Factor
Top former CIA operations official William Murray talks with Jeanne Meserve about the loss of the agency's spy base in Kabul, while Africa expert Jacob Zenn assesses the impact of the Taliban-Al Qaeda triumph on militants across the continent, with Jeff Stein. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy...
Implications for the Kabul Catastrophe
Counterterrorism expert and Georgetown University Professor, Bruce Hoffman explains the drastic implications of the Taliban triumph, and journalist Toby Harnden talks about his new book on the first CIA team to enter Afghanistan. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
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Ali Soufan on the Talibans Global Plans
The celebrated former FBI special agent and counterterrorism specialist says the Taliban aspire to undermining the Wests Roman Empire. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
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SPYING ON MISSILES
Jeanne Meserve talks with Hans Kristensen,director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists,about how the world learned of Chinas startling new ICBM silos, and Jeff Stein talks with Asia expert Robert Manning about the challenges of spying on North Korea. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising...
Spies vs. Spies
An expert on Congressional probes tells Jeff Stein why investigators on the House Select Committee on Jan. 5 have to develop confidential sources deep inside DHS, DoD and the FBI. And retired Marine Corps Gen. Greg Newbold tells Jeanne Meserve that China's control of precious metals is a threat to US intelligence. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our...
Going Deep
The FBI is still coming up short on dealing with white violent extremists, former undercover special agent Mike German tells Jeff Stein. And Jeanne Meserve delves into a little known DIA medical intelligence unit. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
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Families of Spies
A father & daughter have a monster TikTok hit talkIng about his intelligence career. Former CIA analyst Frank Snepp describes the heartbreak of Saigon and the agony of Kabul. And Spooked author Barry Meier addresses the NSO-Pegasus surveillance scandal. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
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Battling on All Fronts
Former CIA counterintelligence chief James Olson tells Jeff Stein the CIA and FBI need to resuscitate double agent ops to penetrate enemy spy services, and Jeanne Meserve talks with former senior U.S. cybercrime official Chris Painter about the rash of ransomware attacks by REvil and other Russia-based malefactors. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of...
Enemies Within and Without
Former senior CIA officer Doug London talks with Jeff Stein about the present and future intelligence picture in chaotic Afghanistan. And Jeanne Meserve has a fascinating talk with former top DHS intel official and retired Brigadier General Francis X. Taylor about dealing with violent extremists in the military ranks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use...
Spies that Bind
Nicholas Eftimiades, a top expert on Chinese espionage, tells Jeff Stein he doubts reports that Beijings top counterspy defected to the USbut that Beijing has many moles in U.S/ intelligence. And Jeanne Meserve talks with top former FBI national security official Jay Tabb about the challenges of dealing with home-grown American terrorists. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our...
Cold War Capers
Yes, theres a real James Bond, and Jeanne Meserve chatted him up on the curses and blessings of having such a legendary moniker. And historian Audra Wolfe talks with Jeff Stein about the role of American scientists in the Cold War and beyond. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries:...
Everybody knows somebody
Terrorism expert Gina Ligon tells Jeanne Meserve that the Biden administrations initiative on domestic extremism represents a sea change in policy but doesnt address the root causes of populist violence. Israeli counterterrorism dramas do, an American ex-pat writer in Jerusalem tells Jeff Stein, because so many involved have served in spy units. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our...
Meeting of the Minds
Ahead of presidents Putin and Biden meeting in Geneva, a psychiatrist puts the leader ofRussia on the couch.Dr. Kenneth Dekleva, who served in the US embassy in Moscow, joins co-host Jeanne Meserve for a special edition of SpyTalk. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
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That Was Then
Chinese espionage poses a mortal threat to the US, former counterintelligence boss Bill Evanina tells Jeanne Meserve. And author Kai Bird talks with Jeff Stein about a clandestine plot with Iran by Reagan campaign manager and future CIA Director Bill Casey to deny Jimmy Carter re-election. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data...
Cyber Counterpunch
On this special edition of SpyTalk, co-host Jeanne Meserve speaks with William Evanina, former Director of the United States National Counterintelligence and Security Center about the recent spate of ransomware attacks.Evanina says President Biden should threaten to pull out of the upcoming summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and that theUS should demonstrate it is willing and able to shut down Russian infrastructure. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted...
The Gathering Storms
Former top FBI domestic extremist specialist Tom OConnor tells co-host Jeanne Meserve in a startling interview that hes worried about another Timothy McVeigh plotting something big. And Jeff Stein talks with veteran intelligence reporter Bill Arkin about a vast Pentagon secret army combatting our enemies that no ones heard about. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and...
Spies in the Soup
Jean Meserve talks with former Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Juliette Kayyem about the mess in DHS intelligence shop, and Jeff Stein interviews Barry Meier about his new book, Spooked: The Trump Dossier, Black Cube, and the Rise of Private Spies. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out:...
Panettas Regret
Former CIA Director and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta was praised in a multitude of articles and broadcasts marking the 10th anniversary of the elimination of Osama Bin Laden earlier this month. But in an hour long interview with Jeff Stein, he described a major failing of US intelligence during his watch. Listen to it here. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com...
Has the CIA Lost Its Grip on the Middle East?
CIA clandestine services veteran and longtime Middle East hand Marc Polymeropoulos tells Jeff Stein that the CIA no longer prizes regional expertise, instead opting for spy corps generalists who can be shifted from region to region. In this Special Edition of the SpyTalk podcast, Polymeropoulos laments the passing of Charlie Seidel, who he calls the CIAs last great Arabist. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz...
Crisis and Confusion
In the fourth edition of the SpyTalk podcast, former NATO Secretary GeneralAnders Fogh Rasmussen talks with co-hostJeanne Meserve about combatting psychological warfare disinformation attacks from Russia, China, Iran and even Venezuela, and former top CIA analyst Mathew Burrows tells her that US intelligence is so busy coping with immediate threats they cant see the forest for the trees. Leading off the show, Jeff Stein talks with Janis Shinwari, an Afghan interpreter for US intelligence units, who says thousands of his comrades are terrified about being left behind and murdered by the Taliban when US forces leave in September. See acast.com/privacy...
Shots in the Dark
Jeanne Meserve looks into the mysterious directed-energy attacks on officials in Washington with Mark Zaid, lawyer for CIA and State Department victims. Then Ronen Bergman, author of a groundbreaking book on Israeli assassination operations, talks with Jeff Stein about the effect of Mossads hits on Irans nuclear scientists and uranium facilities. Last but hardly least, Jeanne talks at length with technology venture capitalist Gilman Louie about his work with the CIA and the perils of losing the raceon artificial intelligence to Americas adversaries. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael...
Fire and Ice
In this weeks edition of theSpyTalkpodcast, Jeff Stein goes deep on the CIAs looming eviction from Afghanistan with Lisa Curtis, a longtime former CIA, State Department and White House National Security Council expert on the region. And then co-host Jeanne Meserve conducts a lively interview with a former senior CIA and NSA analyst, Alma Katsu, about her new, post-government-service thriller,Red Widow, which features a gutsy female spy heroine. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you...
A CIA Spy in Syria, and US Responses to Russian, Chinese and Other Adversary Hacking
This week, in the debut edition of the SpyTalk podcast, co-host Jeff Stein talks to the Washington Posts Joby Warrick about an extraordinary CIA operation in Syria, as told in his new book, Red Line. Jeff and co-host Jeanne Meserve also discuss the Biden administrations recent expulsion of suspected Russian spies, then Jeanne talks with former NSA Director and Cyber Command chief Admiral Mike Rogers about Chinese, Russian and other hackers infiltration of U.S. computer networks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Karen Greenberg on Twitterhttps://x.com/KarenGreenberg3Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoffFollow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to...
Spy Talk - Trailer
SpyTalk lives at the intersection of intelligence operations, foreign policy, homeland security and military strategy. Co-hosted by veteran national security journalist Jeff Stein and former star CNN homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve, the podcast willfeature exclusives by SpyTalks roster of longtime reporters, news and profiles of US and foreign spymasters and interviews with policymakers and expert authors.Theres nothing quite like ita place for experts and lay persons alike, who enjoy national security scoops and insights by SpyTalk's subject matter experts. Coming this Spring.Spy Talk is a DSR Network production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Follow Jeff Stein on...
SpyCast
The Story Isn't Over: Inside Havana Syndrome and the CIAs Response
Confusion and controversy are growing around the intelligence communitys handling of Havana Syndrome. This is what the government refers to as Anomalous Health Incidents, or AHIs. The mysterious health condition has left a group of American spies, diplomats, and service members with serious brain injuries. Many believe Russias hand is at play. But an intelligence community assessment from 2023 said most agencies concluded it is very unlikely a foreign adversary was behind the affliction. It hasnt changed its stance despite new details coming to light. As Sasha first reported, the US government bought and has been testing a weapon that...
Palmer Luckey on the Next Generation of Intelligence
He may dress like hes on a vacation in Hawaii, but Palmer Luckey has been busy designing weapons for the Pentagon. He founded California-based defense technology firm, Anduril, in 2017, named after a sword from the Lord of the Rings and, according to Palmer, is 20% veteran owned. He is promising a marked shift: faster, cheaper, and more agile systems to fight the wars of today and tomorrow. This comes after Palmer designed the Oculus Rift, a virtual reality headset, at age 19, revolutionizing the world of virtual reality. Palmer sat down to talk with Sasha about how Andurils work...
Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin: Lies, Spies, and Hitler
Half-truths. Lies. Distrust. And spying. These were part and parcel of the tenuous relationship between Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin - the Big Three who were eventually brought together by their opposition to Adolf Hitler during World War II. From London, British historian Tim Bouverie lays out the complicated dynamics of this coalition. His new book, Allies at War: How the Struggles Between the Allied Powers Shaped the War and the World, is out now. Subscribe to Sasha's Substack, HUMINT, to get more intelligence stories: https://sashaingber.substack.com/ For more information about the International Spy Museum, visit: https://www.spymuseum.org/ And...
Fake Shahs and Exfiltrations: Memories from CIA's Former Disguise Chief
Jonna Mendez knows how to blend in and when to stand out. Starting out as a secretary at the CIA, she left as its Chief of Disguise. Her career took her into denied areas, where her special abilities assisted in a variety of high stakes operations - collecting on the adversary, recruiting and exfiltrating agents, and staying on the cutting edge of technology. She sits down with Sasha to discuss stories, many of which she has never shared before. Subscribe to Sasha's Substack, HUMINT, to get more intelligence stories: https://sashaingber.substack.com/ For more information about the International Spy Museum, visit: https://www.spymuseum.org/...
When the CIA Lost a Nuclear Device in India
In the 1960s, the CIA lost a plutonium-fueled generator on top of a mountain in India. The generator was supposed to power an unmanned listening station, intended to pick up signals from Chinas missile tests. But when mountaineers ascended the near 26,000-ft Nanda Devi under the guise of studying the environment weather got in their way. They left the nuclear device behind and months later, when they returned, it was gone. New York Times reporter Jeffrey Gettleman reconstructed this event with a team of journalists. The story took about seven years, thousands of miles, and earning the trust of many...
AI Companions May Be China's Next Recruitment Tool
When youre sitting alone, and you want company or advice, have you ever turned to Artificial Intelligence? Chip Usher, who spent 32 years in the CIA, has been looking at AI companions. The tech companies behind them claim they offer comfort and reliability. Chip says they mostly come from China, and eventually they will be used to collect personal data on users, building a roadmap for recruiting and influence. Chip has conducted research on the threat through his role as the Senior Director for Intelligence at a nonprofit called the Special Competitive Studies Project. Subscribe to Sasha's Substack, HUMINT, to...
Roald Dahl: The Spy Behind the Storyteller
Children grew up reading Roald Dahls tales of giant peaches and chocolate factories. Adults know about the controversy surrounding the antisemitic statements he made in his later years. But before becoming one of the most successful childrens authors of all time, Dahl worked for MI6, seducing Washington socialites and cozying up to the First Family. He did this to gather intelligence and exert influence for Winston Churchill in the early days of World War II. Writer Aaron Tracy delves into Dahls complicated life in his new podcast, The Secret World of Roald Dahl, and sat down with Sasha to discuss...
In Bed With Beijing: The Double Agent Who Seduced Her FBI Handler
Katrina Leung, code name Parlor Maid, received nearly two million dollars from the FBI for being their top China informant. But little did the Bureau know she was a double agent, collecting intelligence for Chinas Ministry of State Security. Not only that, she was also sleeping with her FBI handler, James J. Smith (J.J.). For nearly two decades, J.J. covered up reports that raised red flags about her. Thats where retired FBI agent Steven Conley comes in. He worked for J.J. in the LA field office and then became Katrinas new handler, and soon realized she wasnt exactly providing useful...
Exfiltrating Mara Corina Machado from Venezuela
Before Delta Force captured Nicols Maduro, Bryan Stern went on a secret mission in Venezuela. The veteran and Purple Heart recipient was there to extract opposition leader Mara Corina Machado, who had been living in hiding for her own safety. Bryan was trying to get Mara to Oslo to accept her Nobel Peace Prize. This daring operation named Operation Golden Dynamite after Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite involved land, sea, and air. This is just one of many high-stakes evacuations Bryan has conducted through his nonprofit organization, Grey Bull Rescue. Sasha and Bryan sat down to discuss the operation,...
Hezbollahs Long Game in Latin America
A 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Argentina opened the worlds eyes to Hezbollahs presence in Latin America. But the Iranian proxy, a US-designated terrorist group, has operated in the region since the 1980s. This started in the Tri-Border Area of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, earning the nickname "the United Nations of crime." The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has said Hezbollahs revenues in Central and South America fund its External Security Organization, which plans their terrorist plots overseas. Wes Tabor, a former DEA agent, knows all about it. He was part of a landmark case that exposed their...
Building the USs First Known Gang Intelligence Database in Latin America
As an agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) who later embedded with the CIA, Wes Tabor worked to dismantle criminal networks in Central and South America - think gangs like MS-13, the Sinaloa Cartel, and Tren de Aragua. In 2006, he was stationed in Guatemala, a transit corridor for South American cocaine to enter the US. It was during this time that he created a gang intelligence system to help identify gang members, using biodata and records from regional prisons and police departments. As confirmed by two retired DEA agents, the FBI then took the database and made it...
Looking Back on the US Invasion of Panama
This January marks the anniversary of the conclusion of Operation Just Cause, which began days before Christmas, on December 20th, 1989, when about 27,000 US troops deployed to Panama. Their mission was to capture Panamas notorious dictator, General Manuel Noriega, whom the US had indicted for drug trafficking. Noriega had also been suppressing unarmed demonstrators, gathering intelligence on the local population, and harassing Americans- wielding weapons from the Soviet bloc. International Spy Museum Executive Director Chris Costa was an intelligence officer on the ground during the invasion, and he takes us from the first mortar to the moment when Noriega...
Directing The Night Manager
When The Night Manager aired in 2016, it was an instant success. Based on the 1993 John le Carr novel of the same name, the series centered on former British soldier Jonathan Pine. In the show, Pine is recruited by MI6 to infiltrate the secret network of a notorious arms dealer. Ten years later, the series returns, despite the fact le Carr never wrote a sequel before he died. Georgi Banks-Davies, the director of this second season, gives us a behind the scenes look at how the series charts new territory for Pine in the world of espionage. Subscribe to...
Inside the CIAs Most Covert and Dangerous Branch: The Special Activities Center
For SpyCasts 20th year, were kicking off the season with Brian Carbaugh. After serving in the CIA for over two decades, he retired as Director of the Special Activities Center- the Agencys arm for covert action, where some of the boldest and most dangerous work happens with authorization from the president. This is a world few know about firsthand, and even fewer can discuss. Brian sits down with Sasha to give an inside look at the job, which he held from 2017 to 2021-pivotal years in the United States and around the world. Subscribe to Sasha's Substack, HUMINT, to get...
The Man Behind John le Carr
John le Carr, born David Cornwell in 1931, was a British novelist renowned for his morally complex spy fiction. Writing under a pen name gave him the freedom to publish while he worked in both MI5 and MI6, but after the breakthrough success of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, he left the intel community world for good. Le Carrs work spanned the globe, covering terrorism and drug networks, private banking and pharmaceutical exploitation, arms trades and resource plundering- often drawing on the people and places he knew firsthand. Le Carrs vast personal archive is all on display...
Inside Operation Odyssey Lightning in Libya
From August to December 2016, then Marine Special Operations Officer Ivan Ingraham lived on an assault ship off the coast of Sirte, a city in northern Libya that lies between Tripoli and Benghazi. It was the hometown of Muammar Gaddafi, who invested in Sirte before dying there during Libyas first civil war. In the midst of a second civil war, ISIS had filled a power vacuum and overrun the city, sending its civilians fleeing. At the request of Libyas UN-backed Government of National Accord, the United States provided support. Ivan led a five-man special operations team attached to a Marine...
Auctioning Off the Key to Kryptos
At the CIA headquarters in Langley, you will find Kryptos, a large curved copper panel that holds the letters to four encrypted messages. The first three messages- K1, K2, and K3- were solved in the nineties, but K4 continued to mystify cryptographers for decades. That is until Jim Sanborn, the artist who created Kryptos, decided to auction off the plain text and the coding charts that can crack the very code to K4. This week, guest host Flora Warshaw sits down to talk with Bobby Livingston, the auctioneer who recently sold Jim Sanborn's private Kryptos archive for a staggering amount....
An Interview with the CIAs Former Q
Bob Wallace was appointed Deputy Director of the CIAs Office of Technical Service in 1995 and became its director three years later. In other words, he was the CIAs Q. The storied office dealt in microdots and secret writing, creating innovations that spanned concealments, forged documents, surveillance equipment, covert communications, and special weapons. In this interview, Sasha and Bob sit down to discuss the tactics and innovations he has never shared before, ranging from the low-tech to the Internet Age, to the devices and techniques used in the Global War on Terrorism. Subscribe to Sasha's Substack, HUMINT, to get more...
Inside the CIAs Book Club Designed to Bring Down Communism
The CIAs book club, known by the codename QRHELPFUL, was a secret 35-year program born of the fear that communism would dominate the globe. About 10 million books were smuggled into the Soviet Union during the Cold War, transported by trucks and yachts, in tins and luggage, and even dropped from balloons. The agency believed that the literature could win hearts and minds, turning citizens of the Soviet Bloc into dissidents. Its all documented in author Charlie Englishs new book, The CIA Book Club, the first narrative account of this program. Subscribe to Sasha's Substack, HUMINT, to get more intelligence...
The Hunt for Chinas Spy Family
For decades, California-based engineer Chi Mak quietly stole secrets on war-fighting technologies. He and his family members shared the intelligence with spies in China, giving Beijing astounding insights they hadnt earned. Former FBI Special Agent James Gaylord takes us back to the elaborate investigation in 2004. Evidence gathered by his squad, call sign SARA-4, broke a string of FBI failures in the courtroom. Chi went to prison, but new problems arose. Jims account is documented in his book, Chasing Chi. Subscribe to Sasha's Substack, HUMINT, to get more intelligence stories: https://sashaingber.substack.com/ And if you have feedback or want to hear...
A Family of Spies and a Bloodline of Secrets
No other American has a family history quite like Christine Kuehn. Through years of doing painstaking interviews, hunting down letters, and pouring through FBI records, Christine learned that her German-born aunt had a fling with Nazi politician Joseph Goebbels. When he found out she was half-Jewish, Goebbels sent the family to Hawaii to spy. After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Christines grandfather was found guilty of providing intelligence to the Japanese. In this episode we hear how Christine Kuehn strung together her family secrets to tell her family history in her book, Family of Spies, which is coming out November 25th....
From the SpyCast Vault: The Lumumba Plot and The Station Chief's Story
In our last episode, author Stuart Reid peeled back the curtain on 'The Lumumba Plot,' the CIAs plan to assassinate Patrice Lumumba, the first democratically-elected Prime Minister of the Congo. Station Chief Larry Devlin was central to the CIAs 1960 assassination plot. He never had to carry it out, but Lumumba was later killed in another plot that Devlin knew about, according to diplomatic cables released in 2013. Today, we'll share more of our conversation with Stuart Reid. But first, were going back into our archives to bring you Devlin in his own words. In 2007, a year before he...
The Lumumba Plot: Cold War in the Congo
The Congo was just gaining its independence from Belgium in 1960 when its first democratically elected leader, Patrice Lumumba, faced an existential crisis: mutiny in his new army, followed by an unwelcome intervention by Belgian forces. Lumumba had hoped the U.S. would help, but when Washington turned its back, Lumumba turned to Moscow. And so began a CIA operation to assassinate Lumumba to stop the feared spread of Communism in Africa. The story is documented in The Lumumba Plot, a book by author Stuart Reid. Subscribe to Sasha's Substack, HUMINT, to get more intelligence stories: https://sashaingber.substack.com/ And if you have...
Russian Sabotage Operations and NATOs Complex Alliance
Russian drones and warplanes have been increasingly breaching the airspace of NATO countries. Admiral Joachim Rhle, (ret.) is the former Chief of Staff of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, the headquarters of Command Operations - including defense, deterrence, and training to Ukrainians - in Belgium. He talked about Moscows incursions, its acts of sabotage, and how to manage this complex alliance. Prefer to watch your podcasts? Find us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@IntlSpyMuseum/podcasts. Subscribe to Sasha's Substack, HUMINT, to get more intelligence stories: https://sashaingber.substack.com/ And if you have feedback or want to hear about a particular topic, you can reach...
Opening the Foreign Influence Toolkit
Jessica Brandt knows a lot about influence. She was the director of the Foreign Malign Influence Center, which served as intermediary between the U.S. intelligence community and the public. It alerted private citizens and the public to disinformation operations orchestrated by adversaries overseas. Jessica explains how the toolkit has gotten larger, more sophisticated, and is being wielded by more countries than ever before. Prefer to watch your podcasts? Find us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@IntlSpyMuseum/podcasts. Subscribe to Sasha's Substack, HUMINT, to get more intelligence stories: https://sashaingber.substack.com/ And if you have feedback or want to hear about a particular topic, you can...
From the SpyCast Vault: An Assassination in Mexico
Keith Melton is a historian whos been an advisor to the US Intelligence Community for decades. An avid collector and board member at The International Spy Museum, Keith has donated thousands of artifacts, and one of the most historically important is the axe used to assassinate Leon Trotsky. Keith found the weapon after decades of searching. In 2007, he spoke with Peter Earnest, the founding executive director of the International Spy Museum, about Trotskys assassination and tracking down the weapon used for the job. Subscribe to Sasha's Substack, HUMINT, to get more intelligence stories: https://sashaingber.substack.com/ And if you have feedback...
The Dark Web Broker
Vinny Troia is at home on the Dark Web. The veteran hacker has developed relationships with cyberactors who have quietly stolen sensitive data from the far corners of the world. Vinny sells that data to law enforcement and intelligence agencies, like the CIA. His book, Grey Area: Dark Web Data Collection and the Future of OSINT, is out this October. Prefer to watch your podcasts? Find us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@IntlSpyMuseum/podcasts. Subscribe to Sasha's Substack, HUMINT, to get more intelligence stories: https://sashaingber.substack.com/ And if you have feedback or want to hear about a particular topic, you can reach us by...
To Catch a Drug Cartel
Keith Bulfin was a banker, not a spy. But then came a special clienta supposed coffee importer who was actually a banker for Mexican and Colombian drug cartels. Soon, U.S. authorities were knocking on Keiths door. He ended up behind bars in a maximum security prison. While in prison, Bulfin ended up befriending leaders of drug cartels and eventually became their private banker, while secretly feeding intelligence to the U.S. government. It was a descent into a world few see and fewer survive. Prefer to watch your podcasts? Find us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@IntlSpyMuseum/podcasts. Subscribe to Sasha's Substack, HUMINT, to...
Retracing the Hunt for Bin Laden
This Thursday marks the 24th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, which spawned a decade-long search for the man behind them Osama Bin Laden. Ed Bogan was the Chief of Operations for the CIA Counterterrorism Centers Pakistan / Afghanistan Department. He takes us into agency headquarters, where he oversaw the raid on Bin Ladens compound, and tells us what lessons can be learned from The Global War on Terror. Prefer to watch your podcasts? Find us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@IntlSpyMuseum/podcasts. Subscribe to Sasha's Substack, HUMINT, to get more intelligence stories: https://sashaingber.substack.com/ And if you have feedback or want to...
An Assassination in Athens and a CIA Officers Legacy
Its been 50 years since the assassination of the CIAs former Station Chief in Athens, Richard Welch. At the time, he was the agencys highest level officer killed in the line of duty. A Greek, Marxist terrorist group called 17 November claimed responsibility for his death, but that was just the beginning. Former senior operations officer Ralph Mariani remembers that time and carries on Welchs memory. Prefer to watch your podcasts? Find us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@IntlSpyMuseum/podcasts. Subscribe to Sasha's Substack, HUMINT, to get more intelligence stories: https://sashaingber.substack.com/ And if you have feedback or want to hear about a particular...
From the SpyCast Vault: Escaping Tehran with The CIA Pt. 2
We return to November, 1979 when radical Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran and took dozens of Americans hostage. Mark and Cora Lijek were two American officials stuck in Tehran, and in 2008 they shared their story with the late Peter Earnest, the founding director of the International Spy Museum. And this time they were joined by retired CIA officer Tony Mendez, who passed away in 2019. Tony helped plan and execute an elaborate deception and disguise operation, exfiltrating the diplomats before the Iranians figured it out. Prefer to watch your podcasts? Find us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@IntlSpyMuseum/podcasts....
From the SpyCast Vault: Escaping Tehran with The CIA
We'll go back in time to November, 1979 when radical Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran and took dozens of Americans hostage. Six US officials managed to find refuge with Canadian embassy staff, and 11 weeks later, the CIA led a daring operation to sneak them out of Iran disguised as a Hollywood film crew. Mark and Cora Lijek were two of those officials, and in 2008 they shared their story with the late Peter Earnest, the founding director of the International Spy Museum. Prefer to watch your podcasts? Find us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@IntlSpyMuseum/podcasts. Subscribe to Sasha's...
Catching an Iranian-American Missile Broker
Reza Olangian, a dual US-Iranian citizen, left behind his life in Silicon Valley to spy for Iran in the capital. And by the time DEA special agent Jeffrey James Higgins found out about him in 2011, Olangian was trying to acquire hundreds of surface-to-air missiles. That kicked off an elaborate, multi-country sting operation and a 25-year prison sentence. Jeffrey believes the Iranians are using more surrogates to acquire weapons today. Prefer to watch your podcasts? Find us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@IntlSpyMuseum/podcasts. Subscribe to Sasha's Substack, HUMINT, to get more intelligence stories: https://sashaingber.substack.com/ And if you have feedback or want to...
Lethal Dissent: Irans Spy Games in Turkey
Washington and Tehran have a long and complicated history, with tensions that rise, fall and then rise again. Just this summer, we watched the U.S. and Israel strike Irans nuclear infrastructure. This month, SpyCast is bringing you a series of special episodes on Iran, looking back and forward, to unveil the countrys intelligence priorities, capabilities, and tactics. First in our series is Fariba Nawa. She's a journalist who shows us that if you want to learn about Iranian intelligence, one of the best places to look is Turkey. It may be a member of NATO, but it's also a country...
Agent 202: New Secrets Emerge on an American Who Spied for Cuba
Codenamed "Agent 202," Kendall Myers went undetected as a spy for Cuba for nearly 30 years. He worked at the State Departments Foreign Service Institute, secretly spying for Cuba out of an earnest love for the island, its people, and their leader Fidel Castro. Myers was caught in 2009, after he retired. State Department Security Specialist and former Diplomatic Security Special Agent Bill Stowell was part of the team that worked the case. He shared new exclusive details with SpyCast, as Myers continues to serve a life sentence for espionage. If you liked this episode, check out these links: Queen...
Agent of Chaos: The Austrian Fugitive Running Russias Global Spy Networks
Today hes one of the most wanted men in the world, but before Jan Marsalek fled to Russia, he was the COO of payment-processing firm Wirecard. Officials and investigators say Marsalek used the company to finance Moscows covert operations and spy networks in Africa and Europe. In 2020, nearly 2 billion vanished from Wirecard, along with Marsalek. Financial Times reporter Sam Jones has been uncovering new details through his reporting on Season 3 of Hot Money: Agent of Chaos. To hear more, listen to Season 3 of Hot Money: Agent of Chaos on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your...
From Intel Officer to White House Adviser: A Chat with The Museums Executive Director
This week we spoke with the International Spy Museum's Executive Director, Colonel Chris Costa. His decades-long career in the intelligence community spanned multiple continents, running sensitive operations in Panama, Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, where he earned two Bronze stars for his human intelligence contributions. Later, Costa advised Navy Seals as a civilian and eventually assumed the role of Executive Director here at the International Spy Museum. In this interview, we zeroed in on 2017 when he was detailed to the White House as the Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism. Looking for more thoughtful analysis of...
Americas Gatekeeper: A Conversation with DCSAs Director David Cattler
Born out of a major Chinese cyberattack that stole personal information from millions of federal government employees, the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency calls itself Americas Gatekeeper. Now five years into its existence, its responsible for overseeing most of the security clearances for government personnel and contractors. DCSAs director David Cattler, formerly NATOs Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security, assesses the current threats. If you liked this episode, check out these links: DOGE Layoffs and the Counterintelligence Threats They Pose | SpyCast Dir. of National Intelligence Roundtable: 2025 Society for Intelligence History Panel Spy Chat with Chris Costa |...
Russia's Fake Identity Assembly Line in Brazil
When a Russian spy was arrested in Brazil in 2022, authorities were shocked to discover that he seemed to have a real birth certificate and authentic citizenship documents. The incident sparked a multi-year investigation that uncovered a network of Russian operatives living and working in Brazil Their false identities supported by genuine documents. New York Times journalist Jane Bradley, who investigated the spy network, joined us to discuss the case as Brazilian law enforcement continues to piece together answers today. If you liked this episode, check out these links: Ghost Stories: The Hunt for Russian Spies in the US |...
Breaking the Silence: Coming Out in the CIA
Emerging alongside Joseph McCarthys Red Scare in the 1950s was the Lavender Scare: Widespread panic and paranoia over the inclusion of gay personnel in the federal government. Their perceived dangers led to the terminations and forced resignations of thousands. Fast forward to 1988 Tracey Ballard, who worked at the CIA, headed in to take a polygraph exam. Not sure what would happen next, she did something no one else ever had She told her polygrapher, Im a lesbian. Trace became the first openly gay CIA employee, and spent the next decade of her career fighting for inclusion, acceptance, and kindness...
A Conversation with House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman
What should the US Intelligence Community prioritize domestically and overseas, and how should the work be done? We sat down with Congressman Rick Crawford, Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, to learn his perspective on these questions. The conversation emphasized the growing threat of Chinas influence in the West, the impact of the new Open Source Intelligence Subcommittee, and the importance of analytic integrity in intelligence. If you liked this episode, check out these links: Spy Chat with Chris Costa | Special Guest: Beth Sanner Dir. of National Intelligence Roundtable: 2025 Society for Intelligence History Panel An...
Ghost Stories: The Hunt for Russian Spies in the US
In the early 2000s, the FBI uncovered a team of Russian operatives who had been living double lives in the United States. They were posing as professors, journalists, financial planners, real estate and travel agents, all while sending information back to Moscow. Now, 15 years after they were arrested, Alan Kohler, the former Assistant Director of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division, tells us what it was like to supervise the case which came to be known as Operation Ghost Stories. In this episode, Alan mentions a number of different photos and videos from the Ghost Stories investigation. You can view them...
The Secret Navy and Their Hunt for a Nazi Sub
How do you catch an enemys submarine and then make it vanish? Thats what the U.S. Navys elusive Tenth Fleet planned, as it tracked down Germanys U-505 submarine. The mission came right before the Allies ran ashore on the beaches of Normandy in World War II. Historian Alexander Rose draws on long classified documents and intercepted transmissions to reveal the bold, salt-soaked heist. Alex's new book, Phantom Fleet: The Hunt for Nazi Submarine U-505 and World War IIs Most Daring Heist is available now. If you liked this episode, check out these links: Agent Zo: The Extraordinary Woman Who Parachuted...
How Are Shifting Priorities Impacting National Security in America?
Most Americans would agree that the United States should be protected, but from whom and how? Dr. Donell Harvin, the former Chief of Homeland Security and Intelligence for the District of Columbia, says the U.S. is taking its eye off the ball - focusing its large domestic intelligence apparatus in a direction that is politically expedient, but not in line with the most serious threats. If you liked this episode, check out these links: DOGE Layoffs and the Counterintelligence Threats They Pose | SpyCast Spy Chat with Chris Costa | Special Guest: Colin Clarke Prefer to watch your podcasts? Find...
Sharing Intelligence: Challenges between US and Ukraine
After Russias full scale invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. rushed to create a secret center that set targets for the Ukrainians to destroy. But the counteroffensive of 2023 failed to achieve its goals. So, what went wrong? New York Times reporter Adam Entous spent more than a year reporting on this story. He joins SpyCast host Sasha Ingber to talk about what was going on behind the scenes, and the consequences that were felt acutely on the battlefield. Read Adams full report here. The International Spy Museum has launched its first ever digital exhibition: Open Source: Ukraine & The Intelligence...
Stories From the President's Daily Brief
Conflict has been escalating between two nuclear powersIndia and Pakistan. It started in April, after India blamed Pakistan for supporting militants who carried out a massacre in Kashmir. President Trump offered to help defuse the tensions.Throughout history, India and Pakistans hostility has been documented in the President's Daily Brief, a highly classified rundown of threats facing the United States. Former CIA officer David Priess, author of The President's Book of Secrets, tells us how the PDB mattered in relations between India and Pakistan. To learn more, check out Davids book, the President's Book of Secrets, the Untold Story of Intelligence...
The Minions: Putin's Expendable Spies
They were a spy cell like no other operating from quiet British suburbs, hailing from Bulgaria, and working on behalf of Russia. Their handler dubbed them The Minions, and their plots stretched across Europe and spanned honeytraps, abductions, and murder. At the time of this recording, six have been convicted and await sentencing. To parse out the case, we spoke with Gordon Corera, a British author and co-host of The Rest is Classified podcast. Check out The Rest is Classified here, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you liked this episode, check out these links: Spy Chat with Chris...
Escalation: Tracking the US-Ukraine Relationship
The United States and Ukraine have had a long, complicated history that has been defined by just as much partnership and collaboration as hesitation and disagreement. This dynamic is laid bare in the 7-part podcast series Escalation, produced by our partners at Goat Rodeo, with the national security publication Lawfare. In April 2025, The International Spy Museum hosted a panel discussion on the Washington-Kyiv relationship moderated by SpyCast host Sasha Ingber, and featuring Ukrainian journalist Anastasiia Lapatina, Lawfares Managing Editor Tyler McBrien, Retired Brigadier General Kipling Kahler, and former National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne. To listen to the whole...
Where the West V. Russia Plot Begins
Why does Vladimir Putin often say that the West is conspiring to weaken Russia? Historian James Crossland traces this narrative back to a British intelligence officer and a failed assassination attempt on Vladimir Lenin in 1918. The story is featured in his new book, Rogue Agent, from Secret Plots to Psychological Warfare, the Untold Story of Robert Bruce Lockhart. James takes us into Lockharts psyche and lays out how a single moment in the dying days of Czarist Russia helped fuel a century of paranoia and rifts. SPY Artifact Highlight: Trotsky Ice Axe If you liked this episode, check out...
DOGE Layoffs and the Counterintelligence Threats They Pose
Government employees were dismissed with startling swiftness and sweeping in the midst of the Trump administration's relentless pursuit to pare down the federal workforce. The sheer number of fired personnel and the manner in which US officials let them go have led to concerns that disillusioned former employees may share what they know with foreign intelligence services, jeopardizing the very security they once sought to protect. Bill Evanina, former Director of Counterintelligence, discusses this fear and how foreign adversaries are exploiting the moment. If you liked this episode, check out these links: Dir. of National Intelligence Roundtable: 2025 Society for...
Taiwan: Chinas Testing Ground for Intelligence Operations
It's no secret that China has recently stepped up political and military pressure on the democratically governed island of Taiwan. But then, there are the Chinese Communist Party's covert efforts: Recruiting from the inside, gathering intelligence, and exerting influence. Executive Director of the Global Taiwan Institute Russell Hsiao breaks down Beijing Shadow Games in Taiwan. If you liked this episode, check out these links: SpyCast | Making Sense of China, Taiwan, & America Pacific Intelligence with Bonny Lin Understanding Chinese Espionage Through 900 Cases | SpyCast Join Valerie aboard the Spies at Sea cruise August 30 - September 8, 2025!...
Introducing Targeted
Targeted uncovers harrowing stories of people who have been singled out and systematically dismantledwhether for political reasons, personal vendettas, or simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Each episode deep dives into the tactics used against someone, the devastating consequences, and the remarkable lessons theyve learned in their fight to survive. Targeted gives listeners the tools to recognize and resist being targeted themselves. If youve ever wondered how systems meant to protect can be weaponized, or what to do if you find yourself in the crosshairs, this podcast is for you. Find episodes of Targeted at...
Understanding Chinese Espionage Through 900 Cases
Nicholas Eftimiades 34 year career in government spanned the CIA, State Department and the Defense Intelligence Agency. He's published three books that examine the structure, methodology and operations of China's intelligence services. This, he says, led a Chinese communist newspaper to declare him an enemy of the state in the 90s. Now, Nick is retired, and he's been building an unusual database tracking some 900 cases of Chinese espionage. We sat down to dive in. If you liked this episode, check out these links: How China's spy balloon isn't so unique for espionage technology Curator's Corner | Trafficking Data with...
Remembering The CIAs Mind Games
Sidney Gottlieb was one of the CIAs star chemists during the Cold War. As head of MKUltra, he ran a brazenand deadlyprogram aimed at mind control. Gottlieb and fellow scientists tried to keep the work secret by destroying files, but historian John Lisle has new details from the six boxes that remained untouched. He shares insights and reflections straight from the mouths of MKUltras perpetrators and victims. Johns new book, Project Mind Control, sheds light on one of the CIAs darkest moments which still haunts the agency. Available now for pre-order. If you liked this episode, check out these links:...
From Covert to Overt: Valerie Plame on political retaliation
Valerie Plames clandestine life made headlines in 2003 after her CIA cover was leaked to the press. Her husband, an ambassador, had gone to Niger to investigate whether yellowcake uranium had been transferred to Iraq to make weapons of mass destruction. He publicly challenged the Bush administration on what we now know was false intelligence. Valeries unmasking was seen as retaliation. Now, over 20 years later, she reflects on the political scandal, and where her concerns lie today. If you liked this episode, check out these links: Author Debriefing: Burned with Valerie Plame National Security Now: An Evening with Gina...
Eyes on The Ground: The National Resistance Front in Afghanistan
After the Taliban took back control of Afghanistan, the National Resistance Front rose up to defy them. We spoke with their leader Ahmad Massoud, who has overseen hundreds of military and intelligence-gathering operations. Hes following the footsteps of his father, who led his own resistance group, the Northern Alliance, until members of Al Qaeda assassinated him two days before they conducted the September 11 terrorist attacks. Fast forward to the mid-2000s, International Spy Museum executive director Chris Costa, then a human intelligence officer, worked with that group to develop intel on the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Now, in the wake...
From NFL to Espionage: The Story of Ernest Cuneo
He was an American spy before an American spy agency existed. NFL player Ernest Cuneo, a little known first generation Italian American, worked with British intelligence to convince the United States to join World War II, and helped lay the groundwork for modern day espionage. Thomas Maier traces Cuneos extraordinary life in his new book, The Invisible Spy, out March 25th. If you liked this episode, check out these links: Agent Link: The Spy Erased from History | With former FBI Counterintelligence Expert The Dirty Tricks Department with John Lisle Operation Underworld with Matthew Black Subscribe to Sasha's Substack, HUMINT,...
Debriefing from the Ukrainian Front
A fourth year of war in Ukraine begins. But for Lt. Col. Kyrylo Berkal, whos been fighting since Russia first invaded in 2014, the battle for his country has raged much longer. Now, hes second in command of the elite Third Assault Brigade, which has played a major role in critical battles against Russia and continues to develop new technologies to both gather intelligence and enhance combat techniques. Kirt spoke to us between missions. During the conversation, he revealed his firsthand insights and experiences of the war as Ukraine keeps up the fight for independence. If you liked this episode,...
How did Harriet Tubman operate as a spy?
Shes known for helping to free people through the Underground Railroad, but Harriet Tubman was also a spy during the Civil War. And with the intelligence she collected, the Maryland native became the first woman to lead men into battle on gunboats down the Combahee River in South Carolina. The Combahee River Raid destroyed several vital Confederate rice plantations and liberated more than 750 people from enslavement. Social historian Edda Fields-Black reveals new details about the raid and Tubman. And later in the episode, Ernestine Wyatt, Tubmans great-great-great-grandniece, discusses the importance of Harriets espionage work and the legacy of her...
What's next for Kim Jong Un?
North Korea is growing more dangerous, but no U.S. administration has been able to crack the code on its leader Kim Jong Un. Now, theres even less incentive for Kim to negotiate because of the support hes getting from Russia. So what will Kim do next, and where is he vulnerable? Jung H. Pak, a former CIA analyst who served as the countrys top diplomat for North Korea, takes us inside the mind of one of the world's most opaque leaders. If you liked this episode, check out these links: Virtual Spy Chat with Chris Costa | Guest: Dr. Jung...
Campus Cloak-and-Dagger: Spies Targeting American Universities
For decades, colleges and universities have been a destination for espionage. Especially in recent years, the use of international students and faculty as spies on American campuses has been particularly daunting. Why do intelligence services, both foreign and domestic, target colleges and universities? And what is there to gain on these campuses? Award-winning journalist Daniel Golden, author of the book Spy Schools, describes the timeless game. If you liked this episode, check out these links: Secret History of History: Color Wars Part II with Catherine McKinley Chinese Corporate Espionage - The Tale of the Tea Thief with Sarah Rose Declassified...
Agent Zo: The woman who defied the Nazis and Communists
Agent Zo was the only female Polish resistance agent to reach London as a courier during WWII and the only female member of Poland's fabled 'Silent Unseen' paratroopers. Yet despite having researched Poland's wartime resistance movement, many of us have never heard of her. Why? If you liked this episode, check out these links: Agent Zo: The Extraordinary Woman Who Parachuted Into Nazi-Occupied Poland Women Spies of WWII with Ellen McCarthy, Judith L. Pearson, and Erika Robuck The Danger of the Femme Fatale Narrative Code Name Madeleine with author Arthur J. Magida Subscribe to Sasha's Substack, HUMINT, to get more...
How will President Trump handle intelligence in his second term?
Now that President Trump has been inaugurated, what can we expect for the intelligence community? On his first full day in his first term, he visited the CIA to voice support. But he has also displayed deep skepticism and accused spy agencies of undermining him. Beth Sanner is a highly decorated, retired career intelligence officer who briefed Trump with the Presidents Daily Brief, a highly classified summary of the US most critical national security threats. She shares her thoughts on what lies ahead. If you liked this episode, check out: The President's Book of Secrets - Understanding the Presidents Daily...
How do you fool Russian Intelligence?
Former intelligence officer Bryan Stern describes the tradecraft he used on Russian intelligence and military services to rescue an American imprisoned in Russian-occupied Ukraine. If you liked this episode check out these links to more hostage rescue stories: SpyCast - James Foley: Journalist, ISIS Hostage, Son with His Mother Diane Foley Operacin Jaque - The Daring Rescue Mission That Freed 15 Hostages Spy Chat with Chris Costa | Guest: Ambassador Roger D. Carstens Subscribe to Sasha's Substack, HUMINT, to get more intelligence stories: https://sashaingber.substack.com/ To learn more about Bryans work with Grey Bull you can visit greybullrescue.org. And if you...
Introducing the New Host: Sasha Ingber
Introducing the new host of SpyCast, Sasha Ingber! In this weeks episode, Sasha joined Erin in a conversation about her career and the future of the International Spy Museums flagship podcast. Now entering its 19th year, SpyCast will relaunch on January 14th with brand new episodes, featuring exciting spy stories and the latest intelligence from the shadowy world of espionage. Tune in to learn more about Sasha, our very first female host and the first host with a background in journalism. As we look forward to our upcoming relaunch, we want to extend our sincere gratitude to those who have...
From the Vault: The 75th Anniversary of the CIA with former Director Robert Gates
Summary Robert Gates (Website; Website) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to reflect on the 75th Anniversary of the CIA. He served 8 U.S. presidents. What Youll Learn Intelligence His reflections on the CIA at 75 How the CIAs story intersected with his own His take on the organizations strengths and weaknesses The complex intl. environment the CIA must now help America navigate Reflections Twists of fate Identity and institutions And much, much more Episode Notes Robert M. Gates is the first career officer in the CIAs history to rise from entry level employee to Director. He spent 27 years at CIA,...
An Imperial History of the CIA with Hugh Wilford
Summary Hugh Wilford joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss his new book. Hugh is a professor, author, and leading CIA historian. What Youll Learn Intelligence Imperial influences on American intelligence Key figures in CIA history Wild Bill Donovan & British influence Groton Schools impact on CIA leaders Reflections Inherited history Challenging established narratives And much, much more Resources SURFACE SKIM *Spotlight Resource* The CIA: An Imperial History, Hugh Wilford (Basic Books, 2024) *SpyCasts* The British Monarchy and Secret Intelligence with Rory Cormac and Richard Aldrich (2024) The Past 75 Years with Historian of the CIA Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones (2022) The 75th Anniversary...
The Battlefield Tour Guide with Bob Shaw
Summary Robert Shaw joins Andrew to discuss his experience working as an accredited Battlefield tour guide. Bobs career in the British Army spanned over 25 years. What Youll Learn Intelligence Becoming a battlefield tour guide IEDD and Intelligence Work in Northern Ireland Hypothetical WWIII scenarios Special Forces, TECHINT, & the Bin Laden Raid Reflections Learning from history Interpretation and understanding And much, much more Quotes of the Week One of the things about being an IEDD operator, our intent of course is investigation. And part of that is asking questions, lots of them, and getting, in a sense, answers and...
Two Decades at the International Spy Museum with Anna Slafer
Summary Anna Slafer (LinkedIn, Website) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss the history of the International Spy Museum. Anna was one of SPYs first employees when the museum opened in 2002. What Youll Learn Intelligence Building the International Spy Museum Milton Maltz: the visionary behind SPY The role of historians and curators Creating exhibits on espionage Reflections Institutional memory and evolution The challenges and joys of storytelling And much, much more Quotes of the Week We structured the museum so people could understand: How does [spying] work? Who does it? What is my role? And we wanted to look at the...
Leadership & The United States Pacific Command with Ret. Lieutenant General Anthony Crutchfield
Summary Lieutenant General Anthony Crutchfield (Ret.) (LinkedIn, Wikipedia) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss his time as the Deputy Commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command. PACOM covers 52% of the globe. What Youll Learn Intelligence The role of intelligence in military operations Ethical dilemmas in command decisions Reflections on the impact of mentorship and outreach The importance of remaining aware in today's pervasive world Reflections The challenges of leadership Hard work, determination, and resilience And much, much more Quotes of the Week I worked hard at everything I did. If somebody asked me to do a job, I didnt say, Thats...
Applying Intelligence to Business Strategy with Jonathan B. Smith
Summary Jonathan B. Smith (X; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss the application of intelligence to entrepreneurship. Jonathan is an entrepreneur, author, and business strategist. What Youll Learn Intelligence Building high-performance teams Case officers vs. entrepreneurs Networking and overcoming operational challenges Curiosity as a key trait for success Reflections The will to succeed The power of listening and empathy And much, much more Quotes of the Week I often switch languages I'll speak from a medical CEO's perspective versus a financial services CEO perspective. And people, when you use their language, they tend to lean in. They're like, Oh, you...
The Skinny on Cuban Intelligence with Counterintelligence expert Ean Forsythe
Summary Ean Forsythe joins Andrew to discuss the history of Cuban intelligence. Ean is the Counterintelligence and Security Center Chair at the National Intelligence University. What Youll Learn Intelligence The history and evolution of Cuban intelligence Case studies, including Ana Montes, Kendall Meyers, and the Cuban Five Counterintelligence strategies and challenges The role of Cuban intelligence during the Cold War Reflections Ideology and the power of ideas Offensive vs. defensive play And much, much more Resources SURFACE SKIM *SpyCasts* Code Name Blue Wren: Cuban Spy Ana Montes with Jim Popkin (2023) The Counterintelligence Chief with FBI Assistant Director Alan Kohler...
Bellingcat: An Intelligence Agency for the People with Eliot Higgins
Summary Eliot Higgins (X; Wikipedia) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss the work of Bellingcat. Eliot founded the open-source investigative website in 2014. What Youll Learn Intelligence Bellingcats approach to investigative journalism The rise of OSINT as a tool of journalism Bellingcats relationship with intelligence agencies Case studies from Bellingcats past, including the Skripal Case and the MH17 flight investigation Reflections Leading by example Accessibility and accountability And much, much more Quotes of the Week When I first started doing this work ... I would present geolocation and stuff on stage. The reaction was like I was doing magic tricks, but...
The Cyber Behavioral Profiler with Cameron Malin
Summary Cameron Malin (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss cyber and behavioral profiling. Cameron was the creator and founder ofthe FBIs Cyber Behavioral Analysis Center. What Youll Learn Intelligence The historical origins of behavioral profiling Applying behavioral profiling to counterintelligence and cyber threats Nature vs. Nurture in criminal behavior The future of deception and cyberwarfare Reflections The complexity of the human mind Threat evolution And much, much more Quotes of the Week We need to think about cybersecurity as not just hacking and malware and the obvious tangible or known weapons that are used, it includes mental malware Deep fakes...
The FBI Hostage Negotiator - with Chris Voss
Summary Chris Voss (X; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss the art of negotiation. Chris formerly served as the FBI lead international hostage negotiator. What Youll Learn Intelligence The very basics of negotiation, including the phrase Never split the difference The art of Tactical Empathy Case studies from Chris career, including the Dos Palmas kidnappings Techniques in ethical interrogation Reflections Pressure makes diamonds Human nature & understanding the other side And much, much more Quotes of the Week Never take advice from somebody that you wouldnt trade places with. Never take directions from somebody who hasnt been where youre going...
The U.S. House Intelligence Committee - with Ranking Member Congressman Jim Himes
Summary Jim Himes (Website; X) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss the U.S. House Intelligence Committee. Jim has served as the U.S. representative for Connecticuts 4th congressional district since 2009. What Youll Learn Intelligence The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Its role and operations The importance of bipartisan collaboration Transparency and accountability in intelligence Congressman Himes' personal experiences during 9/11, its impact on his career in intelligence, and 9/11s impact on intelligence at large Reflections Public trust and earning confidence Partnership and cooperation And much, much more Quotes of the Week I get asked all the time, Oh my gosh,...
Digital Innovation and the Next Frontier of Intelligence - with Jennifer Ewbank
Summary Jennifer Ewbank (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss the integration of technology within intelligence. Jennifer recently retired from her role as Deputy Director of CIA for Digital Innovation. What Youll Learn Intelligence The qualities and skills of great digital leadership Risk management in intelligence The roles, responsibilities, and emotional toll of theChief of Station The integration of technology across CIA operations Reflections Humility and lifelong learning Leadership in dynamic arenas And much, much more Quotes of the Week Intelligence isn't about knowing exactly what's going to happen It's about delivering a decision advantage to our policymakers. Decision advantage doesn't...
Ciphers, Disguise, and Invisible Ink: Tools of the Trade with Pete Langman & Nadine Akkerman
Summary Pete Langman and Nadine Akkerman join Andrew to discuss espionage in Elizabethan England. Pete and Nadine are authors of the new book Spycraft: Tricks and Tools of the Dangerous Trade from Elizabeth I to the Restoration. What Youll Learn Intelligence Spymasters of the Elizabethan era Techniques in forgeries, invisible inks, and seal-making The impact of spies on important historical events like the Spanish Armada The connections between espionage and religious tension Reflections Creativity & Innovation The risks and dangers of early espionage And much, much more Quotes of the Week Spies are involved with bribery. They cheat and they...
The Future of OSINT and the Intelligence Community with Jason Barrett
Summary Jason Barrett (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss the integration of open-source intelligence into the American Intelligence Community. Jason is the first-ever OSINT Executive. What Youll Learn Intelligence Historical examples of OSINT The evolution of Open Source Intelligence The challenges and unique opportunities OSINT presents The future of OSINT within the Intelligence Community Reflections Trust and transparency Efficiency in intelligence gathering And much, much more Quotes of the Week We're living in an age when credibility and trust is really important to build. This is an opportunity for the IC to really build that trust, I think in important...
The Spycatcher Affair & MI5: The Scandal that Shook Britain with Tim Tate
Summary Tim Tate (Website) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss the Spycatcher Affair. Tim is a best-selling author and award-winning filmmaker. What Youll Learn Intelligence Peter Wright:His background and motives The contents of Spycatcher including the exposure of alleged soviet moles The UKs efforts to keep their secrets secret The lasting effects of the Spycatcher Affair Reflections Personal secrecy vs. public security Censorship and free speech And much, much more Quotes of the Week "[Wright] found truly acres of paperwork from old files which had been disregarded and hadn't been properly followed up on and leads that hadn't been properly followed.And...
The Director-General of the Australian Signals Directorate with Rachel Noble
Summary Rachel Noble joins Andrew to discuss her role as Director-General of the Australian Signals Directorate. Rachel is the first woman to hold this position. What Youll Learn Intelligence The Australian Signals Directorate: Its purpose and mission The true story of the Pine Gap spy facility Leadership in Intelligence The SIGINT origins of the Five Eyes alliance Reflections The value of team The importance of work-life balance And much, much more Quotes of the Week Women lead differently. We talk differently, we engage in different ways. And I've had to learn to own that about myself and not be tempted...
Lethal Action - Understanding Poison with Neil Bradbury
Summary Neil Bradbury (Website, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss the deadly history of poison and espionage. Neil is an author and biochemist. What Youll Learn Intelligence How different poisons affect the human body The usage of poisons as a covert assassination method The deaths of defectors Alexander Litvinenko and Georgi Markov The Soviet Unions Lab X and the production and research of poisons on the state level Reflections The double edge of creativity The necessity for research and experimentation And much, much more Quotes of the Week In order to counteract lots of the poisons, you have to know...
The JFK Assassination a Debate with Jefferson Morley and Mark Zaid (Part 2)
Summary Jefferson Morley and Mark Zaid join Andrew in a debate over the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Mark and Jeff are longtime friends and colleagues with very different viewpoints of what truly happened on November 22nd, 1963. What Youll Learn Intelligence The lasting questions surrounding the Kennedy assassination Lee Harvey Oswalds intelligence connections The Warren Commission and the JFK Assassination Records The strangest theories Mark and Jeff have heard, and the most plausible explanations of who killed President Kennedy Reflections Public distrust and the search for truth Reactions and responses to tragedy And much, much more Quotes of...
The JFK Assassination a Debate with Jefferson Morley and Mark Zaid (Part 1)
Summary Jefferson Morley and Mark Zaid join Andrew in a debate over the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Mark and Jeff are longtime friends and colleagues with very different viewpoints of what truly happened on November 22nd, 1963. What Youll Learn Intelligence The lasting questions surrounding the Kennedy assassination Lee Harvey Oswalds intelligence connections The Warren Commission and the JFK Assassination Records The strangest theories Mark and Jeff have heard, and the most plausible explanations of who killed President Kennedy Reflections Public distrust and the search for truth Reactions and responses to tragedy And much, much more Quotes of...
The Murder of an IRA Spy with Henry Hemming
Summary Henry Hemming (X, Website) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss the case of Frank Hegarty, a British spy operating within the IRA. Henry is a bestselling espionage author. What Youll Learn Intelligence Espionage and the role of MI5 within the Troubles The story of Frank Hegarty, a British spy working in Derry Freddie Scappaticci, or Stakeknife, and Operation Kenova The moral implications of spying Reflections Sacrifice, risk, and trust The nuances of conflict And much, much more Quotes of the Week This is where it becomes, morally, much more complex. Whats difficult is that most of the handlers who were...
Reporting Intelligence - with Warren Strobel and Brett Forrest of the Wall Street Journal
Summary Brett Forrest and Warren Strobel join Andrew to discuss reporting intelligence. Brett and Warren are national security reporters for The Wall Street Journal. What Youll Learn Intelligence The intelligence learning curve Stories from the front lines of modern conflicts and critical moments The unique challenges that come with reporting on intelligence, and ... The risks, including being a target of espionage Reflections Privacy and protection The power, and danger, of sharing information And much, much more Episode Notes This week on SpyCast, Andrew was joined in the studio by Brett Forrest and Warren Strobel, intelligence correspondents at the Wall...
Leading United States Central Command - with General Frank McKenzie
Summary General Frank McKenzie (Biography, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss his new book, The Melting Point. General McKenzie was the 14th commander of the United States Central Command. What Youll Learn Intelligence Combatant commands and their purpose Leading CENTCOM, Central Command The role of intelligence in military leadership The US withdrawal from Afghanistan Reflections Learning from the lessons of history The importance and impact of leadership And much, much more Quotes of the Week What that leads you to is really, intelligence. It paints that picture and it describes the operational environment within which you can operate. So here's...
The Future of NATO with Leon Panetta and Expert Panel
Summary An expert panel of world leaders gathered at the International Spy Museum to discuss the importance of NATO today and in the future. Panelists included former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, Latvian President Edgars Rinkvis, among others. What Youll Learn Intelligence Threats facing Baltic countries, including Russia The importance of NATO support for Ukraine Maintaining stability during political turmoil NATOs growth and where it still needs to evolve in the 21st century Reflections The power of global partnerships The impact of honest leadership And much, much more Quotes of the Week In the old days, NATO was kind of...
Cybersecurity in The White House with Camille Stewart Gloster
Summary Camille Stewart Gloster (X, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss her career in cyber. Camille was the first Deputy National Cyber Director for Technology & Ecosystem for the White House. What Youll Learn Intelligence The intersections between technology and law The origins of the cyber threat The importance of cyber education Building a diverse cyber workforce Reflections Challenging narratives and norms Strategic education And much, much more Quotes of the Week Another part of the problem is having a conversation where people understand that they do a lot of this work every day. Honing those skills and being intentional...
The National Intelligence Council with Michael Collins
Summary Michael Collins joins Andrew to discuss the National Intelligence Council. Michael is the NICs current acting chair. What Youll Learn Intelligence The role of the National Intelligence Council National Intelligence Officers and their work around the world The products of the NIC, including the Annual Threat Assessment The importance of Intelligence Diplomacy and objective analysis Reflections The power of collaboration Staying grounded and optimistic And much, much more Quotes of the Week In the analytic product, the first paragraph says: Here's the bad thing. Second paragraph says: This is what the bad thing means for the United States. Third...
"The Real James Bond Cars" with Top Gear's Jason Barlow
Summary Jason Barlow (X; Biography) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss the iconic James Bond vehicles. Jason is the longstanding editor-at-large at Top Gear. What Youll Learn Intelligence How the Bond car phenomenon came to be Ian Flemings love for cars The different nationalities of Bond cars What its like to be behind the wheel of some of these iconic cars Reflections The making of pop culture The personality of cars And much, much more Quotes of the Week Something strange happens in popular culture, where worlds kind of collide and cars assume these sorts of statuses far in excess of...
The Worlds Preeminent Collection of SPY Artifacts with Laura Hicken and Lauren VonBechmann
Summary Laura Hicken (LinkedIn) and Lauren vonBechmann (LinkedIn) join Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss the collection of the International Spy Museum. SPYs collection consists of 10,000 espionage-related artifacts. What Youll Learn Intelligence The ins and outs of getting into the museum field Why Museums? SPYs largest, smallest, and coolest artifacts The challenges of being a spy museum Reflections Following your passions A dedication to lifelong learning and teaching And much, much more Quotes of the Week It's that ability to give accessibility to our audiences so that they can see like parts of history So it's not only to preserve it,...
SpyCast Trailer
U.S. Army Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) with Dennis Eger & Shawn Nilius
Summary Dennis Eger (LinkedIn) and Shawn Nilius (LinkedIn) join Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss open-source intelligence. Combined, the two have over six decades of service to the U.S. Army. What Youll Learn Intelligence What is Open-Source Intelligence How the US Army utilizes and collects OSINT OSINT across the Intelligence Community How OSINT has impacted the War in Ukraine Reflections The power of information and how you use it Cyber ethics And much, much more Quotes of the Week If [civilians are] taking a video and posting it, they become in the cycle The amount of things that people do on the...
Alan Turing: Codebreaker, Visionary, Enigma with Andrew Hodges
Summary Andrew Hodges (Website, Wikipedia) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss the life and work of Alan Turing. Andrew is an emeritus senior research fellow of mathematics at the University of Oxford. What Youll Learn Intelligence Turings early foundations for artificial intelligence Interwar cryptanalysis Bletchley Park, Hut 8, and British Naval Intelligence The mechanics of the Bombe machine Reflections Legacy changing alongside social history The weight and pressure of genius And much, much more Quotes of the Week Everything that you do with the digital, everything that we're doing now through these computers, flows from his perceptions. And that in turn...
Zelensky, Ukraine & Intelligence with Simon Shuster
Summary Simon Shuster (X, Website) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukraine. Simon is a senior correspondent at TIME. What Youll Learn Intelligence Zelenskyys career pre-Presidency Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion Ukrainian public opinion of Zelenskyy Zelenskyys relationship with Ukrainian intelligence Reflections Contagious courage Leadership styles, techniques, and unique skills And much, much more Quotes of the Week In researching [Zelenskyys] transformations as a person from comedian to politician to wartime leader, I also thought a lot about what qualities have remained consistent in him. And one of them for sure is this kind of, go...
The Real Ian Fleming with Nicholas Shakespeare
Summary Nicholas Shakespeare (X; Website) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss the life and legacy of Ian Fleming. Nicholas is an award-winning novelist and biographer. What Youll Learn Intelligence Flemings family and upbringing Debunking misconceptions about Flemings character Flemings career in intelligence British Naval Intelligence operations during WWII Reflections Life influencing literature The lasting impact of storytelling And much, much more Quotes of the Week Whatever the ingredients of Bond As a kind of, both a hero of modernization, but also as a symbol of retrospective power The films have allowed this protean creature to exist in the future, in the...
Codebreaking and Codemaking Down Under with John Blaxland and Clare Birgin
Summary John Blaxland (X,LinkedIn) and Clare Birgin (Wikipedia, LinkedIn) join Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss Australian codebreaking. John and Clare are coauthors of the new book Revealing Secrets. What Youll Learn Intelligence The importance of SIGINT Codebreaking in Australian intelligence Australias role in WWII and the Cold War The advent and evolution of cyber Reflections Strategic defense and offense The power, and danger, of communication And much, much more Quotes of the Week "What I've noticed with the Australians, and I think it's similar in the other the other Five Eyes countries, these people tend to be quite patriotic to do...
James Foley: Journalist, ISIS Hostage, Son with His Mother Diane Foley
Summary Diane Foley (Website, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss the legacy of her son, James Foley. James was held hostage and murdered by ISIS in 2014. What Youll Learn Intelligence The enduring legacy of James murder James time in captivity in Libya A mothers experience communicating with her sons captors How hostage recovery efforts have evolved since 2014 Reflections Grief turned into action Forgiveness, empathy, and resilience And much, much more Quotes of the Week [Jim] could have been teaching or doing so many things, writing but he just felt those stories were essential. And it really made me...
Interstellar Intelligence with Harvard Astrophysicist Avi Loeb
Summary Avi Loeb (Harvard Biography, Wikipedia) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss intelligence in outer space. He is a Professor in the Department of Astronomy at Harvard University. What Youll Learn Intelligence The Galileo Project & its goals The Intelligence Community and Outer Space Government positions on the existence of extraterrestrial life Connections between intelligence and astrophysics Reflections The enormity of our universe Evidence over opinion or speculation And much, much more Quotes of the Week And my hope is that realizing that we have a smart neighbor that we can learn from would convince us to change our priorities from...
Navigating a Career in Counterterrorism as a Muslim with Angie Gad
Summary Angie Gad (LinkedIn, Website) joined Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss her career in intelligence analysis. Angie is a first-generation Egyptian-American. What Youll Learn Intelligence The role of state fusion centers to national intelligence How counterterrorism analysis evolved after 9/11 The connections between ISIS and Far Right Extremists The mental health implications of counterterrorism Reflections The importance of diversity of thought and experience Personal identity in professional life And much, much more Quotes of the Week I think that's what drives me as an analyst. I love to understand why extremists do what they do, what leads them, what are the...
The Foundations of American Intelligence in WWI with Mark Stout
Summary Mark Stout (X; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss his new book, World War I and the Foundations of American Intelligence. Mark Stout is a former intelligence analyst and former SPY Historian. What Youll Learn Intelligence The first American intelligence agencies Codebreaking during WWI The American Protective League and spy paranoia WWIs effect on American culture and politics Reflections Challenging common historical thought Studying the forgotten wars And much, much more Quotes of the Week [After World War I] there will never be a time again when the United States won't have squadrons in the Army Air Corps, later...
The Director-General of NZ Security Intelligence Service with Andrew Hampton
Summary Andrew Hampton joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss intelligence in New Zealand. Andrew is the Director General of the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service. What Youll Learn Intelligence The New Zealand Intelligence Community How geography effects national security The lasting impact of the Christchurch Mosque attacks New Zealands relationship with China Reflections The power of community organization The nuanced nature of global politics And much, much more Quotes of the Week I think for a long time there was a view that our geographical isolation protected us from a range of national security threats. But unfortunately, in the current world,...
I Helped Solve the Final Zodiac Killer Cipher with David Oranchak
Summary David Oranchak (X, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss his work helping to solve the 340 Zodiac cipher. Dave is a software developer and avid puzzle solver. What Youll Learn Intelligence The difference between codes and ciphers The cryptological methods used by the Zodiac killer The history of cryptography and its importance to intelligence How Dave and his team cracked the 340 Cipher Reflections Persistence and dedication Average citizens as avid participants And much, much more Quotes of the Week It felt like we had gotten a brand new letter from the Zodiac Killer. You know, the case had...
Bond After Fleming, the Continuation of an Icon with Mark Edlitz
Summary Mark Edlitz (X, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss how James Bond lived on in literature after the death of Ian Fleming. Mark is an author and pop culture expert. What Youll Learn Intelligence The original Fleming novels Intellectual property and authors rights to iconic characters The evolution of Bond as a literary character The relationship between the Bond books and the Bond movies Reflections Can icons ever truly die? Just how malleable are our favorite characters? And much, much more Resources SURFACE SKIM *Spotlight Resource* James Bond After Fleming: The Continuation Novels, Mark Edlitz (2023) *SpyCasts* The James...
The Skinny on American Intelligence & the Law with D.C. Super Lawyer Mark Zaid
Summary Mark Zaid (X, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss American intelligence and the law.Youve heard of a lawyer to the stars, Mark is the lawyer to the spies What Youll Learn Intelligence The quirks of being a lawyer in this space How the Espionage Act works in practice The trial of the Rosenbergs The origins of FOIA and its purpose The Legal foundations underpinning espionage and intelligence Reflections Challenging authority The delicate balance of secrecy And much, much more Quotes of the Week I still love working every day, 30 years later, because there's still something new. As much...
Telling Americans About China (and Intelligence) with Sara Castro
Summary Dr. Sara Castro (LinkedIn, Bio) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss the history of US-China diplomacy. Sara is an Associate Professor of History at the United States Air Force Academy. What Youll Learn Intelligence The Dixie Mission The history of US-China relations dating back to the Opium Wars Chinas involvement with the OSS during WWII How Mao Zedong & Chiang Kai-shek built modern China Reflections Understanding and empathy Knowledge is power And much, much more Resources SURFACE SKIM *Spotlight Resource* Mission to Mao: US Intelligence in China during World War II, Sara B. Castro, (Georgetown University Press, 2024) *SpyCasts* Making...
The James Bond Collector - with Mike VanBlaricum
Summary Mike VanBlaricum (X; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss his journey as a James Bond fanatic and collector. Mike is the President of the Ian Fleming Foundation. What Youll Learn Intelligence How Mike became an obsessive James Bond collector with 10,000 artifacts Mikes favorite Bond cars, movies, and books How From Russia with Love was one of John F Kennedys favorite books Mikes tips on the best place to start if you want to read the Bond novels Reflections The passion of a collector Pop culture influencing the real world And much, much more Quotes of the Week I've...
A CIA Psychologist on the Minds of World Leaders, Pt. 2 with Dr. Ursula Wilder
Summary Dr. Ursula Wilder (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss the intersections between psychology and intelligence. Ursula is a clinical psychologist with over two decades of experience working at the Central Intelligence Agency. What Youll Learn Intelligence How psychology can be useful to national security Historical examples of leadership analysis Leadership personality assessments & the Cuban Missile Crisis Psychoanalytic theory and espionage Reflections Human nature throughout history History repeating itself And much, much more Quotes of the Week Together, these documents are quite powerful. The psych assessments are very, very carefully, tightly held and are classified at a high level....
A CIA Psychologist on the Minds of World Leaders, Pt. 1 with Dr. Ursula Wilder
Summary Dr. Ursula Wilder (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss the intersections between psychology and intelligence. Ursula is a clinical psychologist with over two decades of experience working at the Central Intelligence Agency. What Youll Learn Intelligence How psychology can be useful to national security Historical examples of leadership analysis Leadership personality assessments & the Cuban Missile Crisis Psychoanalytic theory and espionage Reflections Human nature throughout history History repeating itself And much, much more Quotes of the Week Together, these documents are quite powerful. The psych assessments are very, very carefully, tightly held and are classified at a high level....
CIA Director, Defense Secretary, Gentleman with Leon Panetta
Summary Leon Panetta (Panetta Institute) joins Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss his lifetime of American public service. Secretary Panetta was the 2023 recipient of SPYs William H. Webster Award. What Youll Learn Intelligence Directing the Central Intelligence Agency Intelligence & the Abbottabad Raid Working within the Clinton Administration A lifes dedication to the safety of the American public Reflections The power of patience and the ability to listen Handing immense pressure and responsibility And much, much more Resources SURFACE SKIM *SpyCasts* My Life in American Intelligence with Barry Zulauf (2023) David Petraeus on Ukraine & Intelligence with the former CIA Director...
The British Monarchy and Secret Intelligence with Rory Cormac and Richard Aldrich
Summary Rory Cormac (X) and Richard Aldrich join Andrew (X;LinkedIn) to discuss intelligence and the British Monarchy. The links between the royals and espionage prove the Crown to be far more than just a figurehead. What Youll Learn Intelligence Prince Williams internship with British Intelligence How Elizabeth II knew perhaps more secrets that anyone else in history King Charles' love of intelligence Queen Victoria as Spymaster MI5, MI6, and the Diana conspiracies Reflections Secrets within secrets Power and knowledge And much, much more Quotes of the Week What struck me the most was how much access Queen Elizabeth II had,...
From the Vault: 70th Anniversary of James Bond - with Alexis Albion
Summary Curators Alexis (LinkedIn) and Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) use James Bond artifacts in SPYs collection to discuss all things 007. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the first Ian Fleming novel, Casino Royale. What Youll Learn Intelligence Bond vs. Real Life Spies The birth of James Bond Ian Flemings intelligence past Bond and MI6 Reflections What makes a character timeless? Pop culture mirroring real life And much, much more *FULL SHOWNOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE* Episode Notes This week on SpyCast, curators Andrew and Alexis join forces to put the past 70 years of Bond into historical perspective. To help...
Australian National Day Special: Intelligence Down Under with John Blaxland
Summary John Blaxland (Twitter, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss intelligence in Australia and Oceania. John is a widely recognized as a leading expert in this area. What Youll Learn Intelligence -Australias Intelligence Community -SIGINT in Australia during WWII -Australias relationship with South Asia -The Pine Gap facility Reflections -The implications of geography -The power of collaboration And much, much more Quotes of the Week The shift from the analog to the digital world The shift for digital espionage, digital footprint management. How do you hide in the noise? How do you cover your identity? How do you protect your...
Rise of Devils: The Origins of Modern Terrorism with James Crossland
Summary James Crossland (Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss the origins of modern terrorism. James is an expert on terrorism, intelligence, and propaganda. What Youll Learn Intelligence -The origins of modern terrorism -19th century spymasters -Covert action and assassinations -Intelligence as a weapon Reflections -Philosophy and ideologys effect on history -The power of fear And much, much more Quotes of the Week These waves of repression that feed into discontent and create more radical strains of discontent, that is a process that's really observable during this period. The reason why I think this is the first real age of terrorism...
From the Vault: The Professional Hacker with Eric Escobar (Pt 1.)
Summary Eric Escobar (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss compromising networks and information security. He has a coveted DEFCON Black Badge. What Youll Learn Intelligence -What keeps Eric up at night -Thinking like an ethical hacker (aka a penetration tester) -Protecting your information (i.e., Hardening the attack surface) -Plain English explanations of key cyber concepts like Kill Chains and Zero Days Reflections -Having a cool job -The information revolution and life in the modern world And much, much more Episode Notes Eric Escobar commits several thousand felonies on any given day, if he didnt have permission to do...
From the Vault: The Counterintelligence Chief with FBI Assistant Director Alan Kohler
Summary Alan Kohler joins Andrew to discuss the FBIs counterintelligence division. He is a recipient of the FBI Directors Award for Outstanding Counterintelligence Investigation. ***FULL SHOWNOTES AVAILABLE HERE*** What Youll Learn Intelligence -Counterintelligence vs. Counterespionage -How the FBI recruits foreign agents -Ideological motivations behind spying -Effect of technology on counterintelligence Reflections -Staying grounded under pressure -The value of creativity Notes Alan Kohler (LinkedIn, Website) has been the FBI Assistant Director for Counterintelligence since 2020. Alan and Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) talk all things counterintelligence. ***FULL RESOURCES AVAILABLE HERE*** *SpyCasts* -The FBI & Cyber with Cyber Division Chief Bryan Vorndran, Part 1 (2022)...
From the Vault: Ukraine & Intelligence: One Year on with Shane Harris
Summary Shane Harris (Twitter, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss the role of intelligence in the Ukraine conflict one year after it began. Shane reports on intelligence for the Washington Post and is the author of two books. What Youll Learn Intelligence -Where we are with the war in Ukraine -The role intelligence agencies are playing in the conflict -The leadership of Zelensky and Putin -What its like to report on spies -Dealing with sources inside the intelligence agencies Reflections -The tenacity of the Ukrainian people and army -History as both repetitive and unpredictable Episode Notes This week on SpyCast,...
Making Sense of China, Taiwan, & America Pacific Intelligence with Bonny Lin
Summary Bonny Lin (Biography) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss the current state of China and intelligence. Bonny is the Director of the ChinaPower Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. What Youll Learn Intelligence -Chinas economic power and status -The current landscape of Chinese intelligence -Chinas relationship with Taiwan -The ChinaPower Project Reflections -Power and prominence -The global community as a complicated ecosystem And much, much more Quotes of the Week In the last couple of years, we've seen really a securitization of how China views intelligence and national security in general. And just this July, we saw...
My Life in American Intelligence with Barry Zulauf
Summary Barry Zulauf (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss his extensive experience working across the American intelligence community. Barry is the President of the International Association for Intelligence Education. What Youll Learn Intelligence What is the Intelligence Community? The organizational structure of American intelligence The establishment of the ODNI The intelligence components of the DEA Reflections A life of service Passion to serve the people And much, much more Quotes of the Week [Fentanyl] is an enormous, enormous problem and no single organization, even as big as the Defense Intelligence enterprise, can deal with it alone. So, it's going...
The Most Famous Art Detective in the World with ex-FBI Legend Robert Wittman
Summary Robert Wittman (Website; Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss his career and the FBIs Art Crime Team. Bob recovered over $300 million worth of stolen art and cultural property over the course of his career. What Youll Learn Intelligence How the FBIs Art Crime Team (ACT) was formed The intelligence angle when investigating provenance Living and working undercover abroad Museums & Intelligence Reflections The importance of cultural property Questions of ownership and belonging And much, much more Quotes of the Week The motivation for writing the book was to get the word out how important cultural heritage is. It...
The Eye of Horus: Egyptian Intelligence with Dina Rezk
Summary Dina Rezk (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss Egyptian intelligence. Dina is an Associate Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History at the University of Reading. What Youll Learn Intelligence Egyptian leadership & intelligence The intelligence landscape of Egypt Egypts relationship with neighboring countries Ashraf Marwans story from the Egyptian perspective Reflections Leadership, power, and opposition International perspectives and changing views And much, much more Quotes of the Week I think that's one of the ways in which the Egyptian Intelligence Service sort of conceives of its primary responsibility. It's about maintaining internal security, and particularly at the moment you...
British Defence Attach, U.S.A. with Rear Admiral Tim Woods
Summary Rear Admiral Tim Woods (Biography) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss his role as Britains Defence Attach to the United States. Tim previously served as the British Defence Attach in Kyiv, Ukraine. What Youll Learn Intelligence What does a Defense Attach do How intelligence impacts military strategy Admiral Woods experience of the 2021 Russian invasion of Ukraine What its like to constantly be surveilled Reflections The power of relationships and connections Sacrificing personal privacy for national security And much, much more Resources SURFACE SKIM *SpyCasts* Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East vs. West with Calder Walton (2023) Ukraine &...
My Father the Navajo Code-Talker with Laura Tohe
Summary Laura Tohe (Website) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss the stories of the WWII Navajo Code Talkers. Laura is a Din author and the Poet Laureate of the Navajo Nation. What Youll Learn Intelligence How the Code Talking units were formed How the Navajo people used their language as a weapon Lauras father, Benson Tohes story Did the Japanese ever break the code? Reflections The relationship between language and the state Storytelling and the power of oral history And much, much more Quotes of the Week When they got into the service they were told, Now you're going to use...
Agent of Betrayal, FBI Spy Robert Hanssen with CBS Major Garrett and Friends
Summary Andrew leads a SPY Museum panel discussion between four experts on the most damaging mole in FBI history, Robert Hanssen. This program was in collaboration with CBS/Paramount on their new podcast Agent of Betrayal" What Youll Learn Intelligence The story of Robert Hanssen How his colleagues reacted to his betrayal A psychological analysis of Hanssen How the Hanssen case has impacted the FBI and U.S. intelligence Reflections Disillusionment and betrayal The child is father of the man And much, much more Resources SURFACE SKIM *SpyCasts* The Counterintelligence Chief with FBI Assistant Director Alan Kohler (2023) Code Name Blue Wren:...
Double Bill: Former Head of Counter-terrorism Analysis, IDF with Shlomo Mofaz; and Former Head of Intelligence, Mossad with Zohar Palti
Summary Col. (Ret.) Shlomo Mofaz (LinkedIn) and Col (Ret.) Zohar Palti (Wikipedia) join Andrew to discuss their respective careers in the Israeli Defense Forces and the Mossad. What Youll Learn Intelligence Israels relationships with neighboring countries The role of intelligence within the Intifadas Israel and the Lebanon War Hezbollah, Hamas, and other groups that pose threats to Israeli security Reflections Pressure and power Dealing with constant threats And much, much more Episode Notes This week on SpyCast, we bring you a Double Bill featuring Shlomo Mofaz and Zohar Palti. Shlomo Mofaz is the former Head of Counter-terrorism Analysis for the...
Sayeret Matkal: Israels Top-Secret Elite Commando Unit with Aviram Halevi
Summary Lt. Col. (ret.) Aviram Halevi (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss Israels top secret commando unit, Sayeret Matkal. Aviram formerly served as Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Sayeret Matkal. What Youll Learn Intelligence The origins of Sayeret Matkal Collaboration across Israeli intelligence Operation Spring of Youth & the Entebbe Raid Intelligence & hostage retrieval Reflections The value of teamwork No room for fear And much, much more Episode Notes This week on SpyCast, Andrew was joined by Aviram Halevi, former Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Sayeret Matkal, Israels top-secret elite commando unit. Aviram served over two decades in various branches of Israeli intelligence,...
BONUS Episode: Spy Valley An Engineers Nuclear Betrayal: Panel Discussion
Welcome to a very special bonus episode of SpyCast, coming to you directly from the stage of the International Spy Museum. Last month, we hosted a live panel discussion in collaboration with our friends at Goat Rodeo who produced the new podcast, Spy Valley: An Engineers Nuclear Betrayal, a series by Project Brazen and PRX. The riveting series tells the true story of James Harper, a Silicon Valley engineer turned spy who sold nuclear secrets to the Soviet Bloc. The series takes listeners on a journey of nuclear spying, technology theft, and double agents, with intelligence that might still help...
The Intelligence Legacy of the Yom Kippur War with Uri Bar-Joseph
Summary Uri Bar-Joseph (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss the intelligence failure of the Yom Kippur War. Uri is an author and professor emeritus at Haifa University. What Youll Learn Intelligence How Israel failed to predict the Yom Kippur War Egyptian spy Ashraf Marwans role in the War How Israeli intelligence evolved post-War Israeli leaderships accountability for the failure Reflections Learning and adapting from mistakes Catastrophe and national trauma And much, much more Resources SURFACE SKIM *SpyCasts* Israeli Military Intelligence with IDF Brig. General (Res.) Yossi Kuperwasser (2023) POWs, Vietnam and Intelligence with Pritzker Curator James Brundage (2022) The CIA...
Former Israeli National Security Advisor with Uzi Arad
Summary Uzi Arad (Wikipedia) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss intelligence and policy at the highest level. Uzi was also a former foreign policy advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Director of Intelligence for the Mossad. What Youll Learn Intelligence National security in Israel Israels position within the Middle East State leaders as consumers of intelligence Uzis relationship with PM Netanyahu Reflections Handling intense pressure Power, proximity, and influence And much, much more Resources SURFACE SKIM *SpyCasts* Irregular Warfare & Intelligence with IWC Director Dennis Walters (2023) Israeli Military Intelligence with IDF Brig. General (Res.) Yossi Kuperwasser (2023) Keeping Secrets/Disclosing...
A Crash Course in Israeli Intelligence with Erez David Maisel
Summary Brig. Gen. (res.) Erez David Maisel (Twitter, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to provide a crash-course in Israeli Intelligence history. Erez is a researcher and former head of the IDFs International Cooperation Division. *FULL SHOWNOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE* What Youll Learn Intelligence Early history of intelligence in Israel The origins of Israeli intelligence organizations Preparing for a Nazi invasion of British Palestine The shift from British to American influence on Israeli intelligence Reflections The challenge of survival Conflict and compromise, or lack thereof And much, much more *FULL SHOWNOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE* Episode Notes This week on SpyCast,...
First of ManyAmericas First Female Intelligence Agency Chief with former NGA Director Letitia Tish Long
Summary Letitia Tish Long (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss her time as the Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Tish was the first woman to be appointed director of an American intelligence agency. What Youll Learn Intelligence GEOINT & its importance Tishs recollection of the Bin Laden raid The differences between NGO and NGA Information sharing between spy chiefs Reflections The value of mentorship Being the first, but certainly not the last And much, much more Quotes of the Week Make sure that you are taking care of yourself, that you're getting that balance, you know, work life balance....
Former Senior Indian Intelligence Officer R&AW Special Secretary Vappala Balachandran
Summary Vappala Balachandran (Wikipedia) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss his career and the ancient roots of espionage in India. Bala formerly served as Special Secretary for Indias Cabinet Secretariat. What Youll Learn Intelligence Indias Research and Analysis Wing The Tamil Tigers threat to Indian national security Intelligence considerations within India-Pakistan relations Lessons in intelligence from Ancient India Reflections Intelligence, the 2nd oldest profession Transitioning from leader to student And much, much more Quotes of the Week There was a lot of pressure. There was a lot of pressure, especially, for example: Certain incidents happening What would be the repercussions in...
Irish Garda Intelligence Chief with Assistant Commissioner Michael McElgunn
Summary Michael McElgunn (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss intelligence in the Republic of Ireland. Michael is the Assistant Commissioner of An Garda Sochnas Crime and Security Intelligence Service. What Youll Learn Intelligence The history of An Garda Sochna The intelligence components of the Garda The present state of Northern Ireland relations Current threats to Irish national security Reflections The value of collaboration Evolving alongside a changing world And much, much more Quote of the Week I think people should in general take comfort from the work that is done by intelligence services and the exceptional collaboration that there is...
Kenya, East Africa, and America with African Intelligence Chief Wilson Boinett
Summary Brigadier General (Ret.) Wilson Boinett joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss Kenyan intelligence. Wilson is the former Director of Kenyas National Intelligence Service. What Youll Learn Intelligence The effect of colonialism on intelligence The organization of Kenyas National Intelligence Service Wilsons role in adapting and reforming Kenyan intelligence The Nairobi bombings and effects on East Africa Reflections Institutional insurgency The courage to push for and enact change *EXTENDED SHOW NOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE* Episode Notes This week on SpyCast, we are thrilled to be joined by our first ever African intelligence chief. Brigadier General (Ret.) Wilson Boinett is the...
David Petraeus on Ukraine & Intelligence with the former CIA Director & 4* General
Summary David Petraeus (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter,LinkedIn) to discuss his strategic analysis of the war in Ukraine. General Petraeus is a former Director of the CIA. What Youll Learn Intelligence General Petraeus appraisal of the situation in Ukraine What victory would look like for each side What role intelligence is playing in the War General Petraeus time as Director of the CIA Reflections The power of narrative Organizational culture *EXTENDED SHOW NOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE* Episode Notes David Petraeus was CIA Director between September 2011 and November 2012, and prior to that had a 37-year career in the U.S....
America 3.0 with Bill Britton of the California Cybersecurity Institute (CCI)
Summary Bill Britton (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) in a discussion about cybersecurity and cyber awareness. Bill is the Director of the California Cybersecurity Institute and CIO at Cal Poly. What Youll Learn Intelligence How to better protect your online information Why cybersecurity is more important now than ever How Cal Poly is addressing cybersecurity challenges The state of cyber in California and America Reflections Confronting our learned habits Lifelong learning *EXTENDED SHOW NOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE* Episode Notes This week on SpyCast, Andrew was joined in the studio by Bill Britton, Vice President of Information Technology, Chief Information Officer...
"The Gambling Capital of the World: Intelligence, Las Vegas Style!" with James Lockhart and Keith Michaels
Summary Keith Michaels (LinkedIn) and James Lockhart (LinkedIn) join Andrew to discuss intelligence in an unlikely place: Casinos! James and Keith have collectively over 30 years of experience within Las Vegas gaming surveillance. What Youll Learn Intelligence How casinos conduct surveillance Collaboration between casinos and intelligence organizations The mob origins of Las Vegas Nation-state intelligence threats in casinos Reflections Its just the luck of the drawor is it? Playing your cards right And much, much more ***FULL SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE HERE*** Episode Notes This week on SpyCast, Andrew is joined by Keith Michaels and James Lockhart on a journey into...
Chinas Corporate Spy War with CNBCs Eamon Javers
Summary Eamon Javers (Twitter, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter,LinkedIn) to discuss Chinas Corporate Spy War. Eamon is the Senior Washington correspondent at CNBC. What Youll Learn Intelligence Why go after corporate secrets? Whats at stake for the United States The case of Yanjun Xu and GE Aviation Military implications of economic espionage Reflections The innovation nation Simple twists of fate And much, much more ***FULL SHOWNOTES AVAILABLE HERE*** Episode Notes This week on SpyCast, Andrew is joined by CNBCs Senior Washington Correspondent Eamon Javers to discuss his new documentary, Chinas Corporate Spy War. Quotes of the Week I don't think people...
The 18-Year-Old Soviet Spy on the Manhattan Project: Ted Hall with Director Steve James
Summary Steve James (IMDb) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss his new film, A Compassionate Spy. 18-year-old Ted Hall was the youngest physicist working on the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos. What Youll Learn Intelligence Soviet-American relations during WWII The Manhattan Project and the development of the Atomic Bomb Motivations for atomic espionage The life and story of Theodore Hall Reflections With great power comes great responsibility State allegiance vs. personal conscience And much, much more And Steve James has been nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Documentary Feature in 2018 for Abacus: Small Enough to Jail, and Best Film Editing...
"Intelligence, Special Operations, and Strategy" with Michael Vickers
Summary Michael Vickers (Website) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss his remarkable career and memoir. He was formerly the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence. What Youll Learn Intelligence His specialized training to wear a Nuclear Backpack (yes, literally!) Overseeing a multibillion-dollar CIA covert action program against the Soviets Planning the Osama Bin Laden raid Retooling defense intelligence for the 21st century Reflections Finding a narrative that unites the various chapters of your life Serving a country vs. serving a political party And much, much more Episode Notes Michael Vickers has been on a heck of a ride. He started out as...
Leader, Lecturer, Analyzer, Nerd with Jorhena Thomas
Summary Jorhena Thomas (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss her career as an analyst and passion for intelligence education. Jorhena spent 8 years in the FBI as an Intelligence Analyst. What Youll Learn Intelligence What makes a great analyst Her thoughts on the Intelligence Cycle The Robert Levinson case How the FBI adapted after 9/11 Reflections Teamwork and collaboration The importance of education Episode Notes Andrew is joined by Jorhena Thomas: educator, mentor, and analysis extraordinaire. It was a pleasure to have Jorhena in the studio to discuss to her career, which began at the Federal Bureau of Investigation where...
The Kneeling Man with Leta McCollough Seletsky
Summary Leta McCollough Seletsky (Website; Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to share the story of her father, the famous Kneeling Man The man knelt next to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at his assassination at the Lorraine Motel in 1968. Leta is a litigator turned essayist and memoirist. *Nominate SpyCast for a Peoples Choice Podcast Award HERE!* What Youll Learn Intelligence The life and times of Marrell Mac McCollough The CIA connection between father and daughter Black power and the counterintelligence program (or, COINTELPRO) The conspiracies surrounding Dr. Kings assassination Reflections Coming to terms with the past and present Small but...
From the Vault: Baseball & Espionage with World Series Champion Ryan Zimmerman & Marc Polymeropoulos (Part 1 of 2)
Summary Ryan Zimmerman (MLB Stats; Wikipedia) and Marc Polymeropoulos (Twitter; LinkedIn) join Andrew to discuss intelligence and Americas pastime. From the SpyCast Field of Dreams. What Youll Learn Intelligence Sign-stealing and codebreaking Glue guys and teamwork Ethics in baseball and espionage Clutch and pinch hitters in espionage and baseball Reflections Daring to fail Stepping up to the plate of life And much, much more Episode Notes Buy me some peanuts and crackerjack. Few things in the world compare to sitting back, putting your feet up, and cracking open a cold one while watching the World Series. For the 2021 World...
"Venices Secret Service" with Ioanna Iordanou
Summary Ioanna Iordanou (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss Venices Secret Service. Her research on centralized intelligence during the Italian Renaissance has secured her two entries in Guiness World Records! What Youll Learn Intelligence The origins of centralized intelligence The Council of Ten - Venices spy chiefs The Inquisitors of the State - Venices counterintelligence body Venetian power in the Eastern Mediterranean Reflections The rise and fall of empires The relationship between geography and power And much, much more *EXTENDED SHOW NOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE* Quotes of the Week Considering some of the most significant challenges we face...
"The North Korean Defector" with Former DPRK Agent Kim, Hyun Woo
Summary This week on SpyCast, Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn)is joined by former DPRK Agent Kim, Hyun Woo. This is the first time Dr. Kim has stepped out from the shadows to speak. *EXTENDED SHOW NOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE* What Youll Learn Intelligence The organizational structure of North Korean intelligence The journey of a defector The training and skills needed to be a DPRK agent North Korean intelligence priorities in the East Reflections Bravery and courage in the face of danger State conformity vs. Personal convictions And much, much more Quote of the Week When I envision reunification, I am envisioning reunified...
Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East vs. West with Calder Walton
Summary Calder Walton (Website, Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss the 100-year intelligence war between the United States and Russia. Calder is the author of the new book, SPIES. *EXTENDED SHOW NOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE* What Youll Learn Intelligence The epic clash of intelligence systems Russias assassination program then and now The roots of Putinism China as the Soviet Union on steroids Reflections Cold War 2.0 Could it have been otherwise? And much, much more Quotes of the Week My conclusion, unfortunately, Andrew, is that looking at this large sweep of history that we have, not so much a...
ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL: The D-Day Deception with National WWII Museum Curator Corey Graff
Summary Cory Graff (Website, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter,LinkedIn) to discuss the D-Day deception operation to mask the landings at Normandy. Cory is a Curator at The National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana. What Youll Learn Intelligence Deception tactics used by the Allies The core deception operations BODYGUARD and FORTITUDE The German secret agents who became British double agents The Ghost Army and General Pattons fictitious First U.S. Army Group Intelligence in the World War II Museum Reflections Appearance and intention The essential unknowability of the world And much, much more *EXTENDED SHOW NOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE*...
From the Vault: El Chapo, the War on Drugs & Intelligence with Trial Reporter Noah Hurowitz
Summary Noah Hurowitz (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss infamous drug kingpin El Chapo. A weak link in his cybersecurity set-up would help bring him down. What Youll Learn Intelligence El Chapos internal surveillance operation The cartels use of cryptography to keep communications covert How cybersecurity enabled then brought down El Chapo The role of the infamous DFS a corrupt and now disbanded intelligence agency Reflections Technology early adopters vs. counter responders The changing nature of crime enabled by emerging technologies spyware, drones, etc. And much, much more Episode Notes Joaqun Archivaldo Guzmn Loera, aka El Chapo (shorty)...
70th Anniversary of James Bond, Special - with Alexis Albion on 007 (Part 2 of 2)
Summary Curators Alexis (LinkedIn) and Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) use James Bond artifacts in SPYs collection to discuss all things 007. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the first Ian Fleming novel, Casino Royale. What Youll Learn Intelligence Bond vs. Real Life Spies The birth of James Bond Ian Flemings intelligence past Bond and MI6 Reflections What makes a character timeless? Pop culture mirroring real life And much, much more *FULL SHOWNOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE* Episode Notes This week on SpyCast, curators Andrew and Alexis join forces to put the past 70 years of Bond into historical perspective. To help...
70th Anniversary of James Bond, Special - with Alexis Albion on 007 (Part 1 of 2)
Summary Curators Alexis (LinkedIn) and Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) use James Bond artifacts in SPYs collection to discuss all things 007. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the first Ian Fleming novel, Casino Royale. What Youll Learn Intelligence Bond vs. Real Life Spies The birth of James Bond Ian Flemings intelligence past Bond and MI6 Reflections What makes a character timeless? Pop culture mirroring real life And much, much more *FULL SHOWNOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE* Episode Notes This week on SpyCast, curators Andrew and Alexis join forces to put the past 70 years of Bond into historical perspective. To help...
St. Ermins Hotel, London The History of a Legendary Spy Site, with Stephen Duffy
Summary Stephen Duffy (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss the spy stories of St. Ermins Hotel in London. It includes links to SOE, MI6, Ian Fleming, and the Cambridge 5. What Youll Learn Intelligence The origins of the SOE MI6 and the SOE in the hotel during WWII (bad neighbors!) Incredible female spies of WWII St. Ermins Cambridge Five connection The history of the hotel Reflections The stories a hotel could tell if it could talk Proximity to power And much, much more *FULL SHOWNOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE* Episode Notes During World War II, the hotel was the birthplace...
Ukraine & the Alliance with NATOs Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence David Cattler
Summary David Cattler (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss NATOs intelligence response to the ongoing war in Ukraine. David currently serves as NATOs Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security. What Youll Learn Intelligence Intelligence & NATO NATOs response to the war in Ukraine How NATO is adapting to evolving technologies NATOs purpose and mission Reflections Support and trust between nations Global collaboration And much, much more Episode Notes Last February, SpyCast brought you an episode featuring David Cattler, focused on his role as NATOs Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security. Only a few weeks after that episode...
Espionage and the Two Queens with Kent Tiernan
Summary R. Kent Tiernan joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss the seven-year covert operation to execute Mary Queen of Scots. Kent is the author of The Walsingham Gambit. What Youll Learn Intelligence The spy plot to trap Mary, Queen of Scots Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeths spymaster 16th century intelligence tactics The importance of recruiting agents from your opponents camp The Denial and Deception Committee Reflections Religious conflict Temperament and statecraft And much, much more *FULL SHOW NOTES HERE* Episode Notes Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife Anne Boleyn, survived no less than 9 elaborate plots against her...
Irregular Warfare & Intelligence - with IWC Director Dennis Walters
Summary Dr. Dennis Walters (LinkedIn; Website) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss the Irregular Warfare Center and its ties to intelligence. Dennis is the current Acting Director of the IWC. What Youll Learn Intelligence The need for an Irregular Warfare Center The Irregular Warfare Centers mission What role intelligence plays in irregular war Creating unique solutions for unique situations How do intelligence and Special Operations blend together? Reflections Education as a strategic tool Creative problem solving And much, much more Episode Notes This week on SpyCast, the IWCs Acting Director Dr. Dennis Walters joins Andrew in a conversation about all thing's...
Havana Syndrome A Panel featuring Nicky Woolf, Marc Polymeropoulos, and Mark Zaid
Summary This weeks episode is the result of a collaboration with The Sound, a recent limited series podcast exploring the so-called Havana Syndrome. The guests are host and investigative journalist Nicky Woolf (Twitter), former senior CIA operations officer and sufferer Marc Polymeropoulos (Twitter), and attorney and advocate Mark Zaid (Twitter). What Youll Learn Intelligence What Havana Syndrome is Who it is affecting Theories to explain it The role of intelligence organizations Reflections The unending search for truth Humanity in the intelligence field Quotes of the Week "Theres a betrayal I felt when the CIA didn't give me the medical attention...
Indian Intelligence & Cyber A Conversation with Sameer Patil, ORF Mumbai
Summary Sameer Patil (Twitter; Website) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss intelligence and cybersecurity in the worlds most populous nation. He formerly worked in the NSC Secretariat in the Prime Ministers Office in New Delhi. What Youll Learn Intelligence Cybersecurity in the worlds largest democracy The breakdown of Indias intelligence agencies Cybersecurity among the worlds second largest internet user base Indias relationships with China and Pakistan Reflections Imperial legacies Borders of the mind Guest Bio Sameer Patil is a senior fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, where he is an expert on the intersection between cybersecurity, counterterrorism, and national security. Previously,...
Secrets Revealed Curators Alexis and Andrew on SPYs Pop-Up Exhibit
Summary Dr. Alexis Albion (LinkedIn, Twitter) joins Andrew(Twitter;LinkedIn)to discuss amazing artifacts with amazing stories from SPYs newest pop-up exhibit: Secrets Revealed: Highlights from the Grant Verstandig Collection. What Youll Learn Intelligence Casablancas spy connection Lasting effects of the Rosenberg trial Women in Intelligence WWII covert operations Reflections What makes a story timeless? The human dimension of history And much, much more Quote of the Week To us, that might be the Rosenbergs These sort of incredible historic figures from the Cold War Intelligence. But to Mike Meeropol, it's his mom and dad. So, I think it's a really human story...
"Israeli Military Intelligence" with IDF Brig. General (Res.) Yossi Kuperwasser
Summary Yossi Kuperwasser (Twitter; Website) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss the Israeli intelligence community. Yossi is the former head of the Research Division of IDF Military Intelligence. *FULL SHOWNOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE* What Youll Learn Intelligence The layout of Israeli intelligence The First and Second Intifadas Israels complicated position in the Middle East Relationship between Israeli and American ICs Reflections Intelligence as a learning process The importance and difficulty of trust And much, much more *FULL SHOWNOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE* Quote of the Week That's the problem of intelligence - It's an ongoing learning process. And if you...
"Hitlers Trojan Horse Nazi Intelligence with Nigel West
Summary Nigel West (Wikipedia) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss Germanys military intelligence service during WWII, the Abwehr. Nigel is known as the experts expert on spy history. What Youll Learn Intelligence The rise and fall of the Abwehr The 20th of July plot to kill Hitler & Operation Valkyrie How effective German intelligence was during WWII How Nazi the Abwehr was Reflections The search for truth across generations The power of historical documents EXTENDED SHOW NOTES HERE! Quote of the Week The Germans were ruthless. They had really good intelligence on all the bridges. They knew exactly what had to...
Espionage and the Metaverse with Cathy Hackl
Summary Cathy Hackl (Twitter, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss the potential implications of the metaverse on intelligence. Cathy has been called the Godmother of the Metaverse. What Youll Learn Intelligence What the metaverse is Security and counterintelligence in a virtual world Futurism within intelligence agencies Potential risks and consequences of the metaverse Reflections How virtual spaces can affect our physical world The necessity to evolve alongside technology And much, much more Episode Notes The web will continue to evolve and change with time, but whats coming next? And how will this evolution affect the ways that intelligence organizations around...
Ukraine & Intelligence: One Year on with Shane Harris
Summary Shane Harris (Twitter, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss the role of intelligence in the Ukraine conflict one year after it began. Shane reports on intelligence for the Washington Post and is the author of two books. What Youll Learn Intelligence Where we are with the war in Ukraine The role intelligence agencies are playing in the conflict The leadership of Zelensky and Putin What its like to report on spies Dealing with sources inside the intelligence agencies Reflections The tenacity of the Ukrainian people and army History as both repetitive and unpredictable Episode Notes This week on SpyCast,...
The Espionage News Cycle A Conversation with SPYs Aliza Bran
Summary Aliza Bran (LinkedIn, Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss her role as Media Relations Manager at the International Spy Museum. Aliza is a D.C. native and graduate of Washington University in St. Louis. What Youll Learn Intelligence The media and intelligence International Spy Museum Artifacts Espionage fact vs. fiction The history of The International Spy Museum Reflections Creativity & Ingenuity Growing up in the DMV And much, much more Episode Notes Aliza Brans passion and excitement for the world of SPY is contagious. Around the office of the International Spy Museum, Aliza is known for her cheerful demeanor, quick...
The Counterintelligence Chief with FBI Assistant Director Alan Kohler
Summary Alan Kohler joins Andrew to discuss the FBIs counterintelligence division. He is a recipient of the FBI Directors Award for Outstanding Counterintelligence Investigation. ***FULL SHOWNOTES AVAILABLE HERE*** What Youll Learn Intelligence Counterintelligence vs. Counterespionage How the FBI recruits foreign agents Ideological motivations behind spying Effect of technology on counterintelligence Reflections Staying grounded under pressure The value of creativity Notes Alan Kohler (LinkedIn, Website) has been the FBI Assistant Director for Counterintelligence since 2020. Alan and Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) talk all things counterintelligence. ***FULL RESOURCES AVAILABLE HERE*** *SpyCasts* The FBI & Cyber with Cyber Division Chief Bryan Vorndran, Part 1 (2022)...
"How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the Spy Game" with Mike Susong
Summary Mike Susong joins Andrew to discuss the impact and potential of AI on the intelligence field. Mike is a former CIA case officer who now oversees global intelligence for a risk management company. ***FULL SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE HERE!*** What Youll Learn Intelligence What AI is and why it matters How the Intelligence Community is using AI The pros and cons of AI for case officers in the field Ukraine - intersections between AI and OSINT AI in Alan Turings Imitation Game Reflections Replicants, machines and robots Will humans become obsolete? Notes Mike Susong (Website, LinkedIn) is an expert in...
"The Lion and the Fox Civil War Spy vs. Spy" with Alexander Rose
Summary Alexander Rose (Website; Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss a gripping spy-vs-spy true story from the U.S. Civil War. He wrote the book that was the inspiration behind the hit TV-series TURN. What Youll Learn Intelligence The secret plot to build a Confederate Navy Why Liverpool was so important to both the North and the South How Civil War espionage played out in Great Britain The high-level spy the South had in the British Foreign Office Reflections The birth of the Atlantic World The malleability of public opinion And much, much more Episode Notes Liverpool. The city of the...
Code Name Blue Wren: Cuban Spy Ana Montes - with Jim Popkin
Summary Jim Popkin (Twitter, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss Americas most damaging female spy, Ana Montes. Jim is a four-time recipient of the national Emmy Award for outstanding journalism. What Youll Learn Intelligence How Ana Montes was recruited Her espionage at the heart of the Department of Defense Cuban intelligence tactics The molehunt to capture Montes Reflections The City of Spies Washington D.C. Betrayal and familial loss And much, much more Episode Notes Shes the most famous spy no ones ever heard of Why? Clouded by the tragedy of 9/11, Ana Montes was arrested on suspicion of espionage on...
From the Vault: The Birth of American Propaganda A Conversation on Manipulating the Masses with John Hamilton
Summary John Hamilton (LinkedIn, Website) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss Woodrow Wilson and the birth of American propaganda during WWI. He is a Professor of Journalism at Louisiana State University. What Youll Learn Intelligence Propaganda as a form of covert action The history of the Committee on Public Information Woodrow Wilson & Intelligence Deception and mental manipulation Reflections There is nothing new under the sun...or is there? Life chapters in very different settings And much, much more Episode Notes When the Committee on Public Information was created in April of 1917, the United States was but one week into the...
From the Vault: "The IRA, The Troubles & Intelligence" with Eleanor Williams and Thomas Leahy
Summary Thomas Leahy (Website; LinkedIn) and Eleanor Williams (Website; Twitter) join Andrew to discuss the intelligence war during the Troubles. Thomas lives in Cardiff and Eleanor lives in Belfast. What Youll Learn Intelligence The Troubles through the lens of intelligence Some key intelligence players in the Northern Ireland conflict How the IRA and the British Army adapted organizationally The role intelligence played in the end of the conflict Reflections The fluid nature of motivations and intentions How historic narratives shape and constrain the here-and-now And much, much more Episode Notes From the late 60s to the late 90s Republican and...
From the Vault: "Black Ops: The Life of a Legendary CIA Shadow Warrior" - with Ric Prado
Summary Enrique Ric Prado (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss his new memoir Black Ops. One of the most renowned CIA officers of his generation tells his story. Book You can buy Rics book, Black Ops, and support the International Spy Museums mission here. What Youll Learn Intelligence His time as CIA Counterterrorist Chief of Operations which included 9/11 His career battling communist insurgents and Islamic terrorists on multiple continents His experience living in Contra camps during the Nicaraguan Revolution His time as Dep. Chief of Station and co-founding member of the Bin Laden Task Force Reflections Conquering your...
The Third Option US Covert Action with Loch Johnson (Part 2 of 2)
Summary Loch Johnson (Website, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss covert action aka The Third Option. He is the author of over 30 books on intelligence. What Youll Learn Intelligence What is covert action Four types of covert action Foreign policy options: War Power, Treaty Power, and Spy Power. Examples of CA: Guatemala (1954), Indochina (1965), Afghanistan (2001), Iran (2020) Reflections Accountability The value of learning from past mistakes And much, much more Episode Notes There is perhaps no better guest to join Andrew in this weeks exploration of covert action than Professor Emeritus at the University of Georgia Loch...
The Third Option US Covert Action with Loch Johnson (Part 1 of 2)
Summary Loch Johnson (Website, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss covert action aka The Third Option. He is the author of over 30 books on intelligence. What Youll Learn Intelligence What is covert action Four types of covert action Foreign policy options: War Power, Treaty Power, and Spy Power. Examples of CA: Guatemala (1954), Indochina (1965), Afghanistan (2001), Iran (2020) Reflections Accountability The value of learning from past mistakes And much, much more Episode Notes There is perhaps no better guest to join Andrew in this weeks exploration of covert action than Professor Emeritus at the University of Georgia Loch...
Spying and Start-Ups with former Assistant Director of the CIA John Mullen
Summary John Mullen (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss his life and career. He was awarded the Distinguished Intelligence Medal. What Youll Learn Intelligence How John was recruited Life as an adrenaline addict in the CIA Case officers vs. entrepreneurs How China spies on corporate America Reflections Atlantic vs. Pacific outlook Quantum And much, much more Episode Notes The Pacific Theater of WWII was imprinted on John Mullen as a young boy. He grew up in Seattle on the West Coast and had family members who remembered Boeing factories under camouflaged nets. He had two family members who were...
Honey Trapped: Sex, Betrayal & Love with Henry Schlesinger
Summary Henry Schlesinger (Rare Bird Books) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn) to discuss two of the most mysterious and alluring forces in human history: sex and spying. He is a journalist and author proudly based out of NYC. What Youll Learn Intelligence The impact of sexpionage on history Debunking common honey trap myths Examples of weaponized seduction and leveraged love Cyber honey traps and digital sexpionage Reflections Psychological implications of love and lies The relationship between pop culture myths and historical truth And much, much more Episode Notes Sex. Espionage. Sometimes they both overlap by accident...but sometimes it's entirely intentional. From Samson...
The FBI & Cyber with Cyber Division Chief Bryan Vorndran (Part 2 of 2)
Summary Bryan Vorndran (Website, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn)to discuss how the FBI has adapted to the digital age. As Bryan says, We are not your grandparents FBI. What Youll Learn Intelligence The evolution of the FBI and cyber Weakening cyber adversaries Motivations behind creating and distributing malware How to keep your information safe from cyber attacks Reflections Adapting to change within the intelligence field The value of a passionate and committed team And much, much more Episode Notes When Bryan Vorndran attended the FBI Academy in 2003, cyber was not on his personal radar, nor was it on Quanticos vigorous...
The FBI & Cyber with Cyber Division Chief Bryan Vorndran (Part 1 of 2)
Summary Brian Vorndran (Website, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter;LinkedIn)to discuss how the FBI has adapted to the digital age. As Brian says, We are not your grandparents FBI. What Youll Learn Intelligence The evolution of the FBI and cyber Weakening cyber adversaries Motivations behind creating and distributing malware How to keep your information safe from cyber attacks Reflections Adapting to change within the intelligence field The value of a passionate and committed team And much, much more Episode Notes When Brian Vorndran attended the FBI Academy in 2003, cyber was not on his personal radar, nor was it on Quanticos vigorous...
"Trafficking Data: The Digital Struggle with China" with Aynne Kokas
Summary
Aynne Kokas (LinkedIn; Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss her book "Trafficking Data: How China is Winning the Battle for Digital Sovereignty."
Nazis on the Potomac with former National Park Service Chief Historian Bob Sutton
Summary Bob Sutton (LinkedIn; Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the mysterious intelligence site P.O. Box 1142. High-value Nazis were interrogated here during WWII. What Youll Learn Intelligence The interrogation of top Nazis for intelligence The analysis of literally tons of captured German documents Refining ways to escape and evade Nazis in German occupied Europe The importance of intelligence on the German Armys Order of Battle Reflections The National Park Service & History Politicizing Interpretation And much, much more Episode Notes This weeks guest is the former Chief Historian of the National Park Service, Bob Sutton, and what a...
Baseball & Espionage with World Series Champion Ryan Zimmerman & Marc Polymeropoulos (Part 2 of 2)
Summary Ryan Zimmerman (MLB Stats; Wikipedia) and Marc Polymeropoulos (Twitter; LinkedIn) join Andrew to discuss intelligence and Americas pastime. From the SpyCast Field of Dreams. What Youll Learn Intelligence Sign-stealing and codebreaking Glue guys and teamwork Ethics in baseball and espionage Clutch and pinch hitters in espionage and baseball Reflections Daring to fail Stepping up to the plate of life And much, much more Episode Notes Buy me some peanuts and crackerjack. Few things in the world compare to sitting back, putting your feet up, and cracking open a cold one while watching the World Series. For the 2021 World...
Baseball & Espionage with World Series Champion Ryan Zimmerman & Marc Polymeropoulos (Part 1 of 2)
Summary Ryan Zimmerman (MLB Stats; Wikipedia) and Marc Polymeropoulos (Twitter; LinkedIn) join Andrew to discuss intelligence and Americas pastime. From the SpyCast Field of Dreams. What Youll Learn Intelligence Sign-stealing and codebreaking Glue guys and teamwork Ethics in baseball and espionage Clutch and pinch hitters in espionage and baseball Reflections Daring to fail Stepping up to the plate of life And much, much more Episode Notes Buy me some peanuts and crackerjack. Few things in the world compare to sitting back, putting your feet up, and cracking open a cold one while watching the World Series. For the 2021 World...
From the Vault: On the Streets, Location Unknown - CIA Operator Karen Schaefer (Part I)
Andrew Hammond shares an encore episode From the Vault. From counternarcotics to counterterrorism, from Latin America to the Middle East, and from the back streets of a warzone to the center of events in Washington DC Karen Schaefer has had, how should we say, an eventful career as an intelligence officer. Charming, smart, thoughtful, and you havent even met Karen yetbut seriously, it was a pleasure to talk to this weeks guest who had all of those qualities, and more; so enjoyable it will be released as a double-header. This week, Part I focuses on her time as an operator;...
Sure, I Can Hack Your Organization with Eric Escobar (Part 2 of 2)
Summary Eric Escobar (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss compromising networks and information security. He has a coveted DEFCON Black Badge. What Youll Learn Intelligence What keeps Eric up at night Thinking like an ethical hacker (aka a penetration tester) Protecting your information (i.e., Hardening the attack surface) Plain English explanations of key cyber concepts like Kill Chains and Zero Days Reflections Having a cool job The information revolution and life in the modern world And much, much more Episode Notes Eric Escobar commits several thousand felonies on any given day, if he didnt have permission to do...
Sure, I Can Hack Your Organization with Eric Escobar (Part 1 of 2)
Summary Eric Escobar (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss compromising networks and information security. He has a coveted DEFCON Black Badge. What Youll Learn Intelligence What keeps Eric up at night Thinking like an ethical hacker (aka a penetration tester) Protecting your information (i.e., Hardening the attack surface) Plain English explanations of key cyber concepts like Kill Chains and Zero Days Reflections Having a cool job The information revolution and life in the modern world And much, much more Episode Notes Eric Escobar commits several thousand felonies on any given day, if he didnt have permission to do...
The Past 75 Years with Historian of the CIA Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones
Summary Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones (Website; Wikipedia) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss his book. He has studied American intelligence for 50 years. What Youll Learn Intelligence The CIA and the American presidents they served The founding of the CIA just as America became a global superpower Pearl Harbor, the USSR and covert action under Eisenhower Assassinations, controversy, the Church Committee, and 9/11 Reflections How much of the future can we predict Intention in history And much, much more Episode Notes This weeks guest, Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones, is Emeritus Professor of American History at the University of Edinburgh. He has been studying American...
The 75th Anniversary of the CIA with former Director Robert Gates
Summary Robert Gates (Website; Website) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to reflect on the 75th Anniversary of the CIA. He served 8 U.S. presidents. What Youll Learn Intelligence His reflections on the CIA at 75 How the CIAs story intersected with his own His take on the organizations strengths and weaknesses The complex intl. environment the CIA must now help America navigate Reflections Twists of fate Identity and institutions And much, much more Episode Notes Robert M. Gates is the first career officer in the CIAs history to rise from entry level employee to Director. He spent 27 years at CIA,...
"CIA Reports Officer, Russian Yacht Watcher, Satirist with Alex Finley
Summary Alex Finley(Twitter; Website) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss life as a CIA Reports Officer turned author. She lives in Barcelona. What Youll Learn Intelligence Her take on CIA analysts vs. case officers Information and disinformation in fact and fiction Ukraine, the 2016 election and the Russian historical playbook The regularity even mundanity of much of daily intelligence life Reflections Being an American in Barcelona Viewing your own country from outside the goldfish bowl And much, much more Episode Notes Alex Finley spent 6 years in the CIA as a Reports Officer - whom she describes as a bridge...
"The Counterterrorism and Counter WMD Strategist" with Dexter Ingram.
Summary Dexter Ingram (LinkedIn; Website) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss his varied career. He has a very cool private collection of spy gadgets. What Youll Learn Intelligence What spy gadget he would save if his house were on fire How the hunt for a spy artifact gets his blood pumping Using intelligence to achieve concrete policy objectives His preference for Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) while working with international partners Reflections Vulnerability and trust Building and leveraging relationships And much, much more Episode Notes Dexter Ingram is the Acting Director at the Office of the Special Envoy for the Global Coalition...
POWs, Vietnam and Intelligence with Pritzker Curator James Brundage
Summary James Brundage (LinkedIn; Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss prisoners-of-war and intelligence. He is the Curator at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library in Chicago. What Youll Learn Intelligence The intelligence dynamics of prisoners-of-war Tap codes and other ways to covertly communicate Using POWs for propaganda Debriefing POWs after their release Reflections Comparing across time (WWII, Korea, Vietnam, etc.) Comparing within time (German/Japanese/American POW camps during WWII) And much, much more Episode Notes What intelligence questions are generated when we discuss prisoners of war? The prisoners side asks: what happened? Are they alive? If so, where? What did...
The Beverly Hills Spy with The Hollywood Reporters Seth Abramovitch
Summary Seth Abramovitch (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the British war-hero who spied on behalf of the Japanese during Hollywoods Golden Age. This is a story-and-a-half, by jingo! What Youll Learn Intelligence How a British war-hero became a spy for the other side Japanese espionage in Tinseltown How the story involves Boris Karloff, Charlie Chaplin and Yoko Onos father The spy rings activities before and after Pearl Harbor Reflections Playing the game for yourself vs. for a country or a cause Hubris & Nemesis And much, much more Episode Notes Sqn. Ldr. Frederick Rutland, AM, DSC and...
The Information Battlespace Foreign Denial and Deception with Bill Parquette
Summary Bill Parquette (LinkedIn; Website) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss Denial and Deception. They discuss examples such as D-Day, the Yom Kippur War, and the Persian Gulf War. What Youll Learn Intelligence Denial and deception what it is and why it matters Key examples of denial and deception Detecting denial and deception operations How to avoid seeing monsters everywhere Reflections How to counter denial and deception in everyday life (children, salespeople, etc.) Stumbling into new roles in new fields And much, much more Episode Notes Sun Tzu said, all warfare is based on deception and so much of the...
CIA Officers Turned Authors with David McCloskey & James Stejskal
Summary David McCloskey (Twitter; Website) and James Stejskal (Twitter; LinkedIn) join Andrew to discuss writing about espionage. They are both former intelligence officers. What Youll Learn Intelligence What it is like writing spy fiction as a former practitioner How fact informs fiction Writing as a former analyst compared to as a former operator (James) Reactions by the intelligence community to practitioners-turned-authors Reflections The heaven and hell of being an author The process of getting a process And much, much more Episode Notes Hear two intelligence formers discuss life as current novelists. Where does fact end, and fiction begin when you...
Becoming a Russian Intelligence Officer with Janosh Neumann
Summary Janosh Neumann (LinkedIn; Website) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss life in the FSB. He was born in the Soviet Union to parents in the business. What Youll Learn Intelligence Why Jan defected to the United States How you get recruited and trained as a Russian intelligence officer What it is like to recruit and run agents in Moscow His take on what he did for the Russian state Reflections Learn to connect with anybody Making a life-changing and potentially life-ending decision And much, much more Episode Notes Have you ever wondered how a Russian intelligence officer is trained?...
The Spies Who Came in From the Cold with Chris Costa and John Quattrocki at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library in Chicago
Summary Chris Costa (LinkedIn; Website) and John Quattrocki (LinkedIn; Website) join Andrew to discuss coming in from the Cold War. They both had long illustrious careers in intelligence. What Youll Learn Intelligence Two Cold War intelligence experiences Two perspectives on the U.S. intel. community in the 80s & early 90s Two reflections on the art and science of counterintelligence Two perspectives on serving on the National Security Council Reflections Career bookends Inadequate war termination And much, much more Episode Notes The Windy City Episode. The Pritzker Military Museum and Library (PMML) in Chicago is well worth a visit. Located on...
SPY@20 The Spy of the Century Curators Alexis and Andrew on Kim Philby
Summary Alexis Albion (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss Kim Philby using some of his personal belongings as prompts. This episode on the Soviet mole inside MI6 coincides with SPYs 20th Anniversary. What Youll Learn Intelligence Why Philby has been called The Spy of the Century Philby the man, the ideologue, the spy, and the traitor Philbys corrosive effect on Cold War British and American intelligence The cultural blind spot that allowed him to hide in plain sight then ride a storm of suspicion Reflections Psychological complexity and contradiction Social stratification And much, much more Episode Notes The Cambridge...
Dealing with Russia A Conversation with Counterintelligence Legend Jim Olson
Summary Jim Olson (Website) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss Putin and Russia. He had a 31-year career with the CIA including a tour in Moscow. What Youll Learn Intelligence His views on Russia and its trajectory since the Cold Wars end His frank assessment of Putin and admiration for the Russian people His time in Moscow with 3 rotating KGB teams surveilling him His time as Chief of Station in the city of spies Vienna Reflections A beautiful marriage with American technology Passing the generational baton And much, much more Episode Notes James Olson is a legend in the...
4th of July Special: The Wall of Spies Experience Espionage, Sabotage and Betrayal in America with John Gise
Summary John Gise joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the Wall of Spies Experience. It features over 200 stories of espionage and sabotage in America since 1776. What Youll Learn Intelligence Americas first Spymaster The Founding Father of American Counterintelligence The New Yorker who adopted a Southern accent so she could spy on the Confederacy The escaped enslaved man who was described as a walking order of battle chart Reflections Educating a workforce on its past Dreaming about history And much, much more Episode Notes The Wall of Spies Experience features over 200 stories of espionage, sabotage and betrayal from...
Intelligence & the Worlds Largest Democracy Former Indian Intelligence Director Vikram Sood [from the vault]
Summary Vikram Sood (Twitter, Blog) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss intelligence in the worlds largest democracy. He was the chief of Indias Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW). What Youll Learn Intelligence The intelligence landscape in India China, Pakistan, and the intelligence challenges in the region The founding and evolution of the Research and Analysis Wing The pressure involved in the top job and being responsible to the Prime Minister Reflections The power of narratives Spies can be sensitive souls too And much, much more Episode Notes This is the final installment of our month long special on SPY CHIEFS,...
SPY CHIEFS: From Navy Analyst to State Dept. Intelligence Chief Ellen McCarthys Journey (Part 2 of 2)
Summary Ellen McCarthy (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss her career and time as head of the State Departments intelligence agency. INR is one of the 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. What Youll Learn Intelligence Her start as a Soviet submarine analyst in the Office of Naval Intelligence Bringing the U.S. Coast Guard intel. program into the Intelligence Community (IC) Working for DoD and Geospatial-Intelligence Why she admires the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) Reflections Government/for-profit/non-profit life Managing complexity and change And much, much more Episode Notes Imagine seeing a pyramid from different angles and different heights instead...
SPY CHIEFS: From Navy Analyst to State Dept. Intelligence Chief Ellen McCarthys Journey (Part 1 of 2)
Summary Ellen McCarthy (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss her career and time as head of the State Departments intelligence agency. INR is one of the 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. What Youll Learn Intelligence Her start as a Soviet submarine analyst in the Office of Naval Intelligence Bringing the U.S. Coast Guard intel. program into the Intelligence Community (IC) Working for DoD and Geospatial-Intelligence Why she admires the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) Reflections Government/for-profit/non-profit life Managing complexity and change And much, much more Episode Notes Imagine seeing a pyramid from different angles and different heights instead...
SPY CHIEFS: Director-General of Security Mike Burgess - ASIO, Australia & America
Summary Mike Burgess (Website; Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss his agency and the enduring strength of Australias alliances. ASIO is the second intelligence agency he has directed. What Youll Learn Intelligence The Australian idea of mateship in the intelligence context The Australian intelligence landscape The United States as its most important strategic alliance The enduring value and historical uniqueness of the FIVE EYES alliance Reflections How Man. Utd. might help us understand leadership The frustrations of watching spy fiction on TV as a practitioner And much, much more Episode Notes The top job: what is it like? what...
My Life Looking at Spies & the Media with Paul Lashmar
Summary Paul Lashmar (Twitter, Website) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss investigative journalism and intelligence. He is a former UK Reporter of the Year. What Youll Learn Intelligence The similarities and differences between spooks and journalists The role Watergate played for his generation of journalists Intelligence overseers as Ostriches, Cheerleaders, Lemon-suckers, or Guardians Bellingcat, Spycatcher and the Zinoviev Letter Reflections The long shadow of the Second World War Investigative journalism in democratic societies And much, much more Episode Notes Cardiac stimulating experiences, is how this weeks guest describes meeting sources in smoky IRA pubs in Belfast all on his lonesome....
Amazon to Darien, Atlantic to Pacific Intelligence in Colombia with former Head of its Navy Admiral Hernando Wills
Summary Admiral Hernando Wills Velez (Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss intelligence in Colombia. He is the former professional head of the Colombian Navy. What Youll Learn Intelligence What it is like to be the head of an entire Navy Intelligence from the point of view of a senior military officer The unique set of challenges Colombia faces insurgents, terrorists, paramilitaries, drug-cartels, etc. The role intelligence played in the daring Operation Jacque Reflections The blessings and curses of geography Capacity building in organizations And much, much more Episode Notes To hear more about his remarkable career as former professional...
Peter Earnest Memorial: Spook, CIA Spokesman, Spy Museum Director [from the vault]
Summary Peter Earnest spent 35 years in the CIA as a case officer and retired as its chief spokesman. He was the founding Executive Director of the International Spy Museum. What Youll Learn Intelligence Losing a friend in the line of duty vs. betrayal by a colleague Using affability to your advantage Thoughts on the shift from classic espionage to counterterrorism for the CIA The relationship between the CIA, the press and the public Reflections The origins of the International Spy Museum The role museums can play in fostering a sense of collective identity & esprit de corps And much,...
America's Most Damaging Russian Spy, FBI Agent Robert Hanssen" with Lis Wiehl
Summary Lis Wiehl (Twitter, Website) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the FBI Agent Robert Hanssen. His espionage for the Russians was described as the worst intelligence disaster in U.S. history. What Youll Learn Intelligence The many contradictions of this fragmented personality The criminal sworn FBI Agent The sexual fetishist in Opus Dei The anti-communist Soviet spy Hanssens impact on the FBI and American Intelligence How the Hanssen case effected the FBI-CIA relationship Reflections Technologys impact on the espionage/counterespionage cat-and-mouse game Cultural and institutional blind spots And much, much more Episode Notes The International Spy Museum has the handcuffs that...
CIA Case Officer, Cyber Entrepreneur, Burning Man Volunteer with Mike Susong (Part 2 of 2)
Summary Mike Susong (Website; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss CIA, cyber and corporate intelligence. He won the Intelligence Star for Heroism in the Field. What Youll Learn Intelligence Applying aspects of Mikes training to the private sector using competitive intelligence Mikes role co-founding a pioneering company in the field of Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) The role of technology in enabling and constraining espionage What drew Mike to an annual free-thinking social experiment in the desert Reflections Entrepreneurial thinking as unwavering belief in an idea The difference between working for Uncle Sam and working for corporate America And much,...
CIA Case Officer, Cyber Entrepreneur, Burning Man Volunteer with Mike Susong (Part 1 of 2)
Summary Mike Susong (Website; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss CIA, cyber and corporate intelligence. He won the Intelligence Star for Heroism in the Field. What Youll Learn Intelligence The outgrowth of intelligence from a nation-state activity to a corporate activity Recruiting and running agents as a CIA case officer His shift from tactical intelligence to strategic intelligence His journey from a curious kid with a short-wave radio to an intel professional Reflections Effective decision-making and intelligence The opportunities and challenges of working in different fields and domains And much, much more Episode Notes What is it like to...
El Chapo, the Sinaloa Cartel & Intelligence with Trial Reporter Noah Hurowitz
Summary Noah Hurowitz (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss infamous drug kingpin El Chapo. A weak link in his cybersecurity set-up would help bring him down. What Youll Learn Intelligence El Chapos internal surveillance operation The cartels use of cryptography to keep communications covert How cybersecurity enabled then brought down El Chapo The role of the infamous DFS a corrupt and now disbanded intelligence agency Reflections Technology early adopters vs. counter responders The changing nature of crime enabled by emerging technologies spyware, drones, etc. And much, much more Episode Notes Joaqun Archivaldo Guzmn Loera, aka El Chapo (shorty)...
"ISIS Leader al-Mawla: Caliph. Scholar. Canary. Snitch." with Daniel Milton, West Point CTC Director (Part 2 of 2)
Summary Daniel Milton (Website; Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the former Caliph of the Islamic State. Al Mawla was killed in a U.S. raid in February 2022. What Youll Learn Intelligence The origin of the term Canary Caliph The mythology of Islamic State and the reality Battlefield intelligence and understanding an enemy The Combating Terrorism Center being on the radar of terrorists Reflections The presentation of self The relationship between organizational priorities and organizational hierarchies And much, much more Episode Notes Daniel Milton joins us again to discuss a series of interrogation reports of Al Mawla, at the...
"ISIS Leader al-Mawla: Caliph. Scholar. Canary. Snitch." with Daniel Milton, West Point CTC Director (Part 1 of 2)
Summary Daniel Milton (Website; Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss Tactical Interrogation Reports of the former Caliph of the Islamic State. Al-Mawla was killed in a U.S. raid in February 2022. What Youll Learn Intelligence The ideological feud between Islamic State and Al Qaeda Islamic State's retreat from a quasi-state centered to a shadowy insurgency Battlefield intelligence such as exploitable material and interrogation reports The role of the Combating Terrorism Center in analyzing this intelligence Reflections Training your people for the current fightand the next one The trade-off between a short-term view and a longer-term view And much, much...
"The IRA, The Troubles & Intelligence" with Eleanor Williams and Thomas Leahy
Summary Thomas Leahy (Website; LinkedIn) and Eleanor Williams (Website; Twitter) join Andrew to discuss the intelligence war during the Troubles. Thomas lives in Cardiff and Eleanor lives in Belfast. What Youll Learn Intelligence The Troubles through the lens of intelligence Some key intelligence players in the Northern Ireland conflict How the IRA and the British Army adapted organizationally The role intelligence played in the end of the conflict Reflections The fluid nature of motivations and intentions How historic narratives shape and constrain the here-and-now And much, much more Episode Notes From the late 60s to the late 90s Republican and...
The Nuclear Doomsday Machine with Sean Maloney on Cold War Emergency Plans
Summary Sean Maloney (Website) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the secret history of emergency war plans and the nuclear doomsday machine. He was the first Canadian civilian historian to go into combat since WWII. What Youll Learn Intelligence Top secret emergency war plans for WWIII The role of human intelligence operations in nuclear doomsday planning Some key terms you need to understand the nuclear issue The policy of massive retaliation versus flexible response Reflections Movies to scare yourself by The best and worst of humanity Episode Notes Sean Maloney is a force of nature. The first Canadian civilian historian...
"So, I Design Board Games for the CIA..." - with Volko Ruhnke
Summary Volko Ruhnke (Website; Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss his life and career in the CIA as an analyst and designer of board games. He is a former World Board Game Champion. What Youll Learn Intelligence Designing board games to teach CIA analysts Moonlighting as an award-winning board game designer while working at CIA Similarities and differences between intelligence analysis and board-games The difference between role-play games and board-games in training national security professionals Reflections Humans are good models of humans Volkos journey from Virginia to the CIA via William & Mary and the U.S. Army And more...
"From the CIA to Strategic Cyber" - with Hans Holmer
Summary Hans Holmer (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss his time as a CIA operations officer and his transition to a cyber strategist. He served on every continent except South America and won a CIA Intelligence Star. What Youll Learn Intelligence The advantages for a case officer growing up in two cultures and speaking multiple languages before joining the IC The tech person trained to be a case officer vs. a case officer trained to be a tech person debate That no amount of technology will make up for a lack of cyber strategy The concept of digital dandruff...
"Black Ops: The Life of a Legendary CIA Shadow Warrior" - with Ric Prado
Summary Enrique Ric Prado (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss his new memoir Black Ops. One of the most renowned CIA officers of his generation tells his story. Book You can buy Rics book, Black Ops, and support the International Spy Museums mission here. What Youll Learn Intelligence His time as CIA Counterterrorist Chief of Operations which included 9/11 His career battling communist insurgents and Islamic terrorists on multiple continents His experience living in Contra camps during the Nicaraguan Revolution His time as Dep. Chief of Station and co-founding member of the Bin Laden Task Force Reflections Conquering your...
The National Intelligence University with its President Scott Cameron
Summary J. Scott Cameron (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the National Intelligence University (NIU). He is the President of this unique skiffed institution. What Youll Learn Intelligence oThe NIU what it is, what it does, and what it does differently. oNIUs position within the American intelligence ecosystem oHow NIU banks knowledge without compromising intelligence oWhat it is like to be a student in a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmentalized Information (TS-SCI) research facility Reflections o20th century institutions for 21st century problems oScotts journey from a plant biologist who has been shot at, to his recruitment into the IC at a...
Keeping Secrets/Disclosing Secrets with Spy Chief turned DG of Australias National Archives David Fricker
Summary David Fricker (Website; LinkedIn) had the No.2 job at Australias security and intelligence agency ASIO. He sat down with Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the relationship between this role and his most recent one as Director-General of the National Archives of Australia. What Youll Learn Intelligence oASIO, the Australian intelligence landscape and the region oHis role as CIO and then Deputy-Director General of ASIO oThe role major allies & partners play including the US and Five Eyes (FVEY) oDavids views on intelligence and public trust Reflections oDavids abiding interest in the power of information oThe importance of museums and...
Russia Upside Down with Creator of The Americans Joe Weisberg
Summary Joe Weisberg (Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss his new book on Russia. Joe is the creator of award-winning TV drama The Americans and a former CIA officer. What Youll Learn Intelligence oHis past experience as a hardliner who loved to hate the evil empire oHis thoughts on a trip through the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in the twilight of the Cold War, especially experiencing it as an American Jew oHis interpretation of the KGB and Vladimir Putin oHis take on the moral equivalency argument and U.S. foreign policy Reflections oThe role of complexity vs. simplicity in...
NATOs Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence & Security with David Cattler
Summary David Cattler (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss how intelligence functions at NATO. He is the NATO Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security. What Youll Learn oWhat it is like to be the leader of intelligence and security across the largest peacetime alliance in history? oHow does intelligence come together at NATO who are the key-players, institutions, and stakeholders? oWhat are some of the main challenges facing the Alliance including Russia and Cyber? oReading an institution and its key players oThe importance of soft skills in professional life Episode Notes Every polisci student knows from their...
The Predator Drone Program & the Robotic Revolution with Alec Bierbauer and Mark Cooter
"The Wright Brothers of the U.S. Drone Warfare Program." That is how some people have referred to this week's guests, Alec Bierbauer and Mark Cooter. Andrew sat down with them to dig into drones and their intelligence implications.
How Spies Think 10 Lessons in Intelligence with Sir David Omand [FROM THE ARCHIVE]
This was the most popular episode of 2020. Apparently, people are interested in the views of former GCHQ Director, Joint Intelligence Committee Chair, and first UK Security and Intelligence Coordinator on, well - how spies think. I am sure David now a Visiting Professor at Kings College, London has a few thoughts on the subject. Hear Andrew debrief this weeks guest on the insights derived from a career spent at the summit of British intelligence. 1 Book, 2 Glaswegians, 10 Lessons in Intelligence. Its simple, really. Slinte!
Al Qaeda, DOD & the 9/11 Commission with Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, Undersecretary for Arms Control & International Security
Alexis Albion star of our 500th episode anniversary special is a very good friend of the current Undersecretary for Arms Control & International Security, Bonnie Jenkins. Way back when, they were both on the 9/11 Commission Report while Alexis focus was on the CIA and counterterrorism before the attacks, Bonnies was on the DOD and counterterrorism tiny subjects, I know. In this weeks episode, hear two old friends reminisce, reflect, and put the world to rights. Move over Saturn, get out of the way Jupiter, two huge brains are a comin through.
Snake-Eaters, Detachment A, CIA A Conversation with James Stejskal
Spook. Warrior. Author. This weeks guest is one helluva interesting guy. He was in a clandestine Special Forces unit in Berlin during the Cold War, stay behinds who would sabotage, subvert and generally wreak havoc should World War III break out. He was badly wounded after driving over a land-mine in Somalia in 1992, almost losing his entire leg and suffering a serious head injury. In a subsequent life, James was a CIA officer in Africa when the US embassies were blown up in Kenya and Tanzania and saw the Agency pivot in the aftermath of 9/11. Oh, did I...
American Traitor with ex-Delta Force Author Brad Taylor
Project Prometheus. In the words of ex-Delta Force author Brad Taylor, Super Double Daddy Bad Classified. If youre looking to find a podcast that helps break down the complexities of Chinese foreign policy through the vehicle of a page-turner written by a NYT Bestselling Author, youve arrived at the right doorstep my friend. Brad does serious research. He is also funny, down-to-earth, and super-duper interesting. Por ejemplo, on his first date with his now wife, he told her he was going to join Special Forces and write a novel after 21 years in the military, including many years in a...
The Journey of Two Extraordinary Women in Intel. & Security with Lisa Kaplan (Alethea, CEO) and Avril Eklund (GitHub, CSO)
I was really good at buying drugs, which is how I got recruited into narcotics. Apparently, I make a really good crackhead. Frankly, fact-checking doesnt matter in todays world. Intrigued? You should be. Avril and Lisa are absolutely fascinating! Avril built an intelligence team for the Attorney Generals Office in Pennsylvania, from scratch. Her unit collected strategic intel on narcotics trends and went on to predict the methamphetamine trend before it even hit the Keystone State. Lisa was the Digital Director for Angus King of Maine, a Senator on the Select Committee on Intelligence, the Armed Services Committee, and the...
Special Operations & Intelligence A Conversation with the President of SOFs Think-Do Tank
Post 9/11, special operations and intelligence worked together side-by-side, shoulder-to-shoulder and hand-in-glove (or any other heavily-hyphenated term you care to mention that connotates BFFness). What will happen with the relationship now, though, and in American history how have these two important components of national security related to each other? Enter the Joint Special Operations University (JSOU), located in Tampa, Florida, and more particularly their President Isaiah Ike Wilson, who sits down with Andrew for this weeks episode of #SpyCast. I think, therefore I am Nope. I think, therefore I do
My Global Career as a Female FBI Agent with Kathy Stearman
Beijing. New Delhi. Kathmandu. Hang on, I thought the title said FBI, not CIA? Well, it did. Kathy Stearman was an FBI Legat who lived and worked in all of those capital cities. Well, Ive heard of the Ambassador and the Station Chief, but not the Legat? Well, thats why you need to listen to this weeks SpyCast! Kathy Stearman is a retired FBI Special Agent and author of Its Not About the Gun: Lessons From my Global Career as a Female FBI Agent (I know the title sounds like Lance Armstrongs Its Not About the Bike, but Kathy is...
The Birth of American Propaganda A Conversation on Manipulating the Masses with John Hamilton
The Committee on Public Information (CPI) is the first and only Ministry of Propaganda the United States has ever had. It started one week after the United States entered World War I in April of 1917; in fact, there wasn't even conscription for some weeks, but the Committee on Public Information was created right away. Why? To explore this question, and to learn more about the CPI, Andrew sat down with journalist, professor and Vietnam veteran Jack Hamilton (yes, actually sat down, like face-to-face, eyeball-to-eyeball!).
The Recruiter: Part 2 of 2 Modern Spycraft with Doug London (Part 2)
Doug London is thoughtful and reflective but he doesnt pull his punches and he candidly shares his analysis of the contemporary intelligence landscape. In this second part, Doug reflects on the path taken after 9/11, the CIA at the crossroads, and why human intelligence (HUMINT) will remain central to the vast and increasingly technologically sophisticated world of intelligence. Also, hear about a superstar counterintelligence operative Doug is currently running although there is also a rumor, she might be playing the game for herself listen to find out more
The Recruiter: Part 1 of 2 Modern SpyCraft with Doug London
This weeks guest believes that espionage is about the human soul[its] a very intimate professionthe relationship between a case officer and an agent and the need to really havea profound insight window into their life and their souls. Doug London may be accused of many things, but you cant say hes shallow. His book, The Recruiter, is based on a 34 year career and can be purchased from our online independent bookstore. Next week well hear more about Dougs career, his views on CIA at the cross-roads, the centrality of human intelligence to the intelligence business, despite profound technological change,...
The Happy Traitor A Conversation on George Blake with Biographer Simon Kuper
He was a Soviet agent who was turned by Karl Marx after reading Das Kapital which led him to give up the important operations, a host of MI6 agents and a treasure trove of secret intelligence George Blake was a courier in the Dutch resistance, an MI6 intelligence officer, a language student at Cambridge, a Vice-Consul in South Korea, a prisoner in North Korea, and a hero returning to Britain in 1953. He would escape from a British prison after getting caught and would live out the rest of his life as The Happy Traitor in Moscow before dying in...
Soviet Defectors: Revelations of Renegade Intelligence Officers - with World Leading Expert Kevin Riehle
He has worked as a counterintelligence analyst at the FBI and the DIA. He speaks Russian. He was personally supervised by Robert Hanssen. He has an obsession with Soviet Defectors Freedom has many difficulties, said JFK in his Berlin Speech, and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in. What was it like to leave that type of system, though, to come from behind the Iron Curtain and cross the East-West physical and ideological divide? Kevin Riehle has spent many years studying Soviet defectors and their motivations, and he...
So, Im a Spy & Id like to Write a Book
Nada Bakos is a former CIA analyst and Chief Targeting Officer, Mark Fallon was an NCIS Special Agent and Director of the Criminal Investigative Task Force at Guantanamo, Frank Snepp is a former chief analyst of North Vietnamese Strategy for the CIA during the Vietnam War. Mark Zaid - one of the nations top national security lawyers - joins Andrew to help break the issue down. This weeks guests discuss their motivations, frustrations, victories and defeats in publishing, The Targeter: My Life in the CIA Hunting Terrorists and Challenging the White House; Unjustifiable Means: The Inside Story of How the...
Introducing Shadow of Truth Podcast
Description: Its one of the most haunting murder cases youll ever hear about, and it takes place in a small town in Israel. Tair Rada was only 13-years-old when her body was found inside a locked bathroom stall. She was viciously murdered during a school day, and yet no one saw or heard a thing. The police arrested the janitor, Roman Zadorov, and he eventually confessed, but this was far from being the end of it. Based on the hit true-crime series from Netflix, the podcast "Shadow of Truth" will take you on a journey into one of the wildest...
World Series Special: Espionage & Baseball A Conversation with Marc Polymeropoulos
From the SpyCast Field of Dreams: to coincide with the first game of the 117th World Series, a special episode on the links yes, there are many between espionage and Americas Pastime with baseball fanatic and ex-spook (its a baseball special, not Halloween, so no pun intended) Marc Polymeropoulos. Baseball fans, welcome to espionage; espionage fans, welcome to baseball; fans of both welcome to our very own Fall Classic.
#baseball #worldseries
First Casualty Inside the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11
On October 17, 2001, Team Alpha were dropped into the mountains of northern Afghanistan. Two of the eight appear in this weeks episode alongside the author of a new book telling the story of the first Americans behind enemy lines after 9/11 and what a story it is. Justin Sapp was a Green Beret detailed to CIA, he would go on to be a commander in the Asymmetric Warfare Group, and is currently Senior Military Advisor to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. David Tyson was a polyglot former Central Asian academic who fought jihadists at close-hand to help...
*15th ANNIVERSARY/500th EPISODE SPECIAL* - The CIA and the 9/11 Commission Report A Conversation with Alexis Albion
This is a big one, a very big one: our 500th episode & 15th anniversary We have come a long way since we began back in 2006 its quite fitting then, that in this weeks episode I speak to our very first historian and curator, Alexis Albion, who is currently the Curator for Special Projects here at the Spy Museum Alexis actually left us way back when to be on the 9/11 Commission Report, where she was the central researcher on the CIA and US counterterrorism policy before 9/11. Hang on, did you just say what I think you said,...
Cyberattacks, Espionage & Ransomware Inside Microsofts Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC)
From your Visa card to your Outlook account, and from the gas you pump into your Ford to your Windows operating system, a cyber struggle is taking place all around us. In this episode Andrew spoke to founder of Microsofts threat hunting intelligence center John Lambert, which tracks the worlds most dangerous cybercriminals and state-affiliated hackers, and the head of the Digital Security Unit Cristin Goodwin, who helps provide security support to governments and works closely with Johns team. Microsoft has billions of customers, serves millions of businesses, and works with almost every government department: to say it might have...
Leningrad, Molehunts, and Life After the CIA - A Conversation with Christopher Burgess
He is the Horatio Alger of the CIA. His first job was punching paper. He went on to be a Station Chief. He worked for every directorate.He lived in several continents. He was in the Soviet Union for six years. He was caught up in the molehunt for Robert Hanssen. He survived to tell his tale.
Christopher is genial, hearty and now lives in the other Washington (the rainy state on the West Coast, not the rainy town in Northern England) in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, where he writes for our friends at Clearance Jobs. He tweets @burgessct
One of CIAs Most Decorated Field Officers A Conversation with Marc Polymeropoulos
What do you get if you cross a Greek Orthodox guy from Athens and a Jewish girl from Long Island; and then mix in two Ivy League degrees and a 26-year career in the Central Intelligence Agency? If you havent worked out that this refers to Marc, given that he is mentioned in the episode title, you can probably forget ever having a career in intelligence. Mark is brimming with vitality, chock full of stories, and can talk baseball and wings as well as the finer points of Algerian politics or US grand strategy in the Middle East. If you...
Curators Corner: Osama bin Laden with Peter Bergen
As the 20th anniversary of 9/11 approached Peter Bergen sought to reevaluate the man responsible for precipitating Americas long wars with al-Qaeda and its descendants. Bergen produced the first television interview with bin Laden in 1997. He has had years to reflect on and study the man. In his new book The Rise and Fall of Osama bin Laden he captures all the dimensions of his life: family man, zealot, battlefield commander, terrorist leader, and fugitive. Join International Spy Museum Historian and Curator Andrew Hammond in conversation with Bergen about the many contradictions he finds in bin Laden and why...
I was a Presidential Daily Briefer on 9/11 Dave Terry & Vice President Cheney
Dave Terry was with Vice President Cheney on the morning of 9/11. He started work as a PDB briefer the same day as Mike. He went on to be Chief of the PDB. He started out working on grain production at the CIA in 1979. He comes from Kansas. For the rest, its best if you hear Dave.
And I think for any intelligence officer, what you're doing is often overwhelming, whether you're in front of the President, or a vice president, or the asset that you're trying to debrief, or your colleaguesAnd the stakes often are life and death.
I was a Presidential Daily Briefer on 9/11 Mike Morell & President Bush
Mike Morell was with President Bush on the morning of 9/11. He saw the President several times that day. Ten years later he was with President Obama for the bin Laden raid. He was former Acting and Deputy Director of the CIA. He comes from Ohio. For the rest, its best if you hear Mike. I believe that when we get to the end of the trail, were going to find al Qaeda, and were going to find an Osama bin Laden. I told him that I was so confident in that judgment that I would bet my childrens future...
I was a Presidential Daily Briefer on 9/11 Kristin Wood & Scooter Libby, With Special Guest Phil Mudd, Director of Gulf Affairs at the NSC
Kristin Wood was at CIA HQ on the morning of 9/11. Phil Mudd was at the National Security Council. Kristin was a PDB briefer for the VPs National Security Advisor. Phil was Director for Gulf Affairs. They would go on to work counterterrorism together. Kristen has a Wheaton Terrier. Phil has a farm. For the rest, its best if you hear Kristin and Phil. knowing that every day, you had to deliver relevant information to the nation's leaders, it is a feeling of enormous responsibility that all of the 1000s and 1000s and 1000s of intelligence officers who have done...
Afghanistan, the Mujahedeen, Al Qaeda My Time at CIA & State with Diana Bolsinger
It was the 1980s. I don't think they'll ever have the fun I had that year, at 23 years old, going to the White House and the NSC, briefing cabinet membersI mean, you name it. It was just incredible! Three years into her CIA career, Diana Bolsinger found herself on point as the sole person working on the Afghanistan account in her department. Thereafter, she was Acting Deputy to the Ambassador to the Afghan Resistance (mujahedeen), a political officer in Islamabad, an analyst at the Counterterrorism Center (CTC), and received multiple awards including for her role in investigating the Boston...
CYBER AUGUST: National Cryptologic Museum With Vince Houghton
Turning the tide in the Pacific at the Battle of Midway, establishing secure communications on the beaches during D-Day, staving off nuclear Armageddon what did cryptology ever have to do with anything, right? To discuss these big themes and to celebrate our partnership on the exhibition Codes, Ciphers and Mysteries we brought back you know who, Executive Director of the National Cryptologic Museum (NCM) and former SpyCast host, Vince Houghton (Retd). Through the end of September 2021, you can see the NCMs superstar artifacts here at SPY before they return to their home base at Fort Meade. Sssshhhhh, thoughNo Such...
CYBER AUGUST: So, You Want to Be a Codebreaker? Elonka Dunin and Klaus Schmeh
Codes. Ciphers. Mysteries. This weeks guests are fascinated by codebreaking and cryptography: as well they should be! The Voynich Manuscript, the Dorabella Letter, The Beale Papers, the Zodiac Cipher, Kryptos so much history, intrigue, and speculation. Andrew sat down with Elonka Dunin, code-breaker extraordinaire, and Klaus Schmeh, a world leading expert on the history of cryptography, to discuss the cat-and-mouse game between code-makers and code-breakers across the ages from ancient cuneiform up to quantum cryptography. Word to the wise: their book has been described by Sir Dermot Turing as the best book on codebreaking I have ever read, a must...
Is Edward Snowden a traitor a hero? Does the surveillance state threaten freedom or secure it? Andrew sat down with investigative reporter Barton Gellman, author of Dark Mirror: Edward Snowden and the American Surveillance State, and part of the team that won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for coverage of the National Security Agency and Edward Snowden, to discuss these issues and more. Bart has a serious resume: The Atlantic, The Washington Post, LA Times Book Prize, Emmy Awards (yes, plural), another Pulitzer Prize (greedy!), but I think you get the general ideathis one might make you scream...
CYBER AUGUST: The Cyber Zeitgeist Cyberwire Host Dave Bittner
Have you ever felt like cyber is changing so quickly, it is difficult to keep up? This weeks guest has seen Cyber-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhuser Gate. How? He hosts no less than 10 podcasts per week on the topic! From the Cyberwire Daily to Hacking Humans, and from Career Notes to Recorded Future, Dave Bittner is what you might call: busy. Dave and Andrew talk the Silicon Valley of the East, state-affiliated hackers, organized crime and staying cyber-safe because its a jungle out there, people.
CYBER AUGUST: Threats to America Top U.S. Official Michael Orlando on Foreign Espionage & Cyber Citizenry
Counterintelligence. Security. Two words that have serious pull in Washington D.C. The problem is, how do you ensure the strings, woodwind, brass and percussion are all playing the same music? Welcome to the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC). Acting Director Michael Orlando was this weeks guest, where he sat down with Andrew yes, literally sat down, poor Hammond is actually getting to do what his predecessors did and do podcasts face-to-face to discuss how he helps conduct the orchestra. Michael is fascinating all by his lonesome he came to the job via the U.S. Army, CIA and the FBI...
"Red Widow" - Alma Katsu on Writing Bestsellers & 30+ Years in Intelligence
"Deeply, deeply, disturbing." This is how Alma's Katsu's book, The Hunger, was described by Stephen King. Ok, I'll repeat that, that's how her book was described by Stephen King, author of Carrie, The Shining and Misery! The Hunger was based on the infamous Donner Party trip of the nineteenth century, but her most recent book, Red Widow, turns to intelligence and espionage - something Alma knows rather a lot about having spent over thirty years at the NSA and the CIA. Since leaving the intelligence community, Alma has settled into life as an award-winning and bestselling author (with a side-gig...
Special Operations, FBI, NSC, et al Serial Collaborator Karen Schaefer (Part 2)
Last weeks episode focused on Karen Schaefer, CIA Operator, while this weeks episode looks at her time as a Serial Collaborator. Karen specialized in making sure the heart, brain, left hand and right hand had a better idea of what each was up to and were functioning in unison whether as Director of Intelligence Programs at the National Security Council (NSC), in the leadership group at the FBI (then Director James Comey was fired two days after she arrived), or with the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) in a warzone. There is always a lot of focus on the arteries...
On the Streets, Location Unknown - CIA Operator Karen Schaefer (Part I)
From counternarcotics to counterterrorism, from Latin America to the Middle East, and from the back streets of a warzone to the center of events in Washington DC Karen Schaefer has had, how should we say, an eventful career as an intelligence officer. Charming, smart, thoughtful, and you havent even met Karen yetbut seriously, it was a pleasure to talk to this weeks guest who had all of those qualities, and more; so enjoyable it will be released as a double-header. This week, Part I focuses on her time as an operator; while Part II focuses on her time as a...
4th July Special: Birthplace of American Espionage - Spy Sites of Philadelphia
Cheesesteaks. Baseball. Rocky. Espionage?Hear about the Philly you never knew as the birthplace of American espionage. From the Committee on Spies during the Revolution (now there is one committee, that actually sounds like it would be good to be on!) to Allen Pinkerton and Kate Warren during the Civil War, up through the A-bomb, a former Director of Central Intelligence, and a conspirator for the Mumbai Bombing of 2008 - Philadelphia has all kinds of fascinating links to the world of intelligence and espionage. Andrew sat down with H. Keith Melton, the worlds pre-eminent collector of espionage related artifacts, and...
"One Arm, Twice the Punch: Legendary CIA Operator Rick Diaz
Quit. Fail. Give-up. Rick Diaz refused to acknowledge the meaning of these terms. The result? Well, youll need to listen to find out.
Spy Satellites, Outer Space & the NRO - Beyond the Krmn Line
Spy satellites are fascinating! Man-made objects up there sometimes way up there looking down to see what other humans are up to. I believe its called a Gods eye view. You may not be as unfamiliar with satellites as you think: for starters, youre on one! The earth is a satellite of the sun, the moon is a satellite of the earth, you are a satellite ofhistorian Dr. James Outzen sat down with Andrew to talk about artificial i.e., man-made satellites as part of a conversation marking the 60th anniversary of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).
Juneteenth Special: African American Spies - As Chosen By a Spy, A Diplomat and a Magazine Editor
A superstar line-up chooses an African American spy from American history. Harriet Tubman, Ralph Bunche and Willie Merkerson Jr. are introduced, before we have a discussion about African Americans and the American experience. Our guests are Mel Gamble, a former CIA Chief of the Africa Division and Senior Intelligence officer; Reuben E. Brigety II, former US Ambassador to the African Union and current Vice Chancellor of the University of the South; and Kaia Niambi Shivers, writer, activist and founder of Ark Republic magazine.
#Juneteenth
Risk Taker, Spy Maker CIA Operator Barry Broman
Barry Broman spent most of his life in South-east Asia as a photographer, an infantry officer, and as a diplomat (although not really!). It is not that he wasnt a diplomat - its just that he did something else toolike recruit over 40 agents, escape the genocidal Khmer Rouge, supervise covert paramilitary operations, and bring in gargantuan quantities of heroin in major drug busts. Barry has lived a life and then some. Andrew sat down with Barry to talk about his life east of the Irrawaddy River.
You can buy Barry's book here.
The Spymasters Prism CIA Legend Jack Devine on Countering Russian Aggression
What do Afghan Mujahedeen, the KGB, Pablo Escobar, Iran-Contra, and Chilean Elections have in common? Two words: Jack Devine. This CIA legend is the Forrest Gump of the intelligence world, in that he always finds himself at the center of events. Jack reflects on his remarkable career and hones in on Russian aggression and Vladimir Putin, the subject of his current book, The Spymasters Prism. Anybody who went from the streets of blue-collar Philadelphia to Acting Deputy Director of Operations for the CIA has serious gumption.
Do You Have a Plan for the Worst 15 Seconds of Your Life? Life Saving Lessons from CIA Operator Rob Montgomery
Rob Montgomery had a real scare on deployment in Afghanistanthe scare was back in Virginia though; he had a motion detect on his phone that showed multiple unidentified males outside his home in a sleepy college town - while his wife and children were asleep inside. Youll need to listen to hear the rest of the story, but it did prompt Rob to think more deeply about the life-saving skills he developed over 34 years serving in some of the most austere and dangerous places on the planet. We talk situational awareness, CIA training, Krav Maga, and whether you need...
A Jewish Spy in Nazi Germany 101-Year-Old Marthe Cohns Incredible True Story
Hear an incredible true story. Marthe Cohn was a young Jewish woman who went behind enemy lines into Nazi Germany with a pair of walking shoes, a cover story, and about half a ton of chutzpah. 101-year-old Marthe spoke to Andrew over the phone from her home in Los Angeles.
Intelligence & the Worlds Largest Democracy - Indian Spy Chief Vikram Sood
In a first for the show, this weeks guest is a former spy chief from the worlds largest democracy. Vikram Sood was the Director of India's Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW). Andrew and Vikram talk Pakistan, China, the United States, human capital, intelligence reform and the power of narratives: because spies can be sensitive souls too.
The Greatest Analyst We Ever Had CIA Spy Chief Marty Petersen
Where to begin. Marty was described to me as, the greatest analyst we ever had (truthfully), would I be interested in speaking to him? Guess the answer!? The result, a SpyCast with a CIA analytic legend. For 40 years Marty analyzed intelligence for US foreign policymakers, trained a whole generation of analysts, and mentored figures who would go on to have senior leadership positions within American intelligence, such as former Acting and Deputy Director of CIA Mike Morrell. In this episode we talk China, Asia, making sense of the world, and a whole host of topical issues.
"The FBI Way" - Counterintelligence Spy Chief Frank Figliuzzi
This weeks guest is Frank Figliuzzi, former assistant director of Counterintelligence at the FBI, who oversaw all espionage investigations across the US govt. He served for 25 years as a Special Agent, which included countering economic espionage in Silicon Valley, being appointed the FBIs Chief Inspector, and heading up the Cleveland Division. He is the recent author of The FBI Way and a current columnist and national security correspondent for NBC News.In this weeks episode we talk about a sitting member of congress and a presidential candidate who were just a little too close to foreign intelligence services, and hear...
US Air Force Office of Special Investigations: Part 2
Infosec. Cybersec. Techsec. In the second part of our double-header on the US Air Force Office of Special Investigations, we round out our previous discussion with two former Directors of Counterintelligence for the US Air Force, Jude Sunderbruch and Terry Phillips. Their world-wide remit includes cybersecurity, information security, technology protection and all things air power and counter-intelligence. N.B. SpyCast 2.0 Next week we reboot SpyCast with improved audio and some additional tweaks, hacks, bells and whistles. Through the rest of 2021, we will be seeking out every ounce of audio quality we can and continuing to refine the content and...
The Courier (2021) The Directors Take with Dominic Cooke
Andrew and Director Dominic Cooke sit down to talk about his new movie The Courier (2021), starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel Brosnahan and Merab Ninidze, which tells the story of Greville Wynne and Oleg Penkovsky. A Cold War spy thriller based on true events where humanity was precariously perched on a wire.
Russian Spy, American Defector Meet Jan Neumann
If you think that all the best spy stories happened during the Cold War we have a doozy for you. In 2008 FSB officer Alexy Yurievich Artmonov was presented with three choices: (1) put a bullet in his own head, (2) wait for someone else to do it, (3) run. Which would you choose? Alexy chose (3). In fact, this story has all the makings of Cold War spy fiction: caught between the long arm of corrupt government officials and the mob, a spy and his wife go on the run leaving friends and family behind; to shake off any...
Intelligence and the Presidency - WIth John Hedley
Continuing our journey through SpyCasts greatest hits enroute to our relaunch, we arrive on a topic of perennial interest and great importance: intelligence and the US presidency. Just how is information from the intelligence community (IC) conveyed to the president? How have different administrations incorporated intelligence into the political decision-making process? This blast from the past features John Hedley, former CIA officer and editor of the Presidents Daily Brief (PDB), who reviews the relationship between the IC and presidents since World War II, in the course revealing fascinating episodes from his personal experience in dealing with several administrations and multiple...
Crossfire Hurricane: Trump, Russia & the FBI A Conversation with Josh Campbell
Josh Campbell lit his cigar and extinguished the match. It was Inauguration Day 2017, and he was on the roof of his Washington D.C. apartment building. As the outgoing Obamas made their way overhead on a helicopter, he turned to his father who had flown up from Texas for the event and remarked, I hope Trump is good for the FBI. Josh Campbell, former Special Assistant to the Director of the FBI, was chosen by James Comey because he didnt shy away from speaking his mind. No matter what your politics are, you will want to hear him speak his...
The Cambridge Five From the Vault
As we continue ramping up for SpyCast 2.0, featuring a content overhaul and improved audio, we release a real gem on a perennial favorite of the SpyCast community. You literally couldnt make this one up, it has everything youd expect to see at Shakespeares Globe betrayal, suspicion, ambition, political machinations, royal intrigue and flabbergasting chutzpah. Philby. Burgess. MacLean. Blunt. Cairncross. Spies who betrayed their country in the name of an ideal: communism. In the 1930s, five young Cambridge University students were recruited by Soviet intelligence to penetrate the British establishment. In the course of their espionage career, the Five did...
British Intelligence Spy Chief Stella Rimington
As we gear up for an exciting new Spring program which will feature a number of changes including a content overhaul and improved audio we are releasing some of our greatest hits from the vault.Back in 2007 Dame Stella Rimington, former Director-General of MI5, spoke about British intelligence past and present and compared British and American approaches to intelligence. She was the first female Director General of the Security Service (better known by its three letter abbreviation, MI5) and her autobiography is entitled, Open Secret: The Autobiography of the Former Director-General of MI5. She is also the author of a...
Son of Hamas, Spy for Israel "The Green Prince" (From the Vault)
ONE OF THE GREAT SPY STORIES OF MODERN TIMES Palestinian & Israeli. Agent & Handler. Mosab & Gonen. One became involved with Hamas almost as a birthright, his father, after all, was a founder and its spiritual leader; the other was inspired to join Shin Bet, Israels internal security service, after the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin in 1995, and had a father in the Israeli Army. They seemed destined for a collision course. Fate would bring them together, danger would bind them together, but it was loyalty that kept them together. A unique bond was forged between Mosab Hassan Yousef,...
Drug Cartels, Sleeper Cells, the Waco Siege & the Mob The Life & Times of Dennis Franks
Former FBI Special Agent Dennis Franks is nothing if not interesting. He has faced off against the Columbian Cali Cartel yes, the Cali Cartel from Season 3 of Narcos the Mexican Gulf Cartel, MS-13, Sicilian Mafiosos, and all manner of gangbanger, gangster and narcotraficante. He has been a firearms instructor, on an Enhanced SWAT Team, and ran his own undercover unit. He has also worked Russian intelligence and Russian organized crime: It was very much a learning experience, because that was very different from a lot of the other organizations I have worked. Why? Well, youll have to listen to...
Stuxnet, Jiu Jitsu & Michelle Obama A Conversation With Nicole Perloth (Part 2)
Nicole Perloth descended into the cyber netherworld and emerged to share her wisdom. This is the second of a double-header with the New York Times cybersecurity reporter and author of This is How They Tell Me The World Ends. Andrew and Nicole talk Armageddon, Stuxnet, Jiu Jitsu, and Michelle Obama youll need to listen to see the link to the former First Lady. Sit back, buckle up, and get ready to tailgate the future.
So, A KGB Spy & A Navy Intel Guy Walk Into a BarJack Barsky & Keith Mahoney
The door to the walk-in cooler slammed shut behind Jack Barsky. This is it, he thought, this is how it all ends in a restaurant in the Deep South at the hands of a crazy Irish-American eight inches shorter than me. He said he was taking me through a secret passage to a speakeasy. But it was not the end that day in Atlanta, 30 years after the Cold Wars end, but a new beginning. The residual fear felt by the former deep-cover KGB illegal soon dissipated and a new friendship was born over drinks. We ended up, at a...
The Cyber Arms Race Spies, Hackers & Nicole Perloth of the NY Times (Part 1)
Have you seen that episode of The Crown where an intruder gets in one of the most heavily guarded buildings in the world via an unlocked window? Welcome to its cyber equivalent: zero-days. Join Andrew and Nicole Perloth, award-winning cybersecurity and digital espionage reporter for the New York Times, as they descend into a cyber netherworld that will enlighten, challenge and quite possibly terrify you. Oh, I almost forgot, she is also the author of what has been called quite possibly the most important book of the year, This is How They Tell Me The World Ends. Guess where you...
U.S. Air Force Counterintelligence Office of Special Investigations (Part 1 of 2)
Counterintelligence. Counterespionage. Criminal Investigations. The Office of Special Investigations (OSI) have a fascinating remit around the world and across the country one that also includes cyber, infosec and technology protection. What better way to break all of this down than to chat to TWO former Directors of Counterintelligence for the U.S. Air Force, Jude Sunderbruch and Terry Phillips. They are colleagues, collaborators and close friends who have seen momentous changes in the operational environment since they first met back in the 90s (are the 90s back in the day already? What the hell happened? Im getting old). Jude is currently...
Desperately, Madly in Love Brett Peppler and the Australian IC
What better way to start developing an Antipodean flavor to SpyCast than to release an episode with Brett Peppler. Aussie Army. Spec Ops. Deputy Director Military Intelligence. AIPIO President. Professor. Hes been around the block, thought about the block, and anticipated what the block might do next (he said he is, "desperately, madly in love with Futures Intelligence"). The Indo-Pacific is often overlooked, but it will be a key component of international security long after Brett and I have slipped the surly bonds of earth for the Great Gig in the Sky. The timing of our conversation was interesting, it...
American Spy A Conversation with Lauren Wilkinson
Marie Mitchell is an FBI agent sent by the CIA to spy on the African Che Guevara, leftist president of Burkina Faso, Thomas Sankara. Inspired by real events, he became president in 1983 at the age of 33, this weeks guest takes what is best about the spy fiction genre and gives it her own unique je ne sais quoi (if most of what you know about this land-locked West African country can be written on a business card, guess the official language?). The week of Martin Luther King Jr. Day seemed like an opportune moment to introduce Lauren Wilkinson...
Insurrection The Intelligence Implications: A SpyCast Special
January 6, 2021. What to say. Former president George W. Bush, 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell all used the term insurrection. As these momentous events unfolded I watched it on TV although I can literally see the US Capitol from my rooftop I was constantly thinking about the intelligence implications. Long story short, I reached out to Diana Bolsinger and Mark Stout and voila! welcome to a SpyCast Special. Dianas background includes service in the National Counterterrorism Center, at the CIA and in the U.S. Department of State. Mark had an equally well-rounded...
Chinese. Communist. Espionage. (Part 2 of 2) - Dr. Matthew Brazil
This is the second in our two-parter with Dr. Matthew Brazil, a historian of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) intelligence operations. Andrew and Matt discuss everything from recruitment, ideology, and foreign tourism, to modern history and contemporary politics all the biggies really. Ever wondered about the century of humiliation or the Great Firewall of China? This might be the episode for you (but dont forget Part 1!). Matt spent over twenty years working in East and South Asia. Even better, the book is based on an engagement with hundreds of Chinese language sources. Well, whatddayaknow?
Pardon Me, Mr. President - From the Vault
Edward Snowden is back in the news. I know what you are thinking: shocker! As we move into the new year from the annus horribilis that was 2020, however, one of the main intelligence stories is will Snowden receive a presidential pardon. Come to think of it, does he even deserve one? Back in what now seems like the mists of time, 2013, Mark Stout sat down with one of the nations top national security lawyers, Mark Zaid, for a legal perspective on the then recent Snowden case. Like a smoky 8 year old single malt, this one lingers on...
The Future of the Intelligence Community
Nothing makes me happier than a conversation with whip smart people on the past, present or future of intelligence: enter Heather Williams, a senior policy researcher at RAND, and Zachery Tyson Brown, a strategic futurist and founder of Consilient Strategies. With decades of experience at multiple agencies, multiple deployments overseas, advanced degrees from the National Intelligence University and a network of contacts that would do any Rolodex proud, they have oodles to offer. We talk the information revolution, generational change, institutional reform, a variety of -ologies and of course the pandemic and the incoming presidential administration. Basically, just the entire...
Soviets, Gangbangers, Terrorists, Taliban Lessons From a Life in Intelligence, With Dean Barrata
Bet you are wondering which adversary caused him the most sleepless nights, right? From the Red Army to New Jersey street gangs, from terrorists to the Taliban Dean Barrata has analyzed them all. During a 30+ year career in intelligence, Dean has been everywhere from West Germany to Afghanistan, from the Pennsylvania National Guard to a New Jersey Police Street Gang Unit. If you have ever wondered if there was life beyond the three letter agencies (CIA, NSA, DIA), this just might be the episode for you. He now works for GitHub and teaches at a flagship college. Ladies and...
Shadow Wars, 2020 Israel, Iran & America
The second in a double-header on Israeli intelligence. This week we walk the story up to the present day including the election of Joe Biden and the recent assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. We also hear how Israeli intelligence is retooling for the twenty-first century. Andrew is joined by journalist Yossi Melman, a reporter for Haaretz and advisor on the Netflix Series Inside the Mossad, and Dan Raviv, who was at CBS for over 40 years. They are the authors of Every Spy a Prince and Spies Against Armageddon.
Israeli Intelligence From the Vault
Mossad. Shin Bet. Aman. Legendary names from the world of secret intelligence. Adolf Eichmann. Wrath of God. Stuxnet. Israels intelligence agencies never seem to be far from the history booksor the headlines. Were they behind the recent killing of the so-called Iranian Robert Oppenheimer, nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh? To provide some context, best-selling author Dan Raviv spoke about his co-authored book Spies Against Armageddon, back in 2012. Hear about the history of Israeli intelligence from the birth of the country in 1948 through to the end of Netanyahus second term.
How Spies Think Spy Chief David Omand
Ever thought you were the smartest person in the room? Youve never been in a room with Sir David Omand. My former professor no slouch himself described Sir David as the brightest person I have ever met. It is certainly difficult to think of anyone more qualified to appear on SpyCast: former Director of GCHQ, former Chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee, formulator of current British counter-terrorism policy, he also happens to be one of the worlds deepest thinkers on intelligence and espionage (as well as the intellectual man-crush of my former professor). In his new book, How Spies Think,...
From the Vault: Intelligence & Analysis in the National Football League
If 1985 was The Year of the Spy, was 2019 its equivalent in the sporting world? The Patriots were accused of spying on the Bengals, Leeds Utd. of surveilling Derby County, and the Houston Astros of stealing-signs from, well, everybody. Just before Super Bowl XLV (2011), high-school quarterback, artist and Spy Museum stalwart Dan Treado sat down with ex-intelligence officer, analyst, consultant and author T.J. Waters to discuss the secret world of the NFL. Briefing books. Secure Comms. Deception operations. Think states have a monopoly on intelligence and espionage: think again.
Moxie + Brains = Americas First Female Foreign Intelligence Agent
Join Andrew and former Baltimore Sun reporter Liz Atwood as they dig into the fascinating life of multi-lingual Baltimore socialite Marguerite Harrison: path-breaking journalist, documentary actor, co-founder of the Society of Women Geographersdouble agent.
Dis.information: Russia, China & the Specter of Democracy
Fact vs. Fake. Truth vs. Lies. Information vs. Disinformation. For voters trying to choose between competing parties and candidates the distinction between them would seem to be central. But is it still possible to tell which is which? In this weeks SpyCast Andrew is joined by two analysts from the Alliance for Securing Democracy Russia watcher Brad Hanlon and China watcher Bryce Barros to try to get to the bottom of what is going on. Is disinformation fake news and malarkey, or a serious threat to the future of democracy?
Transcript available at https://www.spymuseum.org/spycast
An Ode to Sean Connerys Bond | WTOP
For Andrew Hammond, a Scotsman and the historian and curator of the International Spy Museum, the loss of iconic actor Sean Connery this week at the age of 90 hits particularly hard. As a Scot, someone from the same country, its a great loss and a deep loss, Hammond told WTOP. For spy fans and people who are from Scotland, but also for anyone whos ever loved having the lights out and escaping through the lens of cinema, its just a great loss. James Bond movies, Hammond said, have taught lots of people what they know about being a spy,...
What do you get if you cross a Harvard historian with a UCLA trained political scientist and an award winning doctoral researcher? One word: context. Join Andrew and his guests Calder Walton, Dov Levin and Magda Long as they drill down into intelligence agencies and electoral intervention.
Transcript available at https://www.spymuseum.org/spycast
Personal Attention, SpyCast Listeners - The Authorised History of GCHQ
Authorized History of a Secret Intelligence Agency (STOP) author debriefed by Spy Historian Hammond (STOP) WW1 WW2 Cold War (STOP) reevaluation of Western Front Bletchley Park Ultra Falklands War (STOP) discuss Authorized Histories Cyber Rifles and coming century (STOP) Podcast released on same day as Ferris book (STOP) a coincidence?(END TELEGRAM)
Chinese. Communist. Espionage. (Part 1 of 2) - Dr. Matthew Brazil
Agent Sonya: Moscow's Most Daring Wartime Spy
SPY Curator Alexis Albion asks author Ben Macintyre Can women spies have it all?, as they discuss his latest book on the extraordinary Ursula Kuczynski aka Agent Sonya.
Transcript available at https://www.spymuseum.org/spycast
A New SpyCast Chapter: A Farewell Conversation with Vince Houghton
In the second of our changing of the guard episodes, the new SpyCast host Andrew Hammond sits down with Vince. Its Been Emotional.
The Spymasters: A Conversation with Chris Whipple
Author Chris Whipple discusses his new book, The Spymasters:How the CIA Directors Shape History and the Future with SPY Executive Director Chris Costa.
Meet the New Guy: A Conversation with Andrew Hammond
Dr. Vince Houghton sat down for a conversation with the new International Spy Museum historian, Dr. Andrew Hammond.
Spy Chat with Kristin Wood
SPY Executive Director Chris Costa sat down with Kristin Wood who spent more than two decades with CIA in a number of roles.
State Department Intelligence: Inside the INR
SPY Historian sat down with some of the leadership of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research for a candid conversation
The SpyCast Conversation with Alison Bouwmeester
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former CIA operations officer Alison Bouwmeester to discuss her career, and how shes been helping people transition from government service to the private sector.
Taken Hostage by the Taliban: A Conversation with Kevin King
Executive Director Chris Costa sits down with Professor Kevin King to learn more about his career traveling the world, and how that led to him being held by the Taliban for over three years.
Hollywood Spies
On July 23rd, we had a great conversation with Jonna Mendez about spies in Hollywood.
Operation Lemon Aid: A Conversation with Art Lindberg
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former US Navy officer and double agent Art Lindberg to discuss his career and the sting operation that snared multiple Soviet spies.
Near Dark: A Conversation with Brad Thor
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with bestselling thriller author Brad Thor to discuss his writing career, his process, book research, and how novelists can play a vital role in US national security
Race and Intelligence: A Conversation with Darrell Blocker, Cassi Chandler, Mel Gamble, and Malcolm Nance
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with an extraordinary panel to have a candid discussion about racial issues in the intelligence community.
Spy Chat with Keith Masback
SPY Executive Director Chris Costa sat down with GEOINT pioneer Keith Masback to discuss all things geospatial.
Fiction Author Roundtable
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with 4 of your favorite spy fiction authors to discuss how they entertain and educate.
Atomic Spy: A Conversation with Nancy Greenspan
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with author Nancy Greenspan to discuss the life of notorious Soviet spy Klaus Fuchs, the fascinating subject of her new book, Atomic Spy: The Dark Lives of Klaus Fuchs
Wondery presents Murder in Hollywoodland
It's February 2nd 1922, and all of Hollywood is about to wake up and learn that William Desmond Taylor, the most famous film director in town, was murdered in his home last night. The investigation will shine a light on some of Hollywood's most scandalous affairs, backroom deals, and underground drug dens. This real life Murder Mystery is one of the most iconic "whodunnit" cases of the 20th century that will leave you guessing and second guessing who killed William Desmond Taylor for weeks to come.
Listen today at wondery.fm/spycastMiH
Spy Sites of New York City: A Conversation with Keith Melton & Bob Wallace
Executive Director Chris Costa talks to Keith Melton and Bob Wallace about their newest book, Spy Sites of New York City: A Guide to the Regions Secret History.
Introducing Truth vs Hollywood
Introducing the newest Audioboom original podcast, Truth vs Hollywood. Join Film lovers David Chen and Joanna Robinson as they do a deep dive into well-known films and discuss how similar they are to the actual story. Truth vs Hollywood premieres 6/12. Subscribe to Truth vs Hollywood on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/truth-vs-hollywood/id1510582080
Whats Next? A Conversation with Jonna Mendez, Tracy Walder, and Joe Weisberg
SPY Historian Vince Houghton had a virtual conversation with three former intelligence professionals to discuss their choices of careers following their time as practitioners
Curators Corner with Francis Gary Powers, Jr.
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down for a virtual conversation about the 60th anniversary of one of the most historic events of the Cold War.
Shedding Light on the Elite GSG9: A Conversation with Colonel Jerome Fuchs
Executive Director Chris Costa talks with GSG9 Commander Jerome Fuchs about the history and evolution of GSG9, as well as his career with the organization.
How Intelligence Analysts See the Corona Pandemic
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former intelligence analysts Mark Stout and Cindy Storer to discuss how intel analysts in the US and around the world are viewing the coronavirus situation.
Reflections on the Middle East and Afghanistan: A Conversation with General Joseph Votel
Executive Director Chris Costa is joined by former Commander of U.S. Central Command General Joseph Votel to discuss his insights into current events in the Middle East and Afghanistan, and the fight against ISIS.
The SpyCast Conversation with Harvey Klehr
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with prolific author and historian Harvey Klehr to discuss Soviet espionage and his newest book, The Millionaire Was a Soviet Mole: The Twisted Life of David Karr.
Active Measures: A Conversation with Thomas Rid
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down (remotely) with professor Thomas Rid to discuss the history of disinformation, and his new book, Active Measures: The Secret History of Disinformation and Political Warfare.
The CIA War in Kurdistan: A Conversation with Sam Faddis
Executive Director, Chris Costa is joined by former CIA Officer and author, Sam Faddis to discuss his book The CIA War in Kurdistan: The Untold Story of the Northern Front in the Iraq War.
Current Affairs in the Middle East: A Conversation with Kirsten Fontenrose
Executive Director, Chris Costa talks with Kirsten Fontenrose, current Director of the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council, about current events in the Middle East and her twenty years of experience with the region.
Talking to a Former Hostage: A Conversation with Jason Rezaian
Executive Director Chris Costa sits down with Washington Post journalist, Jason Rezaian to talk about his book and experiences being taken hostage in Iran.
From the Vault: Remember When Computer Viruses Were The Scary Viruses?
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Rick Holland, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Vice President of Strategy for Digital Shadows, to discuss the latest cyber trends and developments
From the Vault: Quarantine Edition
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with bioterrorism expert Hank Parker to discuss current threats and Parker's new book Containment.
Spy Chat with Chris Costa
Having trouble getting a handle on world events? Join Spy Museum Executive Director Chris Costa and Former CIA/ Spy Museum Advisory Board MemberKaren M. Schaefer for a discussion of the latest intelligence, national security, and terrorism issues in the news.
The Unexpected Spy: A Conversation with Tracy Walder
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former CIA officer and FBI special agent Tracy Walder to discuss her career in intelligence, and her new book, The Unexpected Spy: From the CIA to the FBI, My Secret Life Taking Down Some of the World's Most Notorious Terrorists
SpyCast Special Preview: Life's Little Mysteries
SpyCast has teamed up with Live Science to bring you this special preview clip of the new podcast, Life's Little Mysteries.
Russians Among Us: A Conversation with Gordon Corera
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera to discuss the Russian illegals program and his new book, Russians Among Us: Sleeper Cells, Ghost Stories, and the Hunt for Putin's Spies.
The SpyCast Conversation with Darrell Blocker
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former CIA officer Darrell Blocker to discuss his career and work throughout Africa.
Chinese Corn Caper: A Conversation with Mara Hvistendahl
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with writer, speaker, commentator, and Pulitzer Prize finalist Mara Hvistendahl to discuss the rise of economic espionage, the American response to this threat, and her new book, The Scientist and The Spy: A True Story of China, the FBI, and Industrial Espionage
The SpyCast Conversation with Sue Gordon
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Sue Gordon to discuss her career and many important topics in intelligence
From the Vault: The SpyCast conversation with Gen. David Petraeus
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with retired 4-star general David Petraeus, former Commanding General, Multi-National Force Iraq; Commander, US Central Command; commander of the International Security Assistance Force and Commander, US Forces Afghanistan; and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, where he served from September, 2011, until November, 2012.
Spy Chat with Chris Costa
Having trouble getting a handle on world events? Join Spy Museum Executive Director Chris Costa for a discussion of the latest intelligence, national security, and terrorism issues in the news.
Avoiding the Terrorist Trap: A Conversation with Tom Parker
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with counterterrorism expert and former MI5 officer Tom Parker to discuss the role of human rights in the fight against terrorism.
How Havent I Heard of This??: A Conversation with William Rosenau
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with terrorism expert William Rosenau to discuss a most improbable true story: Americas first female terrorist group and their attacks, which included the Washington Navy Yard, an FBI office, and even the US Capitol.
2019 Staff Picks: A Conversation with Adm. Mike Rogers
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former NSA Director and CYBERCOM commander Admiral Mike Rogers
2019 Staff Picks: A Conversation with DIA Director LTG Robert Ashley
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with the 21st Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency to discuss his career, the mission of the DIA, and his role as its director.
2019 Staff Picks: A Conversation with David Kennedy, David Turk, and Howard Safir
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with representatives of the United States Marshals Service to discuss the decades-long manhunt for Nazi war criminal Dr. Joseph Mengele.
2019 Staff Picks: A Conversation with Jack Doyle
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Jack Doyle, former field director for NEST, the Department of Energys Nuclear Emergency Search Team.
2019 Staff Picks: A Conversation with Jim Gant and Ann Scott Tyson
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former Green Beret Major Jim Gant and his wife, former war correspondent Ann Scott Tyson, who is the author of the book, American Spartan: The Promise, the Mission, and the Betrayal of Special Forces Major Jim Gant
Protected Voices: A Conversation with FBI ASAC Jason Fickett
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Jason Fickett, the Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge, Intelligence Division, FBIs Washington Field Office, to discuss his career and the governments new program to combat foreign influence.
Out of the Shadows: A Conversation with Marc Polymeropoulos
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with recently retired CIA Senior Intelligence Service officer Marc Polymeropoulos to discuss a career that spanned more than two decades and crossed multiple continents.
Trump and His Generals: A Conversation with Peter Bergen
SPY Executive Director Chris Costa sat down with Peter Bergen to discuss his new book, Trump and His Generals: The Cost of Chaos.
The SpyCast Conversation with Nayyera Haq
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with a former senior advisor to both the White House and the Secretary of State to discuss the difficulties in explaining American national security policy to both domestic and foreign audiences
From the Vault: SpyCast, the Giving Thanks Edition
In November, 2006, SpyCast was born. After 13 years, 397 episodes, and millions of worldwide listeners, we are still going strong. This is because of you, and your continued support for the little-podcast-that-could. Thank you! Here is the very first SpyCast: a conversation between the great Peter Earnest, and one of our very favorites, Tony Mendez,
Agents of Influence: A Conversation with Henry Hemming
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with bestselling author Henry Hemming to discuss information operations, fake news, British and German espionage, and his new book, Agents of Influence: A British Campaign, a Canadian Spy, and the Secret Plot to Bring America into World War II
From the Vault: The SpyCast conversation with Gen. Michael Hayden
Last week, Gen. Michael Hayden was honored by the International Spy Museum with the 2019 William H. Webster Distinguished Service Award. In 2016, SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Gen. Hayden to discuss his life and career in intelligence.
Walking Away from the Kurds: A Conversation with LTG Michael K. Nagata
SPY Executive Director Chris Costa sat down with the Former Director, Directorate of Strategic and Operational Planning at the National Counterterrorism Center, to discuss recent events in counterterrorism, and the Trump Administrations decision to end their support of the Kurds.
SpooooookyCast: DIA Investigates the Paranormal
In this special Halloween SpyCast, SPY Historian Vince Houghton spoke to DIA Chief Historian Greg Elder about the DIAs investigation into telekinesis, telepathy, remote viewing, and other spooky stuff.
Return to the Reich: A Conversation with Eric Lichtblau
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with author, investigative reporter, and two-time Pulitzer- winner, Eric Lichtblau, to discuss OSS operations in Europe and his new book Return to the Reich: A Holocaust Refugee's Secret Mission to Defeat the Nazis.
Gitmo Law: A Conversation with Alka Pradhan and Ben Farley
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Guantanamo defense attorneys Alka Pradhan and Ben Farley, who represent one of the 9/11 defendants, Ammar al-Baluchi.
From the Vault: Whistleblower Aid, An Interview with John Tye and Mark Zaid
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with attorneys John Tye and Mark Zaid to discuss their project Whistleblower Aid, which is a non-profit organization designed to protect whistleblowers and to prevent them from becoming leakers.
Operation Gold: A Conversation with Steve Vogel and Bernd von Kostka
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former Washington Post reporter and author Steve Vogel, and the curator of Berlins Allied Museum, Bernd von Kostka, to discuss the Berlin Tunnel, the ambitious Cold War SIGINT operation that is the focus of Vogels new book, Betrayal in Berlin
The Life of John Andr: A Conversation with Douglas Ronald
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with academic and author Dr. Doug Ronald to discuss one of the most fascinating personalities of the American Revolution, and the subject of his book, The Life of John Andr: The Redcoat Who Turned Benedict Arnold
The SpyCast Conversation withwaitVince, Again??
Former SPY Historian Alexis Albion sat down with current SPY Historian Vince Houghton to discuss WWII and early Cold War nuclear intelligence, and Houghtons new book, The Nuclear Spies: Americas Atomic Intelligence Operation against Hitler and Stalin.
The SpyCast Conversation with David Rolph
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former CIA Chief of East Berlin and Moscow stations David Rolph, who also served as the handler for one of CIAs most important Soviet assets, Adolf Tolkachev.
Moscow Rules: A Conversation with Jonna Mendez
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former CIA Chief of Disguise Jonna Mendez to talk about operating in VERY denied areas, and her newest book, The Moscow Rules: The Secret CIA Tactics that Helped America Win the Cold War.
The SpyCast Conversation with Matt Korda of the Federation of American Scientists
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Matt Korda of the FAS Nuclear Information Project, and co-author of the Nuclear Notebook, to discuss multiple current issues in the world of nukes and intel.
The SpyCast Conversation with Emily Crose
At a live event at the International Spy Museum, SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former CIA, NSA, and INSCOM infosec specialist Emily Crose to talk the past, present, and future of cyber
George Sharpe and the BMI: A Conversation with Peter Tsouras
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former military intelligence officer and prolific author Peter Tsouras to discuss the role of George Sharpe and the Bureau of Military Information in helping the Union win the Civil War
Bringing Americans Home: A Conversation with Diane Foley and Cynthia Loertscher
SPY Executive Director Chris Costa sat down with the founder of the James W. Foley Foundation, Diane Foley, and Cynthia Loertscher, the lead researcher for Bringing Americans Home, the First Non-Governmental Assessment of US Hostage Policy and Family Engagement.
The Dark Side of Paradise: A Conversation with Richard Kerr
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former Deputy Director of CIA, former Acting Director, and former Deputy Director for Intelligence Richard Kerr, to discuss his career and his new book, The Dark Side of Paradise: Odd and Intriguing Stories from Vero Beach
Mosul: A Conversation with Daniel Gabriel
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former CIA counterterrorism officer Dan Gabriel, who is now filmmaker Dan Gabriel, the writer and director of the extraordinary documentary, Mosul.
Strategic Warning: A Conversation with John Gentry and Joseph Gordon
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former intelligence analysts John Gentry and Joe Gordon to discuss one of the most misunderstood aspects of the intelligence business: strategic warning. Gentry and Gordon are the authors of the book, Strategic Warning Intelligence: History, Challenges, and Prospects.
The Threat: A Conversation with Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe
SPY Executive Director Chris Costa sat down with former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe to discuss the current threat environment.
Spies of No Country: A Conversation with Matti Friedman
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with journalist and author Matti Friedman for a fascinating look at early Israeli intelligence, and his book, Spies of No Country: Secret Lives at the Birth of Israel
NEST: A Conversation with Jack Doyle
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Jack Doyle, former field director for NEST, the Department of Energys Nuclear Emergency Search Team.
American Spartan: A Conversation with Jim Gant and Ann Scott Tyson
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former Green Beret Major Jim Gant and his wife, former war correspondent Ann Scott Tyson, who is the author of the book, American Spartan: The Promise, the Mission, and the Betrayal of Special Forces Major Jim Gant
Mata Hari, The Spy: An Interview with Dr. Julie Wheelwright
SPY Adult Education Director Amanda Ohlke sat down with Dr. Julie Wheelwright, the author of The Fatal Lover: Mata Hari and the Myth of Women in Espionage.Julie and Amanda discuss the famous early 20th century dancer: her background, how she became famous and successful against all odds, and the truth about her espionage activities during WWI.
Freedoms Laboratory: A Conversation with Audra Wolfe
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with writer, editor, and historian Audra Wolfe to discuss Cold War propaganda and psychological operations, and her book, Freedoms Laboratory: The Cold War Struggle for the Soul of Science.
Area 51 Special Projects: A Conversation with TD Barnes
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with TD Barnes, who served as a field engineer at the NASA High Range in Nevada for the X-15, XB-70, lifting bodies and lunar landing vehicles; worked on the NERVA project at Jackass Flats, Nevada; and served in Special Projects at Area 51.
The SpyCast Conversation with Adm. Mike Rogers
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former NSA Director and CYBERCOM commander Admiral Mike Rogers
The SpyCast Conversation withVince Houghton?
Guest host David Priess sat down with SPY historian and curator Vince Houghton to discuss Houghtons new book, Nuking the Moon: And Other Intelligence Schemes And Military Plots Left On The Drawing Board.
The SpyCast Conversation with Dr. John Browne
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with John Browne, former director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, who was there for among other things the Wen Ho Lee spy investigation. IARPA/ARL link: https://sites.google.com/create.jhuapl.edu/join
Leadership and Counterterrorism: A Conversation with General Stanley McChrystal
SPY Executive Director Chris Costa sat down with the former Commander of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), Commander, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Commander, U.S. Forces - Afghanistan (USFOR-A)
Nukes and North Korea: A Conversation with Jeffrey Lewis
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with arms control expert Jeffrey Lewis to discuss nuclear threats from around the world, and his fascinating book, The 2020 Commission Report on the North Korean Nuclear Attacks Against the United States: A Speculative Novel
The SpyCast Conversation with Dr. Gary Weir, Chief Historian, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Gary Weir to discuss some of the history of NGA, and their vital role in the mission to find and neutralize Usama bin Laden
The SpyCast Conversation with FBI Special Agent Peter Lapp
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Peter Lapp, whose two decade career at the FBI included extensive work in counterintelligence.
Gray Day: A Conversation with Eric ONeill
SPY Historian Vince Houghton say down with cybersecurity expert and former FBI counterterrorism and counterintelligence operative Eric ONeill to discuss the investigation into, and arrest of, Soviet/Russian spy Robert Hanssen, and ONeills new book on the topic, Gray Day: My Undercover Mission To Expose Americas First Cyber Spy.
Rethinking CT: A Conversation with Jason Blazakis
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with the Director of the Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism at Monterey to discuss terrorism financing, state-sponsorship, and the rise of domestic terrorism.
Dezinformatsiya Revisited: A Conversation with Liz Wahl
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down for a second time with journalist, and now congressional candidate, Liz Wahl to discuss Russian disinformation operations and more.
Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell: A Conversation with Former Director Rob Saale
SPY Executive Director Chris Costa sat down with Rob Saale, the former director of the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell.
CIA vs DOD: A Conversation with David Oakley
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Army officer and former CIA intelligence officer David Oakley to discuss the tensions between the military and the CIA, and his new book, Subordinating Intelligence: The DoD/CIA Post-Cold War Relationship
The New Rules of War: A Conversation with Sean McFate
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with National Defense University professor Sean McFate to discuss his new book, The New Rules of War: Victory in the Age or Durable Disorder.
Hunting Mengele: A Conversation with David Kennedy, David Turk, and Howard Safir
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with representatives of the United States Marshals Service to discuss the decades-long manhunt for Nazi war criminal Dr. Joseph Mengele.
Code Name Lise: A Conversation with Larry Loftis
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with bestselling author Larry Loftis to discuss the extraordinary WWII British agent Odette Sansom, and Loftiss new book, Code Name: Lise: The True Story of the Woman Who Became WWII's Most Highly Decorated Spy
Counterterrorism Strategy: A Conversation with Peter Bergen & Chris Costa
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with terrorism expert Peter Bergen and SPY Executive Director Chris Costa to discuss the details and highlights of the most recent national counterterrorism strategy
The First Conspiracy: A Conversation with Brad Meltzer
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with prolific author Brad Meltzer to discuss his newest book, The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington. Link:[https://www.amazon.com/First-Conspiracy-Secret-George-Washington/dp/1250130336/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1547763104&sr=8-1&keywords=the+first+conspiracy+brad+meltzer](https://www.amazon.com/First-Conspiracy-Secret-George-Washington/dp/1250130336/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1547763104&sr=8-1&keywords=the+first+conspiracy+brad+meltzer)
The SpyCast Interview with DIA Director LTG Robert Ashley
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with the 21st Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency to discuss his career, the mission of the DIA, and his role as its director.
Disrupt and Deny: A Conversation with Rory Cormac
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with University of Nottingham professor Rory Cormac to discuss the history of British covert action and his newest book, Disrupt and Deny: Spies, Special Forces, and the Secret Pursuit of British Foreign Policy.
Korean Security Issues: A Conversation with former Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert
SPY Executive Director Chris Costa sits down with the former Ambassador to South Korea, Mark Lippert to discuss his career and insights on the U.S. relationship with South Korea, as well as current issues surrounding the Korean peninsula.
Moscow at Midnight: A Conversation with Sally McGrane
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with journalist and writer Sally McGrane to discuss modern-day Russia, living in Germany, and her novel Moscow at Midnight.
Masters of Mayhem: A Conversation with James Stejskal
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former Green Beret and CIA Operations Officer James Stejskal to discuss the legacy of TE Lawrence and Stejskals newest book, Masters of Mayhem: Lawrence of Arabia and the British Military Mission to the Hejaz.
Into the Shadows: A Conversation with Michael Brady
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with ret US Army LTC and former career intelligence officer Michael Brady to discuss his career, the status of intelligence education, and his latest book, Into the Shadows, Assassination Corps.
The Spy Who Was Left Behind: A Conversation with Michael Pullara
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with attorney Michael Pullara to discuss the case of slain CIA officer Freddie Woodruff and Pullaras new book, The Spy Who Was Left Behind: Russia, the United States, and the True Story of the Betrayal and Assassination of a CIA Agent
The SpyCast Conversation with Ambassador Joe Wilson
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Ambassador Joe Wilson to discuss his career, the politicization of intelligence, and uranium from Niger
The SpyCast Interview with Jeremy Bash
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Jeremy Bash and discussed his career at CIA, DOD, the House Intelligence Committee, and other topics.
Hostage US: A Conversation with Rachel Briggs & Joshua Geltzer
SPY Executive Director Chris Costa sat down with Rachel Briggs and Joshua Geltzer from Hostage US, a non-profit organization that supports families of Americans taken hostage abroad
From FBI to CNN: A Conversation with Josh Campbell
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Josh Campbell, former Supervisory Special Agent with the FBI, and now Law Enforcement Analyst for CNN
Inside the DIA The Hunt for UBL: A Conversation with DIA Historian Greg Elder
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with DIA Chief Historian Greg Elder to discuss the DIAs role in the hunt for Usama bin Laden.
The Secrets of the Bridge of Spies: A Conversation with Francis Gary Powers, Jr., Mary Ellen Fuller, and Vin Arthey
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down for a discussion of the most famous spy trade in history: Soviet spy Rudolf Abel for American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers
Active Measures: A Conversation with Jack Bryan
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with filmmaker Jack Bryan to discuss his newly released film on Russian active measures and the 2016 presidential election.
An Americans Path to Al-Qaida: A Conversation with Bryant Neal Vias
SPY Executive Director Chris Costa sat down with Bryant Neal Vias to discuss the story of his ideological journey from New York to Pakistan and Afghanistan to wage jihad.
The Wounded Muse: A Conversation with Robert Delaney
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with award winning author and journalist Robert Delaney, who has been covering China as a journalist for more than 20 years. His debut novel, The Wounded Muse, is out now.
Man of War: A Conversation with Sean Parnell
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Retired Army Infantry Captain, veterans advocate, and author Sean Parnell to talk about his new book Man of War, his wartime experiences, and key issues facing veterans today.
The Spy and the Traitor: A Conversation with Ben MacIntyre
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with prolific author Ben MacIntyre to discuss the Oleg Gordievsky case and MacIntyres new book, The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War.
From the Vault, 9/11 Edition: A Conversation with Cofer Black
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Cofer Black, the former Director of CIAs Counterterrorism Center (CTC), to discuss the role of the CTC before, during, and after the attacks on September 11, 2001.
From the Vault (But Never Heard Before): A Conversation with William Webster
Former SPY Executive Director Peter Earnest sat down in 2013 with former CIA and FBI Director, Judge William Webster. Hear it now for the first time.
NatSec and the Law: A Conversation with Mark Zaid
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with attorney Mark Zaid to discuss the revocation of security clearances, non-disclosure agreements, pre-publication review, and recent national security leaks.
Reflections on Counterterrorism: A Conversation with Nicholas Rasmussen
SPY Executive Director Chris Costa sat down for a special conversation with the former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), Nicholas Rasmussen.
US Intel in WWI: A Conversation with Mark Stout
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former SPY Historian Mark Stout to discuss all things American Intelligence in WWI.
Busy Days: A Conversation with Shane Harris
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Washington Post intelligence and national security reporters to discusswell, everything.
The SpyCast Conversation with former HPSCI Chair Mike Rogers
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former FBI agent and chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Mike Rogers to discuss his career and how he feels about the current state of the Intelligence Community.
The Cyber: A Conversation with Rick Holland
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Rick Holland, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Vice President of Strategy for Digital Shadows, to discuss the latest cyber trends and developments
The Other Woman: A Conversation with Daniel Silva
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with bestselling novelist Daniel Silva to discuss his career, his writing philosophy, and his new book, The Other Woman.
Operation Black Mail: A Conversation with Ann Todd
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with historian Ann Todd to discuss WWII propaganda efforts and her book, OSS Operation Black Mail: One Womans Covert War Against the Imperial Japanese Army
Wisdom of the Crowd: A Conversation with Dr. Steven Rieber
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Dr. Steven Rieber, IARPA program manager, to discuss CREATE, which seeks to develop, and experimentally test, systems that use crowdsourcing and structured analytic techniques to improve analytic reasoning. [CLICK HERE](https://www.iarpa.gov/index.php/research-programs/create/) for more information on the program. [CLICK HERE](http://join.createbetterreasoning.com) to sign up.
Nine Lives: A Conversation with Aimen Dean
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Aimen Dean, former member of Al Qaeda, agent for MI-6, and author of the new book, Nine Lives: My Time as the West's Top Spy Inside al-Qaeda.
Overkill: A Conversation with Ted Bell
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with spy novelist Ted Bell, author of 10 consecutive New York Times Bestsellers, including the Alex Hawke series of spy thrillers. The newest is Overkill.
Spy Chiefs: A Conversation with Mark Stout and Chris Moran
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with intelligence experts Drs. Mark Stout and Chris Moran to discuss the 2nd volume of their new book, Spy Chiefs, which they both contributed to and edited.
Space and National Security: A Conversation with Chirag Parikh
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Chirag Parikh, the Deputy Director for Counterproliferation at the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, to discuss the importance of space in the 21st century.
The SpyCast Conversation with John Brennan
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former CIA Director John Brennan to discuss his career and key moments during his time as Director .
The Targeter: A Conversation with Nada Bakos
SPY historian Vince Houghton sat down with former CIA analyst and targeting officer Nada Bakos to discuss her career, the CIA, and the current state of intelligence in America
A Brotherhood of Spies: A Conversation with Monte Reel
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with author and journalist Monte Reel, whose new book on the development and impact of the U-2 program is A Brotherhood of Spies: The U-2 and the CIA's Secret War. For more information about this weeks sponsor, visit ziprecruiter.com.
The National Security Strategy: A Conversation with Fmr Dep National Security Advisor Nadia Schadlow
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Nadia Schadlow, the former Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy, to discuss the recently released National Security Strategy for the Trump Administration.
Cold War Navy SEAL: A Conversation with James Hawes
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former Navy SEAL and CIA operator James Hawes to discuss his time in Vietnam and the Congo in the 1960s. Hawes is the author of the new book, Cold War Navy SEAL: My Story of Che Guevara, War in the Congo, and the Communist Threat in Africa.
Last Night of the World: A Conversation with Joyce Wayne
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with award-winning literary journalist and author Joyce Wayne to discuss her new historical novel Last Night of the World, which centers on an infamous Soviet spy ring operating in early-Cold War Canada.
The Mad Scientists: A Conversation with Lee Grubbs
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Lee Grubbs, director of the Mad Scientist initiative, a US Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) program that continually explores the future through collaborative partnerships and continuous dialogue with academia, industry, and government. Check out their blog, at http://madsciblog.tradoc.army.mil/
Meet the New Guy, Part 2: An Interview with Chris Costa
SPY Historian Vince Houghton continues his conversation with the new Executive Director of the International Spy Museum to discuss his career in intelligence, special operations, counterterrorism, and policymaking.
Meet the New Guy, Part 1: An Interview with Chris Costa
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with the new Executive Director of the International Spy Museum to discuss his career in intelligence, special operations, counterterrorism, and policymaking. Part 2 will be posted next week.
In the Enemys House: An Interview with Howard Blum
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with NYT bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize nominee Howard Blum to discuss his newest book In the Enemy's House: The Secret Saga of the FBI Agent and the Code Breaker Who Caught the Russian Spies.
Breaking Cover: An Interview with Michele Rigby Assad
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former CIA operations officer Michele Rigby Assad to discuss her career in intelligence, and her new book Breaking Cover: My Secret Life in the CIA and What It Taught Me about What's Worth Fighting For.
Operation Chaos: An Interview with Matthew Sweet
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with author Matthew Sweet, who has written on one of the mostextraordinary topics of the Cold War. His book, Operation Chaos: The Vietnam Deserters who Fought the CIA, the Brainwashers, and Themselves, is out now.
The Peter Earnest Exit Interview
SPY Historian sat down with recently retired International Spy Museum Executive Director Peter Earnest to discuss his career in intelligence, his time with the Museum, and his thoughts on life moving forward .
The Doomsday Machine: An Interview with Daniel Ellsberg
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down (remotely) with Daniel Ellsberg, who is best known for his release of the Pentagon Papers to the public in 1971. He is also the author of The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner, which details his early life as a specialist on the command and control of nuclear weapons, nuclear war plans, and crisis decision-making.
Technology and Human Intelligence: An Interview with Paula Doyle
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Paula Doyle, former Associate Deputy Director of Operations at CIA, where she oversaw worldwide HUMINT operations and activities that required the use of air, land, maritime, space-based and cyber technologies.
Spy Watching: An Interview with Loch Johnson
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with political scientist and professor Loch Johnson, whose decade-long career in and out of the intelligence world has culminated in a new book, Spy Watching: Intelligence Accountability in the United States.
The Saboteur: An Interview with Paul Kix
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Paul Kix, deputy editor at ESPN the Magazine, and author of the book The Saboteur: The Aristocrat Who Became France's Most Daring Anti-Nazi Commando
Destination Casablanca: An Interview with Meredith Hindley
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with writer and historian Meredith Hindley to discuss her new book Destination Casablanca: Exile, Espionage, and the Battle for North Africa in World War II
The Red Web: An Interview with Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with investigative journalists Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan to discuss Russian intelligence, their security services, and the Russian use of the internet both internally and externally
American Radical: An Interview with Kevin Maurer
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Kevin Maurer, coauthor of the bestseller No Easy Day, and now coauthor of the new book, American Radical: Inside the World of an Undercover Muslim FBI Agent, which he cowrote with undercover FBI agent Tamer Elnoury .
A Rebel at the CIA: An Interview with former DDI Carmen Medina
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Carmen Medina, the CIAs former Deputy Director of Intelligence and Director of the Center for the Study of Intelligence. She is also the author of Rebels at Work: A Handbook for Leading Change from Within.
The Psychology of Espionage: An Interview with Dr. Ursula Wilder
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with CIA clinical psychologist Dr. Ursula Wilder, who in her over two decades at CIA has worked within the Counterintelligence Center, the Counterterrorism Center, and the Sherman Kent School for Intelligence Analysis.
Inside Naval Intelligence: An Interview with Deputy Director B Lynn Wright
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Lynn Wright, the current Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence and the Head of the Naval Intelligence Activity.
A Little Bit of Everything: An Interview with Kristin Wood
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Kristin Wood, who spent more than two decades with CIA in a number of roles from the briefer to the Vice President, to intelligence analyst, to the National Clandestine Service, to the Open Source Center.
View from the Top: An Interview with Michael Morell
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former CIA Deputy Director and Acting Director Michael Morell to discuss his career at the Agency, and his role in some of the most momentous intelligence events of the last two decades.
Follow the Money: An Interview with Nitsana Darshan-Leitner
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Israeli activist and attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner to discuss the ongoing campaign to disrupt terrorist finance, and her new book Harpoon: Inside the Covert War Against Terrorism's Money Masters
Speaking Truth to Power: An Interview with Ned Price
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Ned Price, former CIA analyst and Special Assistant to President Obama on the National Security Council staff, where he also was the Spokesperson and Senior Director for Strategic Communications.
Everything You Wanted to Know About GEOINT but Were Afraid to Ask: An Interview with Keith Masback
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Keith Masback, the CEO of the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation, to talk all things GEOINT.
The Woman Who Smashed Codes: An Interview with Jason Fagone
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with author Jason Fagone to discuss the history of American codebreaking and his book, The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted Americas Enemies.
Chief of Station: An Interview with John Sipher
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with CIA veteran John Sipher, who served multiple overseas tours as Chief of Station and Deputy Chief of Station in Europe, Asia, Southeast Asia, the Balkans, and South Asia.
Dinner at the Center of the Earth: An Interview with Nathan Englander
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with author Nathan Englander to discuss his new novel, Middle East politics, the Mossad, the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, and growing up Jewish in America.
Our First Bond Villain: An Interview with Robert Davi
In late July, SPY Historian Vince Houghton traveled to Pasadena, CA to take part in Politicon, the Unconventional Political Convention (think Comic Con for political junkies). There he sat down with prolific actor Robert Davi, who played Franz Sanchez, Bonds nemesis in License to Kill.
Spy Schools: An Interview with Dan Golden
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Dan Golden to discuss his new book, focused on the exploitation of American universities by both foreign and US intelligence agencies.
Preserving Cold War Berlin: An Interview with Bernd von Kostka
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Bernd von Kostka, the Acting Director of the Allied Museum in Berlin, to discuss some of the key stories from the Cold War in Germany.
Whistleblower Aid: An Interview with John Tye and Mark Zaid
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with attorneys John Tye and Mark Zaid to discuss their new project Whistleblower Aid, which is a non-profit organization designed to protect whistleblowers and to prevent them from becoming leakers.
Foxtrot in Kandahar: An Interview with Duane Evans
Recorded in front of a live audience at the Museum, SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former CIA operations officer Duane Evans, who led a team of special operators into Afghanistan in the weeks following 9/11.
Pattons Way: An Interview with James Kelly Morningstar
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former Army officer and historian James Kelly Morningstar to discuss the use of intelligence by legendary General George Patton, highlighted in Morningstars new book Pattons Way: A Radical Theory of War.
The Taking of K-129: An Interview with Josh Dean
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with author and journalist Josh Dean to discuss Project Azorian, the Glomar Explorer, and one of the most spectacular covert operations in history.
BuyThe Taking of K-129from the Spy Museum Store
Inside the DIA, Episode 2: An Interview with DIA Historian Greg Elder
In the second installment of our recurring series, SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with DIA Chief Historian Greg Elder to discuss the DIAs role in some of the most momentous events in recent US history.
From the Vault: Civil War Overhead Recon, An Interview with Dr. Jim Green
Because everyone else is going eclipse crazy, we thought we would re-post SPY Historian Vince Houghtons interview with one of the tops guys at NASA, Dr. Jim Green. Greens day job is Director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA. In his spare time, he has become one to the top experts in Civil War balloon reconnaissance.
Deep Black: An Interview with Sean McFate
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Sean McFate, a former paratrooper, private military contractor, and now author, novelist, and expert in foreign policy and national security strategy. Drs. Houghton and McFate discuss military and intelligence privatization, and McFates new book, Deep Black.
China's Cyber Wars: An Interview with TL Williams
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former CIA operations officer and Deputy Division Chief for Counterintelligence TL Williams to discuss his career and his new novel, Zero Day: China's Cyber Wars.
Whistleblower at the CIA: An Interview with Melvin Goodman
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former CIA analyst Melvin Goodman to discuss his life in government, and his book A Whistleblower at the CIA: The Path of Dissent an insiders account of the politics of intelligence.
Special Forces Berlin: An Interview with James Stejskal
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former Green Beret James Stejskal to discuss the role of US Army Special Forces, and their actions against the Warsaw Pact, in Cold War Berlin.
Dezinformatsiya: An Interview with Liz Wahl
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Newsy reporter Liz Wahl to discuss Russian efforts to propagate disinformation to the American public and her unique role in exposing this threat.
Angola, Clausewitz, and the American Way of War: An Interview with Jack McCain
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with US Naval Officer and helicopter pilot Jack McCain to discuss the potential lessons learned from his experiences and his new book, Angola, Clausewitz, and the American Way of War.
From the Vault, 4th of July Edition: Spies, Patriots, and Traitors: American Intelligence in the Revolutionary War
Hear from former CIA officer Kenneth Daigler, as he closely examines American intelligence activities during the era of the Revolutionary War from 1765 to 1783.
Predicting President Trump: An Interview with the Authors of High Hand
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with James Rosen (McClatchy), James Ellenberger (formerly of AFL-CIO), and Curt Harris (NIH National Cancer Institute), authors of High Hand. Their novel, which involves a Republican presidential candidate with close ties to Russia, was written long before the 2016 election.
The Death of Expertise: An Interview with Tom Nichols
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Tom Nichols, professor at the U.S. Naval War College and at the Harvard Extension School, and the author of The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters
Inside the DIA, Episode 1: An Interview with DIA Historian Greg Elder
In the first installment of what will become a recurring series, SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with DIA Chief Historian Greg Elder to discuss the DIAs role in some of the most momentous events in recent US history.
Our Latest Longest War: An Interview with Ben Jones
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Ben Jones, the former Transition Coordinator for the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, where he coordinated the transfer of Afghanistan's security from the coalition to the Afghan National Security Forces. He is also a contributor to the new book, Our Latest Longest War: Losing Hearts and Minds in Afghanistan.
Agent M: An Interview with Henry Hemming
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down (remotely) with British author Henry Hemming to discuss his newest book Agent M: The Lives and Spies of MI5s Maxwell Knight.
The Black Hand: An Interview with Stephan Talty
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Stephan Talty, author of two previous books on intelligence, Agent Garbo and The Secret Agent: In Search of Americas Greatest World War II Spy. They discuss his newest book, The Black Hand: The Epic War Between a Brilliant Detective and the Deadliest Secret Society in American History.
The Power of Words: An Interview with Sven Hughes
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Sven Hughes, a former reserve soldier within British Military Intelligence, Psychological Operations, and UK Special Forces, to discuss counter-radicalization and the effectiveness of influence operations. Mr. Hughes is also the author of the new book, Verbalization: The Power of Words to Drive Change.
Spies in the Family: An Interview with Eva Dillon
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Eva Dillon, whose father Paul was a career CIA officer who ran one of the most prolific Soviet spies of the Cold War. Their stories are told in Evas new book, Spies in the Family: An American Spymaster, His Russian Crown Jewel, and the Friendship That Helped End the Cold War.
CIA Spy Girl: An Interview with Emily Brandwin
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former improv comedienne and CIA operations officer Emily Brandwin to discuss her career(s) and views on many things intel-related.
The Spy Who Couldnt Spell: An Interview with Yudhijit Bhattacharjee
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with author and journalist Yudhijit Bhattacharjee to discuss the fascinating case of wannabee spy Brian Regan, detailed in Yudhijits book The Spy Who Couldnt Spell: A Dyslexic Traitor, an Unbreakable Code, and the FBIs Hunt for Americas Stolen Secrets.
The Imagineers of War: An Interview with Sharon Weinberger
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Sharon Weinberger, national security journalist and author of the book The Imagineers of War: The Untold Story of DARPA, the Pentagon Agency that Changed the World.
Spy Sites of DC: An Interview with Keith Melton and Bob Wallace
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with intelligence historian Keith Melton, and former chief of the CIAs Office of Technical Services, Bob Wallace, to discuss their newest collaboration: Spy Sites of Washington, DC.
BuySpy Sites of Washington, DCfrom the Spy Museum Store
Deep Undercover: An Interview with Former KGB Illegal Jack Barsky
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Jack Barsky, the longest-surviving known member of the KGB illegals program that operated during the Cold War, and author of the memoir Deep Undercover: My Secret Life & Tangled Allegiances as a KGB Spy in America.
SpyCast Roundtable: The Women of NatSec Journalism
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with six extraordinary journalists to discuss the challenges associated with reporting on intelligence and national security. They include: Ali Watkins (BuzzFeed), Mary Louise Kelly (NPR), Jenna McLaughlin (The Intercept), Nancy Youssef (BuzzFeed), Molly OToole (Foreign Policy), and Ellen Nakashima (Washington Post).
Allen Dulles, the OSS, and the German Resistance: An Interview with Scott Miller
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Scott Miller, author of Agent 110: An American Spymaster and the German Resistance in WWII, to discuss the relationship between future CIA director Dulles and those Germans scheming to overthrow Hitler.
Climate and Security: An Interview with Brig. Gen Gerry Galloway and Rear Adm. Dave Titley
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with retired US Army Brigadier General Gerry Galloway and retired US Navy Rear Admiral Dave Titley to discuss the intelligence and national security implication of climate change. Both men are members of the Advisory Board of the Center for Climate and Security. ***NOTE: Vince messed up. The correct link to the survey is podcast.study
Author Debriefing - Finks: How the CIA Tricked the Worlds Best Writers
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down (remotely) with Joel Whitney, the cofounder and editor at large of Guernica: A Magazine of Art & Politics, to discuss his book on how the CIA used culture to fight the Cold War, Finks: How the CIA Tricked the Worlds Best Writers.
Author Debriefing - Beware the Predator: The Americans Guide to Personal Security
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former CIA Technical Operations Officer Warren Holston and former Air Force intel specialist Dave White to discuss their new book Beware the Predator: The Americans Guide to Personal Security.
Get the Book: http://www.spymuseumstore.org/beware-the-predator.html#.WL7Y7xIrJUM
How Much Should We Know: An Interview with Alex Howard of the Sunlight Foundation
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Alex Howard, the Deputy Director of the Sunlight Foundation, to discuss the publics right to know what the government is doing in its name.
From the Vault: The SpyCast Interview with Michael Flynn
A year ago, SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former DIA Director and National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. Here is their conversation.
Spooks and Nukes: An Interview with Dr. James Acton
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with James Acton, co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, to discuss the threat of nuclear confrontation and how intelligence can play a vital role in reducing this danger.
CIAs Secret War in Laos: An Interview with Josh Kurlantzick
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Josh Kurlantzick of the Council on Foreign Relations to discuss his new book A Great Place to Have a War: The Secret War in Laos and the Birth of a Military CIA.
Historian Roundtable: 2016 Revisited
SPY Historians Vince Houghton sat down to rehash the year that was 2016. He was joined by former SPY Historian Mark Stout, former CIA briefer David Priess, and BuzzFeed intelligence and national security reporter Ali Watkins.
John Nixon - Debriefing the President
SPY Historian Vince Houghton is joined by John Nixon, who shares what he learned as the first man to conduct a prolonged interrogation of the captured Iraqi president.
Get the book:http://www.spymuseumstore.org/spycast-books.html
Bioweapons Containment: An Interview with Dr. Hank Parker
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with bioterrorism expert Hank Parker to discuss current threats and Parker's new book Containment.
Cyber Special Forces: An Interview with Dmitri Alperovitch
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Dmitri Alperovitch, the CTO and co-founder of CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity firm that detected the hack of the DNC, and traced the breach back to Russian intelligence.
From the Vault: The Tony and Jonna Mendez Edition, Part 3
The Iranian Hostage Crisis (September 1, 2008) In November 1979, radical Iranian students overran the U.S. embassy in Tehran, capturing most of the embassy staffexcept for six diplomats who found refuge with the Canadian embassy. Today, Peter talks with retired CIA officer Tony Mendez who, in an elaborate deception and disguise operation, managed to exfiltrate the six Americans from Tehran before the Iranians were able to track them down.
From the Vault: The Tony and Jonna Mendez Edition, Part 1
The Secret History of Disguises (November 1, 2006) Peter talks with Tony Mendez, former Chief of Disguise for the CIA. Peter and Tony discuss the intricacies of developing disguises for use in hostile environments, the advantages of selective aging, and the secret history of facial recognition technology.
From the Vault: The Tony and Jonna Mendez Edition, Part 2
Woman in Disguise - Jonna Mendez (November 18, 2008) Jonna Hiestand Mendez began her CIA career as a secretary and ended it as head of the agencys Office of Technical Services, overseeing the development of gadgets, disguises, and high-tech devices in support of espionage missions. Today, she discusses with Peter some of the operations she was involved in as well as opportunities for women in the intelligence community.
From the Vault: Russians Behaving Badly Edition, Part 3
An Army of Illegals: Assessing the Russian Spy Case (July 12, 2010) Two weeks ago on 27 June, the FBI arrested a network of 10 Russian "deep cover" spies. Peter sits down with former KGB Major General Oleg Kalugin to discuss this remarkable case and the historic spy swap which took place last Friday. Kalugin, who once ran agents in the United States, is forthright in expressing his views about what this case says about the state of Russian intelligence today.
From the Vault: Russians Behaving Badly Edition, Part 1
The Litvinenko Murder and Other Riddles from Moscow (December 4, 2006) Peter sits down with former CIA officer Bob Rayle and Oleg Kalugin to talk Russia past and present. The three discuss their perspectives on the recent poisoning of former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko. Then, they turn to 1967 and Bob's role in the extraordinary defection of Svetlana Alliluyeva, daughter of Josef Stalin.
From the Vault: Russians Behaving Badly Edition, Part 2
Leon Trotsky Murder in Mexico (September 1, 2007) Peters guest today is H. Keith Melton, renowned intelligence historian and owner of the largest collection of espionage artifacts. Keith sheds new light on one of the most notorious intelligence operations of all timethe assassination of exiled Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky in Mexico in 1940. Keith reconstructs the operation in all its phases, including material from his own original research.
The Last Diplomat: An Interview with Devlin Barrett of the WSJ and Adam Entous of the Washington Post
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Devlin Barrett and Adam Entous, co-authors of an exceptional long-form article, written for the Wall Street Journal, which highlights the tension between traditional diplomacy and the counterintelligence mission of the FBI.
High Risk, High Reward: An Interview with IARPA Dep. Director Dr. Stacey Dixon
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Dr. Stacey Dixon, the Deputy Director of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity. Drs. Houghton and Dixon discuss some of the advanced scientific and technological research that will transform intelligence far into the 21st Century.
Pearl Harbor at 75: An Interview with Steve Twomey
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Steve Twomey to discuss his new book about the attacks of December 7, 1941, Countdown to Pearl Harbor: The Twelve Days to the Attack.
CIAs Man in Havana: An Interview with Canadian Diplomat John Graham
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former Canadian diplomat John Graham to discuss his role as the eyes and ears of Western intelligence following the Cuban Missile Crisis. This story, as well as many others, are told in Grahams memoir, Whose Man in Havana: Adventures from the Far Side of Diplomacy.
Author Debriefing 100 Deadly Skills: The SEAL Operative's Survival Guide
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down (remotely) with former SEAL Team 6 member Clint Emerson to discuss his new book, 100 Deadly Skills: Survival Edition, a follow-up to his national bestseller 100 Deadly Skills.
Buy100 Deadly Skillsfrom the Spy Museum Store
Able Archer 83: An Interview with Nate Jones
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Nate Jones, the Director of the Freedom of Information Act Project for the National Security Archive, and the author of the new book Able Archer 83: The Secret History of the NATO Exercise That Almost Triggered Nuclear War.
Get the book: http://www.spymuseumstore.org/able-archer-83.html#.WIdjWrYrJTY
From the Vault: Election Spectacular, Part III - Why Mark Felt became Deep Throat
Intelligence officers and investigative journalists both depend on clandestine sources to divulge secrets. But why do people betray a trust? Peter interviews veteran journalist Max Holland about his new book, Leak, which probes the mind and motivations of one of the most famous clandestine sources in American history: Deep Throat. Hear why Mark Felt, the Deputy Director of the FBI, betrayed President Nixon by leaking to the Washington Post and Time about Watergate. Were Felts motives patriotic or self-servingor both? Get the book: http://www.spymuseumstore.org/leak-shy-mark-felt-became-deep-throat.html#.Vz3q4PkrIdU
From the Vault: Election Spectacular, Part II - An Interview with Ken Vogel of POLITICO
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Ken Vogel, Chief Investigative Reporter for POLITICO and author of the article, The Koch Intelligence Agency. Houghton and Vogel (who tracks the confluence of money, politics, and influence for POLITICO) discuss the use of use surveillance, propaganda, disinformation, deception, and even covert action in modern political campaigns.
From the Vault: Election Spectacular, Part I - An Interview with NBC Chief Political Correspondent Chuck Todd
SPY Historian Dr. Vince Houghton sat down with NBC News Political Director and Chief White House Correspondent Chuck Todd to discuss the growing role of intelligence tradecraft in American election politics. Todd, the host of MSNBCs The Daily Rundown, explains how political campaigns on both sides of the aisle use surveillance, propaganda, disinformation, deception, and covert action to give their candidates a political edge. This interview was recorded on July 29, 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2g2F6lEJU_c
Stalins Englishman: An Interview with Andrew Lownie
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with author and literary agent Andrew Lownie, who has been researching Guy Burgess and the Cambridge 5 for over three decades. The culmination of this research is Lownies book, Stalin's Englishman: Guy Burgess, the Cold War, and the Cambridge Spy Ring.
Rise of the Machines: An Interview with Dr. Thomas Rid
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Thomas Rid, professor in the Department of War Studies at Kings College London, and the author of Rise of the Machines. The book tells the sweeping story of how cybernetics, a late-1940s theory of machines, came to incite anarchy and war half a century later.
Countering Radicalism and Extremism: An Interview with Dr. Lorenzo Vidino and Jesse Morton
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Dr. Lorenzo Vidino and Jesse Morton from the Program on Extremism at the George Washington Universitys Center for Cyber & Homeland Security. Dr. Vidino, and expert on Islamism in Europe and North America, is the Programs Director, and Morton, a reformed, former extremist who was once a prominent radicalizer in the West, is a research fellow who sees this work as an opportunity to repair some of the damage caused by his radicalization.
Author Debriefing - True Believer: Stalins Last American Spy
At a live event at the International Spy Museum, SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with journalist Kati Marton to discuss Soviet spy Noel Field, the subject of Martons new book True Believer: Stalins Last American Spy.
From MI to UPI: An Interview with Newsweeks Jeff Stein
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Jeff Stein, who covers the spy agencies and foreign policy for Newsweek in Washington. An Army Intelligence case officer in Vietnam, Stein is an investigative reporter of long standing, specializing in intelligence, defense and foreign policy.
15 Years Later, Part 3: An Interview with Mark Zaid and Bradley Moss
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with national security attorneys Mark Zaid and Brad Moss to discuss the impact of the attacks of 9/11 on the US Constitution, and the continuing legal legacy of that fateful day.
15 Years Later, Part 2: An Interview with Ambassador Cofer Black
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Cofer Black, the former Director of CIAs Counterterrorism Center (CTC), to discuss the role of the CTC before, during, and after the attacks on September 11, 2001.
15 Years Later, Part 1: An Interview with Dr. Barbara Sude
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former CIA analyst Barbara Sude to discuss the intelligence analysis leading up to the September 11, 2001 attacks. Dr. Sude was one of a team of analysts at CIA who focused on Al Qaeda and bin Laden starting in the 1990s.
Securing Cyberspace: An Interview with Charlie Mitchell
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Charlie Mitchell, editor and co-founder of Inside Cybersecurity, and the author of Hacked: The Inside Story of America's Struggle to Secure Cyberspace. Houghton and Mitchell discuss the ongoing congressional debates over cybersecurity, the landmark framework of cybersecurity standards crafted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the policy ramifications of major hacking events.
When COIN Works: An Interview with Tom Ordeman
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with antiterrorism advisor and risk management specialist Tom Ordeman to discuss the little-know case of the Dhofar Rebellion. Often called the Secret War (because so few people have heard of it), the Dhofar Rebellion is an example of COIN Theory implemented to perfection.
The Corrupted State: An interview with Ilya Zaslavskiy
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Ilya Zaslavskiy, who was falsely accused of espionage by Russian security services (the FSB). Unwilling to sit back and allow others to be victimized by a corrupt system, Ilya now dedicates his time to exposing those at the heart of the Russian kleptocracy. See his petition here: https://www.change.org/p/chancellor-chris-patten-oxford-university-and-other-academic-entities-review-cooperation-with-putin-s-oligarchs
GPS Declassified: An Interview with Richard Easton
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Richard Easton, author of GPS Declassified: From Smart Bombs to Smartphones, to discuss the development of GPS and its role in the military, intelligence, and civilian domains. Eastons father, Roger, led the Space Applications Branch of the Naval Research Laboratory from the Vanguard Satellite era to the early days of GPS development.
Blurred Lines: An Interview with Georgetown International Law Professor Rosa Brooks
Blurred Lines: An Interview with Georgetown International Law Professor Rosa Brooks
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Rosa Brooks, professor of national security law, Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation, and author of the new book How Everything Became War and the Military Became Everything: Tales from the Pentagon.
Author Debriefing: NSAs Codebreakers and the Secret Intelligence War Against the Soviet Union
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Stephen Budiansky, the author of seventeen books about military history, intelligence and espionage, science, the natural world, and other subjects, to discuss the history of the NSA and his new book, NSAs Codebreakers and the Secret Intelligence War Against the Soviet Union.
A Lifetime in Intelligence: An Interview with ex-CIA Officer Stephen Slick
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former CIA officer Steve Slick, who spent more than three decades at the Agency as a case officer, chief of station, and senior executive. He is now the inaugural Director of the Intelligence Studies Project at the University of Texas, Austin.
Goat Staring and Other Oddities: An Interview with Jon Ronson
SPY Historian Vince Houghton traveled to Politicon in Pasadena, CA and sat down (before a live audience) with Jon Ronson, author of The Men Who Stare at Goats, and all-around interesting person.
The Secret History of WWII: An Interview with Sir Max Hastings
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with prolific author Sir Max Hastings, whose 20+ books have set the standard for historical writing over the last 40 years. Dr. Houghton and Sir Max discuss the fascinating topic of Hastings new book, The Secret War: Spies, Ciphers, and Guerrillas, 1939-1945, arguably the best single-volume history of the secret side of the War.
Intel at Leyte: An Interview with John Prados
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Dr. John Prados, author of the new book Storm Over Leyte: The Philippine Invasion and the Destruction of the Japanese Navy. Drs. Houghton and Prados discuss the role of intelligence in the Pacific War and, specifically, how it impacted the Battle of Leyte Gulf the largest naval battle in world history.
Author Debriefing: Executing the Rosenbergs: Death and Diplomacy in a Cold War World
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Dr. Lori Clune, Associate Professor of History at California State University, Fresno, to discuss her new book on how the Rosenberg spy case affected American relations with the rest of the world. A completely new way of looking at this milestone in spy history.
Combating Extremism: An Interview with Dr. Tara Maller
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Dr. Tara Maller, the Spokesperson and a Senior Policy Advisor for the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), to discuss the growing threat and responses to online extremism. To learn more about the CEP, go to http://www.counterextremism.com
The Missing Man: An Interview with the NYTs Barry Meier
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Barry Meier of the New York Times to discuss the story of Bob Levinson, former FBI agent and CIA contract worker, who disappeared in Iran in 2007. Meiers book, Missing Man: The American Spy Who Vanished in Iran, drew on years of interviews and never-before-disclosed CIA files to weave together a riveting narrative of the ex-agent's journey to Iran and the hunt to rescue him.
From the SpyCast Vault: D-Day Anniversary Edition
Juan Pujol was the Walter Mitty of World War II, a nobody who at one doomed venture after another while dreaming of doing something interesting with his life -- saving Western civilization, if possible. Journalist Stephan Talty, whose work has appeared widely, including in the New York Times Magazine and GQ, has told the remarkable story of how against all the odds, Pujol did just that by becoming agent GARBO, the most important double agent of World War II. Hear Talty discuss his new book with SPY Historian Mark Stout in this author debriefing which took place on July 12,...
The Blonde Bond: An Interview with Vanity Fairs Howard Blum
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Howard Blum, contributing editor at Vanity Fair and the author of The Last Goodnight: A World War II Story of Espionage, Adventure, and Betrayal, a book about one of the greatest spies of WWII, Betty Pack. Pack used seduction as her tradecraft, and stole some of the most consequential secrets of the war.
The Commander: An Interview with Gen. David Petraeus
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with retired 4-star general David Petraeus, former Commanding General, Multi-National Force Iraq; Commander, US Central Command; commander of the International Security Assistance Force and Commander, US Forces Afghanistan; and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, where he served from September, 2011, until November, 2012.
Author Debriefing: Eisenhower's Guerrillas: The Jedburghs, the Maquis, and the Liberation of France
SPY Executive Director Peter Earnest sat down with Ben Jones, Dean of Arts and Sciences and Associate Professor of History, Dakota State University. Dr. Jones also served as an advisor to the National Military Academy of Afghanistan and later as a liaison officer to the Afghan Ministries of Defense, Interior, and their National Directorate of Security for the effort to transition Afghan security from the coalition back to Afghanistan. Peter and Dr. Jones discuss Bens new book, Eisenhower's Guerrillas: The Jedburghs, the Maquis, and the Liberation of France.
Corporate Espionage: An Interview with CNBCs Eamon Javers
SPY Historian Vince Houghton discusses corporate espionage with CNBCs Washington Reporter Eamon Javers, who is also the author of the book Broker, Trader, Lawyer, Spy: The Secret World of Corporate Espionage.
Get the book: http://www.spymuseumstore.org/broker-trader-lawyer-spy.html#.Vz3tD_krIdU
Playing to the Edge: An Interview with Gen. Michael Hayden
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former NSA and CIA Director Gen. Michael Hayden to discuss his role as the only person to head both of these key intelligence agencies.
Get the book: http://www.spymuseumstore.org/playing-to-the-edge.html#.VyipoBUrJTY
Historian Roundtable, Part II: A Conversation with the SPY Historians
Current SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with all of his former colleagues to discuss listener questions. To submit your own questions, send them via email to spycast@spymuseum.org, or on Twitter, @intlspycast.
Victor in the Rubble: An Interview with Alex Finley
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Alex Finley, author of the new satirical novel about CIA and the War on Terror, Victor in the Rubble. Finley, herself a former officer in CIAs Directorate of Operations, provides a hilarious look at the bureaucratic absurdity of intelligence operations, and the great lengths capable officers will go to overcome it.
BuyVictor in the Rubblefrom the Spy Museum Store
The President's Book of Secrets: The Untold Story of Intelligence Briefings to America's Presidents from Kennedy to Obama
SPY Executive Director Peter Earnest sat down with former CIA intelligence officer, manager, and daily intelligence briefer David Priess to discuss his new book centered on the Presidents Daily Brief (PDB). Every living former President and Vice President, along with most former CIA Directors, Secretaries of State and Defense, National Security Advisors, White House Chiefs of Staff, and senior intelligence leaders, shared with Priess their personal stories about the PDB. And by digging through both the extensive files of the Presidential libraries and millions of pages of declassified CIA raw intelligence reports, analytic assessments, and memosPriess emerges with a uniqueand...
Sold Out? Iraq, the CIA, and the Kurds: An Interview with Dr. Bryan Gibson
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with historian Bryan Gibson to discuss the tumultuous history of US foreign policy in Iraq. From the end of the Second World War through today, Iraq has remained a key component in the American security calculus. Houghton and Gibson take a deep dive into this period, and Gibson demonstrates how Iraq should be considered an integral Cold War environment alongside such places as Cuba, Vietnam, and Afghanistan.
Author Debriefing: Queen of Spies: Daphne Park, Britain's Cold War Spy Master
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Paddy Hayes to discuss his book Queen of Spies: Daphne Park, Britain's Cold War Spy Master. Hayes recounts the fascinating story of the evolution of the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) from World War II to the Cold War through the eyes of Daphne Park, one of its outstanding and most unusual operatives. He gives one of the most intimate narratives yet of how the modern SIS actually went about its business whether in Moscow, Hanoi, or the Congo, and shows how Park was able to rise through the ranks of a field...
Defeating ISIS: An Interview with Malcolm Nance
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former Arabic speaking naval intelligence counter-terrorism and intelligence officer Malcolm Nance. After spending 35 years participating in field and combat intelligence activity including both covert and clandestine anti counter-terrorism support to national intelligence agencies, he is now a member of the Board of Advisors here at the International Spy Museum.
Houghton and Nance discuss the rise of ISIS, the connection between Islam and terrorism, the spread of radicalism worldwide, and Nances prescription for the ultimate defeat of the Islamic State.
Special Breed of Warrior: An Interview with Former SEAL Clinton Emerson
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former SEAL Team 6 member Clinton Emerson to discuss the role of special operations forces in modern intelligence activities. Houghton and Emerson delve into Clints life as a SEAL, his work with the National Security Agency, and his new book 100 Deadly Skills: The SEAL Operative's Guide to Eluding Pursuers, Evading Capture, and Surviving Any Dangerous Situation.
Get the book: http://www.spymuseumstore.org/100-deadly-skills.html#.VvVe-eIrKUk
Intelligence Analysis in the 21st Century: An Interview with Dr. Mark Lowenthal
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Mark Lowenthal, former Assistant Director of Central Intelligence for Analysis and Production and Vice Chairman for Evaluation on the National Intelligence Council and the man who (literally) wrote the book on intelligence analysis. Drs. Houghton and Lowenthal discuss the current state of intelligence education, the successes and failures of post-9/11 intelligence reform, and the controversial CIA analysis on Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Army Intelligence: A View from the Top. An Interview with the Chief of Army Intel, LTG Mary Legere
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with current Army G-2 LTG Mary Legere to discuss the current role and mission of Army Intelligence. LTG Legere, who has spent her entire career as an intelligence officer, also provides some historical context on how the dynamic environment of military intelligence has changed since the beginning of the War on Terror. Finally, LTG Legere provides invaluable insight into what it feels like to be a woman at the top of what has been traditionally considered a mans world in a double sense: both the military and the intelligence community and how she uses...
Author Debriefing: United States of Jihad. An Interview with Peter Bergen
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with author Peter Bergen to discuss his newest book, United States of Jihad: Investigating America's Homegrown Terrorists. Paced like a detective story, the book tells the entwined stories of the key actors on the American front. Drawing on his extensive network of intelligence contacts, from the National Counterterrorism Center and the FBI to the NYPD, Bergen also offers an inside look at the controversial tactics of the agencies tracking potential terroristsfrom infiltrating mosques to massive surveillance; at the bias experienced by innocent observant Muslims at the hands of law enforcement; at the critics and...
History Roundtable: A Conversation with Drs. Alexis Albion, Thomas Boghardt, Mark Stout, and Vince Houghton
In what will hopefully become a series of conversations here at the Spy Museum, all of the past and present SPY historians sat down to discuss a key issue in the world of intelligence from a historical, but not-too-formal perspective. This weeks topic: who is your favorite spy? Join Alexis, Thomas, Mark, and Vince as they present their cases, and stick around to hear how you can find more information on each of our favorites.
The CI Professional: An Interview with Dr. John Schindler
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with former NSA counterintelligence officer John Schindler to discuss his experiences in the Balkans, and his views on the current intelligence war against Russia. Houghton and Schindler also dive into Edward Snowden, WikiLeaks, and the unending battle against violent extremism.
Defense Intelligence in the 21st Century: An Interview with Former DIA Director Michael Flynn
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with LTG (Ret) Michael Flynn, the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency from 2012-2014. Houghton and Flynn discuss the challenges DIA has faced in the last several decades, including the sharp transitions from the Soviet threat to the asymmetrical threats of the modern day. They also discuss the ways DIA, and the IC as a whole, must adapt to meet the uncertainty of the future. For information about LTG Flynns upcoming book, visit http://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250106223.
The Real Story of the U-2 Incident: An Interview with Francis Gary Powers, Jr.
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Gary Powers, Jr., the son of the legendary U-2 pilot who was shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960. Vince and Gary discuss his fathers legacy, the incorrect assumptions about his fathers capture, and the retelling of his fathers story in the Spielberg movie Bridge of Spies, now available on Blu-Ray.
Higher, Faster, Stealthier: An Interview with SR-71 Pilot Buz Carpenter
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with USAF Colonel (Ret.) Buz Carpenter, who flew some of the most incredible aircraft ever developed. As an RF-4C pilot in Vietnam, Col. Carpenter flew low level reconnaissance missions over enemy territory. Later, as the pilot of the SR-71, Buz took aviation to speeds and heights that have yet to be equaled (except by other SR-71s). Finally, at the end of his Air Force career, Col. Carpenter worked with the USAFs Blackworld program, helping to develop todays most advanced aircraft.
The Radicalization of Women in Islam: An Interview with Farhana Qazi
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Farhana Qazi, a scholar and speaker on conflicts in the Islamic world, and the first American Muslim woman to serve in the National Counter-Terrorism Center. Houghton and Qazi discuss the role of women in radical Islam, the fight against ISIS, The changing status of women in the Muslim world, the Syrian refugee crisis, and the current state of Pakistan and Kashmir. As a Muslim woman, Qazi provides unique insight into political Islam and the impact of war on Muslim populations.
Author Debriefing: JFK's Forgotten Crisis: Tibet, the CIA, and Sino-Indian War
During a public program at the Museum, SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Bruce Riedel, author of JFK's Forgotten Crisis: Tibet, the CIA, and Sino-Indian War. Riedel, who is a senior fellow and director of the Brookings Intelligence Project, joined Brookings following a thirty-year career at the Central Intelligence Agency, serving as a senior adviser to the last four U.S. presidents on South Asia and the Middle East. His book is a story of war, diplomacy, and covert action, told with authority and perspective. He draws on newly declassified letters between Kennedy and Indian leader Jawaharlal Nehru, along with...
Political Espionage: An Interview with Ken Vogel of POLITICO
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Ken Vogel, Chief Investigative Reporter for POLITICO and author of the article, The Koch Intelligence Agency. Houghton and Vogel (who tracks the confluence of money, politics, and influence for POLITICO) discuss the use of use surveillance, propaganda, disinformation, deception, and even covert action in modern political campaigns.
Author Debriefing: Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with PW Singer, co-author of Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War (which he wrote with August Cole). In the spirit of early Tom Clancy (especially Red Storm Rising), Ghost Fleet is a imagining of how World War III might play out. But what makes it even more notable is how the book smashes together the technothriller and nonfiction genres. It is a novel, but with 400 endnotes, showing how every trend and technology featured in book no matter how sci-fi it may seem is real. Singer, who is also a contributing...
The Whistleblower: An Interview with Thomas Drake
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Thomas Drake, former senior executive of the NSA and whistleblower who in 2010 was indicted on 10 felony counts; charges that would have carried decades of prison time had Drake been convicted. Instead, in early June 2011, the government dropped all of the charges and agreed not to seek any jail time in return for Drake's guilty plea to a misdemeanor of misusing the NSAs computer system. Although the legal case was settled, the controversy would continue, as a new wave of whistleblowers (or leakers depending on your perspective) burst on to the...
Coast Guard Intelligence: An Interview with Captain Erich Telfer
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Captain Erich Telfer, the commanding officer of the Coast Guard Maritime Intelligence Fusion Center Atlantic in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Houghton and Telfer discuss the role of the Coast Guard in the broader American intelligence community, the professionalization of the Coast Guard intel branch, and CAPT Telfers research into the intelligence response to the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. CAPT Telfers study can be read here: http://ni-u.edu/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Telfer_UnlimitedImpossibilites.pdf
Author Debriefing: Spies, Scouts, and Secrets in the Gettysburg Campaign
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Tom Ryan, former intelligence professional for the Department of Defense and author of Spies, Scouts, and Secrets in the Gettysburg Campaign. The first book to offer a unique and incisive comparative study of intelligence operations during what many consider the wars decisive campaign, Ryans study evaluates how Gen. Robert E. Lee used intelligence resources, including cavalry, civilians, newspapers, and spies to gather information about Union activities during his invasion of the North in June and July 1863, and how this intelligence influenced General Lees decisions. Simultaneously, Ryan explores the effectiveness of the Union...
The World of Global Jihad: A Conversation with Morten Storm
SPY Historian Vince Houghton talked to Morten Storm, who, after a decade of jihadi life, not only repudiated extremism but, in a quest for atonement, became a double agent for the CIA and British and Danish intelligence. He is now in hiding, fearful that some vengeful jihadist will try to kill him for his work with Western intelligence. However, this wont stop him from providing SpyCast with his insight and expertise on global terrorism. On a regular basis, SpyCast will send questions to Morten, he will record his answers, and we will post them here. To be a part of...
The Publics Right to Know: An Interview with Sheryl Shenberger, the Director of the National Declassification Center
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Sheryl Shenberger, the Director of the National Declassification Center at the National Archives. President Obama pledged to preside over the most transparent government ever a vow that included declassifying as many documents as possible. Houghton and Shenberger discuss the process behind declassification, as the NDC tries to honor the Presidents promise by closely working with intelligence agencies to release documents to the public. Why do some historic records get released while others do not? Is automatic declassification after 25 or 50 years really automatic? When do we get to learn who really killed...
The Real Story of Rudolph Abel: An Interview with Vin Arthey
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Vin Arthey, who has spent most of his adult life researching the life of KGB Colonel William Fisher better known as Rudolf Abel. Working with secret sources and inside information, Arthey turned this lifelong study into a fascinating book, Abel: The True Story of the Spy They Swapped for Gary Powers. Houghton and Arthey trace the adventures (and misadventures) of one of the most extraordinary characters in the history of the Cold War.
Author Debriefing: Disciples: The World War II Missions of the CIA Directors Who Fought for Wild Bill Donovan
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with author Doug Waller to discuss his new book Disciples: The World War II Missions of the CIA Directors Who Fought for Wild Bill Donovan. The author of the critically acclaimed bestseller Wild Bill Donovan, Waller tells Houghton the story of four OSS warriors of World War II. All four later led the CIA. They are the most famous and controversial directors the CIA has ever hadAllen Dulles, Richard Helms, William Colby, and William Casey. Disciples is the story of these dynamic agents and their daring espionage and sabotage in wartime Europe under OSS...
Hitler in Los Angeles: An Interview with Professor Steve Ross
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with University of Southern California history professor Steve Ross to discuss the ongoing research for his upcoming book Hitler in Los Angeles: How Jews and their Spies Foiled Nazi Plots Against Hollywood and America. Ross explains how a group of patriotic citizens refused to wait for the authorities to act on the Nazi menace in America, and instead took matters into their own hands. A never-before-told true story of classic infiltration and espionage in the 1930s and World War II.
From the Vault: The Cuban Missile Crisis - Russian Intelligence Past and Present
SPY Executive Director Peter Earnest and former KGB General Oleg Kalugin discuss the current espionage conflict between Russia and Georgia, reminisce about the Cuban Missile Crisis, and bring an old question to light: Was Isaac Stone a Russian spy? From October 2006.
From the Vault: The Cuban Missile Crisis - Blind Over Cuba
Professor David Barrett discusses his book Blind over Cuba: The Photo Gap and the Missile Crisis which he wrote with Max Holland. He describes to former SPY Historian Mark Stout how the Kennedy Administration impeded reconnaissance flights over Cuba in the weeks before the crisis and how the Administration successfully covered up that fact. From October 2012.
Author Debriefing: Church of Spies: The Popes Secret War Against Hitler
SPY Executive Director Peter Earnest sat down with author Mark Riebling to discuss his new book on the wartime espionage of the Catholic Church. The Vaticans silence in the face of Nazi atrocities remains one of the great controversies of our time. History has accused wartime pontiff Pius the Twelfth of complicity in the Holocaust and dubbed him Hitlers Pope. But a key part of the story has remained untold. In fact, Pius ran the worlds largest church, smallest state, and oldest spy service. Saintly but secretive, he skimmed from church charities to pay covert couriers, and surreptitiously tape-recorded his...
Author Debriefing: Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life: A Former CIA Officer Reveals Safety and Survival Techniques to Keep You and Your Family Protected
When Jason Hanson joined the CIA in 2003, he never imagined that the same tactics he used as a CIA officer for counter intelligence, surveillance, and protecting agency personnel would prove to be essential in everyday civilian life. In addition to escaping handcuffs, picking locks, and spotting when someone is telling a lie, he can improvise a self-defense weapon, pack a perfect emergency kit, and even disappear off the grid if necessary. He has also honed his "positive awareness" a heightened sense of his surroundings that allows him to spot suspicious and potentially dangerous behavior on the street, in a...
Author Debriefing: The Pentagons Brain: An Uncensored History of DARPA, Americas Top-Secret Military Research Agency
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is the radical force behind the nations most revolutionary, high-tech military initiatives over the past half century. To write the first definitive history of the worlds most powerful and productive military science agency, bestselling author Annie Jacobsen tracked down DARPA scientists, past and present, including current neuroscientists building an artificial brain, cell biologists working on limb regeneration, and even the Nobel Laureate who invented the laser. From conflict-tested science experiments, like Agent Orange and electronic barriers on the battlefield during Vietnam, to War on Terror insect drones, smart rockets, camera-filled war zones and...
Covering Intelligence, Part 2: An Interview with Ali Watkins of the Huffington Post
In Part 2 of this three-part series, SPY Historian Dr. Vince Houghton sat down with Ali Watkins, who covers intelligence and national security for the Huffington Post. Houghton and Watkins discuss the difficulties in reporting on this most secret of topics, the dangers and benefits of using anonymous sources, and the ever-changing nature of intelligence and national security journalism. Part 1 of this series was with Mark Mazzetti of the New York Times, and Part 3 will be with Greg Miller of the Washington Post.
Covering Intelligence, Part 3: An Interview with Greg Miller of the Washington Post
In Part 3 of this three-part series, SPY Historian Dr. Vince Houghton sat down with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Greg Miller, who covers intelligence and national security for the Washington Post. Houghton and Miller discuss the difficulties in reporting on this most secret of topics, the dangers and benefits of using anonymous sources, and the ever-changing nature of intelligence and national security journalism. Part 1 of this series was with Mark Mazzetti of the New York Times, and Part 2 was with Ali Watkins of the Huffington Post.
Covering Intelligence, Part 1: An Interview with Mark Mazzetti of the New York Times
In Part 1 of this three-part series, SPY Historian Dr. Vince Houghton sat down with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Mark Mazzetti, who covers intelligence and national security for the New York Times. Houghton and Mazzetti discuss the difficulties in reporting on this most secret of topics, the dangers and benefits of using anonymous sources, and the ever-changing nature of intelligence and national security journalism. Part 2 of this series will be with Ali Watkins of the Huffington Post, and Part 3 will be with Greg Miller of the Washington Post.
Author Debriefing: Climate Change and Conflict Prevention
SPY Historian Dr. Vince Houghton sat down with career US Foreign Service Officer J. Andrew Plowman to discuss his book, Climate Change and Conflict Prevention. Plowman uses the Darfur conflict as a case study to examine how the effects of climate change might lead to future violent conflicts, and he assesses the best way to prevent these conflicts. Mr. Plowmans service with the State Department has included assignments to Peru, Panama, Kazakhstan, and Brazil, as well as Washington assignments with the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs and the Economics, Energy, and Business Affairs Bureau.
Cuba Libre: An Interview with Intelligence Legend Felix Rodriguez (Part III)
SPY Historian Dr. Vince Houghton sat down with Cuban-exile-turned-CIA-officer Felix Rodriguez to discuss his extraordinary intelligence career. As a teenager, Rodriguez joined the effort to overthrow (and kill) Fidel Castro. After that mission failed, he trained and led the team that hunted and captured the guerilla Che Guevara in Bolivia. By the late 1960s, he took his counterinsurgency experience and applied it in covert operations against Americas enemies in Vietnam. This, and much more.
Warning: This podcast contains some salty language. Consider it PG-13.
Cuba Libre: An Interview with Intelligence Legend Felix Rodriguez (Part II)
SPY Historian Dr. Vince Houghton sat down with Cuban-exile-turned-CIA-officer Felix Rodriguez to discuss his extraordinary intelligence career. As a teenager, Rodriguez joined the effort to overthrow (and kill) Fidel Castro. After that mission failed, he trained and led the team that hunted and captured the guerilla Che Guevara in Bolivia. By the late 1960s, he took his counterinsurgency experience and applied it in covert operations against Americas enemies in Vietnam. This, and much more.
Cuba Libre: An Interview with Intelligence Legend Felix Rodriguez (Part I)
SPY Historian Dr. Vince Houghton sat down with Cuban-exile-turned-CIA-officer Felix Rodriguez to discuss his extraordinary intelligence career. As a teenager, Rodriguez joined the effort to overthrow (and kill) Fidel Castro. After that mission failed, he trained and led the team that hunted and captured the guerilla Che Guevara in Bolivia. By the late 1960s, he took his counterinsurgency experience and applied it in covert operations against Americas enemies in Vietnam. This, and much more.
Author Debriefing: The Billion Dollar Spy
While getting into his car on the evening of February 16, 1978, the chief of the CIA's Moscow station was handed an envelope by an unknown Russian. Its contents stunned the Americans: details of top secret Soviet research and development in military technology that was totally unknown to the United States. From David Hoffman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Dead Hand, comes the riveting story of the CIA's most valuable spy in the Soviet Union and an evocative portrait of the agency's Moscow station, an outpost of daring espionage in the last years of the Cold War. Drawing on...
From the CIA to the Classroom: An Interview with Joe Wippl
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Joe Wippl, the Director of Graduate Studies and Professor of the Practice of International Relations, Boston University Pardee School of Global Studies. Wippl is also a former CIA officer, who spent a 30 year career as an operations officer in the National Clandestine Service at the time (as it is again) the Directorate of Operations. Houghton and Wippl discuss his time serving overseas as an operations officer and operations manager in Bonn, West Germany; Guatemala City; Luxembourg; Madrid, Spain; Mexico City; Vienna, Austria; and Berlin, Germany where he was the Station Chief. Later,...
Author Debriefing: How to Catch a Russian Spy
For three nerve-wracking years, Naveed Jamali spied on the United States for the Russians or so the Russians believed. Hear Naveed bring his unbelievable, yet true, story to life. By trading thumb drives of sensitive technical data for envelopes of cash, he pretended to sell out his own country across noisy restaurant tables and in quiet parking lots. Although he had no formal espionage training, with the help of an initially reluctant FBI duo he ended up at the center of a highly successful counterintelligence operation that targeted Russian espionage in New York City. With news about Russias disintegrating relationship...
Author Debriefing: Manchu Princess, Japanese Spy: The Story of Kawashima Yoshiko, the Cross-Dressing Spy Who Commanded Her Own Army
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down (remotely) with biographer Phyllis Birnbaum to discuss her newest book, based on the life of Kawashima Yoshiko, who supported the puppet Manchu state established by the Japanese in 1932--one reason she was executed for treason after Japan's 1945 defeat. The truth of Yoshiko's life is still a source of contention between China and Japan: some believe she was exploited by powerful men, others claim she relished her role as political provocateur. China holds her responsible for unspeakable crimes, while Japan has forgiven her transgressions. This biography presents the richest and most accurate portrait to...
Author Debriefing: When Should State Secrets Stay Secret?: Accountability, Democratic Governance, and Intelligence
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Dr. Gen Lester to discuss her new book, When Should State Secrets Stay Secret. Lesters book examines the oversight mechanisms that have developed within all three branches of government, how they interact, and what types of historical pivot points have driven change among them. She suggests ways to improve oversight mechanisms based on her expert analysis. The book also includes a fascinating chapter on the inner workings of the CIA to which a number of CIA officers contributed.
From CIA to Congress: An Interview with US Congressman Will Hurd
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Representative Will Hurd, a Republican from Texas 23rd Congressional District, to discuss his unique background as a former CIA officer who is now a Member of the US House of Representatives. After spending most of a decade working in Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan, Rep. Hurd brought his experiences and lessons-learned to the Halls of Congress, where he serves on key committees, including Homeland Security and Oversight and Government Reform.
The Rosenbergs: The Definitive Debate
More than sixty years after their execution in June 1953 for conspiring to steal atomic secrets for the Soviet Union, debate still rages about the Rosenbergs. Mike Meeropol, the son of Julius and Ethel, has spent his life in pursuit of the real story behind his parents secret lives, their trials, their convictions for espionage, and ultimately their executions. Sam Roberts, journalist for The New York Times, is the author of The Brother, a book written with exclusive access to David Greenglass, Ethels brother, whose testimony almost single-handedly convicted the couple. In this extraordinary debate, these renowned Rosenberg scholars with...
Intelligence and Arms Control: An Interview with Kelsey Davenport
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Kelsey Davenport, the Director for Nonproliferation Policy at the Arms Control Association, where she provides research and analysis on the nuclear and missile programs in Iran, North Korea, India, and Pakistan and on nuclear security issues. Vince and Kelsey discuss the complexity of the arms control process, the role of intelligence in verifying the status of nuclear weapon states, and the hope for a future without the danger of nuclear proliferation.
Washingtons Spies: An Interview with Alexander Rose
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with historian and author Alex Rose, whose book Washingtons Spies: The Story of Americas First Spy Ring, is the source material for AMC Networks series TURN. Drs. Houghton and Rose (who is a writer and co-producer of TURN) discuss history on TV, and the plotline of the second season of the hit series. They also take time to focus on the real history of the period, what is history and what is Hollywood, the Culper spy ring, and the importance of intelligence during the American Revolution.
From the SpyCast Vault: An Interview with Major General Michael Ennis
Former SPY Historian Mark Stout sat down with Marine Maj. Gen. (ret.) Mike Ennis to discuss human intelligence (HUMINT) within the Defense Department and the CIA. In 1998, Ennis commanded the Joint Intelligence Center of the United States Pacific Command, was later named Director of Marine Corps Intelligence Command in 2000, and was the Director of HUMINT for the DIA. In 2006, he was named Deputy Director of Community HUMINT of the Central Intelligence Agencys National Clandestine Service, his final government posting before his retirement in 2007.
This SpyCast was recorded on February 11, 2013.
Author Debriefing | Operation Chowhound: The Most Risky, Most Glorious US Bomber Mission of WWII
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down (remotely) with Australian author Stephen Dando-Collins to discuss his new book, Operation Chowhound. Beginning with a crazy plan hatched by a suspect prince, and an even crazier reliance on the word of the Nazis, Operation Chowhound was devised. Between May 1 and May 8, 1945, 2,268 military units flown by the USAAF, dropped food to 3.5 million starving Dutch civilians in German-occupied Holland. Dando-Collins takes the reader into the rooms where Operation Chowhound was born, into the aircraft flying the mission, and onto the ground in the Netherlands with the civilians who so desperately...
Intelligence in the Early Republic: An Interview with Ken Daigler
The history of American intelligence in the Revolution and Civil War has been extensively covered by both professional and amateur historians. But what about the time in between the wars? SPY historian Vince Houghton sat down with retired career CIA operations officer and historian Ken Daigler to discuss American espionage during the earliest period of United States history. Who were the first foreign agents sent to collect HUMINT? Can we look at the Lewis and Clark expedition as an intelligence operation? How well did American intelligence function during the War of 1812? The Mexican-American War? Daigler, author of Spies, Patriots,...
Author Debriefing: The Hundred-Year Marathon: China's Secret Strategy to Replace America as the Global Superpower
For more than forty years, the United States has played an indispensable role helping the Chinese government build a booming economy, develop its scientific and military capabilities, and take its place on the world stage, in the belief that Chinas rise will bring us cooperation, diplomacy, and free trade. But what if the "China Dream" is to replace us, just as America replaced the British Empire, without firing a shot? Mike Pillsbury, a fluent Mandarin speaker who has served in senior national security positions in the U.S. government since the days of Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger, draws on his...
Defending a Spy: An Interview with Espionage Attorney Plato Cacheris
What do Aldrich Ames, Robert Hanssen, and Ana Montes have in common? Two things: they all spied against the United States, and they all had Plato Cacheris as their lawyer. SPY Historian Vince Houghton and Executive Director Peter Earnest sat down with the legendary defense attorney to discuss many of his most (in)famous clients including Ames, Hanssen, Montes who stole some of Americas most guarded secrets.
Author Debriefing | Iran-Contra: Reagans Scandal and the Unchecked Abuse of Presidential Power
Through exhaustive use of declassified documents, previously unavailable investigative materials, and wide-ranging interviews, Malcolm Byrne explores what made the Iran-Contra scandal possible and meticulously relates how it unfoldedincluding clarifying minor myths about cakes, keys, bibles, diversion memos, and shredding parties. Byrne, the Deputy Director and Research Director at the National Security Archive, demonstrates that the affair could not have occurred without awareness and approval at the top levels of the US government. He reveals an unmistakable pattern of dubious behaviorincluding potentially illegal conduct by the president, vice president, the secretaries of state and defense, the CIA director and othersthat formed...
Drones: Past, Present, and Future: An Interview with Dr. Trevor McCrisken
Guest host Dr. Chris Moran of Warwick University (UK) sat down with his colleague, Dr. Trevor McCrisken, for a SpyCast on the role of drones in modern surveillance, warfighting, and counterterrorism. McCrisken, whose biography can be found here, discusses the weaponization of drones, the targeted killing program of the Bush and Obama administrations, the perception in the West that the drone war is costless, and the possibility of what he calls the perpetual war against global terrorism.
Inside the Stasi Archives: An Interview with Dr. Doug Selvage
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with historian Doug Selvage to discuss the archives of the East German Ministry of State Security, the Stasi. Dr. Selvage, Project Director in the Office of the Federal Commissioner for the Stasi Records in Berlin, has published widely on the CSCE process, Polish-German relations under communism, and the history of the Soviet bloc. He and Houghton focus on the history of the Stasi, its role in the Cold War struggle between East and West, the devious disinformation campaign to convince the world that the United States was responsible for the AIDS epidemic, and the...
Spies, Policymakers, and Nuclear Weapons: An Interview with Gregg Herken (Part 1)
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with historian Gregg Herken to discuss his new book The Georgetown Set: Friends and Rivals in Cold War Washington. Herken, the professor emeritus of modern American diplomatic history at the University of California, gives a behind-the-scenes history of postwar Washington the close-knit group of journalists, spies, and government officials who planned and waged the Cold War over cocktails and dinner.
Spies, Policymakers, and Nuclear Weapons: An Interview with Gregg Herken (Part 2)
SPY Historian Vince Houghton continues his conversation with historian Gregg Herken, focusing on his previous four books on US nuclear policy. Brotherhood of the Bomb, Cardinal Choices, Counsels of War, and The Winning Weapon redefined the ways historians and policymakers have viewed nuclear weapons. Houghton who himself is a historian of nuclear weapons and intelligence and Herken discuss the challenges faced by American policymakers and intelligence professionals in dealing with the worlds most dangerous weapon.
Can a Drone Read Your Email? : An Interview with Mike Tassey and Rich Perkins
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Mike Tassey and Rich Perkins, creators of the Wireless Aerial Surveillance Platform, a state-of-the-art cyber drone. Mike and Rich built their unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in their garage using off-the-shelf electronics, and with the intention of proving that a drone could be used to launch a cyber-attack. With only an Internet connection, a hacker sitting on a beach anywhere in the world could use their UAV to intercept cell phone conversations, steal financial information, or access secret government documents. The prototype was a success and the race is now on to develop the...
From Bletchley to Bond: An Interview with Journalist and Author Sinclair McKay (Part 1)
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with British author and journalist Sinclair McKay for a two-part SpyCast. In Part 1, Vince and Sinclair discuss the role played by the codebreakers at Bletchley Park in the Allied victory in the Second World War. The author of three books and numerous articles on the topic, McKay provides compelling historical insight into a subject that you only think you really know.
From Bletchley to Bond: An Interview with Journalist and Author Sinclair McKay (Part 2)
Half of the worlds population has seen a James Bond movie. The historical and cultural impact of this franchises 23 (and counting) films is unrivaled by anything else in contemporary pop culture. SPY Historian Vince Houghton is joined by British journalist Sinclair McKay, who is the author of the seminal book on Bonds cultural impact, The Man With the Golden Touch. They discuss Sean, George, Roger, Timothy, Pierce, and Daniel, and the legacy of Ian Flemings secret agent who has now saved the world for more than 50 years and who might continue to save the world for 50 more.
Author Debriefing: The Catcher Was a Spy: The Mysterious Life of Moe Berg
Moe Bergthe major league baseball player, OSS operative and legendary linguistwas one of the most remarkable secret agents ever deployed by the US. Whether authorized by the government as an atomic spy or choosing to surreptitiously film Tokyo of his own volition, Berg relished and accomplished his espionage missions, yet he died penniless and with little acclaim. Nicholas Dawidoff brought Moe Bergs achievements to light in his best-selling 1994 book The Catcher Was a Spy. In honor of the Pennant Race, Dawidoff will share his latest thoughts on the only Major League baseball player to have his card on display...
Author Debriefing: Good Hunting, An American Spymasters Story
Jack Devine is one of the legendary spymasters of our time. He was in Chile when Allende fell; he ran Charlie Wilsons war in Afghanistan; he had too much to do with Iran-Contra for his own taste, though he tried to stop it; he caught Pablo Escobar in Colombia; and he tried to warn George Tenet that there was a bullet coming from Iraq with his name on it. His new book, Good Hunting, is Devines guide to the art of spycraft and his belief in the CIAs vital importance as a tool of American statecraft. Although it has been...
Author Debriefing: Double Agent, The First Hero of World War II and How the FBI Outwitted and Destroyed a Nazi Spy Ring
Leading up to the US entry into WWII, Germany set up a sophisticated and productive espionage ring, which effectively utilized well-placed German Americans in the States. They were able to infiltrate key military and industrial facilities, and succeeded in obtaining critical information, including plans for the exceptionally accurate and very secret Norden bombsite device. When naturalized American William Sebold visited his native Germany in 1939, German intelligence officers saw him as a prime target for recruitment. Threatened with arrest, Sebold seemingly agreed to work for the Germans, but they woefully misjudged him. Returning to New York, he contacted the FBI...
Tinker, Tailor, Shortstop, Spy: An Interview with Former CIA Analyst Bryan Soderholm-Difatte Part 1
Baseball has been played in the United States since the mid-19th Century, and from the very beginning teams were trying to gain a competitive edge against their rivals. In many cases, this involved stealing signs the messages passed from coaches to players or from catchers to pitchers. In essence, this is a signals intelligence operation: one team is encrypting its messages, while the other is attempting to intercept these messages, decrypt them, and use the resulting intelligence to their advantage. SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Bryan Soderholm, a former CIA analyst who is now putting his training to...
Terrorists, Double Agents, and European Domination (Part 1)
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sat down with Paul Cruickshank and Tim Lister of CNN to discuss their new book Agent Storm: My Life Inside Al Qaeda and the CIA. The book, which they co-wrote with terrorist-turned-double-agent Morten Storm, traces an improbable journey of conversion, radicalization, reassessment, and redemption. Join Vince, Paul, and Tim as they reflect upon a story that is so incredible it would be completely unbelievable if it wasnt completely true.
This interview was conducted September 8, 2014
Terrorists, Double Agents, and European Domination (Part 2)
Join SPY Historian Vince Houghton as he continues his conversation with Paul Cruickshank and Tim Lister of CNN. Both men share their expertise on ISIS and the threat of Islamic Jihadism, and Tim, who has traveled to Ukraine on four different occasions this year alone, provides his insight into the current conflict between Ukrainian separatists, the Ukrainian government, and Russia.
This interview was conducted September 8, 2014
Author Debriefing: Spies, Patriots, and Traitors: American Intelligence in the Revolutionary War
Nathan Hale and Benedict Arnold may be the most famous spies of the American Revolution, but they were hardly alone. George Washingtons use of spy networks and wider intelligence efforts were critical to the fight for independence. In Spies, Patriots, and Traitors, former CIA officer Kenneth Daigler closely examines American intelligence activities during the era of the Revolutionary War from 1765 to 1783. Daigler will explain how Americas founders learned and practiced their intelligence role, providing insight from an intelligence professionals perspective and revealing how many of the principles of the eras intelligence practice are still relevant today. After the...
Election Espionage: An Interview with NBC Chief Political Correspondent Chuck Todd
SPY Historian Dr. Vince Houghton sat down with NBC News Political Director and Chief White House Correspondent Chuck Todd to discuss the growing role of intelligence tradecraft in American election politics.Todd, the host of MSNBCs The Daily Rundown, explains how political campaigns on both sides of the aisle use surveillance, propaganda, disinformation, deception, and covert action to give their candidates a political edge.
This interview was recorded on July 29, 2014.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2g2F6lEJU_c
The Birth of British Intelligence Coordination: The Joint Intelligence Committee
SPY Historian Vince Houghton in joined by Dr. Michael Goodman of Kings College in London. Dr. Goodman is the official historian for the British Joint Intelligence Committee, and in that role he has published the book The Official History of the Joint Intelligence Committee: Volume I: From the Approach of the Second World War to the Suez Crisis. Drs. Houghton and Goodman discuss the early development of British intelligence coordination, which spans two of the most momentous decades of the Twentieth Century, and includes events such as the Spanish Civil War, WWII, the end of the British colonial empire, the...
Author Debriefing: The Zhivago Affair: The Kremlin, the CIA, and the Battle Over a Forbidden Book
Travel back to a time when literature had the power to influence the world. Washington Post national security correspondent and former bureau chief in Moscow, Peter Finn tells the dramatic first account of how a forbidden book in the Soviet Union became a secret weapon in the battle between East and West. The CIA secretly printed Doctor Zhivago in Russian and smuggled it into the Soviet Union. It was snapped up on the black market and passed surreptitiously from friend to friend fueling flames of dissent. Finn shares how he and his co-author used their special access to otherwise classified...
Author Debriefing: The Good Spy: The Life and Death of Robert Ames
Pulitzer Prize- winning biographer Kai Bird gives the inside story of his compelling portrait of the remarkable life and death of one of the most important operatives in CIA history, Robert Ames. Through Birds personal connection to Ames family, he gained access to his personal correspondence and range of contacts. Eventually more than forty retired CIA and Mossad officers told Bird their memories of Ames. Those seasoned spies all seemed to feel that they had been waiting for someone to tell the incredible story of Bob Ames, and how he carefully cultivated his ten-year relationship with Ali Hassan Salameh, Yasir...
The Beginnings of US Overhead Reconnaissance
The development of overhead reconnaissance technology is one of the most important if not the most important advances in the history of intelligence. Policymakers today use IMINT from spy planes and satellites in their daily assessments of global threats, but did you know that overhead reconnaissance technology predates the advent of powered flight? SPY Historian Vince Houghton is joined by Dr. Jim Green, Director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA, to discuss Civil War balloon reconnaissance. Dr. Green, an expert in the field, explains the role of balloons in the greater Union strategy, their impact on the war effort,...
Spy in the Sky - The KH-9 Hexagon
SPY Historian Vince Houghton sits down with engineer Phil Pressel to discuss his role in developing the KH-9 Hexagon spy satellite. The Hexagon, which was the last US spy satellite to use film, was declassified in 2011, allowing Pressel to write his book, Meeting the Challenge: The Hexagon KH-9 Reconnaissance Satellite. Houghton and Pressel discuss the formation of the project, the daunting technological hurdles, the impact of the satellite on US national security, and the top secret mission to recover film lost in the deepest waters of the Pacific Ocean.Video of interview available on the Spy Museum youtube page. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmWlw8Ufo6Q...
Peter Earnest: My Life in the CIA
Former SPY Historian Mark Stout sat down with SPY Executive Director Peter Earnest to discuss Peters CIA career. After his recruitment and espionage training at the Farm, Peters entry into the world of spying came at an important turning point in the Cold War. From his posts overseas in hot spots while living undercover, Peters fascinating career culminated in a very public role as the Agencys spokesperson. Join Peter for this reflection on a life in the shadows.
This interview was conducted June 1, 2012.
The Future of Intelligence
The world sends 3 million emails every second. How do Western intelligence agencies cope with such massive amounts of data? The Spy Museum's Executive Director Peter Earnest sits down to discuss the future of intelligence with historian Richard Aldrich, Professor of International Security at the University of Warwick (UK) and Director of the Institute of Advanced Study. With the prevalence of the internet, social media, integrated communications systems, and surveillance capabilities, everyone is now a de facto member of the intelligence community. Dr. Aldrich discusses Snowden, leakers, whistleblowers, and what he calls the end of secrecy. Who and when will...
Putins End Game in Ukraine
Peter and SPY Historian Vince Houghton are joined by retired KGB Major General Oleg Kalugin. They discuss the current confrontation between Russia and Ukraine over Crimea, Crimeas strategic place in Russian history, and the potential conflict over Ukraines strategic shift toward Europe and away from Russia. They then discuss the role intelligence and special operations forces might play in any future war between Russia and Ukraine. This interview took place March 14, 2014.
America's Great Game: The CIA's Secret Arabists and the Shaping of the Modern Middle East
Intelligence historian Hugh Wilford reveals the surprising history of the CIAs pro-Arab operations in the 1940s and 50s by tracing the work of the agencys three most influentialand colorfulofficers in the Middle East: Kermit Roosevelt, Archie Roosevelt, and Miles Copeland. With their deep knowledge of Middle Eastern affairs, the three men were heirs to an American missionary tradition that engaged Arabs and Muslims with respect and empathy. These Arabists propped up authoritarian regimes, attempted secretly to sway public opinion in America against support for the new state of Israel, and staged coups that destabilized the nations with which they empathized....
Author Debriefing: Cyber War Will Not Take Place
Is cyber war really coming? Renowned scholar Thomas Rid of the Department of War Studies at Kings College London argues that the focus on war distracts from the real challenge of cyberspace: non-violent confrontation that may rival or even replace violence in surprising ways. In this provocative talk, the author will trace the most significant hacks and attacks and explore some key questions: What are cyber weapons? How have they changed the meaning of violence? How likely and how dangerous is crowd-sourced subversive activity? Why has there never been a lethal cyber-attack against a country's critical infrastructure? How serious is...
Enemies Within: Inside the NYPD's Secret Spying Unit and bin Ladens Final Plot Against America
Six months after the 9/11 attacks, New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly initiated a straightforward, yet audacious, antiterrorist plan to be implemented in the Big Apple, dispatching a vast network of undercover officers and informants to track suspected terrorists. In Enemies Within, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalists Matt Apuzzo and Adam Goldman for Associated Press reveal the effectiveness of the domestic spying plan. Based on hundreds of previously unpublished New York Police Department internal memos and exclusive interviews with intelligence sources, including 25-year FBI veteran Don Borelli who assisted with the book, they found that many of those strategies arent even...
Shadow Warrior: William Egan Colby and the CIA
Historian Randall B. Woods of the University of Arkansas discusses his new biography of one of the most fascinating and controversial figures of the postwar period: William Egan Colby. World War II commando, Cold War spy, CIA station chief in Saigon, and ultimately CIA director under Presidents Nixon and Ford, Colby played a critical role in some of the most pivotal events in twentieth-century history. Despite his strong commitment to global democracy and economic and social justice, he was also drawn to the shadowy world of covert action
This event took place on April 18, 2013.
The Secret Rescue: An Untold Story of American Nurses and Medics Behind Nazi Lines
When 26 Army nurses and medics boarded a transport plane in November, 1943, they never anticipated the crash landing in Nazi-occupied Albania that would lead to their months-long struggle for survival. The group dodged bullets and battled blinding winter storms as they climbed mountains and fought to survive, aided by courageous villagers who risked death at Nazi hands as well as Britains Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the American OSS. Listen to author Cate Lineberry, a former writer and editor for Smithsonian Magazine, tell this mesmerizing tale of World War II courage and heroism. This event took place August 13,...
The Life of a Military Attach: Moscow, Almaty, and Warsaw in the 1990s (Part 2)
In this continuation of the discussion with US Army Colonel James Cox, we hear about the day-to-day work of US military attachs: being military diplomats for the Defense Intelligence Agency. Colonel Cox tells SPY Historian Mark Stout what it was like working in Moscow after the failure of the 1991 coup. He also shares his experiences in Almaty, the capital of the newly independent country of Kazakhstan and later in Poland, a once-communist country, as it joined the NATO alliance.
The CIA Analyst and the Polish Colonel
During the 1970s, Colonel Ryszard Kuklinski was a rising star in the Polish General Staff during the Cold War. He was also a spy for the CIA. Colonel Aris Pappas was a rising star in the CIAs analytic ranks whose specialty was Poland. Pappas sat down with SPY Historian Mark Stout to discuss the Kuklinski case, the important information that Kuklinski passed about the Soviet and Warsaw Pact militaries and the imposition of martial law in Poland, and how he and Kuklinski eventually met and became friends.
The Life of a Military Attach: Moscow During the Coup (Part 1)
In the summer of 1991, US Army Colonel James Cox arrived in Moscow, the capital of the Soviet Union, to serve as Assistant Army Attach. Little did he know that Communist hardliners were about to launch a coup. When the coup started, the intelligence agencies in Washington immediately needed up-to-the-minute information on developments, so the attachs went out on the streets to get it. Hear Colonel Cox tell SPY Historian Mark Stout what it was like chasing tanks on the streets of Moscow and witnessing Boris Yeltsin make his stand at the Russian White House.
Espionage in Traditional China
Sun Tzus 2500 year old book The Art of War contains a famous chapter on spies. However, Master Sun was not the only Chinese author to address this topic centuries before Westerners did. In fact, many Chinese authors built on his work. SPY Historian Mark Stout met up with Ralph Sawyer, the translator of the definitive edition of The Art of War and the author of The Tao of Spycraft, to discuss the sophisticated theory and remarkable practice of espionage in traditional China.
The OSS in Burma: Jungle War Against the Japanese
One could not choose a worse place for fighting the Japanese, said Winston Churchill of northern Burma, but it was there that the fledgling Office of Strategic Services conducted its most successful combat operations of World War II. Troy Sacquety, an Historian for the US Armys Special Operations Command, ventures into Burmas steaming jungles in the first book to fully cover the exploits and contributions of the OSSs Detachment 101 against the Japanese Imperial Army. In this Author Debriefing, Sacquety describes how Detachment 101 succeeded and created a prototype for todays Special Forces. This event took place on May 13,...
Deceiving the Iraqis in Operation Desert Storm
Military deception was an important part of Operation Desert Storm, the 1991 coalition effort to eject the Iraqi Army from Kuwait. The man in charge of that U.S. Marine Corps part of that deception was Brigadier General Tom Draude. Despite the fact that he had no previous background in deception, General Draude and his team of clever American planners put together an elegant and effective deception plan. Hear him tell Peter how they exploited the expectations of Iraq's military to put them off guard and out of place. Also learn about the role in that books such as The Man...
A Legal Perspective on the Snowden Case
Mark Zaid is one of the nations top national security lawyers and has defended many alleged whistleblowers and leakers. SPY Historian, Mark Stout, called him in for a consultation on the case of Edward Snowden who has admitted leaking to the press top secret material from the National Security Agency. Hear them discuss Snowdens present legal position, the options open to a would-be whistleblower, and the actual meanings of treason and asylum.
A Western Spy among Terrorists in Yemen
Morten Storm was a Danish convert to Islam who became a close associate of Anwar al-Awlaki, the American imam who was a senior member of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in Yemen. He even ate in Awlakis home and helped find him a wife. When Storm repented of his radical ways, he turned to the Danish intelligence service and offered inside access to AQAP. Hear him tell SPY Historian Mark Stout how MI6 and CIA came into the picture and how he helped tracked down Awlaki, who died in a controversial CIA drone attack in September 2011.
Spying in America: Espionage from the Revolutionary War to the Dawn of the Cold War
Can you keep a secret? Maybe you can, but the United States government cant. Since the birth of our country, nations from Russia and China to Ghana and Ecuador, have stolen some of our countrys most precious secrets. Michael Sulick, former director of the CIA's National Clandestine Service, discusses his book, Spying in America, which presents a history of more than thirty espionage cases inside the United States. This event took place on January 15, 2013.
Get the book: http://www.spymuseumstore.org/spying-in-america-book.html#.Vxk4FpMrJTY
The Rice Paddy Navy: U.S. Sailors Undercover in China
After the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the US Navy knew it would need vital information from the Pacific. Captain Milton Mary Miles journeyed to China to set up weather stations and monitor the Chinese coastlineand to spy on the Japanese. After a handshake agreement with Chiang Kai-shek's spymaster, General Dai Li, the Sino-American Cooperative Organization (SACO) was born. This top-secret network worked hand in hand with the Nationalist Chinese to fight the Japanese invasion of China while erecting crucial weather stations, providing critical information to the US military, intercepting Japanese communications, blowing up enemy supply...
The United States Military Liaison Mission in East Germany
Major General Michael Ennis was one of the rare Marine officers admitted to the Foreign Area Officer program where he became a specialist on the Soviet Union. This led to an assignment as a translator on the Washington-Moscow Hotline at the White House and then got him a license to spy in communist East Germany in the 1980s as part of the US Military Liaison Mission. Hear him tell SPY Historian Mark Stout what its like to penetrate a Soviet command bunker at night or be chased by a Soviet tank, and learn the intelligence value of a hunk of...
American Communism and Soviet Espionage: A Look Back with John Earl Haynes
In the 1970s, historian John Earl Haynes was researching the American labor movement when he discovered interesting connections to the Communist party. Fast forward 20 years to the 1990s, when that ongoing research on the Communist party led him into the murky world of Soviet espionage. SPY Historian Mark Stout sits down with this groundbreaking historian to look back on his career and learn how he became a leading and unlikely expert on Soviet espionage in the America. Follow along on this fascinating journey from Minnesota, to the halls of power in Washington DC, to dusty archives in Moscow.
Born Under an Assumed Name
Looking back on her childhood, Sarah Taber remembers that my identity was problematic because of moving from country to country and the overall atmosphere of growing up in the CIA. As an adult she wrote about what it was like to be raised in a culture of secrecy, stoicism and silence in her book Born Under an Assumed Name: The Memoir of a Cold War Spys Daughter. Feel the stresses and learn the secrets of a CIA family in this heart-to-heart talk between Sarah and Peter, himself a CIA father.
Intelligence in Support of UN Peacekeeping in Bosnia during the 1990s
The United Nations thinks intelligence is a dirty word but it still needs intelligence to conduct peacekeeping operations. The result is a euphemism: military information. SPY Historian Mark Stout talks with Tom Quiggin, a former Canadian intelligence officer who worked alongside Americans, Swedes, Jordanians, Russians, and others in the Military Information Office supporting UN peacekeeping operations in Bosnia during the 1990s. Hear what its like to pass through a checkpoint manned by drunken teenage soldiers or to know that your warnings of an upcoming massacre in Srebrenica are being ignored.
From Nazi Germany to the OSS to the CIA (Part 2)
In this Spycast Peter finishes his conversation with Peter Sichel. Listen to this insider talking about CIA operations in Germany after World War II, the futile support for anti-communist guerrillas in Ukraine and China during the 1940s and 1950s, the strains of leading an undercover life and his friendship with legendary CIA counterintelligence chief James Jesus Angleton.
Canadas Security Intelligence Service in the Post-Cold War World
Canadas Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) operates on a very different model from the American CIA, being neither strictly a foreign intelligence agency nor a domestic intelligence agency. Today SPY Historian Mark Stout discusses CSIS with Ray Boisvert, who was one of the founding members of the Service in 1984 and rose to become its Assistant Director, Intelligence, a position from which he retired in 2012. Hear them talk about the concept of security intelligence in a democratic society and explore the dilemmas which the Service faces in an era of terrorism emanating from groups such as al Qaeda and foreign...
The Zimmermann Telegram: Intelligence, Diplomacy, and America's Entry into World War I
In January 1917, British naval intelligence intercepted what became the most important telegram in all of American history. It was a daring proposition from Germany's foreign secretary, Arthur Zimmermann, offering German support to Mexico for regaining Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona in exchange for a Mexican attack on America. Five weeks later, America entered World War I. Former SPY Historian Dr. Thomas Boghardt who is now at the US Armys Center of Military History talks about his new account of the Zimmerman Telegram. This event took place on, November 27, 2012.
Get the book: http://www.spymuseumstore.org/zimmermann-telegram-book.html#.Vxk4aZMrJTY
From Nazi Germany to the OSS to the CIA (Part 1)
Today Peter begins a conversation with the remarkable Peter Sichel, OSS veteran, senior CIA official of the 1950s, and onetime head of Blue Nun wines. After fleeing Nazi Germany with his family in the 1930s and eventually finding himself in the United States, Sichel joined the OSS and in 1944 he went back to Europe where he recruited German prisoners of war to spy for the US 7th Army. Hear him talk about his operations in Europe and his friendship with future Director of the CIA, Richard Helms.
The Evolution of Spy Fiction: Bond and His Brethren
The modern spy novel was born in early twentieth century Britain with writers such as Erskine Childers and William LeQueux whose one-dimensional heroes were English gentlemen holding back the barbarians. How did we get from there to the gray and morally ambiguous world of John Le Carr? And how does all this relate to James Bond and even George Orwells 1984? Listen to SPY Historian Mark Stout discuss the development and importance of spy fiction with intelligence historian Wesley Wark.
Author Debriefing: The Twilight War: The Secret History of Americas Thirty-Year Conflict with Iran
The United States and Iran have been at daggers drawn for more than thirty years. While this rivalry has never erupted into open war, it has been an enduring twilight war in which spies and terrorists often play the lead role. US Government historian David Crist will discuss his groundbreaking book which pulls back the curtain on many of the deepest secrets of this lethal struggle. Among other fascinating revelations, hear about the massive spy network that the CIA developed in Iran with German help in the 1980s, how these spies communicated with their handlers using invisible ink, and how...
Author Debrief: Castro's Secrets: The CIA and Cuba's Intelligence Machine
In Castros Secrets, Brian Latell, former National Intelligence Officer for Latin America and long-time Cuba analyst, offers a strikingly original image of Fidel Castro as Cuba's supreme spymaster. Latell exposes many long-buried secrets of Castro's lengthy reign, including the extent of Cubas double agent operations against the United States. In writing this book, Latell spoke with many high-level defectors from Cubas powerful intelligence and security services; some had never told their stories on the record before. He also probed dispassionately into the CIA's plots against Cuba, including previously obscure schemes to assassinate Castro and presents dramatic new conclusions about what...
Author Debriefing: The Art of Intelligence: Lessons from a Life in the CIAs Clandestine Service
In the days after 9/11, the CIA directed Henry Crumpton to organize and lead its covert action campaign in Afghanistan. In less than 90 days Al Qaeda and the Taliban were routed. The Art of Intelligence draws from the full arc of Crumptons espionage and covert action exploits to explain what Americas spies do and why their service is more valuable than ever. This event took place 12 June 2012.
The Red Cell: Fact and Fiction
The surprise of September 11 2001 was, in part, a failure of imagination and CIA Director George Tenet did not want that to happen again. On September 13 he created the Red Cell and staffed it with people who were willing to take their analysis to a whole new zip code. CIA analyst Mark Henshaws first novel, Red Cell, is about the adventures of two analysts assigned to that team during a military crisis with China. The story is fiction, but it draws on Henshaws three years in the Red Cell. Join him and SPY Historian Mark Stout as they...
Agent Garbo: How a Brilliant & Eccentric Double Agent Tricked the Nazis & Saved D-Day
Juan Pujol was the Walter Mitty of World War II, a nobody who at one doomed venture after another while dreaming of doing something interesting with his life -- saving Western civilization, if possible. Journalist Stephan Talty, whose work has appeared widely, including in the New York Times Magazine and GQ, has told the remarkable story of how against all the odds, Pujol did just that by becoming agent GARBO, the most important double agent of World War II. Hear Talty discuss his new book with SPY Historian Mark Stout in this author debriefing which took place on July 12,...
Our Man in the Middle East (Part 3)
Peter concludes his conversation with longtime CIA officer George Cave with a brief discussion of some of the funny and unusual events that took place in the course of his career in the Clandestine Service.
Spies Against Armageddon: Inside Israel's Secret Wars
The history of Israels intelligence communityled by the feared and famous Mossadincludes stunning successes and embarrassing failures with important implications for war and peace today. CBS journalist Dan Raviv co-author with Israeli journalist Yossi Melman, of Spies Against Armageddon, traces this history from the countrys independence in 1948 right up to the crises of today.
Spies and Commissars: The Early Years of the Russian Revolution
Russia was a chaotic hotspot after the Revolution of 1917 and an extraordinary collection of spies, adventurers, and opportunists poured into the roiling Russian political scene. Outsized characters like Sidney Ace of Spies Reilly, communist activist John Reed, and author/spy Somerset Maugham all played their partsunder the watchful eye of Feliks Dzerzhinsky, the head of the ruthless Cheka, the first of the Soviet state security organizations. Listen to renown British historian Robert Service discuss his thrilling new book about this turning point of twentieth century history.
Our Man in the Middle East (Part 2)
Peter continues his discussion with career CIA officer George Cave. They cover Caves time in Saudi Arabiafrom which he was expelled when a candid cable he wrote about Saudi politics leaked to the pressand back in Washington where he became embroiled in the Iran-Contra Affair. Hear his account of a clandestine trip with Robert McFarlane and Oliver North for talks with Ayatollah Khomeinis government and other inside details of this scandal.
Our Man in the Middle East (Part 1)
George Cave is a legend in the CIAs Clandestine Service. He was recruited into the CIA in 1956 as a fluent Farsi speaker and was pulled out of his entry training and sent to Afghanistan to deal with an urgent operation there. He never looked back. Join Peter and George as they relive the assassination attempts in Iran against the US Ambassador and George himself in the early 1970s and discuss CIAs operations in the Middle East over three decades.
Dick Holm: the Perils and Rewards of a Life in the CIA, Part 2
Peter continues his discussion with legendary case officer Dick Holm, the author of The Craft We Chose: My Life in the CIA. Holm discusses several highlights and low points of his career. Learn about his work with Belgian intelligence in thwarting a Belgian Air Force officer who was spying for Russia and his role in the embarrassing spy flap when he was the CIA chief in Paris.
Get the book: http://www.spymuseumstore.org/craft-we-chose-life-in-cia-book.html#.Vz3rhPkrIdU
Author Debriefing: Alger Hiss - Why He Chose Treason
In 1948, when Whittaker Chambers accused Ivy League-educated senior diplomat Alger Hiss of spying for the Soviets, few Americans were willing to believe him. In fact, Hiss went to his grave protesting his innocence, but now it seems clear that he was guilty, given the evidence available since the end of the Cold War. Retired counterintelligence officer Christina Shelton has written a new biography of Hiss. She highlights the many missed opportunities and poor judgments in the Hiss case, and discusses them in the context of wide-scale Soviet infiltration and espionage. Join Shelton and SPY historian Mark Stout for a...
The Hunt for KSM: Inside the Pursuit and Takedown of the Real 9/11 Mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
Josh Meyer, co-author with Terry McDermott of The Hunt for KSM, visits the International Spy Museum to talk about the decade-long FBI and CIA effort to capture Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Meyer discusses the repeated failed attempts to find the evil genius who had plotted to kill the Pope and President Clinton and explode a dozen planes over the Pacific Ocean, all before masterminding the 9/11 attacks. Finally, hear how the US finally grabbed KSM as a result of the interrogation of another terrorist, Abu Zubaydah.
Dick Holm: the Perils and Rewards of a Life in the CIA, Part 1
Today Peter starts a conversation with Dick Holm, a legendary CIA operations officer, who has served all over the world. Dick, the author of The Craft We Chose: My Life in the CIA, talks about the importance of intelligence and reveals the terrible price that he paid for serving his country as a young officer in the Congo in the 1960s.
Get the book: http://www.spymuseumstore.org/craft-we-chose-life-in-cia-book.html#.Vz3rhPkrIdU
Leak: Why Mark Felt became Deep Throat
Intelligence officers and investigative journalists both depend on clandestine sources to divulge secrets. But why do people betray a trust? Peter interviews veteran journalist Max Holland about his new book, Leak, which probes the mind and motivations of one of the most famous clandestine sources in American history: Deep Throat. Hear why Mark Felt, the Deputy Director of the FBI, betrayed President Nixon by leaking to the Washington Post and Time about Watergate. Were Felts motives patriotic or self-servingor both?
Get the book: http://www.spymuseumstore.org/leak-shy-mark-felt-became-deep-throat.html#.Vz3q4PkrIdU
Author Debriefing: Shadow Commander: The Epic Story of Donald D. Blackburn-Guerrilla Leader and Special Forces Hero
During the Vietnam War, perhaps the US Armys most secretive unit was the Studies and Observations Group (SOG). This unit conducted reconnaissance missions, captured enemy prisoners for interrogation and rescued American POWs. It also ran teams of clandestine agents, and conducted psychological operations. The leader of this group in the mid-1960s was a legendary Army officer, Donald Blackburn. Listen to author Mike Guardia describe Blackburns colorful life in this event which took place on 16 February 2012.
Eavesdropping in Vietnam: One Mans Experience
SPY Historian Mark Stout explores the importance of signals intelligence (SIGINT) to the Vietnam War with retired National Security Agency cryptanalyst Tom Glenn. Glenn served more time in country than any other civilian of the NSA. Hear about the sixth sense that good SIGINTers need to have, the difficulties of working in foreign languages, and how Glenn and his colleagues were able to predict every major Communist offensive. Learn also why American commanders did not always believe them. Finally, hear the wrenching story of Glenns last days in Saigon in 1975 as the city was falling to the North Vietnamese...
The Power of Open Source Intelligence
With the ever increasing global connectivity, more and more information is available merely for the asking. This has led to a flourishing of the discipline of open source intelligence collection. SPY Historian Mark Stout has a probing discussion with one of the worlds leading practitioners of this art: Arno Reuser of the Dutch military intelligence service. With the growth of open source, can we stop stealing secrets?
Author Debriefing: Smersh: Stalin's Secret Weapon: Soviet Military Counterintelligence in WWII
In the early James Bond novels, the hero battled the villainous forces of Smersh, a shadowy Soviet intelligence organization. Bond was fictional, but Smersh really existed. Drawing its name from smert shpionam Russian for death to spies, it was Stalins wartime terror apparatus and it cut a bloody swath of death across Eastern Europe. Its job was to filter the Red Army for spies and it was responsible for the arrest, torture, and execution of many thousands of innocent people. Listen to historian Vadim J. Birstein as he discusses this bloodthirsty organization and discusses the evidence suggesting that Raoul Wallenberg...
Investigating Historical Spies
Researching spy history is a difficult business. Spies carefully cover their tracks and intelligence agencies classify everything and release their records only after many years, if at all. Given these difficulties how do historians reconstruct espionage history? SPY Historian Mark Stout explores this issue with Dr. R. Bruce Craig, the author of Treasonable Doubt: The Harry Dexter White Spy Case. Hear Craig describe how a receipt for $1.25 allowed him to discover the real identity of the mysterious Agent Zero who spied for the Soviets before World War II. Also listen as Craig tells of his forthcoming book about Alger...
The Intelligence War Against Terrorism
Since 9/11, the United States Intelligence Community has expanded into an $80 billion behemoth and taken on many new tasks, for instance spying on terrorists in cyberspace and even becoming a combat organization in its own right. Are we getting value for our money? To what extent did the invasion of Iraq divert important intelligence resources from Afghanistan? And why is the FBI flying reconnaissance flights over northwest D.C.? Intelligence historian, Matthew Aid, the author of the new book Intel Wars: The Secret History of the Fight Against Terror, grapples with these and other questions in a discussion with SPY...
Intelligence and Espionage in the U.S. Civil War
Spies, cavalry, and telescopes were the traditional intelligence tools available during the Civil War, but there was also cutting edge high tech: the telegraph and the observation balloon. How did Civil War generals combine these to help make strategic decisions? As we observe the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, SPY Historian Mark Stout discusses this question with Professor William Feis of Buena Vista University, the author of Grants Secret Service: The Intelligence War from Belmont to Appomattox.
Author Debriefing: MH/CHAOS: The CIAs Campaign against the Radical New Left and the Black Panthers
Operation MHCHAOS was the code name for a secret domestic spying program conducted by the Central Intelligence Agency in the late 1960s and early 1970s charged with unmasking any foreign influences on left wing protestors. CIA counterintelligence officer Frank Rafalko was a part of that operation. When The New York Times revealed MHCHAOS in 1974 and Congress investigated, MHCHAOS took its place in the pantheon of intelligence abuses. However, in his new book Rafalko says that the operation was justified and that the CIA was the logical agency to conduct it. Listen as he defends his perspective with dramatic intelligence...
The Silent Listener: British Eavesdropping in the Falklands War
D. J. Thorp, a signals intelligence officer in the British Army, spent many years eavesdropping on the hot spots of the Cold War in Europe and the Middle East. In 1982 he found himself on board a Royal Navy ship intercepting signals from the Argentinean military as it fought the British in the Falklands War. Listen in as Major Thorp describes to SPY Historian Mark Stout how signals intelligence influenced the course of that war, how his team uncovered an Argentinean plan for a counterattack that could have turned the tide of the war, and even how a signals intercept...
J. Edgar Hoover: Fact vs. Fiction
Clint Eastwoods movie, J. Edgar, gives a Hollywood take on the controversial Director of the FBI. However, many people have criticized the movie for whitewashing Hoovers abuses while others have criticized it for its implication that Hoover may have been gay. Peter addresses these issues in discussion with Ray Batvinis, a former FBI special agent, a former Executive Director of the J. Edgar Hoover Foundation, and the author of the book, The Origins of FBI Counterintelligence.
Uncompromised: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of an Arab American Patriot in the CIA
After a childhood in war-torn Lebanon with an abusive father, Nada Prouty jumped at the chance to forge her own path in America, a path that led to undercover work in the FBI, then the CIA. Her work earned her great respect from her colleagues but her promising career came to an end when federal investigators charged Prouty with passing intelligence to Hezbollah. Lacking sufficient evidence to make their case in court, prosecutors went to the media, suggesting that she had committed treason. Though the CIA and a federal judge eventually exonerated Prouty, she was dismissed from the Agency and...
Identity, Espionage, and Social Media
Who are your friends on Facebook? Are you sure? Thomas Ryan, co-founder of Provide Security, knows that you cant always be certain. Why? Because he created the fictional Robin Sage, a cyber femme fatale, who quickly wormed her way into the confidence of national security professionals who should have known better. He conceived the experiment to expose weaknesses in the nation's defense and intelligence communities, but even he was surprised by its success. Robin Sage is just one of the fascinating and disturbing tricks of the online espionage trade that Ryan shared with SPY Historian Mark Stout. You may never...
Interrogating a High Value Detainee: A Morality Tale
What would you do if you were told to do whatever was necessary to get a prisoner to talk? This is the situation that career CIA officer Glenn Carle found himself in when he was made the lead interrogator for a detainee who was said to be a member of Al Qaedas top echelon. Carle, the author of the recently published book, The Interrogator: An Education, tells Peter what it was like to be in this position. And, he describes how he got on the wrong side of CIA Headquarters (HQ) when he objected to the treatment of the detainee,...
In the Counterterrorism Center on 9/11: One Analysts Story
The war with Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda did not begin on September 11th. CIA analyst Cindy Storer was there from the beginning in the early 1990s, a member of a small band of mostly female analysts who worked on Al Qaeda long before September 11. They faced a frustrating uphill battle convincing others about this new threat and were subjected to ridicule for their supposedly excessive passion right up until September 11th. Hear Cindy discuss with SPY Historian Mark Stout what it was like to be in the building on that day and the amazing combination of emotion,...
The Triple Agent: The al-Qaeda Mole Who Infiltrated the CIA
In 2009, the CIAs partners in the Jordanian General Intelligence Directorate had a source named Humam Khalil al-Balawi working inside Al Qaeda and he knew where Ayman al-Zawahiri, the number two man in al Qaeda wasor so they thought. In fact, Al Qaeda was running a deception. In December 2009 al-Balawi came to a CIA base in Khost, Afghanistan and detonated bomb strapped to his chest, killing seven CIA officers and one Jordanian intelligence officer. It was the CIAs greatest loss of life in decades. Join Pulitzer Prize winning author Joby Warrick for this gripping true story of miscalculation, deception,...
The Aftermath of Bin Ladens Death: The Lessons of Strategic Manhunting
The 13-year search for Osama Bin Laden may have seemed unprecedented, but actually such events have not been uncommon in American history. Since the days of Geronimo, the United States has embarked on at least eleven such strategic manhunts. Benjamin Runkle, the author of the new book Wanted Dead or Alive: Manhunts from Geronimo to Bin Laden, sits down with SPY Historian Mark Stout to discuss what we can learn from the history of these manhunts. Find out what kind of intelligence it takes to track down an evasive enemy leader and learn what the strategic pay-off can be from...
Mastermind: The Many Faces of the 9/11 Architect, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed
Khalid Shaikh Mohammed was behind many of the most heinous terrorist plots of the past twenty years, including the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the Millenium Plots, and 9/11 itself. He even claims to have personally beheaded Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. Investigative journalist Richard Miniter brings to life the remarkable story of KSM, including his time living in the United States. Based on interviews with government officials, generals, diplomats and spies from around the world, Miniter reveals never before reported Al Qaeda plots and remarkable new details about the 9/11 attacks. He also lets us into the ultimately...
Author Debriefing: "Wild Bill" Donovan
Wild Bill Donovan was a World War I hero with a Medal of Honor to prove it, a millionaire Wall Street lawyer, and a prominent Republican. Democratic President Franklin Roosevelt chose this brilliant yet disorganized visionary to be his spymaster, head of the World War II Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Veteran journalist Douglas Waller has written a compelling biography of William Donovan. He describes Donovans reckless nature: how he needlessly risked his life on foreign battlefields and engaged in extramarital affairs that emboldened his enemies in Washington. Waller also recounts the OSSs daring operations overseas and the vicious political...
Modern Intelligence Analysis: From Art to Science?
A great deal of public attention goes to the CIAs case officers who recruit and run agents and steal secrets. However, few people pay attention to the fact that those secrets are stolen so that they can be put on desks of intelligence analysts. Analysts, then, must put together information from both secret sources and open sources to produce insightful assessments to inform the nations leaders. Randy Pherson, a former senior official at the CIA and the President of Pherson Associates, teaches advanced analytic techniques to the US Intelligence Community. Join him as he discusses with SPY Historian Mark Stout...
The Aftermath of Bin Ladens Death: Inside al Qaedas Hard Drive
After killing Osama bin Laden, the SEALs reportedly took hundreds of drives, disks, and computers from the house in Abbottabad, Pakistan. What challenges will American intelligence agencies face in exploiting bin Ladens computers and what can be learned from the computer of a terrorist mastermind? SPY Historian Mark Stout discusses the complexities of digital dumpster diving with Wall Street Journal reporter Alan Cullison, who in 2001 purchased and exploited a computer used by Ayman al-Zawahiri, now the heir apparent to lead al Qaeda. Part two of a series.
The Aftermath of bin Ladens Death: Winning the War While Staying in the Right
What are the implications of Osama bin Ladens death for the al Qaeda movement? What role did waterboarding and enhanced interrogation techniques play in tracking down Bin Laden and should we reassess our views of torture? Peter explores these provocative questions with naval intelligence veteran and counterterrorism expert Malcolm Nance, the author of An End to al Qaeda: Destroying bin Ladens Jihad and Restoring Americas Honor. As a SERE instructor, Nance has been waterboarded and has conducted waterboardings. He has even given expert testimony on the issue before Congress. Part one of a series.
Spy versus Spy in East Germany
The East German security service, the Stasi, was infamous for surveilling and oppressing the East German population. However, it also hunted Western spies and there were many to be found; the CIA, the West German BND, and Britains MI-6 were all very active. In fact, from 1955 to 1989 the Stasi uncovered more than 1300 foreign spies operating in East Germany. Join SPY Historian Mark Stout as he discusses Stasi counterespionage with Professor Paul Maddrell who has been working in the Stasi archives. Learn about Western espionage in East Germany and find out the grim fate of the spies who...
Stalking Terrorists Online
Montana resident Shannen Rossmiller is proof that things are not as they seem online. Before September 11, she was a judge, a wife, and a mother but not an expert on terrorism or an Arabic speaker. After September 11, she taught herself Arabic and started to explore the world of online jihadism, pretending to be a male terrorist. She soon found that real jihadists were willing to share their secrets with her. She turned these secrets over to the FBI and as a result some of her online acquaintances are now in jail. Listen in as Peter, who used to...
Dropping Spies from the Sky during the Korean War
During the Korean War, US military intelligence worked with anti-communist Korean agents and partisans to collect information from behind North Korean lines. SPY Historian Mark Stout interviews Colonel Douglas Dillard, USA (Ret.) who led AVIARY operations, the airborne insertion of the agents and partisans, and Mr. James M. H. Lee, a native of North Korea, who worked at his side as an interpreter. Learn what it was like flying at night over North Korea in a blacked out plane and hear about the courage of the Korean volunteers who parachuted into the dark, many of them never to return.
Social Media: Tools of Liberation or Repression?
Social mediaFacebook, Twitter, YouTube, and othersare held up as powerful tools for peoples trying to overthrow police states. Irans Twitter Revolution electrified the world and the Egyptian government shut off Internet access as demonstrations swept that country. However, Evgeny Morozov of Stanford University, one of the leading thinkers about the political impact of new media, explains to SPY Historian, Mark Stout that they are less powerful than we normally think; worse, the KGB wants you to join Facebook.Social mediaFacebook, Twitter, YouTube, and othersare held up as powerful tools for peoples trying to overthrow police states. Irans Twitter Revolution electrified the...
Intelligence and Analysis in the National Football League
In 2007, the New England Patriots were caught videotaping the New York Jets sideline defensive signals. That was illegal, but its remarkable what is allowed, even routine. From surveillance films, to secure communications, to briefing books, and deception operations, the intelligence activity conducted for the gridiron warriors is as intense as that conducted for the US military. T. J. Waters joins Peter Earnest and Dan Treado of the International Spy Museum to discuss his new ebook, Prior to the Snap: How the NFLs Hyperperformance Strategy Safeguards the Worlds Most Successful Team Sport. Youll never look at football the same way...
Spying on the Soviet Army in East Germany
During the Cold War, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France each had a military liaison mission authorized to roam East Germany. While the fiction was that they existed to coordinate military affairs with the Soviets in Germany, the reality was that they collected intelligence on the Soviet military. Join Spy Museum Historian Mark Stout as he talks with Brigadier General Roland Lajoie, a former chief of the US Military Liaison Mission, about the accomplishments, adventures, and tragedies of these little known spies in uniform.
A Young Woman on the Front Lines of the Cold War
Shirley Perry was recruited to join the CIA in 1951, a time when applications were handed out under the counter at the university job office, and when the CIA lived in rodent-infested temporary buildings on the National Mall. What was it like to be a young woman in the Agency at that time, and to be sent to Viennathe front line of the Cold Warto support intelligence operations? Shirley Perry, former CIA case officer, reminisces with Peter about those early days and talks about her new memoir, After Many Years.
David Kahn on Codebreaking from Ancient Times to the Internet Era
David Kahn is the author of the classic book The Codebreakers. When it was first published in 1967, the National Security Agency was concerned that the book might reveal sensitive secrets. Over the years, however, NSA changed from perceiving Kahn as an enemy of the people to depending on him as a popularizer of codebreaking. Join Peter and David Kahn as they discuss Kahns career, some of the greatest triumphs of American signals intelligence history, and the challenges facing todays codebreakers.
The Real History of MI6
Britains Secret Intelligence Service, better known as MI6, is James Bonds home agency and one of the worlds most secretive organizations. The British government did not even admit that it existed until the 1990s. Yet, in connection with its centennial year, the service has commissioned an outside scholar to write an official history of its first forty years. Peter chats with Professor Keith Jeffery, the only outsider who has ever seen the MI6 archives and given their penchant for secrecy perhaps the only one who ever will in our lifetimes. Drawing on his new book, The Secret History of MI6,...
Escape from Tehran, 1979: Part II
American diplomats Mark and Cora Lijek were hiding at the home of a Canadian diplomat as the Iranian Revolution swirled around them. Peter continues his discussion with the Lijeks and also welcomes Tony Mendez, the CIA officer who led the daring operation to bring them home. Hear how they escaped the country posing as Hollywood filmmakers and the joy they felt as they finally left Iranian airspace.
Escape from Tehran, 1979: Part I
When Iranian militants stormed the US Embassy in Tehran, Mark and Cora Lijek and four other American diplomats slipped out a side exit and found themselves on the run in a hostile country. Before long, Canadian diplomats gave them shelter but now they had to avoid discovery while Washington hatched an audacious plan to rescue them. The Lijeks discuss with Peter their ordeal and how they prepared to escape.
From the Vault: The Cuban Missile Crisis - Peering Over the Iron Curtain: Overhead Photography and the Cold War
Today Peter converses with Dino Brugioni, a pioneer of the art of photo interpretation and a living legend of the US Intelligence Community. Dino shares his personal experiences briefing Presidents and describes the role that he and overhead photography played in such seminal Cold War events as the missile gap and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Dino Brugioni has looked inside the most secret places on earthfrom above..
A Spy in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard
A young student in the US when the Iranian Revolution happened in 1979, Reza Kahlili rejoiced and hurried back to his native country, but he soon found that "every promise that Khomeini had made was vividly a lie." In the early 1980s, he made contact with the CIA, agreeing to risk his life and his family's wellbeing as a spy within Iran. He discusses with Peter how he burrowed inside the regime's elite Revolutionary Guard to report what he found, balancing his constant fear against his Persian patriotism.
An Army of Illegals: Assessing the Russian Spy Case
Two weeks ago on 27 June, the FBI arrested a network of 10 Russian "deep cover" spies. Peter sits down with former KGB Major General Oleg Kalugin to discuss this remarkable case and the historic spy swap which took place last Friday. Kalugin, who once ran agents in the United States, is forthright in expressing his views about what this case says about the state of Russian intelligence today.
Son of Hamas, Spy for Israel
Mosab Hassan Yousef was the nearest thing to royalty in the terrorist group Hamas: the son of one of its founding members. He was also a spy for Shin Bet, Israel's internal security agency, which dubbed him the "Green Prince." Today Mosab and his Shin Bet handler sit down with Peter to discuss their dangerous game and his book Son of Hamas.
Caught by the KGB
Martha Peterson, a 32 year CIA veteran, was the first female case officer assigned to Moscow. Today she talks with Peter about her sudden capture by the Soviet KGB while executing a covert operation in Moscow.
Military Intelligence from the Cold War to Cyber War
In 1973 Captain Gail Harris became the first woman to hold a combat intelligence job in the U.S. Navy. Her 28 year career included hands-on leadership in the intelligence community during every major conflict from the Cold War to Desert Storm to Kosovo. Today, she discusses with Peter her unique experience providing intelligence support to military operations and the challenges of developing policies for defense against cyber warfare.
Evolution of Government Surveillance Programs
Shane Harris is a staff correspondent for National Journal and the former technology editor of Government Executive magazine. In his new book, The Watchers, he chronicles the governments efforts to create a computer system capable of analyzing data and identifying terrorist activity. Harris contends that while pinpointing threats remains difficult, the governments can now spy on U.S. citizens with ease. He joins Peter today to discuss the evolution of surveillance, Americas changing views on privacy, and the human element behind computerized data collecting.
Tales from the OSS, part II
Elizabeth Macintosh continues to offer her insights into OSS. This time, she talks about the many fascinating and colorful people she met at OSS, including Director William Wild Bill Donovan and Virginia Hall.
Cyber Security and Covert Action
Dr. Herbert Lin is chief scientist at the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board, National Research Council of the National Academies. An expert on cyber security, Herb discusses various aspects of cyber attacks, including ways in which cyber weapons can be used for covert action. To view his co-edited report on this subject, visit: http://www.anagram.com/berson/nrcoiw.pdf
Intelligence in a War Zone (Melissa Mahle)
Melissa Mahle served from 1988-2002 at the CIA, much of the time as a case officer dealing with terrorist issues in the Middle East, running agents and gathering intelligence. Today, she discusses with Peter her perspective on the recent suicide bombing of a CIA base in Afghanistan, the perils of collecting intelligence in a war zone, as well as the terrorist challenge.
The Terrorist Challenge
The U.S. authorities' failure to prevent a Nigerian suicide bomber from boarding a Detroit-bound plane on Christmas Day, and the suicide bombing at a CIA base in Afghanistan have roiled the intelligence community. International Spy Museum historian Dr. Thomas Boghardt discusses with SpyCast host and CIA veteran Peter Earnest how these incidents unfolded and their implications for intelligence reform.
Tales from the OSS, Part I
Elizabeth Macintosh served in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II. Today, she discusses her personal experience working for OSS, the role of women in it, as well as some of the agencys most exciting operations.
The MI5 Centenary
This year, Britains domestic security service, MI5, celebrates its 100th anniversary. Cambridge University professor Christopher Andrew, the author of MI5s official history, Defend the Realm, reveals the agencys strengths and weaknesses, and relates some of the most intriguing stories involving Britains spy catchers.
Cyber Threats: Challenges and Solutions
Melissa Hathaway served as acting senior director for cyberspace for the National Security Council, heading a 60-Day Cyberspace Policy Review for President Obama that resulted in a comprehensive report with recommendations for action. Today, she discusses the massive and growing challenges of cyberspacesuch as identity theft, cyber espionage, and cyber warsand what needs to be done to deal with this threat.
The Changing Face of Al Qaeda
How has the sustained U.S. effort to destroy Al Qaeda affected the terrorist organization, and how important is the current struggle against the Taliban in Afghanistan for the future of Al Qaeda? A former Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Combating Terrorism, Juan C. Zarate discusses Americas struggle with Al Qaeda and comments on the organizations current state.
Intelligence and 9/11 with Amy Zegart
Could intelligence have prevented the terrorist attacks of 9/11, and has the Intelligence Community been sufficiently reformed to deal with current and future threats? These are the questions that Amy Zegart discusses on the eighth anniversary of 9/11. An intelligence scholar, Amy has worked on President Clintons National Security Council and is currently teaching intelligence and national security at UCLA.
Sexpionage
Since biblical times, spies and intelligence services have used sexual entrapment and emotional blackmail to recruit agents and gather secret information. International Spy Museum advisory board member and espionage author H. Keith Melton discusses the means, methods, and effectiveness of sexpionage, and elaborates on specific examples, such as the Russian honeytrap and the East German Romeo agent.
The Cambridge Five
In the 1930s, five young Cambridge University students were recruited by Soviet intelligence to penetrate the British intelligence community. In the course of their decade-long espionage career, the Five did enormous damage to Western security. British intelligence author Nigel West examines their motivations and activities, and reveals new evidence he has unearthed in Soviet intelligence archives.
Cold War Radio
Richard H. Cummings served for fifteen years as Director of Security for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). He reviews the propaganda activities of RFE/RL during the Cold War and describes Soviet bloc operations against the stations, including the 1978 murder of RFE scriptwriter Georgi Markov in London, and the 1981 bombing of RFE/RL headquarters in Munich by the terrorist Carlos the Jackal.
Intelligence on Pakistan
"Pakistan is the most dangerous country in the world today," asserts Bruce Riedel, a 30-year CIA veteran and currently a senior fellow at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution. Bruce discusses the various threats emanating from Pakistan, including the rise of the Taliban, the security of the countrys nuclear weapons, the murky role of its Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI), and the precarious relationship with neighboring India.
Intelligence in Cyberspace
Cyber threats, information warfare, and internet espionage are growing challenges for business companies, private individuals, and the intelligence community alike. A former CIA operations officer and current president of the cyber intelligence company Cyveillance, Dr. Terry Gudaitis discusses specific examples of cyber threats as well as techniques to counter them.
Inside the National Security Agency
The National Security Agency (NSA), Americas premier cryptanalytic organization, is the largest and most secretive member of the American intelligence community. Discussing NSAs mission, capabilities, and past exploits, former NSA Chief of Information Policy Mike Levin reveals some of the mysterious agencys secrets.
U.S. Military IntelligencePast and Present
A West Point graduate, Brian G. Shellum was U.S. Army attach in Germany, served in the armed forces during the first Gulf War, and worked for over a decade as historian for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). Today, Brian discusses the history and purpose of American military intelligence, describing the DIA and the role of the military attachs posted abroad.
U.S. Naval Intelligence in World War II
Rear-Admiral Donald Mac Showers joined the U.S. Navys codebreakers at Pearl Harbor in 1942 and went on to serve three decades in the American intelligence community. Today, he talks about the contribution of codebreaking to the defeat of Japanese naval forces at Midway in 1942, and he reveals how cryptanalysts helped U.S. forces locate and kill Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the mastermind of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Intelligence and Conspiracy Theories II
During the Cold War, Soviet intelligence used disinformation to malign the United States, for example, by spreading the rumor that AIDS resulted from U.S. Army bacteriological warfare experiments. U.S. State Department Counter-Misinformation officer Todd Leventhal discusses some of the most notorious Soviet-inspired conspiracy theories and explains how the United States sought to counter them.
Intelligence and Conspiracy Theories I
What makes conspiracy theories so appealing, and why have they become so prevalent in this day and age? Do some of them contain a grain of truth? And who stands to gain from spreading these ideas? To answer these questions, Peter interviews Professor Robert Alan Goldberg, author of Enemies Within, and a leading authority on conspiracy thinking.
Intelligence Lessons from Vietnam
Working for the Saigon Military Mission and the CIA, Rufus Phillips spent ten years in South East Asia during the Vietnam War. Drawing on this experience, Rufus talks about psychological warfare and counter-insurgency tactics in Vietnam, and lessons for Americas present engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Robert De Niro on Intelligence
Today, Peter chats with actor and film producer Robert De Niro. De Niro talks about his long-standing interest in the world of intelligence and discusses his latest espionage movie The Good Shepherd about the early history of the CIA. He also provides an insider look at the making of the humorous polygraph scene in Meet the Parents.
U.S. Intelligence in Decline?
A senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, Melvin A. Goodman served many years as an analyst at the CIA and the State Departments Bureau of Intelligence and Research. A critical observer of the intelligence community, he elaborates on his thesis about the decline of U.S. intelligence, specifically its militarization, privatization, and deteriorating analysis capacities.
The CIA and the End of the Cold War
As CIA station chief in Pakistan, Nigeria, Sudan, and Germany in the 1980s and early 90s, Milt Bearden observedand influencedthe end of the Cold War from a unique vantage point. Today, he talks with Peter about U.S. support of Afghani mujahideen against the Soviet invaders, intelligence community reforms, and his work as a consultant on spycraft in Hollywood.
Woman in Disguise - Jonna Mendez
Jonna Hiestand Mendez began her CIA career as a secretary and ended it as head of the agencys Office of Technical Services, overseeing the development of gadgets, disguises, and high-tech devices in support of espionage missions. Today, she discusses with Peter some of the operations she was involved in as well as opportunities for women in the intelligence community.
Intelligence and the Presidential Elections II
Judge William H. Webster, the only person who directed both the FBI (1978-87) and the CIA (1987-91), taps into his vast expertise to discuss with Peter the guidance he would offer to the next U.S. president. In addition, he provides insight on the ever-present tension between civil liberties and national security, and issues of intelligence oversight.
Inspecting the CIA
Peters guest today is Frederick Hitz, the CIAs first inspector general subject to U.S. Senate Confirmation (1990-98) and now a lecturer on intelligence at the University of Virginia. In a wide-ranging discussion, Fred talks about intelligence oversight, leadership issues, and terrorism. He also discusses career options in intelligence for young people.
Intelligence and the Presidential Elections I
A former station chief in Moscow and head of the CIAs Soviet/East Europe division, Burton Gerber now lectures on intelligence and national security at Georgetown University. Today, Peter interviews him about the post 9/11 reforms of the intelligence community and what guidance he would offer to the next occupant of the White House.
The Iranian Hostage Crisis
In November 1979, radical Iranian students overran the U.S. embassy in Tehran, capturing most of the embassy staffexcept for six diplomats who found refuge with the Canadian embassy. Today, Peter talks with retired CIA officer Tony Mendez who, in an elaborate deception and disguise operation, managed to exfiltrate the six Americans from Tehran before the Iranians were able to track them down.
Intelligence and the Presidency
How is information from the intelligence community (IC) conveyed to the president, and how have different administrations incorporated intelligence in the political decision-making process? John Hedley, former CIA officer and editor of the Presidents Daily Brief (PDB), reviews the relationship between the IC and presidents since World War II, in the course revealing fascinating episodes from his personal experience in dealing with several administrations.
Gizmos and Gadgetsthe World of Spycraft
Peter interviews Robert Wallace, director of the CIAs Office of Technical Services (OTS, the department in charge of gadgetry) from 1998 to 2002. Bob explains some of his favorite devices, such as the T-100 subminiature camera, and compares OTS performance to that of its adversaries. He also reviews the role of OTS in some high-profile spy cases and discusses the capabilities and limitations of technical support in intelligence operations.
Predicting Terrorism
Peters guest today is Malcolm W. Nance. A 20 year veteran of the US intelligence community, Malcolm has participated in numerous counter-terrorism operations in the Balkans, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa. The author of The Terrorist Recognition Handbook and The Terrorists of Iraq, Malcolm discusses with Peter the role of Osama Bin Laden, Al Qaeda operations in Iraq, and the threat of domestic terrorism in the United States. He also talks about means and methods of effective anti-terrorist operations and cautions against overreactions.
Congressional Perspectives on U.S. Intelligence
Peters guest today is former Democratic Congressman Louis Stokes from Ohio, who chaired the House Intelligence Committee in the 1980s and the House Select Committee on Assassinations in the 1970s. Congressman Stokes discusses Congress role in overseeing the intelligence community and the value of intelligence to national security, and his committees investigation of the deaths of President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Comrade J and Russian Espionage in the U.S.
Today, Peter interviews espionage writer Pete Earley about one of the most senior Russian intelligence defectors ever, Col. Sergei Tretyakov or Comrade J. Pete reveals some of the secrets Tretyakov covertly betrayed to the FBI/CIA while serving as SVR (Russian foreign intelligence) deputy resident in New York in the late 1990s. He also sheds light on Tretyakovs complex motivations for defecting.
Intelligence and the WMD Fiasco - Part II
Looking further into the U.S. intelligence communitys faulty assessment of Iraqs WMD program, Peter interviews Bob Drogin, author of Curveball: Spies, Lies and the Conman Who Caused a War. Bob reveals how fabricated information about Saddams WMD program from the Iraqi defector Curveball could make it all the way to the White House and consequently became one of the primary rationales for war against Iraq.
Intelligence and the WMD Fiasco
Today, Peter interviews Tyler Drumheller, the former chief of CIA covert operations in Europe. In the run-up to the Iraq war, Tyler consistently questioned affirmative intelligence on the existence of Saddams WMD program. He recounts his often frustrating efforts to prevent questionable information, such as that provided by the Iraqi defector "Curveball," from distorting intelligence assessments on Iraq.
Valerie Plame Speaks
Peters guest today is Valerie Plame, a covert CIA officer who recently left the Agency after her name was leaked to the press. Valerie discusses her time at the CIA, the controversy surrounding her case, and the administrations drive to war against Iraq. She also reveals how suddenly becoming a focus of public attention affected her marriage and family.
On Assignment to Congo
Today, Peter chats with Larry Devlin, the CIAs legendary station chief in Congo during the 1960s. Larry reflects on his reasons for joining the CIA, the political situation in Congo at the time, and the face-off with the Soviets in the Third World. He also discusses his response to the controversial directive from headquarters to have Congos Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba killed.
Intelligence and the Middle East with Robert Baer
Peters guest today is Robert Baer who served for many years as a CIA operative in the Middle East. Among other things, Bob talks about his tour of duty in Lebanon, the psychology of suicide bombers, and the emerging threat of Iran. He also discusses the movie Syriana, which is based on his book, See No Evil.
The Polygraph Science or Art?
Peter interviews John Sullivan, the CIAs longest serving polygrapher. The lie detector has supporters and detractors, and John confronts the controversy surrounding it head-on. He frankly discusses the role of the polygraph in the Agencys security process and offers his candid opinion on the possibilities and limitations of this device.
Leon Trotsky Murder in Mexico
Peters guest today is H. Keith Melton, renowned intelligence historian and owner of the largest collection of espionage artifacts. Keith sheds new light on one of the most notorious intelligence operations of all timethe assassination of exiled Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky in Mexico in 1940. Keith reconstructs the operation in all its phases, including material from his own original research.
Cuban Intelligence and the Ana Montes Spy Case
Peters guest this month is Scott Carmichael of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). As the DIAs senior counterintelligence investigator, Scott identified one of the most damaging spies in recent U.S. history, the Agencys own chief Cuba analyst, Ana Belen Montes. Scott discusses Montes motivations, the damage she did, and the continuing threat of Cuban intelligence to the United States.
From the Secret Files of the CIA
Peter interviews Tom Blanton of the National Security Archive about a recently declassified set of documents regarding illegal CIA activities in the early Cold War. Putting these "Family Jewels" in historical perspective, Tom and Peter discuss the CIAs participation in domestic wiretapping, assassination attempts at Fidel Castro, and the popular notion of the Agency as a "rogue elephant."
British IntelligencePast and Present
Peter interviews Dame Stella Rimington, former Director-General of MI5, the British domestic security service. Dame Stella compares American and British approaches to intelligence and offers her view on the terrorist threat and the Litvinenko murder. She also discusses the authenticity of spy fiction and reveals her favorite espionage writer.
Counterterrorism, Intelligence, and the Iraq War
After responding to inquiries from listeners, Peter interviews Melissa Mahle who served for over a decade in the CIAs clandestine service in the Middle East. Melissa provides a unique intelligence perspective on 9/11, terrorist threats, and Americas continuing engagement in Iraq. She also discusses career opportunities in the intelligence community and the changing role of women in the CIA.
FBI Counterintelligence and the Robert Hanssen Spy Case
Peter discusses the Robert Hanssen spy case with retired Senior FBI Supervisory Special Agent David Major who knew Hanssen for over 20 years and was one of his supervisors. Dave shares his thoughts on Hanssens personality and reasons for spying for the Russians. Last not least, Dave offers his perspective on how the movie Breach captures and misses aspects of the Hanssen espionage case.
The Movie Breach and Hollywoods Take on Espionage
Peter interviews Eric ONeill, the FBI investigator who went undercover as Robert Hanssens clerk during the final months before Hanssen was arrested for espionage.ONeill is the model for Ryan Phillippes character in the current movie Breach.ONeill talks about the ways the film mirrorsand divergesfrom his real experiences with one of Americas most damaging spies.
Israeli Intelligence and the Jonathan Pollard Spy Case
Peter sits down with Ron Olive, former special agent in charge of counterintelligence for the Naval Investigative Service, to discuss Olives role in the capture of Jonathan Pollard, one of the most controversial spies in history. Ron talks about investigating and interrogating Pollard, explores Pollards motivations and significance, and reveals the real significance of gift cacti.
Reviewing Robert De Niros The Good Shepherd
Peter discusses the film The Good Shepherd with former CIA officer Jack Platt and AFIO (Association for Intelligence Officers) Director Elizabeth Bancroft, comparing fact and fiction in the OSS and CIA.Enjoy a bonus spoiler in which the three debate the meaning of the endingand the best way to destroy secret information.
The Litvinenko Murder and Other Riddles from Moscow
Peter sits down with former CIA officer Bob Rayle and Oleg Kalugin to talk Russia past and present. The three discuss their perspectives on the recent poisoning of former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko. Then, they turn to 1967 and Bob's role in the extraordinary defection of Svetlana Alliluyeva, daughter of Josef Stalin.
The Secret History of Disguises
Peter talks with Tony Mendez, former Chief of Disguise for the CIA. Peter and Tony discuss the intricacies of developing disguises for use in hostile environments, the advantages of selective aging, and the secret history of facial recognition technology.
The Rest Is Classified
147. Will Trump Destroy Irans Nuclear Programme? (Ep 2)
How do you actually destroy a nuclear programme? What would a US boots-on-the-ground raid inside Iran look like? And do David and Gordon think Trump will take Operation Epic Fury to the next level? Listen as David and Gordon imagine what it would take to destroy Iran's nuclear programme. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026 at The Rest Is Fest: Buy your tickets HERE to see David and Gordon live on stage at Londons Southbank Centre on 4 September. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show: https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up ------------------- Join...
146. How the CIA Rescued a Pilot Inside Iran (Ep 1)
How involved were the CIA in the operation to rescue a US pilot stranded inside Iran? What does it take to "destroy" a nuclear programme? And what could Iran learn from North Korea? Listen as David and Gordon discuss the intricacies of the recent mission to extract a downed US Weapons Officer inside Iran and delve into how this operation might help the US and Israel launch an attack on Iran's nuclear programme. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026 at The Rest Is Fest: Buy your tickets HERE to see David and Gordon live on stage at Londons Southbank...
145. Black Hawk Down: What Osama bin Laden Learnt from Somalia (Ep 4)
What was the legacy of the Battle of Mogadishu? How did the fallout change the US presence in Somalia forever? And how did the experience in Somalia inspire Osama bin Ladens acts of terror? Listen as David and Gordon conclude their four-part series on the extraordinary events of Black Hawk Down. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026 at The Rest Is Fest: Buy your tickets HERE to see David and Gordon live on stage at Londons Southbank Centre on 4 September. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show: https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up...
144. Black Hawk Down: The Bloodiest US Battle Since Vietnam (Ep 3)
How long will the Battle of Mogadishu last? Can the soldiers survive until daylight? And will the Rescue Team come in time to save the soldiers? Listen as David and Gordon reach the climax of the story of Black Hawk Down. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026 at The Rest Is Fest: Buy your tickets HERE to see David and Gordon live on stage at Londons Southbank Centre on 4 September. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show: https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go deeper into the...
143. Black Hawk Down: Chaos in Mogadishu (Ep 2)
One Black Hawk is down. Americans are taking fire left, right and centre. And it feels like theres no way out. This is the true story of Black Hawk Down. Listen as David and Gordon continue the story of the Battle of Mogadishu as it escalates beyond the plans of the generals back at the US base. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026 at The Rest Is Fest: Buy your tickets HERE to see David and Gordon live on stage at Londons Southbank Centre on 4 September. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind...
142. Black Hawk Down: The True Story (Ep 1)
What really happened at the Battle of Mogadishu? How did an operation that should have taken an hour end up taking almost twenty-four? And what brought US troops into the conflict in the first place? Listen as David and Gordon embark on telling the true story of one of the deadliest US operations since the Vietnam War. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026 at The Rest Is Fest: Buy your tickets HERE to see David and Gordon live on stage at Londons Southbank Centre on 4 September. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind...
141. Trumps Latin America Playbook: How the CIA Toppled a Regime (Ep 2)
How did the CIA mastermind one of the most audacious coups in world history? What does it take to remove a world leader? And what does the future hold for Latin America with Donald Trump now at the helm of US foreign policy? Listen as David and Gordon recount the story of the 1954 Guatemalan coup and delve into whether Cuba will be the next state on Donald Trump's hit list. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026 at The Rest Is Fest: Buy your tickets HERE to see David and Gordon live on stage at Londons Southbank Centre on...
140. Trumps Latin America Playbook: Before Venezuela, There Was Guatemala (Ep 1)
Is Cuba next on Trump's hit list? Why are the US so concerned by what's happening in their "backyard"? And what can we learn from the history of regime change in Latin America to help us understand the "Donroe Doctrine"? Listen as David and Gordon delve inside the Guatemalan coup of 1954 and examine what Donald Trump has learnt from how the CIA plotted regime change in the agency's early years. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026 at The Rest Is Fest: Buy your tickets HERE to see David and Gordon live on stage at Londons Southbank Centre on...
139. Trump vs Iran: Saddam Hussein and the Nuclear Bomb (Ep 2)
After 9/11 it looked as though a new path of diplomacy could be forged between Iran and the US, and then George Bush referred to the nation as part of the Axis of Evil. The years that followed were characterised by Iran-backed terror attacks, regional instability and an uncertain future. But how did we get here? Listen as David and Gordon are once again joined by historian and author Arash Azizi to discuss the role of Saddam Hussein and Irans nuclear programme in the long conflict between Iran and the US. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki...
138. Trump vs Iran: The Road to Operation Epic Fury (Ep 1)
Why did the US and Israel launch strikes on Iran on 28 February? What is the secret history behind the conflict? And how did Ayatollah Khamenei seize power in 1979? Listen as David and Gordon are joined by historian and author Arash Azizi to discuss the road to Operation Epic Fury and the long history that brought us to this point. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show: https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders,...
137. How Russia Made Trump: MAGA Take The White House (Ep 6)
Was Putin behind the election of Trump in 2016? And were Hillary Clinton's emails really as crooked as they seemed? As David and Gordon conclude their series on how Russia made Trump, they ask what the legacy of the active measures campaign has been and whether the aftermath has changed the world, forever. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show: https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular livestreams, ad-free listening, early access to episodes...
136. How Russia Made Trump: Putins Troll Factory (Ep 5)
Russian trolls are trying to influence the 2016 US election, but did Putin's keyboard warriors really propel Donald Trump into the White House? In the penultimate episode in their series on how the Russians hacked the 2016 US presidential election, David and Gordon return to the sordid tale of Yevgeny Prigozhin: restaurateur and Russian troll farmer. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show: https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular livestreams, ad-free listening, early...
135. Is The CIA Arming Kurdish Militias In Iran?
Former CIA analyst, David McCloskey, is joined by CNN's Chief International Correspondent, Clarissa Ward, live from the ground in northern Iraq as she breaks the story of a reported CIA operation to arm Kurdish militias to sow dissent in Iran. Listen as David and Clarissa discuss what it's currently like operating in Iraq amidst the escalating conflict, what the US serves to gain from toppling the Iranian regime and sowing unrest, and how this conflict compares to ones Clarissa has reported from before. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show:...
134. How Russia Made Trump: Was The Vote Rigged? (Ep 4)
Foreign spies are messing with the 2016 election. Private emails are being leaked. But what will Donald Trump say about it? In their latest episode on the Russian active measures campaign to hijack the 2016 US presidential election, David and Gordon go deep into the story of how the Obama campaign reacted to a series of leaked emails, and why the Republicans chose not to get involved. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show: https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive...
133. How Russia Made Trump: Romanian Hackers, WikiLeaks, and Hillarys Emails (Ep 3)
The Russians have hacked into the Democrats' servers and WikiLeaks are threatening to expose Hillary Clinton's emails. Is this the moment that triggers the downfall of the 2016 Clinton campaign? Listen as David and Gordon explore how Julian Assange and his WikiLeaks team helped the Russian GRU and SVR expose the secrets of the Clinton campaign. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show: https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular livestreams, ad-free listening, early...
132. What's Next For Iran?
Israel and the US have launched missiles at Iran and killed Irans leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But what is actually happening on the ground? How did we get here? And what happens next? Listen as David and Gordon shared the intelligence perspective on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, live on Sunday 1 March. ------------------- Later today, we will also be sending out a round up with perspectives from across our shows on the situation in Iran. You'll hear from Gordon, Alastair and Rory from The Rest Is Politics, and Katty and Anthony from The Rest Is Politics: US....
131. How Russia Made Trump: Stealing Washingtons Secrets (Ep 2)
Donald Trump is gaining ground in the 2016 presidential race, but what does his rise mean for Russian hackers desperate to take down Hillary Clinton? In the second episode of our series on Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election, David and Gordon delve inside the Russian active measures campaign to hack the campaigns of the Democratic and Republican candidates. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show: https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders,...
130. How Russia Made Trump: Putin Hacks The 2016 Election (Ep 1)
Did Russia really interfere in the 2016 US presidential election? Did the election of Donald Trump benefit Vladimir Putin? And how did the scandal begin? Listen as David and Gordon begin their exploration of the role of the Russians in the 2016 election and the dramatic rise of Donald Trump. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show: https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular livestreams, ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show...
129. Al Qaedas Deadliest Plot: Why You Cant Bring Liquids On Planes (Ep 4)
Time is of the essence to stop the Al Qaeda plotters from taking down multiple airliners and MI5 are rushing to make arrests. But is there enough evidence to charge them with terror offences? In the final episode of our series on the Liquid Bomb Plot, David and Gordon unpack the suspenseful moments before the plotters are arrested and how everything nearly went so wrong. ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular livestreams, ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, and weekly...
128. Al Qaedas Deadliest Plot: CIA vs Pakistan (Ep 3)
The Special Relationship is under strain as MI5 and the CIA butt heads over how to stop an Al Qaeda cell in East London from committing the next 9/11. With the Americans visiting Pakistan and making risky unauthorised decisions, will the intelligence alliance survive? Listen as David and Gordon take us to Islamabad in the latest episode of their series on the Liquid Bomb Plot, and try to understand why a lone agent acted so impulsively. ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular livestreams, ad-free...
127. Was Epstein A Russian Spy?
Was convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein working undercover for the Kremlin? Did Putin recruit Epstein to harvest kompromat on his enemies? And what does this mean for global security going forward? Listen as David McCloskey spoke LIVE to former CIA officer and foreign policy, intelligence, and national security expert John Sipher to discuss the ongoing intelligence developments coming out of the Epstein Files. ------------------- Make someone a Declassified Club Member this year go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular livestreams, ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, and...
126. Al Qaedas Deadliest Plot: The Terror Attack That Never Happened (Ep 2)
MI5 have discovered a bomb making factory in East London, but how do they stop the Al Qaeda plotters from carrying out their terrifying plans? In the second episode of their series on the Liquid Bomb Plot, David and Gordon share the inside story of how MI5 surveilled the extremist cell and legally broke into the bomb factory. ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular livestreams, ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, and weekly deep dives into original spy stories. Members...
125. Al Qaedas Deadliest Plot: How MI5 Stopped Another 9/11 (Ep 1)
In the aftermath of 9/11, while the world was still reeling from the deadliest terror attack on US soil, Al Qaeda were plotting an airline attack with ever graver consequences. This is the story of the Liquid Bomb Plot. Listen as David and Gordon delve into the story of how MI5 foiled the plans of an extremist cell in East London. ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular livestreams, ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, and weekly deep dives into original...
124. Kim Philby: Britains Most Notorious Traitor (Ep 4)
A Russian agent is trying to defect to Britain, but theres only one person in his way: Kim Philby. Will the communist double agent at the heart of MI6 sell his comrade down the river to save himself, or spare his life at the risk of giving the game away? As David and Gordon reach the end of their first foray into the infamous life and career of Kim Philby, they ask: can you ever feel sympathy for a traitor? ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence...
123. Kim Philby: Communist Double Agent In London (Ep 3)
Kim Philbys moment in the sun has finally arrived: he has been recruited by MI6 and asked to join the anti-communist division. With access to intelligence beyond his wildest dreams, this is Philbys chance to show the Russians what hes made of. Listen as David and Gordon continue their story on the rise of Kim Philby from war correspondent to one of the most important men in British intelligence. ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular livestreams, ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live...
122. Kim Philby: An Assassin In Spain (Ep 2)
Kim Philby has been recruited by the communists to spy on the growing fascist movement across Europe, but he cant seem to penetrate the intelligence services. So, like all men with access to an old boys network in 20th century Britain, he asks a friend for a job. In this episode, David and Gordon chart Philbys rise as a war correspondent for The Times in London; eventually finding himself in Spain on the eve of war with the unenviable task of trying to assassinate General Franco. ------------------- Make someone a Declassified Club Member this year go deeper into the world...
121. Kim Philby: Stalins Mole Inside MI6 (Ep 1)
Kim Philby has gone down in history as Britains most notorious double agent: spying for Stalin while running the MI6 counter-intelligence operation against him. But how did a quiet public school boy go on to change the course of the Cold War? Listen as David and Gordon begin their four-part series on the rise of Kim Philby, from the son of an anti-colonial eccentric in India to one of the most powerful, and dangerous, men in Britain. ------------------- Make someone a Declassified Club Member this year go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence...
The Persian (Extract)
To coincide with the release of David's latest novel, The Persian, we have the books first chapter in audiobook form for you to enjoy. Mixing suspense with strikingly cinematic action, David McCloskey takes readers deep into the shadow war between Iran and Israel. The Persian by David McCloskey, is OUT NOW in the UK. Pre-order a signed edition via this link. ------------------- What happens when a spy is forced to reckon with the consequences of his deception? Kamran Esfahani, a Persian Jewish dentist from Stockholm, dreams of starting afresh in California. To finance his new life, he agrees to spy...
120. Greenland Intelligence Scoop: Trump, Xi, and Putin's Battle for the Arctic
Why is Trump backing down on his plans to seize Greenland? Are the Russian's already spying in the Arctic? And should we be fearing Chinese influence in the icy north? In this emergency podcast, David and Gordon delve into the intelligence story regarding Greenland and ask why Trump's forcefulness may be distracting us from the plans of China and Russia. ------------------- Make someone a Declassified Club Member this year go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular livestreams, ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, and weekly deep dives...
What does history tell us about how a revolution is going to play out? What can intelligence agencies and political scientists working on Iran learn from Syria? And why didnt Donald Trump follow through on his plan to militarily intervene in Iran? Listen as David and Gordon look at the ongoing situation in Iran through the lens of intelligence analysts and ask what there is to be learnt from studying revolutions of the past. ------------------- Make someone a Declassified Club Member this year go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular livestreams,...
118. Inside Iran: Can You Predict A Revolution? (Ep 1)
How are intelligence agencies reacting to the recent protests in Iran? Is the regime on the edge of collapse? And is it ever possible to predict a revolution? Listen as David and Gordon analyse the ongoing situation in Iran and look at what the mass uprising, and its suppression, means for intelligence agencies across the globe. ------------------- Make someone a Declassified Club Member this year go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular livestreams, ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, and weekly deep dives into original spy stories....
117. Epstein Files Declassified: Mossad, Israel and Ghislaine Maxwell (Ep 2)
It has been alleged that Robert Maxwell, father of convicted child sex offender Ghislaine, had connections to the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad. Through these links, some have suggested that Maxwell recruited Jeffrey Epstein, who then also became an Israeli asset. While this has never been confirmed by Mossad, conspiracy theories are rife. In their second episode on Epsteins intelligence connections, David and Gordon examine the validity of these theories and answer the question of whether Epstein was actually a spy. ------------------- Make someone a Declassified Club Member this year go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews...
116. Epstein Files Declassified: Was He A Spy? (Ep 1)
Was disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein working undercover for an intelligence agency? And, if so, which one? Listen as David and Gordon begin a two-part series on Epsteins alleged espionage connections. ------------------- Make someone a Declassified Club Member this year go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular livestreams, ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, and weekly deep dives into original spy stories. Members also get curated reading lists, special book discounts, prize draws, and access to our private chat community. Just go to therestisclassified.com...
Ex-CIA Officer On How The Cubans Failed Maduro in Venezuela
*Declassified Club exclusive: SUBSCRIBE to listen to the full series* What does one of the CIA's leading experts on Venezuela think about the operation to capture President Maduro? What will history say about the decision to invade a sovereign nation? And how involved were the Cubans? Listen as David and Gordon are joined by former CIA officer and Latin America Chief of Operations to discuss the Trump administration's operation in Venezuela and what this means for the future of the region. ------------------- Join The Declassified Club: Start your free trial at therestisclassified.com - go deeper into the world of espionage...
115. Intelligence Scoop: Why Venezuela Isnt About Oil (Ep 2)
President Trump is now running Venezuela, but how did we get to this point? Why would a US president want to control Latin America? And is it really all about drugs and oil? Listen as David and Gordon explore the reasons behind Trumps attack on Venezuela and try to understand why this Latin American country holds so much potential for the future of the global order. ------------------- Make someone a Declassified Club Member in 2026 go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular livestreams, ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live...
114. Intelligence Scoop: How Trump Captured Maduro in Venezuela (Ep 1)
What is actually happening between the US and Venezuela? Trump has captured President Maduro of Venezuela and extradited him to the US, but how was he able to pull off such a complex, and legally contentious, plot? Listen as David and Gordon take a look inside the raid that brought down Maduro and share the intelligence scoop on why it was so successful. ------------------- Make someone a Declassified Club Member in 2026 go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular livestreams, ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, and...
113. How To Protect Your Secrets: Is The Toaster Spying On You? (Ep 2)
Does China want to hack into your washing machine? What really is the dark web? And can you ever avoid being spied on in the 21st century? Listen as David and Gordon are once again joined by the CIA's first Chief of Tradecraft and Operational Technology, Glenn Chafetz, to discuss the nuances of ubiquitous technical surveillance and how you can protect your data in the digital age. ------------------- Make someone a Declassified Club Member in 2026 go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular livestreams, ad-free listening, early access to episodes and...
112. How To Protect Your Secrets: Inside Chinas Technical Surveillance Playbook (Ep 1)
The world of surveillance has changed beyond recognition over the past 25 years with the advent of technology. From CCTV cameras to cookie tracking, it's not so easy to escape the long arm of the intelligence services in 2025. David and Gordon are joined by the CIA's first Chief of Tradecraft and Operational Technology, Glenn Chafetz, to explore the ever-changing world of ubiquitous technical surveillance and why the Chinese state is upping their capabilities in this space. ------------------- Make someone a Declassified Club Member in 2026 go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence...
111. The Man Behind The CIA: Shooting In The White House (Ep 2)
Bill Donovan has set himself up across an entire floor of the swanky London hotel, Claridges. From here he is now running international intelligence operations and laying plans for the future of espionage in the United States. But, his arch nemesis, J. Edgar Hoover has an alternative vision for how these lofty ideas should play out. Listen as David and Gordon continue their tale of Wild Bill Donovan: the man who laid the foundations for the modern CIA. ------------------- Make someone a Declassified Club Member this Christmas go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top...
110. The Man Behind The CIA: Charming Mussolini and Stealing From MI6 (Ep 1)
Wild Bill Donovan laid the template for the formation of the modern CIA, but this wasnt the way his life was supposed to turn out. A working class boy from Buffalo, Bill dreamt of something better for himself. These dreams took him to the trenches of Belgium and the beaches of Normandy, then to the halls of power themselves. This is the story of the man behind the CIA. From decorated war hero to an eccentric establishment figure, listen as David and Gordon tell the story of Wild Bill Donovan. ------------------- Make someone a Declassified Club Member this Christmas go...
109. Hunting Al-Qaeda: The CIAs Deadliest Day (Ep 4)
Nine people dead. A severed head laying motionless in the rubble. Silence punctuated by screams. The moments after the 2009 Camp Chapman attack sound like something out of a horror film, but this was the devastating reality for those who trusted an Al Qaeda double agent to deliver on his promises. In this episode, David and Gordon reach the climax of their series on one of the deadliest days in CIA history. ------------------- Make someone a Declassified Club Member this Christmas go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular livestreams, ad-free listening,...
108. Hunting Al-Qaeda: From Jihadist To Spy (Ep 3)
Jennifer Matthews was one of the most capable and formidable CIA analysts working in the Counter Terrorism Centre during the War on Terror. She was also underestimated by her male colleagues who doubted she had what it took to run one of the most dangerous stations in Afghanistan. When Matthews took the post of CIA station chief at Camp Chapman, she knew the risks she faced. But, what she didnt know was that Al Qaeda were training a double agent who sought to bring the War on Terror to her front door. Listen as David and Gordon chart the preparations...
Introducing: The Rest Is Science
Forget what you think you know about reality. The Rest Is Science is a mind-bending new show from Goalhanger that tears down familiar ideas time, randomness, beauty, it will reveal just how bizarre the world truly is. Join Professor Hannah Fry and science creator Michael Stevens (aka Vsauce) twice a week to explore big, small and surprising questions as they deep dive into theories, concepts, objects and thoughts and take us on a journey into the unexpected. If you love digging into details that usually get skipped over, this is the show that proves reality is stranger than fiction. Click...
107. Hunting Al-Qaeda: The War On Terror (Ep 2)
In the years following 9/11, the US launched the War on Terror to root out the most dangerous Al Qaeda operatives across the Middle East. Their determination to avenge those who lost their lives in the 2001 attacks was unrelenting, and they were willing to go to any lengths to win, even if that meant putting their trust into a jihadist turned Jordanian agent. In this episode, David and Gordon continue their series on the 2009 Camp Chapman attacks, detailing why the CIA and Jordanian GID felt compelled to trust a man who had spent the past few years wishing...
106. Hunting Al-Qaeda: Anatomy Of A Terrorist (Ep 1)
On 30 December 2009, an Al Qaeda terrorist detonated a bomb inside a CIA station in Afghanistan. This is the story of how a quiet doctor from Jordan became responsible for one of the deadliest days in CIA history. Listen as David and Gordon chart the rise of Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi from a doctor working in a Palestinian refugee camp to one of Al Qaedas most prolific online voices. ------------------- Make someone a Declassified Club Member this Christmas go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular livestreams, ad-free listening, early access...
105. The Chinese Spy Scandal: Mastering LinkedIn (Ep 2)
In 2017, former CIA officer Kevin Mallory was drowning in debt when a message landed in his LinkedIn inbox. A Chinese headhunter said he had consulting work. Mallory - fluent in Mandarin, seasoned in intelligence, and once trusted with some of Americas most sensitive secrets - replied. In this episode, David and Gordon unpack how Chinese intelligence services used think-tank cover, tailored taskings, and a custom encrypted smartphone to reel Mallory in. From FedEx scans of classified documents to a frantic attempt to reinvent himself as a double agent, this is the anatomy of a recruitment gone disastrously wrong. -------------------...
104. The Chinese Spy Scandal: Breaching Westminster (Ep 1)
Earlier this month, MI5 issued a stark warning to Westminster: a covert and calculated Chinese espionage campaign was targeting parliament - and doing so at an industrial scale. Not with trench-coats and dead drops, but with something far more mundane: LinkedIn messages. This week, Gordon and David look at two high-profile cases of alleged Chinese-backed spying in Britain. Those in the frame always denied the allegations - and two of them, Chris Cash and Christopher Berry, were found not guilty when the case against them collapsed. So, what's going on behind the scenes, and if someone called Shirley contacts you...
The Rise Of Putin: Becoming President
*Declassified Club exclusive: SUBSCRIBE to listen to the full series* Vladimir Putin is on the cusp of becoming Russia's all-powerful leader, but how did a humble boy from St Petersburg reach such elite heights? Listen as David and Gordon are once again joined by one of the world's leading experts on Russian organised crime, Mark Galeotti, to conclude their series on the rise of Putin. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026: Buy your tickets to see David and Gordon live on stage at Londons Southbank Centre on 31 January: https://www.livenation.co.uk/the-rest-is-classified-live-tickets-adp1627115 ------------------- Join The Declassified Club: Start your free trial...
103. Putin's Secret Army: The Coup That Almost Brought Down Russia (Ep 6)
Could this have been the day when Putin fell from power? In June 2023, Prigozhin marched on Moscow, threatening to bring Putins authoritarian regime to its knees. In their final episode on the dramatic rise and fall of Yevgeny Prigozhin, David and Gordon take us back to the coup that almost toppled Putin and how the autocratic leader carried out the ultimate revenge. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026: Buy your tickets HERE to see David and Gordon live on stage at Londons Southbank Centre on 31 January. ------------------- Try Attio for free at https://www.attio.com/tric ------------------- EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal...
102. Putin's Secret Army: Criminals And Cannibals - Russia's War In Ukraine (Ep 5)
Its 2022 and Russia is preparing to invade Ukraine. But, for Putin, all is not going to plan. Enter: Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner Group. Listen as David and Gordon tell the story of the disastrous first few months of the war in Ukraine and how Prigozhins force of cannibals and sex offenders were fed to the trenches in a desperate attempt to stay in Putins orbit. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026: Buy your tickets HERE to see David and Gordon live on stage at Londons Southbank Centre on 31 January. ------------------- Join The Declassified Club: Start your...
The Rise Of Putin: Russian Organised Crime
*Declassified Club exclusive: SUBSCRIBE to listen to the full series* Vladimir Putin has left Soviet East Germany and is now back in St Petersburg, dipping his toe in the world of organised crime. Listen as David and Gordon are once again joined by one of the world's leading experts on Russian organised crime, Mark Galeotti, to explore the rise of Russia's authoritarian overlord. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026: Buy your tickets to see David and Gordon live on stage at Londons Southbank Centre on 31 January: https://www.livenation.co.uk/the-rest-is-classified-live-tickets-adp1627115 ------------------- Join The Declassified Club: Start your free trial at therestisclassified.com...
101. Putin's Secret Army: Wagner's Control Of Africa (Ep 4)
From St Petersburg to the Central African Republic, Yevgeny Prigozhin and the infamous Wagner Group are extending their grip across the Global South and leaving death and destruction in their wake. In this episode, David and Gordon explore how the Wagner Group became embedded in the African military landscape and how their influence pervades to this day. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026: Buy your tickets HERE to see David and Gordon live on stage at Londons Southbank Centre on 31 January. ------------------- Try Attio for free at https://www.attio.com/tric ------------------- Join The Declassified Club: Start your free trial at...
100. Putin's Secret Army: Fighting With Assad In Syria (Ep 3)
Prigozhin is now one of Americas most wanted but his star is only just on the rise. Realising Putins need for greater geopolitical power and influence, the Russian oligarch forms the Wagner Group, with the help of a neo-Nazi soldier. Listen as David and Gordon chart the growth of one of the worlds most infamous mercenary groups as Prigozhin embeds himself in the Middle East, helping President Assad of Syria take on the CIA. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026: Buy your tickets HERE to see David and Gordon live on stage at Londons Southbank Centre on 31 January....
The Rise Of Putin: Joining The KGB
*Declassified Club exclusive: SUBSCRIBE to listen to the full series* How did Vladimir Putin rise from a nobody in St Petersburg to the most powerful man in Russia? Did he always crave the power of public office? Or was this relentless determination beaten into him by the KGB? Listen as David and Gordon are joined by one of the world's foremost experts on Russian organised crime, author and podcaster, Mark Galeotti, to discuss the rise of Putin and his unorthodox time in the KGB. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026: Buy your tickets to see David and Gordon live...
99. Putin's Secret Army: Trump, Wagner And Russia (Ep 2)
How did Donald Trump win the 2016 US election? Was Russian interference really behind his unlikely success? And how does one man rock the electoral system of the worlds most powerful nation? In the second instalment of their series on Yevgeny Prigozhin, David and Gordon delve into the murky story of how the Internet Research Agency interfered in the 2016 election and changed the course of history. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026: Buy your tickets HERE to see David and Gordon live on stage at Londons Southbank Centre on 31 January. ------------------- Try Attio for free athttps://www.attio.com/tric -------------------...
98. Putins Secret Army: The Rise Of Prigozhin (Ep 1)
From Putins chef to Putins butcher, this is the story of Prigozhin. A man on the brink of oligarchical power who flew a little too close to the sun Listen as David and Gordon begin a new series on the ill-fated life of the head of the infamous Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026: Buy your tickets HERE to see David and Gordon live on stage at Londons Southbank Centre on 31 January. ------------------- Try Attio for free athttps://www.attio.com/tric ------------------- Join The Declassified Club: Start your free trial at therestisclassified.com - go deeper into the...
97. Selling The World's Secrets: Why The Brits Won The Falklands War (Ep 2)
THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026: Buy your tickets HERE on Friday 7th November at 12pm GMT. In the latter half of the twentieth century, the CIA and its German counterpart, the BND, were listening to the encrypted messages of at least 62 countries around the world. This intelligence was then passed to allies and used to win wars, depose leaders and influence the world order. From sharing secrets with British forces fighting in The Falklands War to monitoring Irans mullahs during the 1979 hostage crisis, the CIA knew almost everything going on in the corridors of power. In the...
96. Selling The World's Secrets: Is The CIA Reading Your Messages? (Ep 1)
Over the past seventy-five years, the United States has developed an insatiable appetite for global surveillance. The stories exposed by Edward Snowden in 2013 were only the tip of the mountain: the CIA had been spying on the world for decades. For more than half acentury, a Swissbased firm called Crypto AG built encryption machines and sold them to governments around the world. But what its customers didnt know was that the firm was secretly owned and controlled by the CIA. This is a story of deception, code breaking and the invisible ear listening into the world's secrets. Listen as...
Did Fidel Castro Kill JFK?
*Declassified Club exclusive: SUBSCRIBE to listen to the full series* Were the Cubans plotting to kill John F. Kennedy? Did Castro have it out for his American adversary? Or did they simply not have the resources to take on the US establishment? Listen as David and Gordon conclude their exclusive mini-series on who was truly behind the assassination of JFK. ------------------- Join The Declassified Club: Start your free trial at therestisclassified.com - go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, quarterly livestreams, ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, and...
95. JFK vs the CIA: Death in Dallas (Ep 6)
On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. While Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested as the lone gunman , the political context - the intense anger of Cuban exiles, the deep resentment from parts of the CIA, and the agency's secret relationship with the mob - immediately fuels doubt. Join Gordon and David as they explain why the case is absolutely not closed in the minds of most Americans. We discuss Oswald's own extraordinary character, the subsequent Warren Commission, and the role of the mob in Kennedys downfall. This history of secrecy and failure, which...
94. JFK vs the CIA: Fighting in Cuba (Ep 5)
"It's personal now ." The CIA's failure at the Bay of Pigs does not end the fight with Cuba; instead, the heat's actually going to get turned up. The Kennedy brothers are now even more committed to defeating Castro. Join Gordon and David as they detail the ongoing assassination attempts on Castro. This is the tense calm before a new, much larger crisis is about to engulf the Kennedy administration. ------------------- Join The Declassified Club: Start your free trial at therestisclassified.com - go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, quarterly livestreams, ad-free...
Did The Mafia Kill JFK?
*Declassified Club exclusive: SUBSCRIBE to listen to the full series* Was the assassination of John F. Kennedy a Mafia plot? Or is this just another bonkers conspiracy theory? Listen as David and Gordon are joined by former White House Communications Director and host of The Rest Is Politics: US, Anthony Scaramucci, to discuss his theory on how the Mob killed JFK. ------------------- Join The Declassified Club: Start your free trial at therestisclassified.com - go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, quarterly livestreams, ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets,...
93. JFK vs the CIA: Bay of Pigs (Ep 4)
"We not only look like imperialists, we look like stupid ineffectual imperialists, which is worst of all." That was the assessment of one of Kennedy's aides following the swift collapse of the Bay of Pigs invasion. The landings fall apart almost immediately: the beaches are laced with coral, winches are rusty and loud, and an exploding ship, the Rio Escondido, detonates the brigade's primary supplies and ammunition. Join Gordon and David as they detail the "last stand" of Brigade 2506. We explore the tragic messages sent by the brigade commander, expecting the promised US air support that never arrives. This...
92. JFK vs the CIA: Raising Hell in Havana (Ep 3)
Upload notice - 20th Oct: Is episode 3 sounding the same as episode 2 on your device? There has been a technical error (since rectified). Please go back to episode 2, clear your downloads, and listen again for the updated version. "Hell, Mr. President, we are involved." That was Admiral Burke's desperate plea to John F. Kennedy as the Bay of Pigs operation was underway. In the days before the April 17th invasion, the CIA's cover story begins to unravel and Castro is aware the invasion is coming. Kennedy, determined to avoid overt US intervention, draws a red line, declaring...
Did The CIA Kill JFK?
*Declassified Club exclusive: SUBSCRIBE to listen to the full series* Who really killed John F. Kennedy in Dallas on 22 November 1963? Did the CIA have a vendetta against the 35th President of the United States after their failure against Castro in Cuba? Or was Lee Harvey Oswald just a lone gunman with a need for "justice"? Listen as David and Gordon begin a 3-part exclusive mini-series for Declassified Club members on the conspiracy theories surrounding who killed JFK. ------------------- Join The Declassified Club: Start your free trial at therestisclassified.com - go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive...
91. JFK vs the CIA: Killing Castro (Ep 2)
Re-upload notice - Oct 20th: This podcast was previously uploaded with a later episode's audio/video, meaning those who listened to it upon release wrongly heard episode 3 instead of episode 2. This has since been rectified and replaced with the correct file. Please clear your downloads to hear the correct version of episode 2. Apologies for any inconvenience caused. "I think about it as little as possible ." That was President John F. Kennedy's revealing answer when asked about the impending "damned invasion" of Cuba. Despite his reservations and persistent requests to tone it down, the operation is moving forward....
90. JFK vs the CIA: The Battle for Cuba (Ep 1)
I think that Senator Kennedy's policies and recommendations for the handling of the Castro regime are probably the most dangerously irresponsible recommendations that he's made during the course of this campaign. That was Richard Nixon, in the final presidential debate of 1960, targeting John F. Kennedy's stance on Cuba. Fidel Castro has seized power, transforming Cuba, a former playground for American mobsters and corporations, into a nationalist state opposing the US. The Eisenhower administration, determined to oust him, tasks the CIA to destabilise and replace the regime. Join Gordon and David as they introduce the formidable figures at the heart...
EXCLUSIVE: Google's President of Global Affairs on AI, Cyber Attacks and Silicon Valley
*Declassified Club exclusive: SUBSCRIBE to listen to the full interview* This week Gordon and David are joined by Kent Walker, Google's President of Global Affairs, to discuss the Aurora cyber attacks, his thoughts on the future of Artificial Intelligence, and what it was like to grow up in Silicon Valley before it became the world's technology hub. ------------------- Join The Declassified Club: Start your free trial at therestisclassified.com - go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, quarterly livestreams, ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, and weekly deep dives...
89. China vs Google: The War That Shaped the Internet (Ep 2)
When we left the team at Google's headquarters, they were deep inside their "war room," planning the counter-strike against the sophisticated adversary they now knew was coming from China. Their mission: to kick the hackers out permanently. But with the attackers deep inside the corporate network, this required a drastic, company-wide action. Join Gordon and David as they explain why Google - a company that had previously agreed to local censorship in China - made the shocking decision to use the attack to reaffirm their commitment to freedom of speech. This is the story of how an internal security incident...
88. China vs Google: When Beijing Took on Silicon Valley (Ep 1)
"Like many other well-known organisations, we face cyber attacks of varying degrees on a regular basis." This was the striking public statement from Google's chief legal officer in January 2010. What began as a major security incident - a "highly sophisticated and targeted attack on our corporate infrastructure, originating from China" and resulting in the theft of intellectual property - quickly escalated into a much larger geopolitical crisis. This episode is the origin story of state-sponsored cyber espionage. It's the moment Google was hacked by a foreign state, and for the first time, publicly pointed the finger at who they...
Hezbollah thought theyd found the perfect solution to Israeli surveillance: the pager. In the midst of their paranoia, they negotiated a cut-price deal for thousands of new devices, but what they received was a trap. The mass explosions on September 17 2024, injured 3,000 people and killed dozens, including civilians and children. The victims - many of them part-time militia members or political operatives - were not just front-line fighters. Listen as David and Gordon tell the astonishing and devastating story of how Israel achieved what it could not in 2006: the neutralisation of its most dangerous adversary on its...
86. Mossad Pager Attack: The Long War with Hezbollah (Ep 1)
"The smartphone is a lethal collaborator. " This was the stark warning from Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah in February 2024. In the wake of intense conflict with Israel, the group made a fateful decision to abandon high-tech communications. They knew that their phones could be used by the Israelis to pinpoint their location. The solution? Go analog. Go back to pagers. This episode begins an explosive two-part series on a truly audacious operation conducted by Israels foreign intelligence agency, Mossad. Mossad didn't just infect Hezbollah's supply chain; they became the supply chain, creating a unique product to use against their...
EXCLUSIVE: The Spy Who Smuggled Gordievsky Out of Russia
*Declassified Club exclusive: SUBSCRIBE to listen to the full interview* What does it take to smuggle the Wests most valuable Russian agent out of the Soviet Union, under the noses of the KGB? How do you lose a KGB surveillance team on the road from Moscow, while hiding a defector in the boot of your car? And how did the MI6 team manage to sneak Gordievsky past the Russian sniffer dogs on the Finnish border? Listen as Raymond Asquith - the MI6 Officer who led Oleg Gordievskys dramatic escape from Moscow in 1985 - recounts the nerve-racking details of the...
85. The Man Who Saved The World: The Great Escape (Ep 6)
Oleg Gordievsky wants to leave Moscow, but how? How can a man under suspicion of being a traitor escape the watchful eye of the KGB? Do MI6 have a plan to rescue him? Or will the man who has leaked countless state secrets become the next victim of the USSR? Listen as David and Gordon finish their series on Oleg Gordievsky by looking at his fateful showdown with the KGB. ------------------- Join The Declassified Club: Start your free trial at therestisclassified.com - go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, quarterly livestreams, ad-free...
84. The Man Who Saved The World: A Friendship Shattered (Ep 5)
Just as Oleg Gordievsky was moments away from being the KGBs most senior man in Britain, he is recalled to Moscow. Has his spying been revealed? What can MI6 do? And will he return to his homeland knowing he may never leave again? Listen as David and Gordon continue their series on Oleg Gordievsky by looking at his return to Moscow and the fateful decision it forces him to make. ------------------- Join The Declassified Club: Start your free trial at therestisclassified.com - go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, quarterly livestreams, ad-free...
83. The Man Who Saved The World: Countdown to Armageddon (Ep 4)
Its 1983 and the world is on the brink of nuclear war. Operation Able Archer has ratcheted tensions right up, how is Oleg Gordievski going to prevent a nuclear apocalypse? Is this the greatest contribution of any spy to humanity? And what does it say about the enduring value of human intelligence? Listen as David and Gordon continue their series on Oleg Gordievski by looking at his role in defusing the sky-high tensions of the 1980s. ------------------- Join The Declassified Club: Start your free trial at therestisclassified.com - go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with...
82. The Man Who Saved The World: Britains Best Ever Agent (Ep 3)
Oleg Gordievsky is now recruited as an agent for MI6 and he is providing intelligence of the highest order, but is there a chance hell be rumbled by the KGB? Who will keep him safe in London? And what does Oleg himself have to do to ensure his identity remains secret? Listen as David and Gordon continue their series on Oleg Gordievsky by looking at his time in London, his crazy KGB colleagues, and the molehunt he conducts into the British security services. ------------------- Join The Declassified Club: Start your free trial at therestisclassified.com - go deeper into the world...
81. The Man Who Saved The World: Abandoning Communism (Ep 2)
How did Oleg Gordievsky get recruited to work for MI6? What effect did living in Copenhagen have on his political views? And how did Britain nearly blow the recruitment of one of the most consequential spies in history? Listen as David and Gordon continue their series on Oleg Gordievsky by looking at how he became a double-agent, changing the course of his life and the Cold War. ------------------- Join The Declassified Club: Start your free trial at therestisclassified.com - go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, quarterly livestreams, ad-free listening, early access...
80. The Man Who Saved The World: Making of a Traitor (Ep 1)
What makes a spy betray the very system that raised him? How does a loyal KGB officer, born into the service, become Britains most valuable Cold War agent? And how did one mans intelligence reports help stop the world from sliding into nuclear confrontation? This is the story of Oleg Gordievsky a man shaped by the terror of Stalins purges, the shadow of the Berlin Wall, and the crushing of the Prague Spring. He rose through the ranks of the KGB, but inside, he was already planning his greatest act of defiance: spying for MI6. In this first episode of...
79. The Hunt for Pablo Escobar: Killing the Cocaine King (Ep 6)
In the final months of 1993, the hunt for Pablo Escobar reached a fever pitch. On the run and isolated, Escobar is under immense pressure from both the Colombian search bloc and the shadowy death squad, Los Pepes. But it is his family, now targeted and in danger, that becomes his ultimate weakness. With his wife and children desperately seeking asylum abroad, Escobar's deep-seated need to connect with them becomes his undoing. In this final episode of our series, Gordon and David recount the climactic final days of the manhunt. They detail how the search bloc, with the aid of...
78. The Hunt for Pablo Escobar: Death Squads & Delta Force (Ep 5)
After walking out of his luxurious prison, Pablo Escobar is back on the run. With the Colombian government humiliated, they turn to the United States for a new kind of help: a specialized, elite force. The answer comes in the form of a Delta Force team. Their mission is to train and advise the Colombian search bloc, but their ultimate goal is to find Pablo once and for all. In the penultimate episode of our series on Pablo Escobar, Gordon and David explore the full-scale manhunt that ensues once the drug kingpin escapes. They detail the collaboration and bureaucratic clashes...
77. The Hunt for Pablo Escobar: The Medellin Cartel vs Colombia (Ep 4)
By the autumn of 1989, the hunt for Pablo Escobar and the Medelln cartel was intensifying. With the US military and intelligence agencies now directly involved, a new, more aggressive phase of the War on Drugs had begun. Join Gordon and David as they explore how Escobar, facing a relentless manhunt, leverages his position to strike an extraordinary deal with the Colombian state. Discover how he uses his plata o plomo (silver or lead) strategy - a mix of bribery, kidnapping, and murder - to bend the government to his will and secure his ultimate prize: the outlawing of extradition....
76. The Hunt for Pablo Escobar: From Narco to Global Terrorist (Ep 3)
By the late 1980s, Pablo Escobars grip on the cocaine trade was unmatched. But a new threat loomed: extradition to the United States. To Escobar, it was a fate worse than death. His answer was brutal - declare open war on the Colombian state. In this episode, Gordon and David trace the rise of the so-called Extraditables, a loose alliance of cartel bosses who vowed to stop extradition at any cost. Through car bombs, political assassinations, and the murder of anyone who stood in their way, Escobar sent a single message: you cannot take me alive. Its the beginning of...
75. The Hunt for Pablo Escobar: The War on Drugs (Ep 2)
In the early 1980s, Pablo Escobar reinvented himself. He was no longer just the man who could smuggle tonnes of cocaine into Miami - he was the successful businessman, the philanthropist, the proud family man. To the poor, he built homes and football fields. To the powerful, he offered campaign donations and political loyalty. Listen as Gordon and David chart Escobars transformation from feared trafficker to aspiring statesman. He buys his way into Congress, rubbing shoulders with Colombias elite while his cartel tightens its grip on the cocaine trade. But fame and politics bring scrutiny, and enemies determined to bring...
74. The Hunt for Pablo Escobar: Rise of a Drug Lord (Ep 1)
Colombia in the mid-20th century was a place of beauty and bloodshed - where jungle mountains sheltered rebels, the cities were ruled by oligarchs, and outlaw legends became folk heroes. Into this world stepped Pablo Escobar. Charming, calm, and calculating, he would become one of the richest men in history - and one of the deadliest. In this first episode of our Escobar series, Gordon Corera and David McCloskey explore Escobars early years: petty crime in Medelln, his first forays into smuggling, and the moment cocaine transformed from a fringe luxury into a multi-billion-dollar industry. From stolen cars to international...
73. Destroying the Nazi Nuclear Program: Saving the World From War (Ep 2)
Who was the Nazi General who called the Allied Gunnerside mission the most splendid coup I have seen? How did the Norwegians stop the Nazis' nuclear program for good? And how did one commando use a large amount of laxatives to save his mother's life? Operation Gunnerside was a dangerous mission to destroy a Nazi heavy water plant in Norway. Led by Joachim Rnneberg, a team of commandos had to climb down, and then up, a 600-foot gorge to reach their target. They successfully planted explosives and destroyed the heavy water cylinders, but the team's escape would be just as...
72. Destroying the Nazi Nuclear Program: Bombing Norway (Ep 1)
What was the most dangerous mission of World War II? How did a small team of Norwegian skiers stop the Nazis from building a nuclear bomb? And, what exactly is heavy water, and why was it so important to the Nazis? Operation Gunnerside was a high-stakes, real-life mission to sabotage a Nazi nuclear program in Norway. Led by the young and fearless Joachim Rnneberg, a team of Norwegian commandos were tasked with a seemingly impossible mission.The Germans had increased heavy water production at the Norsk Hydro plant in the remote Telemark region, and the Allies feared they were close to...
71. Israel Attacks Iran: The Dawn of Cyber Warfare (Ep 4)
How did the Stuxnet cyberweapon, designed to be covert, break out into the wild? What were the world-changing implications of this sophisticated attack on Iran's nuclear centrifuges, and what happened when it was exposed? Listen as David McCloskey and Gordon Corera reach the finale of their series on the Stuxnet cyberweapon, discussing its discovery by cybersecurity researchers and the subsequent shift in tactics against Iran's nuclear ambitions. ------------------- To sign up to The Declassified Club, go to www.therestisclassified.com. To sign up to the free newsletter, go to: https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up ------------------- Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here nordvpn.com/restisclassified It's risk-free with Nord's...
70. Israel Attacks Iran: The Virus Spreads (Ep 3)
What was the "horse blanket" and how did it guide Obama's decisions on cyber warfare? How did the Stuxnet virus evolve to target Iran's centrifuges more aggressively? And what were the risks and ethical dilemmas involved in unleashing such a powerful and precise cyber weapon? Listen as David McCloskey and Gordon Corera delve into the Obama administration's acceleration of the Olympic Games program, the sophisticated targeting mechanisms of the Stuxnet virus, and the increasing pressure on Iran's nuclear ambitions. ------------------- To sign up to The Declassified Club, go to www.therestisclassified.com. To sign up to the free newsletter, go to: https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up...
69. Israel Attacks Iran: Mossads First Assault (Ep 2)
How did Israel and the US develop this new type of weapon which they would unleash upon Iran? Who will they rely on to get it into the system? And how will they try to sabotage Iran in silence? Listen as David McCloskey and Gordon Corera discuss Israels development of a cyber weapon that could damage the Iranian nuclear program without anyone even knowing it was there. ------------------- To sign up to The Declassified Club, go to www.therestisclassified.com. To sign up to the free newsletter, go to: https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up ------------------- Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here nordvpn.com/restisclassified It's risk-free with Nord's...
68. Israel Attacks Iran: The Origins of the Iranian Nuclear Programme (Ep 1)
When did Israel first attack Irans nuclear program? How did they do it? And how did Iran develop its nuclear program that has shaped so much of the politics of the Middle-East over the past 20 years? Listen as David McCloskey and Gordon Corera discuss Israels first attempt to slow down Irans development of a nuclear bomb. ------------------- To sign up to The Declassified Club, go to www.therestisclassified.com. To sign up to the free newsletter, go to: https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up ------------------- Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here nordvpn.com/restisclassified It's risk-free with Nord's 30 day money back guarantee ------------------- Order a signed edition...
67. The Great Betrayal: Defecting to Moscow (Ep 2)
How do you switch sides and become a spy for the KGB? When the FBI is tracking you, how do you escape the country? And what is life like for a traitor on the other side of the Iron Curtain? Join David McCloskey and Gordon Corera as they discuss the life of Edward Lee Howard, his defection, and whether recent events mean there may soon be more like him. ------------------- Order a signed edition of Gordon's latest book, The Spy in the Archive, via this link. Order a signed edition of David's latest book, The Seventh Floor, via this link....
66. The Great Betrayal: An American Traitor (Ep 1)
How did an alcoholic, drug-addicted hippie end up working for the CIA? How are CIA agents trained? And what is the real purpose of a lie detector test? Join David McCloskey and Gordon Corera as they discuss the life of Edward Lee Howard, the only CIA officer ever to defect to Moscow. ------------------- To sign up to The Declassified Club, go to www.therestisclassified.com. To sign up to the free newsletter, go to: https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up ------------------- Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here nordvpn.com/restisclassified It's risk-free with Nord's 30 day money back guarantee ------------------- Order a signed edition of Gordon's latest book, The...
Former Head of MI5: 7/7, Putin, and Al-Qaeda (Eliza Manningham-Buller)
What was it truly like inside MI5 and the heart of government as the 7/7 attacks unfolded? How did 7/7 expose a shocking blind spot for Britain's spy agency? And what lessons are still being applied two decades later to prevent future attacks? Listen as David and Gordon sit down with former Head of MI5, Eliza Manningham-Buller, to discuss her role in investigating the 7/7 bombings and how the attacks have stayed with her to this day. The full episode is available to members of the declassified club, sign up at www.therestisclassified.com. ------------------- To sign up to The Declassified Club,...
65. Terror Strikes London: The Forgotten Attack (Ep 4)
Two weeks after 52 people were murdered on Londons transport network, terrorists tried to strike again. How did the UK's domestic security services leverage bulk phone record collection to track down the fleeing bombers? And what was the significance of a gym membership card and abandoned bags in identifying the suspects? In the final episode of our series, we explore the intense investigation following the foiled 21/7 attacks. From forensic clues and CCTV footage to the dramatic arrests across the UK and Europe, this episode reveals the high-stakes methods used to track down a new wave of terrorists. We confront...
64. Terror Strikes London: The Al-Qaeda Mastermind (Ep 3)
He left a video for his daughter before he vanished to Pakistan. A quiet farewell, wrapped in the language of faith and finality. What no one knew was that in the mountains near the Afghan border, he would meet the man who would change everything. In the penultimate episode of our series on the 7/7 Bombings, Gordon and David uncover how two young British men - Mohammad Sidique Khan and Shehzad Tanweer - crossed a hidden threshold. From idealistic jihadist sympathisers to suicide bombers in waiting. In the lawless tribal belt of Pakistan, they were recruited, trained, and transformed -...
63. Terror Strikes London: What did MI5 know? (Ep 2)
Fifteen months before the London bombings, MI5 had seen them. They had names, photographs, and addresses. Two of the men who would carry out the 7/7 attacks had already appeared in surveillance. And then they vanished back into the noise. In this second episode of our 7/7 series, 20 years on from the attacks, David and Gordon unravel one of the most haunting questions of the entire investigation: could the 7/7 bombings have been stopped? Through forgotten files, garbled intelligence, and missed opportunities, a chilling pattern emerges - one where small decisions, fractured systems, and scarce resources combined to let...
62. Terror Strikes London: 7/7 (Ep 1)
London woke up to joy and celebration on 7 July 2005. The city had just won the 2012 Olympics. It was a glorious summer. There were parties in the streets. But, by 9am, everything had changed. Three explosions tore through the London Underground. Minutes later, a double-decker bus was ripped apart in Tavistock Square. Confusion reigned. Was it a power surge? A freak accident? Or something worse? In this opening episode of our new series on the 7/7 Bombings, David and Gordon return to the morning of the attacks as the UKs deadliest terrorist assault unfolded in real time. Inside...
61. The Truth About UFOs: Whistleblowers, Warplanes, and Worlds Unknown (Ep 4)
For years, the term UFO conjured images of tin foil hats and elaborate cover-ups. But with recent official reports from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence detailing hundreds of UAP sightings, including objects that remain stationary in high winds or manoeuvre in strange ways, the conversation has fundamentally changed. What accounts for this new era of openness, and what are these "true anomalies" that continue to baffle experts? From sophisticated Chinese spy balloons caught floating over the continental US to the persistent question of advanced foreign adversary systems, the latest wave of UAP sightings mirrors Cold War-era fears...
60. The Truth About UFOs: The CIA's Alien Obsession (Ep 3)
In 1955, a United States Senator claimed he saw a "greenish-yellow ball rising rapidly" over the Soviet Union. Was it a Soviet secret weapon, an extraterrestrial visitation, or something else entirely? And why was the CIA so intent on keeping its UFO investigations under wraps? From the early days of the Cold War, the CIA found itself drawn into the burgeoning world of UFO sightings, not because of aliens, but due to a deeper fear: what if these unidentified objects were Soviet aircraft or a psychological warfare tool designed to disrupt US air defences and undermine society? This chilling possibility...
59. The Truth About UFOs: Alien Sightings (Ep 2)
In the mid-1970s, new, more outlandish claims about the Roswell incident began to surface: not one, but multiple crash sites, military recovery of alien bodies, and secret autopsies. What do these reports of "bald" creatures in "silver unitards" have to do with the original 1947 mystery? As the Roswell mythology grew, accounts emerged of strange bodies, often described as small, mangled, and blackened, with large flexible heads and concave eyes. But the official US Air Force report from the mid-90s offers a different, more grounded explanation for these seemingly credible sightings. Listen as Gordon and David uncover the surprising connections...
58. The Truth About UFOs: The Roswell Incident (Ep 1)
The date was July 8th, 1947. The Roswell Daily Record boldly announced: "RAAF Recovers Flying Saucer." How did this headline ignite a global obsession with UFOs, and why has the official narrative shifted so many times since? From eyewitness accounts of glowing objects zooming across the sky to official reports of a recovered "disk," the Roswell incident remains one of the most compelling and hotly debated mysteries of the 20th century. But is the government merely guarding classified information, or is there a more elaborate cover-up at play? Listen as Gordon and David embark on an exhilarating journey into the...
57. Why Israel Attacked Iran
The ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel may have escalated last Friday whenIsraellaunched predawn strikes on its regional enemy, but tensions have been brewing for years. In 2020, the Israeli National Intelligence Agency, Mossad, assassinated Iran's top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, using AI-powered weaponry. This attack laid the foundations for the contemporary Israeli attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities and signalled that this conflict was always simmering at the surface. Listen as national security journalist, Gordon Corera, and former CIA Analyst, David McCloskey, tell the story of how Iran and Israel came to the brink of war. ------------------- To sign up...
56. Bin Laden vs the CIA: Death in Pakistan (Ep 6)
His poetry celebrated a cosmic struggle of violence and glory, but his end was far from a medieval power play. Why did Osama bin Laden spend his final years in a secluded compound in Pakistan, attempting to manage a global terrorist organisation while living a surprisingly mundane life? What were the chilling details of the raid that finally brought him down, and how did it forever change the landscape of global security? In the final episode of our series on Osama bin Laden vs the CIA, we delve into his strange, semi-retired life in Abbottabad, where he micro-managed Al Qaeda...
55. Bin Laden vs the CIA: The Hunt for the World's Most Wanted (Ep 5)
A decade after 9/11, Osama bin Laden remained at large, a constant "running sore" for the US government. But how did a fleeting glimpse of a tall guy with a beard and the interrogation of a high-value detainee finally set the CIA on the right path? And what was the decision that President Obama had to make, knowing the risks and the history of missed opportunities? In this episode, we detail the relentless pursuit of Osama bin Laden, focusing on the critical intelligence trail that went from a vague alias to a specific car. Discover how the complex US-Pakistani relationship,...
54. Bin Laden vs the CIA: 9/11 (Ep 4)
On a clear September morning, the American homeland was shattered, revealing a vulnerability unforeseen for nearly two centuries. But, how did Osama bin Laden, soon to become the world's most wanted terrorist, orchestrate the largest mass murder in American history? What was the "chatter" among Al Qaeda members that something was imminent, and why couldn't the intelligence community piece together the puzzle? This episode plunges into the meticulous planning and devastating execution of the 9/11 attacks. From Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's initial "insane ideas" to Osama bin Laden's personal selection of suicide operatives, we explore the journey from whispers of "something...
53. Bin Laden vs the CIA: The Great Escape (Ep 3)
"The walls of oppression and humiliation cannot be demolished except in a rain of bullets." These chilling words from Osama bin Laden's 1996 fatwa declared war on the United States. How did this Saudi Arabian millionaire transform into a global terrorist leader, openly inviting media attention even as he plotted attacks against America? And what were the critical missed opportunities for the CIA to capture or kill him before 9/11? Today were exploring bin Laden's return to Afghanistan in 1996, a permissive sanctuary where he solidified Al Qaeda as a global force. Despite dwindling personal funds, he used propaganda and...
52. Bin Laden vs the CIA: Declaring Jihad (Ep 2)
How did a Saudi millionaire, seemingly more interested in a simple life than luxury, become the architect of a global terrorist organization? What personal and geopolitical forces converged to transform Osama bin Laden from a shy student into a war hero and the spiritual leader of Al Qaeda? And why was 1979 such a pivotal year for both him and the future of Islamic extremism? In this episode, Gordon and David dissect the pivotal year of 1979, a "hinge year" in the Middle East that profoundly impacted bin Laden. From the Grand Mosque siege in Mecca to the Soviet invasion...
51. Bin Laden vs the CIA: The Origins of Al-Qaeda (Ep 1)
What kind of man was Osama bin Laden before he became the world's most wanted terrorist? How did his early life and radical beliefs shape the figure who would one day challenge the West? And what role did the Muslim Brotherhood play in his formative years? In this opening episode of a powerful new series, we journey back to Osama bin Laden's beginnings in Saudi Arabia. Through the lens of the CIA's relentless pursuit, we explore the man behind the myth, guided by those who knew him and the intelligence agencies that hunted him. Join Gordon and David as they...
50. The Man Who Tried To Kill The KGB: On the Run from Russia (Ep 2)
He risked everything to expose the KGB's darkest secrets, but Vasily Mitrokhin had two non-negotiable demands: his family's safety and his archive's publication. How did MI6 navigate these unprecedented requests? What secret deal was struck with the Americans to fund his resettlement? And why did Mitrokhin himself express anger at his handlers? This episode delves deeper into the nail-biting exfiltration of Vasily Mitrokhin and his family from a turbulent post-Soviet landscape. From a comically small minibus to a chaotic scene at the docks, the operation pushes the MI6 team to their limits. But the biggest challenge isn't the KGB it's...
49. The Man Who Tried To Kill The KGB: A Traitor in the Kremlin (Ep 1)
The Cold War may have ended, but the hunt for dangerous secrets never truly stops. What happens when a disillusioned KGB archivist decides to betray his masters? How did he manage to steal masses of top-secret files from the heart of the Soviet Union? And what did the CIA miss that MI6 was able to seize? This is the incredible story of Vasily Mitrokhin, a man with a "profound, even spiritual hatred" for the KGB he served. For years, he meticulously copied secret documents, turning a hidden archive into a weapon against the very "beast" he believed was destroying Russia....
48. The Leak That Changed The World: Death of Privacy (Ep 6)
Do we have any privacy in the modern era? Why did Snowden do the things he did? Was he successful? And what is the closest Gordon Corera ever came to being a spy? Listen as David McCloskey and Gordon Corera discuss the legacy of Edward Snowden. ------------------- To sign up to The Declassified Club, go to www.therestisclassified.com or click this link. To sign up to the free newsletter, go to: https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up ------------------- Order a signed edition of David's latest book, The Seventh Floor,via this link. Pre-order a signed edition of Gordon's latest book, The Spy in the Archive,via this link....
47. The Leak That Changed The World: Spying on the World (Ep 5)
Stories continue to flood out of the Snowden leaks and it's not just American doing the spying. How were the British 'Mastering the Internet'? Should we be surprised that America are spying on their allies? And what damage will these revelations do? Listen as David McCloskey and Gordon Corera discuss how the stories from Edward Snowden's leaks continue to make headlines around the world. ------------------- To sign up to The Declassified Club, go to www.therestisclassified.com or click this link. To sign up to the free newsletter, go to: https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up ------------------- Order a signed edition of David's latest book, The Seventh...
46. The Leak That Changed The World: Snowden On The Run (Ep 4)
The world has met Edward Snowden and now he fears repercussions. How will he escape Hong Kong? Where will he go? And will any nation be willing to risk the fury of the USA and help him? Listen as David and Gordon continue the story of Edward Snowden and the leaks that changed the world. ExclusiveINCOGNIDeal: To get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan, go to https://incogni.com/restisclassified Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here nordvpn.com/restisclassified It's risk-free with Nord's 30 day money back guarantee ------------------- To sign up to The Declassified Club, go to www.therestisclassified.com or click this link....
45. The Leak That Changed The World: America Exposed (Ep 3)
With Snowden now in possession of 1,500,000 secret American files, how can he get them in the public eye? Which journalists will he choose to help him? And why does he choose to hole himself up in a hotel room in Hong Kong? Listen as David McCloskey and Gordon Corera discuss just how Snowden and the journalists he was working with plan to publish one of the most consequential stories of the 21st century. ExclusiveINCOGNIDeal: To get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan, go to https://incogni.com/restisclassified Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here nordvpn.com/restisclassified It's risk-free with Nord's 30...
44. The Leak That Changed The World: Stealing State Secrets (Ep 2)
Edward Snowden has decided he is going to leak some of America's biggest secrets, but first he needs to steal them. How do you steal from some of America's most secure facilities? Does he have the access he needs? And is he working alone? Listen as David McCloskey and Gordon Corera share how Edward Snowden stole 1,500,000 files from the American system. ------------------- To sign up to The Declassified Club, go to www.therestisclassified.com or click this link. To sign up to the free newsletter, go to: https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up ------------------- Order a signed edition of David's latest book, The Seventh Floor, via...
43. The Leak That Changed The World: Snowden Hacks the System (Ep 1)
Who was Edward Snowden? Was he an ideologue or a disgruntled employee? And what led him to orchestrating the biggest leak in modern American history? Join David McCloskey and Gordon Corera as they discuss Edward Snowden, his life inside the American secret state, and his momentous decision to act against it. ------------------- To sign up to The Declassified Club, go to www.therestisclassified.com or click this link. To sign up to the free newsletter, go to: https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up ------------------- Order a signed edition of David's latest book, The Seventh Floor, via this link. Pre-order a signed edition of Gordon's latest book, The...
42. Putins Minions: The Master in Moscow (Ep 2)
The game is afoot, and the stakes are higher than ever. Who was the real villain in the Minions spy saga? How did a fintech tycoon become a key player in Russian espionage? And what does this case reveal about the Kremlin's increasingly brazen tactics? As the story of the Bulgarian spy ring unfolds, a web of deception and international intrigue emerges. The key to the puzzle lies in the identity of the handler, a man whose double life and connections to Russian intelligence raise troubling questions about the reach of the Kremlin's power. Listen as Gordon and David follow...
41. Putins Minions: How Russia Spies (Ep 1)
What do a fading seaside hotel, a self-proclaimed Q, and an eyelash champion have in common? They're all part of a bizarre Russian spy ring operating in the UK. But beneath the absurdity lies a serious threat. What were these "Minions" really up to? And how close did they come to compromising Western security? This is the story of a group of Bulgarians, directed from Moscow, who engaged in a series of increasingly audacious espionage operations across Europe. From tracking journalists to plotting kidnappings and deploying high-tech spy gear, their activities reveal the Kremlin's relentless pursuit of its enemies. Join...
40. Iran vs Israel: Mossad Assassinates Iranian Mastermind (Ep 2)
The future of warfare is already here, and it's more terrifying than we imagined. How did Israel deploy a remote-controlled robotic gun to assassinate a high-profile target? What does this operation reveal about the rise of AI-assisted killings? And are we prepared for a world where drones and robots can kill without human intervention? In 2020, the killing of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh demonstrated the deadly potential of remote-controlled weaponry. But this is just the beginning. As AI technology advances, the possibility of fully autonomous weapons systems becomes increasingly real. Listen as Gordon and David explore the technological and...
39. Iran vs Israel: Inside the Shadow War (Ep 1)
How do Israeli and Iranian intelligence fight each other? Who's the man behind the Iranian nuclear programme? And what is the Mossad operation aimed at slowing it down? Listen as Gordon Corera and David McCloskey look into the shadow war between Iran and Israel and the Israeli attempts to slow down the Iranian nuclear programme. ------------------- Order a signed edition of David's latest book, The Seventh Floor, via this link. ------------------- Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here www.nordvpn.com/restisclassified Its risk-free with Nords 30-day money-back guarantee! ExclusiveINCOGNIDeal: To get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan, go to https://incogni.com/therestisclassified Email:...
Introducing... Legacy
Legacy, hosted by historianPeter Frankopan and broadcaster Afua Hirsch, delves into the lives of some of historys most influential figures - from Margaret Thatcher to Napoleon, JFK to Cleopatra unpacking what their pasts reveal about our present.
In their latest season, theyre exploring the legacy of Sigmund Freud, a man more involved in the world of espionage than you might expect...
Listen here: https://wondery.com/shows/legacy/season/19/
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38. CIA Mind Control: Americas Secret Cartel (Ep 4)
How did Cold War paranoia fuel the CIA's mind control experiments? What did popular films like The Manchurian Candidate have to do with the agency's secret programs? And did the CIA really help shape the counterculture of the 1960s? In the shadowy world of espionage, the line between science fiction and reality blurred, and as the Cold War deepened, fears of communist brainwashing led the CIA down a twisted path of experimentation. But the agency's quest for mind control may have had unintended consequences, inadvertently influencing the very culture it sought to understand. Listen as Gordon and David conclude their...
37. CIA Mind Control: Sex, Drugs, and Mysterious Deaths (Ep 3)
From LSD-fuelled hallucinations to medically-induced comas, the CIA explored every avenue in their search for mind control. But how did they justify these gross violations of human rights? And what does it reveal about the hidden history of the Cold War? In the clandestine world of espionage, the pursuit of knowledge can have a dark side. As the US and the USSR battled to come out on top, the CIA embarked on a series of top-secret experiments, pushing the boundaries of ethics and legality in their quest to unlock the secrets of the human brain. Listen as Gordon and David...
36. CIA Mind Control: Fighting Communism with LSD (Ep 2)
Who was the eccentric chemist at the heart of the CIA's most controversial experiments? What happened when Langley was turned into a testing ground for mind-altering drugs? And how did the quest for a truth serum lead to a psychedelic free-for-all? Inside the CIA, the search for a mind control breakthrough took a bizarre turn. Driven by the relentless pursuit of Sidney Gottlieb, LSD was introduced into the daily lives of unsuspecting officers. From laced coffee to drug-fuelled office parties, the agency's experiments pushed the boundaries of both science and sanity. Listen as Gordon and David expose the shocking truth...
35. CIA Mind Control: The Origin of MK Ultra (Ep 1)
What if the government knew how to control your mind? Could a secret program unlock the secrets of the human psyche? And how far would the CIA go to win the Cold War? In the shadowy world of espionage, the line between science and sinister experiments blurs. As the Cold War gripped the globe, the CIA embarked on a desperate quest to weaponise the mind. Unwitting Americans became guinea pigs in a series of covert experiments, pushing the boundaries of ethics and legality. Listen as Gordon and David delve into the shocking truth behind MKUltra, the CIA's mind control program,...
34. Putin's War: The Battle for Kyiv (Ep 4)
What did the West know about Russias invasion before it happened? How did Ukraine prepare for a war they werent sure would come? And why did Moscow underestimate its opponent so disastrously? Western intelligence agencies warned that Russia was preparing to invade Ukraine - but even they were surprised by how badly Moscows strategy would unravel. From supply chain breakdowns to failed attempts at a decapitation strike on Kyiv, the wars first days exposed deep weaknesses in Russias military machine. Listen as Gordon and David conclude their series on the Russia-Ukraine War and reveal the hidden intelligence failures and military...
33. Putins War: How Russian Intelligence Failed (Ep 3)
How did Russias invasion of Ukraine go so badly wrong? What crucial mistakes did the Kremlin make in the opening days? And why did Putins inner circle give him false intelligence about what would happen? When Russian forces rolled across the border with Ukraine in February 2022, they expected a swift victory. Instead, they encountered fierce resistance, logistical chaos, and intelligence failures that shattered their plans. As Ukraine fought back, the world watched in shock as war returned to Europe. Listen as Gordon and David continue the story of how Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago. ------------------- Order a signed...
32. Putins War: The CIA Warn Zelensky (Ep 2)
How did Ukraine defy the odds against Russia? What role did Western intelligence play in preparing Kyiv for war? And what did Western intelligence know that Russia didnt? For months, Western intelligence warned of an imminent Russian attack, but when the invasion finally came, it didnt go according to Moscows script. Poor planning, logistical failures, and underestimating Ukrainian resistance turned what should have been a quick operation into a prolonged and costly war. Listen as Gordon and David reveal the hidden factors that helped Ukraine survive the opening days of war. ------------------- Order a signed edition of David's latest book,...
31. Putins War: The Secret Plot to Invade Ukraine (Ep 1)
How did western intelligence services learn of Putin's plan to invade Ukraine? 2021 is drawing to a close and the CIA is becoming increasingly concerned that Putin is going to invade Ukraine. He's made it clear he sees it as part of Russia and so Bill Burns, CIA director, is going to be sent out to Moscow in a desperate attempt to dissuade him. Listen as Gordon and David break down the run up to the war and CIA attempts to stop it. ------------------- Order a signed edition of David's latest book, The Seventh Floor, via this link. ------------------- Get...
30. The Spy Who Betrayed Oppenheimer: Showdown with MI5 (Ep 4)
What happens when the worlds most valuable spy is finally caught? How did British and American intelligence hunt him down? And, was Klaus Fuchs a hero, a villain, or something in between? Klaus Fuchs' final days as a free man were marked by growing suspicions, clandestine exchanges, and a relentless pursuit by MI5. The secrets he passed had already set the stage for a nuclear-armed Cold War, irreversibly altering the balance of global power. As the truth emerged, so too did the cost of his betrayal - a world reshaped by espionage, ideological conviction, and the stolen intelligence that fuelled...
29. The Spy Who Betrayed Oppenheimer: Deception at Los Alamos (Ep 3)
How did a Russian spy end up at the heart of the Manhattan Project? What happened when Soviet intelligence lost track of their own spy? And how did one man hand Stalin the bomb on a silver platter? Klaus Fuchs was already one of the most valuable spies in history, feeding atomic secrets to the Soviet Union. But when he disappeared in 1944, his handlers feared the worst. In reality, he was about to get even closer to the ultimate prize: the blueprints for the atomic bomb. This week, Gordon and David uncover how Fuchs embedded himself in Los Alamos,...
28. The Spy Who Betrayed Oppenheimer: The Manhattan Project (Ep 2)
What makes a man betray his closest friends? How did a German refugee help Stalin build the bomb? And why did British intelligence fail to spot the most dangerous spy in the Manhattan Project? Klaus Fuchs was brilliant, quiet, and unassuming. A physicist at the cutting edge of nuclear science, he worked at the heart of Britains secret atomic weapons program before being sent to the United States to join the Manhattan Project. But, all the while, Fuchs was passing the most closely guarded secrets of the West straight to the Soviet Union. Listen as David and Gordon uncover how...
27. The Spy Who Betrayed Oppenheimer: Fighting the Nazis (Ep 1)
Who was the Russian spy working under Oppenheimer to build the atomic bomb? Why was it so dangerous to be a communist in Nazi Germany? And how did a young science prodigy become one of the most notorious spies in history? Klaus Fuchs was born into a left-wing family at the beginning of the 20th century. Vehemently opposed to the fascist politics of his German homeland during the 1930s, Fuchs flees Hitler's repressive state and finds himself caught up in the horrors of World War Two. When a group of ambitious communists reach out to save him, his life is...
26. The Intelligence War: Trump and the End of American Support for Ukraine
Donald Trump has paused all intelligence sharing with Ukraine. What does this mean? What intelligence was being shared? How dependent are Ukraine on this? And what impact will this have on the war? Listen as Gordon Corera and David McCloskey discuss the latest developments in Ukraine. ------------------- Order a signed edition of David's latest book, The Seventh Floor, via this link. ------------------- Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here www.nordvpn.com/restisclassified Its risk-free with Nords 30-day money-back guarantee! Email: classified@goalhanger.com Twitter: @triclassified Assistant Producer: Becki Hills Producer: Callum Hill Senior Producer: Dom Johnson Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad...
25. Trump vs the CIA: The Halloween Massacre (Ep 2)
When the CIA is forced to downsize, who gets cut? What happens to the intelligence left behind? And how does political control change the way spies operate? In the late 1970s, Jimmy Carters CIA director launched a brutal purge, firing hundreds of intelligence officers in what became known as the Halloween Massacre. Now, with Trump taking his own axe to Langley, David and Gordon ask: is history repeating itself? And what happens when Americas spies become the target? ------------------- Order a signed edition of David's latest book, The Seventh Floor, via this link. ------------------- Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here...
24. Trump vs the CIA: Purging the Deep State (Ep 1)
How do politicians control the CIA? What happens when politics affects the way it is run? And how often does the White House clash with Langley? Trump is trying to bring the CIA more directly under his control. He wants to reduce the size of it and re-order it's priorities. But he's not the first President to try to interfere at Langley. This week on The Rest Is Classified, David and Gordon look at Trump's CIA reforms but also take an eye to history to look at Jimmy Carter's CIA reforms that led to Halloween Massacre... ------------------- Order a signed...
23. Why Trump Wants Greenland: The Lost Nuclear Bomb (Ep 2)
Can nuclear missiles really just disappear? Why is Greenland so important to the security of the United States? And will Donald Trump go all the way with his plan to buy this Arctic island? A plane carrying nuclear weapons crashes in the Arctic and the effects ricochet through history. From seals born with deformities to radioactive permafrost, the presence of nuclear weapons on Greenland is seismic and very controversial. So, with Donald Trump threatening to buy the worlds largest island, David and Gordon are asking: why? ------------------- Order a signed edition of David's latest book, The Seventh Floor, via this...
22. Why Trump Wants Greenland: Secret Bases, The Arctic Circle, and Project Iceworm (Ep 1)
Donald Trump has made it clear that he wants Greenland, but why? What is it about this largely barren, ice-covered island that extends well into the Arctic circle that he so desires? And how far back does this interest go? Filled with rare minerals that are becoming increasingly valuable due to modern technology, critically placed for access to Arctic sea lanes, and home to key US military infrastructure, Greenland is of major security importance. But this importance stretches back into the 20th century. Listen as David and Gordon discuss the secret history of Greenland and all the bizarre events of...
21. Death on the Thames: The Poisoned Umbrella (Ep 2)
Was an umbrella too obvious a murder weapon for an assassination in the heart of London? Why were the KGB hesitant to do the Bulgarian government's dirty work? And how do scientists work with spy agencies to identify lethal poisons? Georgi Markov, the Bulgarian dissident writer, is dead. But, who murdered him? Was it the Bulgarians or the KGB? What about the British? In the aftermath of Markov's poisoning, the Metropolitan Police are struggling to discover the perpetrator behind the umbrella. Listen as David and Gordon continue the story of the mysterious murder of a Bulgarian BBC broadcaster on Waterloo...
20. Death on the Thames: An Assassin in London (Ep 1)
How do you get away with murder in the heart of London? And which weapon would you choose to avoid arousing suspicion? Georgi Markov was a Bulgarian dissident writer wanted by the Eastern Bloc for spreading anti-regime messaging across Western Europe. He'd fled to London and begun working for the BBC World Service, the US-funded Radio Free Europe and West Germany's Deutsche Welle. A satirist at heart, he used his platform to criticise the Bulgarian Communist leader, Todor Zhivkov, making fun of the authoritarian president and calling for the liberation of his home country. But, was Markov walking a dangerous...
19. Attack on Greenpeace: Death in the Pacific (Ep 2)
Did the French secret service commit an act of state terrorism by sinking a Greenpeace ship? Why did the tragedy of the Rainbow Warrior become known as BlunderWatergate? How many millions of dollars did France have to pay Greenpeace in compensation? The French have bombed the Rainbow Warrior, forcing its environmentalist crew to flee for their lives, but one member of the team is stuck on board. As the story of the attack starts to spread around the world, what ensues is a frantic man-hunt to unmask the perpetrators and bring them to justice. In this episode, Gordon and David...
18. Attack on Greenpeace: Frances Nuclear Bomb (Ep 1)
Why were the French exploding nuclear bombs in the Pacific in the 70s and 80s? How did a spy manage to infiltrate Greenpeace? And what on earth are limpet mines? In the 1960s, the French started testing nuclear weapons in the South Pacific, causing untold ecological destruction and worrying the surrounding island nations. Greenpeace, hot off the back of their successful anti-whaling and anti-sealing campaigns, heard this news and decided that nuclear weapons were their next battleground. Armed with an old English naval ship and some controversial publicity tactics, Greenpeace took on the French to free the Pacific of nuclear...
17. Crossing the Iron Curtain: Revenge in Russia (Ep 4)
Will Tolkachev fall at the final hurdle and land in the hands of the KGB? How do the CIA go about protecting their assets in the field? And, does it really take a spy to catch a spy? As we reach the final instalment of the story of Adolf Tolkachev, the plot reaches its dramatic crescendo. Tolkachev has now been working for the CIA for over half a decade and the pressure is clearly taking its toll on both him and the US agents around him. As the two Cold War powers face off on the outskirts of Moscow, which...
16. Crossing the Iron Curtain: Escape From the KGB (Ep 3)
How would you disguise a cyanide pill for a CIA spy in Moscow during the Cold War? What risks could Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and The Beatles pose to Adolf Tolkachevs mission against the Soviet state? And will the CIAs mole in Moscow be discovered by the KGB? Its 1985, and for the past five years, Tolkachev has been providing the CIA with top secret documents detailing the intricacies of Soviet radar technology. Hes risked everything he knows and loves to help orchestrate the demise of the USSR, but is he teetering on the edge of discovery? Listen as David...
The Seventh Floor (Extract)
To coincide with the release of David's latest novel, The Seventh Floor, we have the books first chapter in audiobook form for you to enjoy. Bouncing between the corridors of Langley and the Kremlin, the thrilling new novel by David McCloskey explores the nature of friendship in a faithless business, and what it means to love a place that does not love you back. The Seventh Floor by David McCloskey, is OUT NOW in the UK. Pre-order a signed edition via this link. ------------------- A Russian arrives in Singapore with a secret to sell. When the Russian is killed and...
15. Crossing the Iron Curtain: The Cold Wars Most Valuable Spy (Ep 2)
Was it possible to avoid KGB surveillance in Moscow as a CIA agent at the height of the Cold War? What motivates someone to spy on their country for an opposing power? And how did Adolf Tolkachev manage to smuggle out the top secret documents the CIA needed to defeat the USSR? Adolf Tolkachev has been recruited by the CIA as a mole inside a highly sensitive government department in Moscow. His job: to sneak top secret documents out to offer the US a glimpse of Russia's defence capabilities. Despite his initial success, Tolkachev knew the risks if he was...
14. Crossing the Iron Curtain: The CIAs Mole In Moscow (Ep 1)
How did the CIA recruit a Russian asset in Moscow during the height of the Cold War? Why would someone be so determined to defect from the Soviet Union and spy for the US? And what would happen if the KGB found out they had a traitor in their midst? Adolf Tolkachev had a vendetta against the Soviet state and became determined to orchestrate its demise. An expert on Soviet radar, Tolkachev realised his top secret work could help the US fight his communist overlords and potentially topple the entire system. So, how did he do it? Listen as Gordon...
13. How China Spies: Trump, TikTok, and Taiwan
Is the Chinese state using TikTok to spy on you? Why did President Biden move to shut TikTok down in the US the day before Trump's inauguration? And where does TikTok fit into China's cognitive warfare strategy? On Sunday 19 January, TikTok users in the United States opened their apps to receive an error message from the company, explaining that "a law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S.". Op eds were written, influencers took to other social media apps to express their dismay, and politicians scrambled to explain why they were taking drastic action against the Chinese tech...
12. The Spy Who Loved Me: A Russian in New York (Ep 2)
The net is closing in around Anna Chapman. She is being watched by the FBI as they suspect her of being a Russian spy. Her moves are being tracked, but it is not as simple as they think. With the US and Russia trying to reset relations and President Medvedev stateside, the FBI are not in a place to be arresting Russians in New York. Especially when they cant prove what she is. So what will they do? Listen as David McCloskey and Gordon Corera discuss Anna Chapman and the precarious nature of her life in the USA. Get our...
11. The Spy Who Loved Me: Undercover in Londongrad (Ep 1)
How did a Russian spy manage to infiltrate the upper echelons of London and New York society? Was Anna Chapman really an old fashioned Russian honeytrap or was she underestimated by the world's press? What was life like for wealthy Russians in "Londongrad" in the early 21st century? The year is 2001 and the 18-year-old daughter of a Russian oligarch is partying in London. She meets a handsome young man at a warehouse rave and her passport to a new life in Western Europe glistens before her very eyes. What could possibly go wrong? Join David and Gordon as they...
10. North Koreas CIA: The Billion Dollar Heist (Ep 2)
What happens when an authoritarian state runs its security services like an organised crime syndicate? Why did a group of North Korean cyber criminals gamble away vast sums of stolen money in the casinos of Las Vegas? And did Kim Jong Un's spies get away with their billion dollar heist? After over a year of work, the North Korean cyber criminals are inside the Central Bank of Bangladesh and about to escape with their bags of cash, but there's a glitch. The account they plan to send the stolen money to in the Philippines has triggered a security alert with...
9. North Koreas CIA: Inside Kims Crime Family (Ep 1)
How did a group of North Korean cyber criminals manage to pull off the biggest bank heist in history? Did Kim Jong Un really orchestrate the murder of his own brother? And what does it take to keep an authoritarian state afloat? A seemingly innocuous spearfishing email lands in the inbox of an unsuspecting employee at the Central Bank of Bangladesh. Months of patient digital hacking follow, all masterminded by a team of cyber criminals within North Koreas shadowy spy service. But how did they manage it? Listen as David and Gordon uncover how the North Korean state created one...
8. The Man Who Made MI6
The daring, gadget-loving, mischievous founder of MI6. Mansfield Cumming, the first C, was a former navy man brought out of retirement to keep tabs on German spies around the outbreak of the First World War. Over the following decade he established MI6 and set it on course to be a central part of the British security apparatus. Known to test the mettle of potential employees by taking a knife out and stabbing his own wooden leg; Mansfield was an eccentric man who's personality has come to shape the institution which he founded. In this Christmas special, listen as David and...
7. The Real Godfather: The Assassination that Shook Syria (Ep 2)
Did the assassination of Rafic Hariri lay the foundations for the ultimate downfall of the Assad regime? And was the Syrian dictator always destined for evil, or was evil thrust upon him? Rafic Hariri is looking over his shoulder, anxious for his future, with Bashar al-Assad hellbent on his removal from power. He steps up his security detail and coordinates convoluted exit strategies, but his efforts are ultimately in vain. So, what was the long-term impact of the assassination of the Lebanese president for the Syrian dictator? Listen as David and Gordon tell the story of the gruesome killing of...
6. The Real Godfather: Assads Syrian Mafia (Ep 1)
How did Bashar al-Assad become one of the Middle Easts most feared dictators? What role did Hezbollah play in the assassination of the Lebanese Prime Minister in 2005? And how did Assads rise to ultimate power mirror the ascent of Michael Corleone in the Godfather? As the new millennium dawned, Bashar al-Assad prepared to step into his fathers shoes as the next authoritarian president of Syria. While he enjoyed a smooth ascension to the top job, trouble was brewing over the border in Lebanon as the Lebanese Prime Minister sought to escape the debilitating control of its Syrian master. What...
5. CIA vs the Taliban: Bin Laden's Trojan Horse (Ep 2)
Mazar i-Sharif has fallen without much of a fight. The Taliban's grip on Afghanistan is looking all the more shaky. It seems as if the American policy to work with the warlords is paying dividends. Enemy fighters are surrendering to them. But is it all too rosy? In the centre of Mazar i-Sharif, the Americans take 400 Al-Qaeda captives to Qala-i-Jangi, the Fort of War. They believe they have surrendered. But all is not as it seems... Listen as David McCloskey and Gordon Corera discuss the first CIA teams in Afghanistan in the days after 9/11. Further Reading: First Casualty:...
4. The Rise and Fall of Assad's Spy State
What will western and Syrian spy services be focusing on following the fall of Bashar al-Assad? Is Russia and Irans withdrawal from Syria similar to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan? Were the security services predicting that the Assad regime would collapse so quickly? Join David McCloskey and Gordon Corera as they answer all these questions and more in this emergency episode of The Rest Is Classified. For further reading, check out David and Gordons recommended profiles below: Razan Saffour - @RazanSpeaks Aaron Zelin - @azelin Leila Al-Shami - @LeilaShami Charles Lister - @Charles_Lister Synaps Network - @SynapsNetwork Kim Ghattas -...
3. CIA vs the Taliban: Behind Enemy Lines (Ep 1)
America knew Al-Qaeda were behind the 9/11 attacks before the day was out. They knew they were being sheltered by the Taliban in Afghanistan and so the CIA went after them. Small teams were dropped behind enemy lines with bags of cash and very little else, instructed to link up with Afghan warlords like Abdul Rashid Dostum. It proved to be a devastating combination as they began to sweep through Afghanistan. Listen as Gordon Corera and David McCloskey discuss the first CIA teams first in Afghanistan after 9/11. Further Reading: First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to...
2. The First CIA Coup: Turmoil in Tehran (Ep 2)
The first coup attempt has failed. The Shah has fled to Baghdad. The CIA have told Kermit he can leave if he's in a jam, but he chooses not to. He wants to finish the job. The streets of Tehran are chaos; protesters against the Shah are out in their thousands and things are getting violent. But in this Kermit sees an opportunity. If he stokes enough disorder will the majority of the capital turn against Mossadegh's radical supporters? What follows is a tale of dirty tricks, armed weightlifters, and, bizarrely, a series of Iranian politicians in their pyjamas... Listen...
1. The First CIA Coup: Oil, Iran, and MI6 (Ep 1)
Welcome... to the first episode of The Rest Is Classified! It's Iran 1951. Mohammad Mossadegh, fuelled by an ever-growing nationalism, has just been elected Prime Minister. Immediately he chooses to nationalise the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, much to the anger of the British who control the majority stake. In response, MI6 are determined to destabilise his government and remove him from power. So they begin to conspire with the CIA. Kermit Roosevelt, grandson of Teddy Roosevelt and agency man, will go from Washington to Tehran and, building on existing instability, foment chaos on the streets. But it won't be plain sailing......
Content Warning: This episode contains sex references. Author Robert Verkaik unpicks the complex and fascinating relationship between two giants of the 20th Century - author and screenwriter Graham Greene, and Soviet super-spy, Kim Philby. When World War Two threw the two men together as MI6 spies, a strange yet enduring friendship blossomed. But how far did their loyalty to each-other go? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley. Robert Verkaik is the author of The Writer and the Traitor: Graham Greene, Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal. Learn...
True Spies Classic: You Me, Same Same | CIA
Ryan Hillsberg can be whoever you want him to be. As a CIA case officer, he recruited assets for the Agency by transforming himself into their ideal companion - a confidante par excellence. But maintaining a degree of professional detachment isn't always easy, as you'll discover in this classic episode of True Spies.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production.
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Brief Histories: Spy Cities - New York
a new season of Brief Histories, True Spies producer Joe Foley is your guide to the shadowy side of the world's Espionage capitals.
In New York, we'll visit the Revolutionary Culper Spy Ring, learn about the intelligence contributions of the Big Apples 'Blue Bloods' and learn about the city's radical history.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley.
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True Spies Debrief - Christina Hillsberg on the Women of the CIA
Former CIA officer Christina Hillsberg is the author of Agents of Change: The Women Who Transformed the CIA. In this conversation with True Spies producer Morgan Childs, Christina reflects on the lesser-known women who helped to build and reform the Agency, as well as discussing her own experience at Langley.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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The Family Affair | WW2
Christine Kuehn grew up believing that she was part of an ordinary, patriotic American family. But in 1994, a surprising letter revealed a darker side to her ancestry; a story that began in Nazi Germany.
Christine and her husband, Mark Schiponi, spent 30 years unraveling the truth - an emotional journey that brought her face to face with one of the most famous and tragic disasters in American history.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Frank Palmer.
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True Spies Classic: The Mouse at Pearl Harbor | WW2
A single spy can change the course of history - for better, or for worse. In this Classic episode of True Spies, you'll meet one of them - Takeo Yoshikawa. Stationed in Honolulu, Yoshikawa's intelligence was used by the Japanese to launch a devastating attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The massacre brought the USA in to WW2, and ultimately led to Japan's crushing defeat. He shares his unsettling story with Vanessa Kirby. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Takeo Yoshikawa is voiced by Eiji Mihara. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Morgan Childs. Music...
True Spies Debrief: Terry Stiastny on Britain's WW2 Propaganda Machine
Terry Stiastny, award winning author and journalist, takes on a deep dive into the world of the British wartime propaganda machine.
The ragtag group convened with one shared purpose: to create and distribute "believable lies" that would undermine the enemy morale at a vital time in history. The British propaganda vehicle known as the Political Warfare Executive used a network of radio stations to broadcast fake news across Europe.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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Brief Histories: Spy Cities - London
In a new season of Brief Histories, True Spies producer Joe Foley is your guide to the shadowy side of the world's Espionage capitals.
In London, we'll delve into early-modern counter-terrorism, an influence campaign at the birth of a new nation, elite associations and dirty money.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley.
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Cold SNAP | CIA
High in the Himalayan mountains, a team of climbers are attempting to plant a device that will give them eyes on a growing threat. But they'll leave behind more than they bargained for. In this shocking episode, Investigative reporter Jeffrey Gettleman is your guide to a tale of high altitude and higher stakes in the 1960s - and one that still resounds in the present. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley. Presented with thanks to the Jeffrey Gettleman and the New York Times for their original reporting....
True Spies Classic: Sister Spies | WW2
In this classic episode of True Spies, Vanessa Kirby meets Pat and Jean Owtram, two British sisters who played crucial roles as Allied codebreakers during World War 2. Bound by the Official Secrets Act, neither sister knew that the other was a spy until decades later. In their 90s, they reveal their hidden hands in planning D-Day, aiding the Resistance, and cracking the Enigma code. Tune in to True Spies to hear their story. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Mariana Des Forges. Music by Nick Ryan....
True Spies Debrief: Robert Hannigan on Work at Bletchley Park
Robert Hannigan is the former director of the British Government Communications Headquarters or GCHQ, and the author of the recent book, Counterintelligence: What the Secret World Can Teach Us About Problem Solving and Creativity. In this Debrief, Robert joins Morgan Childs to explore how the WW2 codebreakers at Britain's Bletchley Park pioneered better ways of working.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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The Importance of Being Ernest | Historical
In the heart of New York City, a secret campaign of influence and espionage aimed to bring America in to a generational conflict. It was helped along by a man who, to this day, is all but invisible. Author and investigative journalist Thomas Maier reveals the half-forgotten history of Ernest Cuneo - the White House fixer who facilitated British espionage in the U.S.A in the lead-up to World War Two and beyond. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley. Thomas Maier is the author of The Invisible Spy:...
True Spies Classic: The Boiling Frog | CIA
At the peak of his career, Jack Devine was one of the world's top spymasters. But everybody starts somewhere. In this classic, follow Vanessa Kirby as she recounts the tale of Jack Devine's first overseas assignment, in Chile. It's 1971, and the CIA is determined to undermine the country's socialist government. But as a military coup plot begins to gather steam, he's about to learn an important lesson - be careful what you wish for. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more...
True Spies Debrief: Gordon Corera on Vasili Mitrokhin
Gordon Corera, veteran security journalist and co-host of The Rest is Classified, joins Morgan Childs to discuss the central figure in his latest book - Vasili Mitrokhin.
Mitrokhin was a KGB archivist who defected to the West in 1992, bringing with him a trove of Russian secrets.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
Gordon Corera is the author of The Spy in the Archive: How One Man Tried to Kill the KGB.
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The Melville Collective | FBI
During the turbulent 1960s, New York City faced the most destructive wave of domestic terror since the Anarchist bombings of the early 20th century. In True Spies' 300th week, author, military intelligence professional and academic Dr. David Viola tells the story of the Melville Collective - a far-Left cell who became the focus of a joint operation by the FBI and NYPD after a spree of high-profile attacks on the Big Apple and beyond. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
Tradecraft, Part 11
The tools in a spy's arsenal are more varied than you might think. But they all come under one name: Tradecraft.
In our eleventh round of insights from the world of espionage, Rhiannon Neads looks back on Medieval spymasters, high-octane extractions, and the undercover heroes of WW2.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Alex Burnard. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Tradecraft, Part 10
The tools in a spy's arsenal are more varied than you might think. But they all come under one name: Tradecraft.
In our tenth round of insights from the world of espionage, Rhiannon Neads looks back on gadget masters, Cold War tunnel-digging and the art of the Mobile Debrief.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Alex Burnard. Music by Nick Ryan.
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True Spies Classic: The Real Sopranos | FBI
FBI agent Giovanni Rocco grew up playing in the back yards of New Jersey's criminal class. As an adult, he went undercover to take them down. In this classic episode of True Spies, Vanessa Kirby follows Giovanni's descent into the violent world that inspired HBO's hit series, The Sopranos.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Leo Hornak. Music by Nick Ryan.
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True Spies Debrief: Anthony Vinci on the Fourth Intelligence Revolution
Anthony Vinci is a former DIA case officer who went on to serve at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency before entering the private sector. His new book, The Fourth Intelligence Revolution, bridges the divide between the intelligence community and the tech world. Anthony spoke with True Spies producer Morgan Childs about why this new era puts intelligence in the hands of everyday people, and about what individuals and governments can do to prepare.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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The Wireless Operator, Part Two: The Derber Method | Historical
When Dr David Tuch started investigating his family tree, he found much more than he bargained for. A distant cousin. A sailor. A man who led a life of adventure - and changed the world of crime forever. In Part One of this True Spies story, you'll meet him too - and discover the first steps on a dark, dangerous and fascinating journey. Dr. David Tuch is the author of The Wireless Operator: The Untold Story of the British Sailor Who Invented the Modern Drug Trade. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe...
True Spies - Brief Histories: Double Agents
From ancient Babylon to the darkest depths of the Cold War, Double Agents have fascinated us for centuries.
In Brief Histories, the monthly special from True Spies, series producer Joe Foley is your guide to this secret world - alongside a treasure-trove of stories and expert knowledge from our archive.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley.
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The Wireless Operator, Part One: The Trouble With Hyman | Historical
When Dr David Tuch started investigating his family tree, he found much more than he bargained for. A distant cousin. A sailor. A man who led a life of adventure - and changed the world of crime forever. In Part One of this True Spies story, you'll meet him too - and discover the first steps on a dark, dangerous and fascinating journey. Dr. David Tuch is the author of The Wireless Operator: The Untold Story of the British Sailor Who Invented the Modern Drug Trade. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe...
True Spies Classic: The Money Spy | FSB
How do you flee your country and join the other side? In this classic episode of True Spies, a former Russian intelligence agent gives Vanessa Kirby a rare masterclass in international tradecraft. Janosh Neumann fled Moscow armed only with his wits, a suitcase and the names of Russia's most influential money launderers, to begin a dangerous journey to the other side of the world.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan.
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True Spies Debriefs: Dr Amy Zegart on Entertainment, Policy and AI
Dr Amy Zegart works to bridge the divide between the worlds of policy and tech. In this Debrief, True Spies producer Morgan Childs joins Dr. Zegart To hear her thoughts on spy entertainment, espionage in the age of AI, and the future of American intelligence policy. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Dr. Zegart is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, a professor of political science by courtesy at Stanford University and the author of Spies, Lies and Algorithms: The History and Future of American Intelligence....
The Drunk in Department V | KGB
Author and filmmaker Richard Kerbaj tells the story of Oleg Lyalin - the hard-living, womanising KGB officer whose defection changed the course of the Cold War, and shaped the future of intelligence agencies on both sides of the Atlantic.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower.
Richard Kerbaj is the author of The Defector: The untold story of the KGB agent who saved MI5 and changed the Cold War.
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True Spies - Brief Histories: Spychology
From the writing of Sun Tzu to the modern era, spies and spymasters have had insights into the mind that most of us don't. Now it's time to put espionage itself on the analysts' couch.
In Brief Histories, the new monthly special from True Spies, series producer Joe Foley is your guide to this secret world - alongside a treasure-trove of stories and expert knowledge from our archive.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley.
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True Spies Classic: The Limping Lady | WW2
In this classic episode of True Spies, Vanessa Kirby goes behind enemy lines with Virginia Hall, one of the bravest Allied heroines of WWII.
As part of Churchill's Secret Army, Virginia was sent into occupied France to organize resistance efforts and disrupt Nazi plans by any means necessary.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. Featuring Sarah Megan Thomas as Virginia Hall. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan.
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True Spies Debriefs: David McCloskey On His Life After Espionage
True Spies producer Morgan Childs joins former CIA analyst, author and podcast host David McCloskey for a deep dive into his post-Agency career, and what he's learned along the way.
David McCloskey's latest novel, The Persian, is out now.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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The Many Lives of Agent Zo | WW2
Author Clare Mulley has built her formidable reputation on finding the remarkable stories that have been left out of the history books. This is one of them - the remarkable, heartstopping story of Elzbieta Zawacka, AKA Agent Zo, legend of the Polish resistance.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Frank Palmer.
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True Spies - Brief Histories: Counterintelligence
From the lagoon of Venice to revolutionary Russia, counterintelligence has always been an important aspect of statecraft.
In Brief Histories, the new monthly special from True Spies, series producer Joe Foley is your guide to this secret world - alongside a treasure-trove of stories and expert knowledge from our archive.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley.
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True Spies Classic: The Spy In The Cornfield | FBI
In the golden cornfields of rural Iowa, mysterious men are stealing seeds. Corn is big business - and the secret of growing good corn is priceless intellectual property. But is this a simple case of corporate theft, or foreign espionage in a vital strategic battle between nations? Vanessa Kirby joins Special Agent Mark Betten, FBI, on his mission to find out.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Tim Mansel. Music by Nick Ryan.
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True Spies Debriefs: Brett Janis on Economic Intelligence
This time on the Debrief, Morgan Childs joins former CIA economic analyst Brett Janis to discuss the Agency's role in monitoring global financial trends, Ukraine, and the future of the USA's place at the heart of the world economy.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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Chasing Chi, Part Two: One Man's Trash... | FBI
By 2004, FBI Special Agent Jim Gaylord has seen a lot of counterintelligence operations go right. But he's also seen plenty go wrong, especially when it comes to the People's Republic of China. But now, he has a chance to take down one of China's most prolific collectors of US military tech - and he's determined to take it. In Part Two, Jim's team makes a breakthrough - and the net begins to close around Chi Mak. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley. James E. Gaylord is...
True Spies - Brief Histories: Women in Espionage
NEW from True Spies: Brief Histories. From 7th Century China to Nazi-occupied France, discover a selection of stories from the long history of female spies.
In Brief Histories, the new monthly special from True Spies, series producer Joe Foley is your guide to this secret world - alongside a treasure-trove of expert knowledge from our archive.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley.
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Chasing Chi, Part One: The Engineer | FBI
By 2004, FBI Special Agent Jim Gaylord has seen a lot of counterintelligence operations go right. But he's also seen plenty go wrong, especially when it comes to the People's Republic of China. But now, he has a chance to take down one of China's most prolific collectors of US military tech - and he's determined to take it. In Part One, Jim sets out to take down Chi Mak - an engineer with access to top secret Naval technology. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley. James...
True Spies Classic: Blood on the Waterside | MI5
In this classic episode of True Spies, Vanessa Kirby meets a spy who infiltrated the political wing of the Irish Republican movement. Willie Carlin risked his life in Derry, Northern Ireland, on a daily basis to provide the UK with intelligence.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan
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The Secret Policeman | MI6
Lawyer and intelligence historian David Burke reveals a shadowy chapter in the story of Anglo-Irish relations in the 20th century. Irish police intelligence analyst Patrick Crinnion was a man of rare intelligence. He had also been groomed from a young age to spy for the United Kingdom. When the Troubles in Northern Ireland broke out, he was feeding information on the IRA to Westminster. But the IRA had its own, highly effective spymaster. In time, both men would pay a heavy price for their part in an old and dangerous game. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And...
True Spies Debriefs - Andy Greenberg on Sandworm
WIRED journalist Andy Greenberg has spent years reporting from the murky world of hackers, spies, and cyber warriors. His 2019 book Sandworm tells the true story of the Kremlin-backed cyber criminals that became one of the most destructive hacking groups in history. This week, True Spies producer Morgan Childs sits down with Andy to talk about the Sandworm group - and what their campaigns reveal about the future of warfare itself.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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True Spies - Brief Histories: Tradecraft
NEW from True Spies: Brief Histories. From Egyptian codebreaking, to USB sticks with the power to cripple nuclear facilities, this week hear the long evolution of tradecraft.
In Brief Histories, the new monthly special from True Spies, series producer Joe Foley is your guide to the evolution of this secret world - alongside a treasure-trove of expert knowledge from our archive.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley.
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True Spies Classic: The Sociopathic Spy | CIA
Jim Lawler is one of the CIA's most successful recruiters of foreign spies. But even he had to start somewhere. In this classic episode of True Spies, Vanessa Kirby joins Jim on his first foreign posting. His mission? To enlist a crucial intelligence asset for the USA. To do it, he'll stop at nothing to manipulate, subvert, and seduce his target.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan.
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True Spies Debriefs: John Taylor on the Psychology of Spies
John Taylor is an author, lecturer and advisor on handling human sources of secret intelligence. He joins True Spies producer Morgan Childs to discuss the psychology of those who play the espionage game - agent and handler alike.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
John Taylor is a senior Research Fellow at Kings College London and the author of The Psychology of Spies and Spying.
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The Great Illegals, Part Two: The Ambassador | NKVD
In this two-part True Spies story, author and journalist Shaun Walker unmasks the greatest generation of Russian spies - the Great Illegals. In Part Two, Shaun tells the story of Iosif Grigulevich - the Lithuanian Illegal who rose to the upper echelons of Italy's diplomatic community. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Frank Palmer. Shaun Walker is the Central and Eastern Europe correspondent for The Guardian newspaper. He is the author of The Illegals: Russia's Most Audacious Spies and Their Century-Long Mission to Infiltrate the West. Learn more about...
True Spies - Brief Histories: Information Warfare
NEW from True Spies: Brief Histories. From Ancient Roman propaganda apparatus to burgeoning MI6 operations, hear how the very information we consume has throughout history been orchestrated.
In Brief Histories, the new monthly special from True Spies, series producer Joe Foley is your guide to the evolution of this secret world - alongside a treasure-trove of expert knowledge from our archive.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley.
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The Great Illegals, Part One: The Whistler | NKVD
In this two-part True Spies story, author and journalist Shaun Walker unmasks the greatest generation of Russian spies - the Great Illegals. In Part One, Shaun tells the story of Nikolai Khokhlov - the music-hall 'whistler' turned deep-cover spy in Nazi-occupied Belarus. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Frank Palmer. Shaun Walker is the Central and Eastern Europe correspondent for The Guardian newspaper. He is the author of The Illegals: Russia's Most Audacious Spies and Their Century-Long Mission to Infiltrate the West. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
True Spies Classic: Exit Strategy | CIA
In this classic episode of True Spies, CIA analyst Sarah Carlson drops Vanessa Kirby into the pressure-cooker of post-revolutionary Libya.
In 2011, the Arab Spring swept Colonel Gaddafi from office, leaving a deadly power vacuum. Three years later, civil war engulfed the nation. Under a hail of rocket fire, Sarah had to figure out a way to extract 150 American personnel from the carnage.
FromSPYSCAPE,the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Claire Crofton. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Introducing... True Spies: Brief Histories
The history of espionage is long and shrouded in mystery...
Hear it chronicled in True Spies: Brief Histories, the new monthly episodes of True Spies.
From the intricacies of Ancient Roman tradecraft and Medieval propaganda, all the way to the surveillance systems of the twenty-first century, youll discover the hidden figures, secret dealings and daring special ops that brought us to where we are today.
Get episodes a week early, and ad-free with Spyscape+ plus.spyscape.com
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True Spies Debriefs: Seth Thvoz on Espionage in London's Clubland
True Spies producer Morgan Childs joins researcher and author Seth Thvoz to discuss the origins of London's elite gentlemen's clubs - and the movers, shakers and spies who have called them a home-from-home.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
Seth Thvoz is the author of London Clubland: A Companion for the Curious.
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The Baltic Baron | MI6
Author, historian and former British Foreign Office official Tim Willasey-Wilsey tells the incredible story of Wilhelm Von De Ropp - the high-born chameleon who had Hitler's ear in the build-up to WW2. But unbeknownst to the Nazis, 'Bill' was MI6's man on the inside, passing on information that would help Britain to win the war... From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley. Tim Willasey-Wilsey is Visiting Professor at Kings College, University of London, and the author of The Spy and the Devil . Learn more about your ad...
True Spies Classic: I Was Never Here | CSIS
Rediscover a classic from the vaults with Andrew Kirsch - a Special Operations officer with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. True Spies work in all sorts of far-flung locales - but some assignments are closer to home. For Andrew, the suburbs of Toronto hold as much intrigue as Moscow or Baghdad. Vanessa Kirby joins Andrew on a nail-biting infiltration mission to unmask a home-grown terrorist, right in his back yard. Could YOU spy in suburbia? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Music by Nick Ryan....
True Spies Debriefs: Douglas Waller on Frank Wisner
Content Warning: This episode contains references to suicide.
True Spies producer Morgan Childs sits down with author and journalist Douglas Waller to discuss the complex and controversial legacy at the heart of his latest book, The Determined Spy: The Turbulent Life and Times of CIA Pioneer Frank Wisner.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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Cover of Darkness | CSIS
Former Canadian Security Intelligence Service operative Neil Bisson delivers a compact masterclass in Human Intelligence gathering in this blow-by-blow account of a Mobile Debrief.
Along the way, you'll discover how Canada's intelligence apparatus works - and how it could change in the years to come.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley.
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True Spies Debriefs: Jane Bradley and Michael Schwirtz on Russia's Brazilian Illegals
Investigative New York Times journalists Jane Bradley and Michael Schwirtz speak to True Spies producer Frank Palmer about the discovery of a Russian 'spy factory' in Brazil.
This is a free taster of the exclusive content you'll uncover with a Spyscape+ subscription. Sign up at plus.spyscape.com.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Frank Palmer.
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True Spies Debriefs: Stephen Davis on Flight 149
Journalist Stephen Davis has spent 30 years working to uncover the truth behind one of the most secretive chapters of the Gulf War. When British Airways Flight 149 landed in Kuwait on the 2nd of August, 1990, Saddam Hussein's invading army took the passengers hostage. Today, some of those passengers allege that they were subjected to horrific treatment - and that the British government could have averted their ordeal. In this Debrief, True Spies producer Morgan Childs joins Stephen to discuss his research in to the case. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer:...
Foxtrot in Kandahar, Part 2: Showdown in Takhteh-Pol | CIA
In late 2001, veteran CIA Officer Duane Evans deployed to Afghanistan as part of the US response to 9/11. This is his story.
In Part 2, Duane and Team Foxtrot make the perilous journey to Kandahar. But the Afghan city proves to be no safe haven.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Frank Palmer.
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Foxtrot in Kandahar, Part 1: Snakes and Lightning | CIA
In late 2001, veteran CIA Officer Duane Evans deployed to Afghanistan as part of the US response to 9/11. This is his story.
In Part 1, we find Duane as he swears vengeance against Al Qaeda - and moves mountains to get himself to the heart of the action.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Frank Palmer.
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True Spies Classic: The Ritchie Boys | WW2
In this True Spies Classic, you'll revisit the story of a true American hero. It's 1944 - 3 days after D-Day. 22-year old Guy Stern lands in Normandy. Unlike many of his comrades in the US Army, it's not his first time in Europe. Forced to leave Germany in 1937, he returns as part of an elite Military Intelligence unit charged with interrogating German POWs in their native tongue. Now 99 years old, Guy tells Vanessa Kirby a story of wit and courage in the face of unimaginable pressure. Could YOUR words win a war? From SPYSCAPE, the home of...
True Spies Debriefs: Alexis Papahelas on Greece, Journalism and the CIA
Veteran Greek journalist Alexis Papahelas tells Morgan Childs about the CIA's role in aiding Greece's military junta, which ruled between 1967 and 1974.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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Four Shots in the Night, Part 2: The Spymaster's Dilemma | Northern Ireland
Author Henry Hemming tells the twisting tale of two very different British spies operating in Northern Ireland during the 30-year conflict known as The Troubles. In Part 2, Frank Hegarty and Freddie Scappaticci are drawn ever deeper into the violent world of the Provisional IRA - and soon, there'll be no turning back. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Frank Palmer. Henry Hemming is the author of Four Shots in the Night: A True Story of Espionage, Murder and Justice in Northern Ireland (Quercus Publishing, 2024) Learn more about...
Four Shots in the Night, Part 1: The Man From Derry | Northern Ireland
Author Henry Hemming tells the twisting tale of two very different British spies operating in Northern Ireland during the 30-year conflict known as The Troubles. In Part 1, family man Frank Hegarty and menacing IRA enforcer Freddie Scappaticci begin down a dark path together - one that ends in the dark, deep in the Irish borderlands. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Frank Palmer. Henry Hemming is the author of Four Shots in the Night: A True Story of Espionage, Murder and Justice in Northern Ireland (Quercus Publishing, 2024)...
True Spies Classic: The Ace of Spies | Historical
Who was Britain's Ace of Spies? The truth is, nobody really knows. But the name he used was Sidney Reilly - and nobody did it better.
In this classic episode of True Spies, Vanessa Kirby follows Sidney on his dark and bloody path through the early 20th century, reckoning with oil barons, personal pride, and the rise of Communism.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Sidney Reilly is voiced by Thomas Delacourt. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Leo Hornak. Music by Nick Ryan.
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True Spies Debriefs: Prof. Hanna Diamond on Josephine Baker
Celebrity, campaigner, national treasure... spy.
This year, Josephine Baker's memoirs have been made available in English for the first time. The University of Cardiff's Prof. Hanna Diamond tells Morgan Childs more about the extraordinary life of a showbiz spy in wartime France.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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Britain's Agent | Historical
Professor James Crossland of Liverpool John Moores University uncovers the extraordinary life of a British diplomat-cum-spy in Bolshevik Russia - Robert Bruce Lockhart. A tale of doomed love, assassination, failed coups and bad reputations.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Frank Palmer.
James Crossland is the author of Rogue Agent: From Secret Plots to Psychological Warfare, the Untold Story of Robert Bruce Lockhart" (Elliot & Thompson, 2024)
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True Spies Classic: Her Majesty's Secret Service | Historical
In this historic True Spies Classic, Protestant England faces an existential threat from Catholic Spain. Queen Elizabeth calls on Sir Francis Walsingham, the Royal spymaster, to undermine the Spanish war effort. Vanessa Kirby tells a story of loyalty, fear, and the terrible lengths to which a good spy will go to protect Queen and Country.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Sir Francis Walsingham is voiced by Linus Roache. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Justin Trefgarne. Music by Nick Ryan.
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True Spies Debriefs: Dr. Jenny Benham on Medieval Spycraft
Historian Dr. Jenny Benham joins Morgan Childs to explore the murky world of medieval espionage. You'll learn about the real 'little birds' who inspired Game of Thrones' Master of Whisperers, and the exiles, slaves and captives who parlayed information for security in a time before formalised intelligence agencies.
Dr. Jenny Benham is Reader in Medieval History and the Co-director of the Centre for Medieval Studies at Cardiff University.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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The Misadventures of Martha Dodd, Part 2: The Left Behind | KGB
Content Warning: This episode contains adult themes throughout.
When defense journalist Brendan McNally stumbled across a long-forgotten name in 1990s Prague, he had no idea of the remarkable story he would uncover.
It belongs to Martha Dodd: ambassador's daughter, mistress to Nazi officials, and Stalinist spy.
In the second episode of this two-part True Spies special, Martha returns to the USA, and waits to be activated. But she might be waiting a while.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley.
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The Misadventures of Martha Dodd, Part 1: The Pink Lady | KGB
Content Warning: This episode contains adult themes throughout. When defense journalist Brendan McNally stumbled across a long-forgotten name in 1990s Prague, he had no idea of the remarkable story he would uncover. It belongs to Martha Dodd: ambassador's daughter, mistress to Nazi officials, and Stalinist spy. In the first episode of this two-part True Spies special, Brendan traces Martha's journey from Chicago socialite to the toast of Berlin society - and the great loves that guided the course of her life. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley....
True Spies Classic: Operation Inter | StB
In this True Spies Classic, it's the late 1980s, and change is in the air in Eastern Europe. For a young journalist like Mark Baker, Czechoslovakia is an interesting place to be. But Mark has attracted some unwanted attention - a fact that he'll only discover several decades later. Sophia Di Martino joins Mark to travel through the True Spies looking-glass, and discover what it's like to become the target of a recruitment effort by an intelligence agency - whether you know it or not. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby,...
True Spies Debriefs: Dr. Daniela Richterova on the Jackals in Prague
Dr. Daniela Richterova joins host Morgan Childs to discuss the relationship between Cold War intelligence agencies and non-state actors like the infamous Carlos the Jackal.
Dr. Richterova is Senior Lecturer in Intelligence Studies at Kings College, University of London
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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MI9 Unmasked, Part 2: Italian Jobs | WW2
Hear again from British historian Helen Fry, joining Rhiannon Neads for the second and final installment of a two-part dive into one of the most crucial, but little-known intelligence forces of the Second World War - MI9.
Hear the conclusion to the gripping story of the department, and reasons behind their ultimate secrecy in a post-WW2 world...
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower.
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MI9 Unmasked, Part 1: Escape and Evasion | WW2
British historian Helen Fry joins Rhiannon Neads for the first installment of a two-part dive into one of the most crucial, but little-known intelligence forces of the Second World War - MI9. Charged with facilitating the escape of Allied POWs, MI9 employed various ingenious tactics - including, but not limited to, a chocolate gun. Yes, really. You'll meet the characters who made this organisation tick, from daring one-armed escapees to the inspiration for Ian Fleming's Q Branch. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Learn more about your...
True Spies Classic: Blinking Red | CIA
In this True Spies Classic, CIA analyst Gina Bennett shows Vanessa Kirby the origins of America's most infamous enemy. Throughout the 1990s, Osama bin Laden launched a series of attacks on American interests at home and abroad. Operating in the man's world of counter-terrorism, Gina had to fight to have the threat he posed taken seriously. Would YOU trust your gut?
FromSPYSCAPE,the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Tim Mansel. Music by Nick Ryan.
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True Spies Debriefs: Gina Bennett on the new paradigm for national security
Former CIA counterterrorism analyst, hunter of Bin Laden, author and proud mother - hear from the fantastic Gina Bennett in this week's Debrief.
Bennett authored the earliest warnings of todays terrorism trends including the 1993 report that foreshadowed the danger of Osama bin Laden. Hear her current prescient predictions for what she is calling the new paradigm for national security, and how this will affect the U.S, and nations around the world...
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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Spying On The Reich | Historical
International Relations journalist and author, R.T Howard, reveals the tensions, subterfuge and devastating errors that marked the first Cold War.
In the 1920s and 30s, the Allies waged an intelligence war against a rising star in global politics - Adolf Hitler. Young intelligence agencies tried in vain to penetrate the Nazi's veil of secrecy. In this episode, you'll hear three stories from this turbulent era - and learn the lessons of the past.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Frank Palmer.
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True Spies Classic: The Nuclear Superhighway | CIA
In this classic episode of True Spis, undercover CIA agent James Olson takes Vanessa Kirby on a nail-biting mission behind the Iron Curtain. In the late 1970s, James was tasked with tapping an underground communications line between Moscow and a top-secret nuclear weapons facility. Under constant surveillance from the KGB, he would need to use a combination of traditional spycraft and hi-tech gadgetry to intercept this priceless intel without risking a diplomatic catastrophe. FromSPYSCAPE,the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your...
True Spies Debriefs: Bob Dougherty on transnational repression
Do you know about the rising threats posed by transnational repression?
Hear from Bob Dougherty, veteran of 26 years as a CIA undercover operations officer. Today, Bob works as an instructor for multiple government agencies, increasingly speaking on the dangers of transnational repression; the intimidation, harassment, or other human rights abuses perpetrated by countries on their own people beyond their borders.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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Digging for Gold | Cold War
Journalist and author Steve Vogel unravels the unlikely tale of George Blake, the cunning Cold War double-agent who betrayed one of the most ambitious wire-tapping operations of the 1950s - and made a name for himself as one of spycraft's greatest escapologists.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Frank Palmer.
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Tradecraft, Part 9
The tools in a spy's arsenal are more varied than you might think. But they all come under one name: Tradecraft.
In our ninth round of insights from the world of espionage, Rhiannon Neads looks back on lessons drawn from intrepid cyber-cops, nuclear double-dealers, crafty codebreakers and more.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Alex Burnard. Music by Nick Ryan.
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True Spies Classic: Undercover Jihadi | CSIS
In this True Spies Classic, Hayley Atwell tells the story of Mubin Shaikh, an Islamist extremist turned undercover agent for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
Undercover as a member of the terrorist group that would be known as the Toronto 18, Mubin was told that his cover would be blown.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Louise Clarke-Rowbotham. Music by Nick Ryan.
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True Spies Debriefs: Mubin Shaikh on the Psyche of an Extremist
What can drive an ordinary person to extremist ideology?
Hear from former security intelligence and counter terrorism operative, Mubin Shaikh, on his current work as a Counter Extremism Specialist. He delves into real world cases of those who succumb to extremist ideology, why it happens, and his challenging work trying to bring people back.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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The Spy With No Name | CIA
National security journalist Zach Dorfman returns to True Spies with the tantalising tale of one of the War on Terror's most secretive undercover operatives. Known only by his pseudonym, this CIA spy delivered intel directly to the highest echelons of power - and paid a heavy price for his success.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley.
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True Spies Classic: True Narcos | DEA
In this True Spies Classic, Hayley Atwell tells the story of the capture of Pablo Escobar, with the DEA agents who helped bring him down and inspired the TV show 'Narcos'. Steve Murphy and Javier Pea found themselves in Colombia on the trail of the notorious druglord - two "gringos" with a price on their heads.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Gemma Newby. Music by Nick Ryan.
https://www.deanarcos.com/
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True Spies Debriefs: Tim Tate on the Spycatcher Scandal
Hear from Tim Tate, best-selling author, award-winning documentary filmmaker and investigative journalist, as he dives into a scandal born deep in the heart of the British Intelligence Service.
Tim untangles the connections between KGB mole Mikhail Golenevsky and MI5 spy catcher Peter Wright. And recalls how in the process of writing his 19th book, he learned he was himself considered a threat to national security, for delving too deep...
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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To Catch a Spy | Investigation
Veteran journalist Tim Tate tells the story of Peter Wright, the crusading MI5 whistleblower who humiliated the Thatcher government in the 1980s. As the British security services' chief scientific officer, Peter employed unsavory tactics to root out Soviet spies - but a dramatic change of heart would come to define his controversial legacy.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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True Spies Classic: Shadow Games | Special Forces
In this Classic True Spies episode, learn the details of an elite clandestine unit, Special Forces Berlin, with the help of former operative James Stejskal.
Stationed in West Berlin but deployed wherever their skills were needed, they found themselves at the centre of the Tehran Hostage Crisis, but no-one could know they were there...
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Justin Trefgarne
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True Spies Debriefs: James Stejskal in Berlin as The Wall fell
James Stejskal, ex-special forces, tells of the jubilant and vitriolic scenes, as the Berlin Wall came down.
November 9th 1989 - the Iron Curtain descends. Hear how it was on the ground, as both ordinary citizens, and global intelligence services, descend on East Berlin, seeking the vast archives of information meticulously gathered over decades by the Stasi.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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Special Forces Kinshasa | Green Berets
Deep in the African rainforests, how do you hold together a decolonising nation in the wake of mass regional instability? James Stejskal, ex-CIA and former Green Beret, tells the story of his time in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As the nation wrestles with its post-colonial identity, regional instability, and the AIDS crisis, James' job is to keep an exposed US Embassy safe and operating - giving Zaire its best chance to survive in the post-Cold War new world order... From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Produced by Morgan Childs. Series producer...
True Spies Classic: Gray Suit and The Ghost
In this classic True Spies episode, Eric O'Neill describes the hunt for the infamous FBI mole Robert Hanssen.
This entire operation hinges around Eric needing to get Hanssen into a hire car so his own car can be searched for evidence of his betrayal... but the hire car isnt there.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley
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True Spies: Debriefs - Eric O'Neill on the frontiers of cyberwarfare
What will cost the global economy $20 trillion come 2026?
In this latest Debrief, hear from author and famed security expert: Eric O'Neill. Eric discusses with Morgan Childs the growing hotbeds for cyber espionage, crime and warfare in the world right now, their consequences. Crucially, they also discuss how individuals and companies alike can safeguard now, to prevent catastrophe moving forward.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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Agent Garbo | WW2
Hear the story of the extraordinary life of the spy with 29 names: Juan Pujol Garcia
Born into a tumultuous Spain, Garcia, or Agent Garbo, was a natural spy, seeking out the Allies so strong was his distain for Nazi Germany. Amongst a storied espionage career, learn how his daring actions rescued the Allied invasion of Normandy, from the jaws of defeat.
From SPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Producer: Justin Trefgarne. Series producer: Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan.
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True Spies Classic: The Rookie and Bin Laden | CIA
In this classic True Spies episode, Tracy Walder shares what went on during 9/11 inside The Vault, the CIA's top secret bunker.9/11 was only the second day of Tracy's first real CIA assignment, and she was tasked with hunting the world's most wanted terrorist, Osama Bin Laden, with President George W Bush looking on.
From SPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Producer: David Waters. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Music by Nick Ryan.
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True Spies Debriefs: Tracy Walder on trauma
Spying is stressful, often traumatic work - how do they cope?
Former FBI and CIA employee Tracy Walder speaks to True Spies producer Morgan Childs about the mental health ramifications of intelligence work, and her personal experiences as a woman in the line of duty.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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The Traitor of Arnhem | WW2
In the aftermath of D-Day, Hitler's armies were losing the Second World War. But in September of 1944, the Nazis enjoyed one final triumph over the Allied forces - the disastrous failure of Operation Market Garden. Author Robert Verkaik sheds new light on the shadowy figures who betrayed Market Garden to the Germans - including a mysterious codename that could mask the involvement of one of Britain's most damaging moles. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
True Spies: Classic - The Spycatcher | FBI
In this True Spies Classic episode, spy catcher Robert Booth recounts a mission to capture a Cuban agent who had infiltrated the State Department. Robert managed to identify the traitor, but proving Kendall Myers' treachery was another matter entirely.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Producer David Waters. Series producer Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan.
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True Spies: Debriefs - Robert Booth on underestimating Cuba's spies
Does the U.S continue to underestimate the threat the Cuban intelligence services carry?
Robert Booth an ex-State Department counterintelligence officer and self described spycatcher, details how penetrative modern Cuban agents are within the United States' highest echelons of power. What information are they looking for? And what do they do with it?
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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Fringe Diplomacy | Investigation
How does Mickey Bergman, expert political prisoner and hostage advocate, navigate the increasingly difficult waters of global engagements?
Also a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, the CEO of Global Reach and the Vice President of the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, Mickey takes us on a deep dive into the complex hostage situation still unfolding between the United States, and Russia.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Music by Nick Ryan.
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True Spies: Classic - Fair Game | CIA
Revisit this timely episode of True Spies, as we dive into the deadly conflict between espionage and politics with former CIA agent Valerie Plame.
Valerie was outed in the press as an undercover agent when someone close to her challenged the government's line on Weapons Of Mass Destruction, placing her family and contacts in grave danger. From SPYSCAPE. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan.
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True Spies: Debriefs - Valerie Plame on the future of nuclear Non-Proliferation
On this week's Debrief, catch up with the famously outed ex-CIA officer Valerie Plame.
Hear from Valerie how her career has evolved since then, and the state of the Doomsday Clock, what might happen after the expiry of the New Start treaty, and what steps the world can take to ease nuclear tensions...
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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Operation Red Sox | CIA
Writer, analyst and investigative journalist Casey Michel explores one of the early CIA's darkest moments.
At the dawn of the Cold War, the USA sent anti-communist agents into Ukraine, tasked with resisting the Soviets. But Stalin's secret intelligence service had experience on their side - and maybe more. The results? Disastrous.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Matthew Nelson. Music by Nick Ryan.
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True Spies: Classic - The Illegal | KGB
Revisit the story of a KGB agent embedded deeply, too deeply, in US life, with Jack Barsky, a.k.a. Albrecht Dittrich.
After many years undercover in New York, Barsky got the signal that he was compromised, yet by then he had an American wife and children. From SPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Producer: David Waters. Series producer: Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan.
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True Spies: Debriefs - Jack Barsky on a career after the KGB
In this True Spies: Debrief, ex-KGB agent Jack Barsky reveals the lessons his espionage career taught him, which have proved fundamental to his later life. Plus, hear details of life beyond the Iron Curtain, in East Germany, and how Jack came to love being an American
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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The Gathering | FBI
Hear how the fantastic FBI undercover agent Dana Ridenour went from not knowing what a vegan was, to infiltrating the most dangerous domestic eco-terrorists the US had ever seen.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by Nick Ryan.
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True Spies: Classic - Team Alpha
Welcome back to October 17, 2001. The dust of 9/11 has barely settled. America and the world are reeling.
In this True Spies Classic, hear the story of 8 CIA officers - a crack team of linguists, tribal experts and paramilitaries, and the first Americans to infiltrate Taliban territory after the attacks. Their mission is to ensure that Al Qaeda does not strike again. They are Team Alpha.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs
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True Spies: Debriefs - David Tyson on life for Afghans after The Taliban won
New from SPYSCAPE Studios - True Spies: Debriefs. In each of these new episodes, we'll dive back behind the scenes with some of our favourite True Spies, from episodes past.
This week, ex-CIA officer David Tyson gives an update on how the return of The Taliban in Afghanistan, and the changing politics of the Middle East more broadly, has affected his work with Badger Six; a charity he runs to help Afghan allies.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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Codename Tinsel Tyrant | FBI
How does a San Francisco born Silicon Valley entrepreneur, "as American as apple-pie", become a vital intelligence asset for the Soviet Bloc?
Hear the chilling tale of one James Harper, from national security reporter and the host of Spy Valley: Zach Dorfman. (Hear more from Zach here: https://brazen.fm/podcasts/spy-valley/)
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Justin Trefgarne. Music by Nick Ryan.
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True Spies: Classic - Allied with Al-Qaeda
Venture into the True Spies vaults, as we take a look back at the extraordinary story of CIA Operations Officer: Doug London.
Doug only has one shot to recruit one of Al-Qaeda's key facilitators. He must find common ground with a man with a vastly different background and belief system. Lives hang in the balance. He has to succeed.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs.
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True Spies: Debriefs - Douglas London on empathy
Brand new from SPYSCAPE Studios - True Spies: Debriefs. In each of these new episodes, we'll dive back behind the scenes with some of our favourite True Spies, from episodes past. This week, ex-CIA operations officer Douglas London discusses how empathy, an undervalued tool in the spy's arsenal, played a crucial role in bringing in active Al Qaeda members. And, how he believes leaders embroiled in the current conflicts in the middle east, could seek to use empathy to bring an end to hostilities. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced...
PO Box 1142 | WW2
Join chief historian of the National Parks: Robert K Sutton, as he tells the story of Nazis on the Potomac, and those sworn to secrecy at Fort Hunt...
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by Nick Ryan.
Robert K Sutton is the author of Nazis on the Potomac: The Top-Secret Intelligence Operation that Helped Win World War II
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Operation Kronstadt | Historical
Former MI6 Officer Harry Ferguson tells the nail-biting story of an unlikely British spy in Bolshevik Russia - and the daring naval mission to bring him home.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Louise Sinnerton.Music by Nick Ryan.
Harry Ferguson is the author of Operation Kronstadt, and makes content on TikTok as The English Spy (https://www.tiktok.com/@theenglishspy)
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The Woman Who Rescued Orwell | Historical
It's 1937. The Spanish Civil War is raging, and author George Orwell is fighting on the Socialist front. But as Orwell lives out his anti-Fascist adventure, his wife, Eileen O'Shaughnessy, is embroiled in a subtler conflict. At the headquarters of the Workers' Party of Marxist Unification in Barcelona, she's dealing with a brutal police force, Stalinist spies, and an atmosphere of political terror. And on top of all that, it's up to her to stop her husband falling into enemy hands... From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Louise Sinnerton.Music...
The War on Terror, Part Two - From Khost to Compounds | CIA
Former CIA Operations Officer Aaron Brown joins Rhiannon Neads to discuss his role in two defining moments in the CIA's War on Terror.
In Part 2, the aftermath of Khost informs the most dramatic operation in the history of the modern CIA. And Aaron has a seat at the table.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower.Music by Nick Ryan.
Aaron Brown is the host of the UnderSimplified Podcast, and a keynote speaker: https://www.undersimplified.org/
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The War on Terror, Part One - From Cairo to Khost | CIA
Former CIA Operations Officer Aaron Brown joins Rhiannon Neads to discuss his role in two defining moments in the CIA's War on Terror.
In Part 1, we follow Aaron's journey into the Agency's inner sanctum - and its' darkest hour.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower.Music by Nick Ryan.
Aaron Brown is the host of the UnderSimplified Podcast, and a keynote speaker: https://www.undersimplified.org/
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Disinformation Warfare, Part Two - America | Investigation
Just how influential is the 'white noise' of information, and disinformation, emanating from Russia?
In this second and final episode on the phenomenon of modern disinformation, hear from author and former Executive Director of the US Disinformation Governance Board: Nina Jankowicz. She shines a light on how small acts of manipulation, made on the other side of the world, can pit fellow Americans against themselves...
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Ashley Clivery. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Disinformation Warfare, Part One - The Troll Farm | Investigation
Just how influential is the 'white noise' of information, and disinformation, emanating from Russia?
In this first of two special episodes on the phenomenon of modern disinformation, Ukrainian-British journalist and author Peter Pomerantsev, reveals the evolution of the dark tactics the modern Russian state uses to cripple both neighbouring countries, and dissenters within its own borders.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Ashley Clivery. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Kim Philby, Super Spy: Part Two, The Third Man
Born to the British upper-crust - devoted to the Revolution. Harold 'Kim' Philby was the ultimate Soviet superspy. For decades, Philby sold secrets to the Russians from inside the upper echelons of MI6. Inspired by an unpublished memoir recently acquired by Spyscape, we bring his fascinating story to life. In Part 2, Rhiannon Neads follows the trail of booze, bad luck and betrayal that brought Philby down. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Justin Trefgarne. Music by Nick Ryan. Kim Philby voiced by Dominic Mafham. Learn more about your...
Kim Philby, Super Spy: Part One, Codename Sonny
Born to the British upper-crust - devoted to the Revolution. Harold 'Kim' Philby was the ultimate Soviet superspy. For decades, Philby sold secrets to the Russians from inside the upper echelons of MI6. Inspired by an unpublished memoir recently acquired by Spyscape, we bring his fascinating story to life. In Part 1, Rhiannon Neads details Philby's rise to the top - and the fateful decisions that will lead to his undoing. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Justin Trefgarne. Music by Nick Ryan. Kim Philby voiced by Dominic Mafham....
Narcotopia, Part Two - Thy Will Be Done | Investigation
Nestled in the mountains of Myanmar, there's a nation that you won't find on the map. The mysterious, controversial Wa State is what journalist Patrick Winn calls a 'Narcotopia' - a country whose main source of income is the international drugs trade.
In Part 2, we learn more about Saw Lu's dangerous entanglement with the US Government. Listener discretion is advised.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Narcotopia, Part One - Agent Superstar | Investigation
Nestled in the mountains of Myanmar, there's a nation that you won't find on the map. The mysterious, controversial Wa State is what journalist Patrick Winn calls a 'Narcotopia' - a country whose main source of income is the international drugs trade. In Part 1, Patrick tells the story of his journey to Wa State, and his chance meeting with one of the most powerful figures in its history, Saw Lu - a man whose vision for the isolated nation led him to the door of the US Government. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production....
Agent Sniper | CIA
Bigamist. Fantasist. Betrayer. Betrayed.
Known only as Agent Sniper, Polish double-agent Michal Goleniewski sold secrets to the USA from behind the Iron Curtain. But this complex, ambitious man was no match for his American handlers.
In this episode of True Spies, author Tim Tate reveals a life full of romance, tragedy and Cold War intrigue.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Music by Nick Ryan.
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The Strike on Saddam | CIA
It's 2003, and the USA is on the brink of war. Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has been issued a deadline - leave the country, or face a full American invasion. In the event of his refusal, the CIA has a plan to strike Saddam's Dora Farms compound - potentially stopping the war in its tracks. The operation is overseen by the head of the Agency's Iraq Operations Group - Luis Rueda. In this episode of True Spies, the former CIA heavyweight shares candid insights into the fevered hours and days ahead of Operation Iraqi Freedom. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of...
The King's Secret | Historical
The Chevalir d'on, was an 18th century war-hero, an indispensable spy and a famous diplomat. But today, they're best known for their pioneering approach to gender boundaries. Historian Gary Kates pulls back the curtains on this fascinating TrueSpy. Hear the groundbreaking story of d'on's life - from undercover geopolitical manipulation in the Russian court, and plotting Louis XV's French invasion of England, to being recognized by bothFrench and English courts as having the right to live as a woman... From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Matthew Nelson. Music by...
The Last Honest Man | Historical
Two-time Pulitzer Prize winning journalist James Risen, details the life and work of Frank Church - the man who forever changed the US intelligence community. From humble Idaho beginnings, through to his lofty Presidential ambitions, we delve into who Church really was, and his tireless devotion to serving American ideals of transparency and accountability - culminating in the Church Committee. However, Church learnt that you can't shine a light on the darkest corners of the FBI, the CIA and the NSA, without making some powerful enemies... From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe...
The Disappeared, Part Two - Mother's Day | Investigation
No one takes on the cartel and comes away unscathed. Miriam Rodriguez understood that from the start. In the second and final part of this extraordinary True Spies story, The New York Times Azam Ahmed picks up the story of the housekeeper who sought revenge on Mexicos notorious Zetas. Having discovered the grim truth of what happened to her kidnapped daughter, Miriam Rodriguez makes it her lifes mission to bring down the criminals responsible for her murder becoming increasingly adept at highwire deep cover work in the process. She will not rest until the Zetas have been made to pay...
The Disappeared, Part One - Parlour Games | Investigation
In this two-part True Spies story, The New York Times Azam Ahmed tells the unbelievable tale of Miriam Rodriguez, a 56 year-old housekeeper turned rogue agent and thorn in the side of one of Mexicos most feared gangs. In Part One, we meet Miriam as her world is turned upside down by news of her daughters kidnapping. Soon, she embarks on a quest for answers and for vengeance. It will bring her face to face with the Zetas a powerful and dangerous criminal organization who terrorize Miriams native San Fernando with impunity. But in this grieving mother of three, they...
Diamond Hands | IRS-CI
During the cryptocurrency boom of the 2010s, those who held their assets made huge fortunes. Among them was James Zhong - a young man who'd amassed an unbelievable virtual treasure trove. But he'd come across his fortune illegitimately - by executing an audacious one-man heist against the most notorious black market on the Dark Web. Sophia Di Martino joins IRS Criminal Investigation agent Tyler Hatcher, whose digital detective work recovered millions of dollars in ill-gotten Bitcoin for the US Government. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley. Music...
The Silk Road Bust | FBI
The Silk Road was one of the most notorious black markets on the internet. Run by the notorious, anonymous Dread Pirate Roberts, this online bazaar allowed its users to trade cryptocurrency for illegal drugs, items and services. But, buried beneath layers of digital proxies, the Silk Road was almost impenetrable to law enforcement. Almost. Sophia Di Martino joins former FBI Special Agent Chris Tarbell to tell the story of how a combination of cyber-savvy and old-school detective work brought down the biggest name on the Dark Web. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer:...
Sonyas Red Heart, Part Two: The Secrets of Sonya | GRU
Ursula Kuczynski, AKA Agent Sonya, is one history's most effective spies. As an intelligence gatherer for the Soviet military, she helped to usher in the age of Mutually Assured Destruction during the bloody 1940s. In 2020, a newly declassified document muddied the waters - who was Sonya really working for? In this two-part True Spies story, a new theory deepens the mystery of her life and work. In Part 2, Sophia Di Martino and Professor Anthony Glees explore a masterful double-cross by the Stalinist spy. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley....
Sonyas Red Heart, Part One: The Fairytale of Ursula Kuczynski | GRU
Ursula Kuczynski, AKA Agent Sonya, is one history's most effective spies. As an intelligence gatherer for the Soviet military, she helped to usher in the age of Mutually Assured Destruction during the bloody 1940s. In 2020, a newly declassified document muddied the waters - who was Sonya really working for? In this two-part True Spies story, a new theory deepens the mystery of her life and work. In Part 1, Sophia Di Martino joins Professor Anthony Glees to follow Sonya's rise to prominence within the Russian GRU. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer:...
Cribs, Codes and Cairo | Historical
Emily Anderson was the best codebreaker you've never heard of. Fiercely devoted to secrecy, she served Britain's interests in two World Wars - mastering five languages along the way.
In this remarkable True Spies story, Sophia Di Martino and historian Jackie Ui Chionna give Anderson a much-deserved moment in the limelight.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Tradecraft, Part 8
The tools in a spy's arsenal are more varied than you might think. But they all come under one name: Tradecraft.
In our eighth round of insights from the world of espionage, Sophia Di Martino looks back on lessons drawn from masters of disguise, daring civilian spycraft, and nail-biting undercover work.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Alex Burnard. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Tradecraft, Part 7
The tools in a spy's arsenal are more varied than you might think. But they all come under one name: Tradecraft. In our seventh round of insights from the world of espionage, Sophia Di Martino revisits an audacious gambit in Iraq, evades surveillance behind the Iron Curtain, and learns how to create a convincing cover story in Canada.
From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Alex Burnard. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Operation Ajax | CIA & MI6
In the early 1950s, Iran elected a forward-thinking new leader. But where previous regimes had played ball with British and American oil companies in the country, Mohammed Mossadegh refused. In response, Western intelligence services mounted a deadly coup.
Sophia Di Martino and historian Ervand Abrahamian unpick the shocking downfall of Iran's last democratic leader.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Escaping ISIS
As ISIS sweeps through the Middle East, the regions' minority groups face brutal oppression. In Northern Iraq, ex-CIA officers Michele Rigby Assad and her husband, Joseph Assad, feel compelled to do what they can to help.
Michele joins Sophia Di Martino to recount the steps that led to a dramatic evacuation of Iraqi Christians from Erbil in 2015.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Ashley Clivery. Music by Nick Ryan.
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The Wilderness of Mirrors | US Army CI
In the dying days of the Cold War, the West is on the verge of victory. But the Soviet Union's feared secret service, the KGB, won't give up without a fight.
Sophia Di Martino and former US Army Intelligence officer Aden Magee tell the story of a mind-bending game of cat-and-mouse, played out on the streets of 1980s Munich.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Ashley Clivery. Music by Nick Ryan.
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The Swinging Spies | KGB
Karel Koecher always knew he was destined for greatness. At the height of the Cold War, he arrived in New York City a Communist sleeper agent, hell-bent on infiltrating the highest echelons of American society. And with the help of his beautiful young wife, the American dream was well within reach. Sophia Di Martino and author Benjamin Cunningham tell the story of two glamourous Czech spies in swinging NYC - charting their unlikely rise and inevitable fall from grace. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Frank Palmer. Music by...
Mister Wristwatch | FBI
Truck driver, entrepreneur, womanizer - spy. Sophia Di Martino joins journalist Sean O'Driscoll to tell the story of one of the most unusual and effective moles in modern American history. When David Rupert met a woman in an Irish bar in Florida, the meeting sparked an unlikely chain of events that would lead him to infiltrate a deadly Irish Republican terrorist group on behalf of the FBI, MI5 and the Irish state - and put several key players behind bars. But the 'Big Yank' would pay a heavy price for his success. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup...
The Old Man and the CIA, Part 2: Dulles's Down | Historical
Some men make headlines. Others make history. A subtle few mold the future of nations in their image - and you'd never even know it. In this 2-part True Spies miniseries, journalist and author of The Devil's Chessboard, David Talbot, joins Sophia Di Martino to uncover a hidden history of the United States. A history penned by a man who made an outsized impact on the way we live today - Allen Dulles. In Part 2, the seeds of Dulles's ruin are sown on a beach in Cuba. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series...
The Old Man and the CIA, Part 1: American Gestapo | Historical
Some men make headlines. Others make history. A subtle few mold the future of nations in their image - and you'd never even know it. In this 2-part True Spies miniseries, journalist and author of The Devil's Chessboard, David Talbot, joins Sophia Di Martino to uncover a hidden history of the United States. A history penned by a man who made an outsized impact on the way we live today - Allen Dulles. In Part 1, Talbot documents the rise of the CIA's longest-serving director - and the first civilian to hold the post. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets....
Howard Hunt Unleashed, Part 2: Project Gemstone
In this True Spies special, Daisy Ridley presents a dramatized encounter with Everette Howard Hunt Jr, based on our own historical research and Hunt's own writings.
In Part 2 - the unbelievable story of the political scandal of the century. Watergate.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Justin Trefgarne. Howard Hunt is voiced by Ian Porter. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Howard Hunt Unleashed, Part 1: The CIA & Animal Farm
In this special True Spies miniseries, Daisy Ridley presents a dramatized encounter with Everette Howard Hunt Jr, based on our own historical research and Hunt's own writings.
In Part 1, Hunt explains his role in one of the CIA's most unusual PsyOps - the backing of 1954's animated version of George Orwell's Animal Farm.
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Justin Trefgarne. Howard Hunt is voiced by Ian Porter. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Beware the Men in Suits, Part 2: Justice for Yvonne | Investigation
In 1984, when Police Constable Yvonne Fletcherwas shot outside the Libyan Embassy in London , John Murray swore he would bring her killers to justice.Decades later, he's about to come closer than ever before -but mysterious elements inside the British establishment seem determined to stop him in his tracks. Daisy Ridley joins Murray, and author Matt Johnson, to recount an epic mission for the truth. A mission that will take Murray to the ends of the Earth - and the limits of his endurance. For the full story, pick up a copy of No Ordinary Day by Matt Johnson and...
Beware the Men in Suits, Part 1: Stray Dogs | Investigation
April, 1984 - London. Police Constable Yvonne Fletcher has been shot dead by a pro-Gaddafi gunman at the Libyan Embassy. The UK looks on in sorrow and disgust. One man vows to bring her killer to justice - no matter who stands in his way. Daisy Ridley joins Fletcher's colleague, John Murray, and author Matt Johnson, to recount an epic mission for the truth. A mission that will take Murray to the ends of the Earth - and the limits of his endurance. For the full story, pick up a copy of No Ordinary Day by Matt Johnson and John...
The Unwanted Spy
In 2015, former CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling was sentenced to 3 and a half years in prison for violating the Espionage Act by leaking details of a top-secret operation to a journalist - a charge he has always denied. Jeffrey believes that during his time at the Agency, he was discriminated against for the color of his skin - and that his complaints made him a target. The US Government's position is clear. In this episode of True Spies, Daisy Ridley hears Jeffrey's side of the story. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer:...
Terror On The Line | CIA
It's 2007, and Iraq is in a state of chaos. Factions of armed insurgents clash with Coalition forces, and the USA is looking for an exit strategy. 32 year-old Egyptian-American CIA officer Joseph Assad is a new face in Baghdad's Green Zone. He's got an idea that could help to end the slaughter - one so crazy, it just might work. Daisy Ridley joins Joseph as he tells his story publicly for the very first time in a True Spies exclusive. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Ashley Clivery....
The Impeccable Spy | WW2
For a womanizing Soviet spy, wartime Tokyo is both playground and prison. Surrounded by the enemy, he's got to keep his wits about him - and with an increasingly paranoid leader in the Kremlin, the line between friend and foe is thin indeed. Daisy Ridley joins author Owen Matthews to tell the story of one the USSR's most formidable spies - Richard Sorge. A Communist true-believer, he provided crucial intelligence to Moscow before and during World War 2. But for Stalin's top spies, loyalty comes with no guarantee of reward... From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle...
The Alphabet Boys | CIA
When an informant leaks the location of an arms deal between a Romanian-American fixer and a Colombian rebel group, the DEA come down hard on both parties. But in a world of double-dealing, secrets and lies, is anyone truly who they say they are? Daisy Ridley joins investigative journalist Trevor Aaronson to tell the story of Flaviu Georgescu - who claims that he was working undercover for the CIA when he was arrested by federal law enforcement. Could the US government be creating the criminals they're supposed to catch? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production....
The Gehlen Organization, Part 2: Peter and Paul | Historical
In this two-part special, True Spies tells the story of a clandestine German intelligence network that sprang from the ashes of the Third Reich. Led by former Nazi Reinhardt Gehlen, the group was sponsored by the USA to fight Communism in post-war Europe. In Part 2, the cracks start to appear in the Gehlen Organization as the Cold War freezes over. Daisy Ridley and Professor Norman Goda unpack a tale of incompetence, double dealing and subterfuge. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn...
The Gehlen Organization, Part 1: Doctor Schneider | Historical
In this two-part special, True Spies tells the story of a clandestine German intelligence network that sprang from the ashes of the Third Reich. Led by former Nazi Reinhardt Gehlen, the group was sponsored by the USA to fight Communism in post-war Europe. In Part 1, Daisy Ridley joins historians Norman Goda and Gerald Steinacher to reveal the beginnings of the American government's shocking co-operation with those who it had defeated only months before. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about...
Beneath the Orange Rain | R&AW, India
The year is 1971, and deep in the marshy mangrove forests of East Pakistan, a crack team of Bangladeshi commandos move silently through the Ganges Delta. Backed by the recently-formed Indian secret service, they're on a mission that will strike a crippling blow against their enemies. A mission that could help to decide the future of a nation. Daisy Ridley joins authors and screenwriters Anusha Nandakumar and Sandeep Saket to reveal the details of a daring sabotage operation in the lead-up to the Third Indo-Pakistani War. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe...
The Compassionate Spy | Historical
For teenage genius Ted Hall, the opportunity to work alongside the great minds of his time was too great to turn down. But during his time on the Manhattan Project - the WW2 nuclear development program headed by J. Robert Oppenheimer - Ted grew uneasy about the world-shattering power he had helped to unleash. In this episode of True Spies, documentarian Steve James joins Daisy Ridley to tell Hall's story - the life of a man who spied, not for personal gain, but out of compassion for the world and its peoples. A Compassionate Spy, Steve Jones' documentary film about...
Dancing With Jackals, Part Two: The Vanishing of Bruno Breguet | CIA
It's the 1980s, and Bruno Breguet is one of international super-terrorist Carlos the Jackal's most trusted operatives. But in a paranoid world of violence and subterfuge, what is loyalty really worth? In this 2-part True Spies story, intelligence historian Adrian Hnni joins Daisy Ridley to uncover the life of a little-known, but fascinating figure. In Part 2, the strength of Breguet's revolutionary ideals come up against the mercenary reality of the Jackal's world - and is found wanting. Gunplay in Paris, a lavish semi-retirement in Syria and an unlikely new paymaster pave the road to a final, deadly riddle. From...
Dancing With Jackals, Part One: The Idealist | CIA
In June 1970, a young man is arrested at the Israeli port of Haifa. On his person, police officers discover pro-Palestine propaganda, a Super-8 video camera, and 2 kilograms of high explosive. His name is Bruno Breguet - and his story only gets stranger from here. In this 2-part True Spies story, intelligence historian Adrian Hnni joins Daisy Ridley to uncover the life of a little-known, but fascinating figure. In Part 1, you'll follow Bruno's journey from sleepy southern Switzerland to the frontlines of pro-Palestinian terror in the 1970s - and the inner circle of one of the world's most...
The Oswald Project, Part Two: The Cuban Connection | CIA
A new season of True Spies kicks off with Daisy Ridley astheNarrator and Edward Norton as Lee HarveyOswald - the alleged assassin behind the killing of President John F Kennedy. TheOswaldProjecttellstheshocking story ofOswaldand his relationship withtheCIA. Was he being trained bytheAgency to become a KGB double-agent or to takethefall for JFK's murder? Was he, as he claimed just before his own assassination, a patsy? Featuring expert insight from Professor John Newman and investigative journalist Jefferson Morley, and making use of Oswald's own private writings, you'll discover a new perspective on history's most famous whodunnit. In Part 2, Ricardo Morales Jr....
The Oswald Project, Part One: From Russia With Love | CIA
A new season of True Spies kicks off with Daisy Ridley astheNarrator and Edward Norton as Lee HarveyOswald - the alleged assassin behind the killing of President John F Kennedy. TheOswaldProjecttellstheshocking story ofOswaldand his relationship withtheCIA. Was he being trained bytheAgency to become a KGB double-agent or to takethefall for JFK's murder? Was he, as he claimed just before his own assassination, a patsy? Featuring expert insight from Professor John Newman and investigative journalist Jefferson Morley, and making use of Oswald's own private writings, you'll discover a new perspective on history's most famous whodunnit. In Part One, we explore Oswald's...
A Taste for Treason, Part 2: Agent Crown | WW2
A Scottish hairdresser, a wannabe actor-slash-stunt pilot, and a Nazi spy ring spanning both sides of the Atlantic. Three different shows? No. One True Spies special. In this two-part story, intelligence historian Andrew Jeffrey joins Sophia Di Martino to tell a story that has to be heard to be believed. In the 1930s, a resurgent Germany was determined to steal Allied secrets to gain an advantage in the coming war. Through a series of improbable twists, turns, and intelligence coups, MI5 and the FBI were able to target and eliminate a spy network that posed a very real threat to...
A Taste for Treason, Part 1: PO BOX 629 | WW2
A Scottish hairdresser, a wannabe actor-slash-stunt pilot, and a Nazi spy ring spanning both sides of the Atlantic. Three different shows? No. One True Spies special. In this two-part story, intelligence historian Andrew Jeffrey joins Sophia Di Martino to tell a story that has to be heard to be believed. In the 1930s, a resurgent Germany was determined to steal Allied secrets to gain an advantage in the coming war. Through a series of improbable twists, turns, and intelligence coups, MI5 and the FBI were able to target and eliminate a spy network that posed a very real threat to...
Operation Inter | StB
In the late 1980s, change is in the air in Eastern Europe. For a young journalist like Mark Baker, Czechoslovakia is an interesting place to be. But Mark has attracted some unwanted attention - a fact that he'll only discover several decades later. Sophia Di Martino joins Mark to travel through the True Spies looking-glass, and discover what it's like to become the target of a recruitment effort by an intelligence agency - whether you know it or not. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs....
Operation Ivy Bells | DoD
In 1970, Captain James Bradley had a daydream - a daydream that inspired one of the most audacious aquatic espionage missions of all time. Operation Ivy Bells gave the USA unprecedented access to Soviet undersea communications cables, and hastened the end of the nuclear stand-off between the two nations. Sophia Di Martino joins journalists Christopher Drew and Sherry Sontag for a thrilling and often claustrophobic tale of covert submarine warfare. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Ashley Clivery. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad...
Behind the Bamboo Curtain | CIA
When two CIA officers were captured in an ambush on Chinese territory, it seemed as though their story was over. In fact, their ordeal had only just begun. Two decades later, their fates still hung in the balance between the power-players of Beijing and Washington. Professor John Delury, a historian of China and US-China affairs, joins Sophia Di Martino to discuss one of the great forgotten stories of the Cold War. A tale of resilience, complex political gamesmanship, and the transforming power of a mother's love. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma...
The Courier | Mossad
As a student in the early 1970s, espionage was never on the cards for Howard Kaplan. But when he was given the opportunity to smuggle documents out of Soviet Russia for the Israeli government, he could hardly turn down the adventure. Sophia Di Martino joins Howard - now an author of spy novels - to tell a story of close calls, covert tradecraft and undercover cabbies in the Cold War. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad...
Extracting Eichmann, Part 2/2: Rat Trap | Mossad
In the aftermath of WW2, war criminals scatter to the four winds. Using international escape routes known as 'Ratlines', scores of Nazis begin new lives in South America. Among them is one of the Holocaust's chief architects - Adolf Eichmann. In Part Two of this two-part story, Sophia Di Martino explores the origins of an audacious Mossad operation in 1960s Argentina. Told by a cast of experts and descendants of central figures inside the mission, this is the story of how Eichmann was finally brought to justice. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers:...
Extracting Eichmann, Part 1/2: The Ratline | Mossad
In the aftermath of WW2, war criminals scatter to the four winds. Using international escape routes known as 'Ratlines', scores of Nazis begin new lives in South America. Among them is one of the Holocaust's chief architects - Adolf Eichmann. In Part One of this two-part story, Sophia Di Martino explores the origins of an audacious Mossad operation in 1960s Argentina. Told by a cast of experts and descendants of central figures inside the mission, this is the story of how Eichmann was finally brought to justice. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers:...
Atomic Spies, Part 2/2: Nuclear Families | WW2
As a World War rages, humanity stands on the precipice of a new era in warfare. The atomic age is dawning - and Earth's great powers are determined to secure their place in it. In these episodes of True Spies, Sophia Di Martino meets the spies who shared nuclear secrets that still influence global geopolitics today. In Part 2, Professor Paul Broda tells the story of his stepfather, Alan Nunn May - an English physicist who became a spy of conscience. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by...
Atomic Spies, Part 1/2: The Klaus Fuchs Effect | WW2
As a World War rages, humanity stands on the precipice of a new era in warfare. The atomic age is dawning - and Earth's great powers are determined to secure their place in it. In these episodes of True Spies, Sophia Di Martino meets the spies who shared nuclear secrets that still influence global geopolitics today. In Part 1, Professor Emeritus of Theoretical Physics at Oxford University, Frank Close, tells the story of the scientist who helped Soviet Russia build the bomb - Klaus Fuchs. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby,...
The Queen of Cuba, Part 2/2: The Known Unknown | FBI
Meet one of the most notorious double agents in the history of US intelligence - a spy so effective that she was able to operate with impunity for 17 years. Until her arrest in 2001, Ana Beln Montes used her position at the Defence Intelligence Agency to funnel classified documents to Cuba. Sophia Di Martino and FBI Special Agent Pete Lapp follow the trail of breadcrumbs that led to her downfall. In Part Two, Pete and his partner use old-fashioned detective work to turn up a killer piece of evidence - and Ana Montes meets her match. From SPYSCAPE, the...
The Queen of Cuba, Part 1/2: Foreign Policies | FBI
Meet one of the most notorious double agents in the history of US intelligence - a spy so effective that she was able to operate with impunity for 17 years. Until her arrest in 2001, Ana Beln Montes used her position at the Defence Intelligence Agency to funnel classified documents to Cuba. Sophia Di Martino and FBI Special Agent Pete Lapp follow the trail of breadcrumbs that led to her downfall. In Part One, Ana's subtle genius for espionage sees her rise through the ranks of the US government. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production....
COINTELPRO, Part 2/2: The Burglary | FBI
It's March, 1971. 15 months have passed since the murder of Black Panthers leader Fred Hampton by the Chicago PD. But Hampton's killing is part of a concerted effort by the J Edgar Hoover's FBI to put down protest movements in the USA. Soon, the world will know the truth - all thanks to an intrepid gang of activist burglars and a trove of explosive secret files. Join Sophia Di Martino and journalist Betty Medsger for the final episode exploring a shameful chapter in FBI history - COINTELPRO. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series...
COINTELPRO, Part 1/2: The Black Panther Plot | FBI
It's 1969, and the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party is led by 21-year-old Fred Hampton. Hampton is beloved by his supporters, and hated beyond measure by J Edgar Hoover, the head of the FBI. Hoover is determined to stamp out this potential 'Black Messiah' - and he'll stop at nothing to do so. Join Sophia Di Martino and Civil Rights lawyer Jeffrey Haas for the first instalment in a 2-part exploration of a shameful chapter in FBI history - COINTELPRO. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced...
The Mighty Wurlitzer | CIA
The idealism of youth is a powerful thing. But when you're part of a movement, can you ever be sure of who's really pulling the strings? In the 1950s and 60s, a hidden hand is manipulating members of the National Student Association. But a change is going to come - and someone is bound to blow the whistle. Sophia Di Martino joins Professor Hugh Wilford to uncover the CIA's controversial involvement in student activism in the 20th century. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Music...
Project Scorpius, Part 2/2: Agony and Ecstasy | DES
When by-the-book rookie Pamela Robinson is partnered with maverick undercover cop Kevin Barnum, neither is sure of the other. But as the duo work a hair-raising undercover operation against a Hells Angels drug network, they find that they have more in common than a love of justice. In Part 2, Kevin and Pamela become unlikely pillars of the drug-dealing community. But the higher they rise, the further they have to fall. Sophia Di Martino narrates the gripping conclusion to a story of tradecraft, violence and romance. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma...
Project Scorpius, Part 1/2: The Armpiece | DES
When by-the-book rookie Pamela Robinson is partnered with maverick undercover cop Kevin Barnum, neither is sure of the other. But as the duo work a hair-raising undercover operation against a Hells Angels drug network, they find that they have more in common than a love of justice. In Part 1, Sophia Di Martino follows Kevin and Pamela as they adapt to life as 'husband and wife' drug dealers in Ontario, learning to work together under the constant threat of discovery - or worse. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley....
American Radical, Part 2/2: Sleeper Train | FBI
Tamer Elnoury is a patriotic American, a proud Muslim, and a highly-effective undercover agent. As part of the FBI's elite counter-terrorism taskforce, he's made a living out of fooling some of the worlds most dangerous radicals. In Part 2, the plot thickens as Tamer becomes embroiled in a deadly plot to derail a passenger train. But that's just the tip of the iceberg - Tunisian scientist and radical Islamist Chiheb Esseghaier reveals that an even greater threat is lurking on American soil. The FBI finds itself in a race against time to neutralize the threat. Sophia Di Martino narrates. From...
American Radical, Part 1/2: The Bump | FBI
Tamer Elnoury is a patriotic American, a proud Muslim, and a highly-effective undercover agent. As part of the FBI's elite counter-terrorism taskforce, he's made a living out of fooling some of the worlds most dangerous radicals. In Part 1, Tamer goes undercover to meet with a Tunisian scientist whom the FBI suspects of holding extremist views. But in his world, there's no such thing as simple meet-and-greet. When things start to go sideways, Tamer has to think fast to stay on course. Sophia Di Martino narrates. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma...
Celebrity Spies, Part 3/3 - The Josephine Baker Effect | Deuxime Bureau
Celebrities, by definition, live life out in the open. Spies, on the other hand, are happiest in the shadows. But rules are made to be broken. In this True Spies trilogy, Sophia Di Martino tells the stories of three spies whose fame and fortune were no obstacle to their espionage. Whether they used their notoriety to their advantage, or operated in spite of it, these glamorous part-time spooks had a hand in the clandestine history of the 20th century. In the third and final instalment of Celebrity Spies, triple-threat superstar Josephine Baker weaponizes her unstoppable charisma in the service of...
The Razumov Files - Sample Episode
Spyscape Studios has launched TheRazumovFiles, an audacious audio reimagining of Joseph Conrads classic spy thriller Under Western Eyes starring Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey, Brave New World) and Maryam D'Abo (The Living Daylights). Approaching the events leading to the 1917 Russian Revolution like a present-day investigative podcast, TheRazumovFiles radically reinvents spy fiction for podcast fans. Episode 1 is available now, wherever you get your podcasts. The remaining five episodes are available exclusively on Apple Podcasts with a subscription to Spyscape+, which also gives you access to True Spies a week early and ad-free, plus a host of other subscriber-only content....
Celebrity Spies, Part 2/3 - The Most Beautiful Man in the Movies | OSS
Celebrities, by definition, live life out in the open. Spies, on the other hand, are happiest in the shadows. But rules are made to be broken. In this True Spies trilogy, Sophia Di Martino tells the stories of three spies whose fame and fortune were no obstacle to their espionage. Whether they used their notoriety to their advantage, or operated in spite of it, these glamorous part-time spooks had a hand in the clandestine history of the 20th century. In Part Two, Hollywood heart-throb Sterling Hayden takes to the high seas at the height of World War Two, earning his...
Celebrity Spies, Part 1/3 - The Dangerous Edge of Things | MI6
Celebrities, by definition, live life out in the open. Spies, on the other hand, are happiest in the shadows. But rules are made to be broken. In this True Spies trilogy, Sophia Di Martino tells the stories of three spies whose fame and fortune were no obstacle to their espionage. Whether they used their notoriety to their advantage, or operated in spite of it, these glamorous part-time spooks had a hand in the clandestine history of the 20th century. In Part One, we'll follow author, The Third Man screenwriter and MI6 spy Graham Greene on a mysterious mission to 1950s...
Exodus, Part 3/3: Adventure La Carte | Mossad
In the late 1970s, the Mossad launched one of history's most audacious missions: Operation Brothers. Their goal? To rescue thousands of Ethiopian Jews facing violence, and bring them safely to Israel. In this deep three-part retelling of the very first True Spies story, Sophia Di Martino meets Mossad operatives Daniel Limor, Rubi Viterbo and Gad Shimron, who worked undercover to lead the covert evacuations. We also hear from Takele Mekonen, one of the thousands of Jews saved during the operation. In Part Three, the Red Sea plays host to a series of daring escapes as the Mossad operatives establish a...
Exodus, Part 2/3: Passports and Prison Cells | Mossad
In the late 1970s, the Mossad launched one of history's most audacious missions: Operation Brothers. Their goal? To rescue thousands of Ethiopian Jews facing violence, and bring them safely to Israel. In this deep three-part retelling of the very first True Spies story, Sophia Di Martino meets Mossad operatives Daniel Limor, Rubi Viterbo and Gad Shimron, who worked undercover to lead the covert evacuations. We also hear from Takele Mekonen, one of the thousands of Jews saved during the operation. In Part Two, Dani Limor and Ferede Aklum press on, despite growing uneasiness back in Israel. But a stroke of...
Exodus, Part 1/3: The Telegram | Mossad
In the late 1970s, the Mossad launched one of history's most audacious missions: Operation Brothers. Their goal? To rescue thousands of Ethiopian Jews facing violence, and bring them safely to Israel. In this deep three-part retelling of the very first True Spies story, Sophia Di Martino meets Mossad operatives Daniel Limor, Rubi Viterbo and Gad Shimron, who worked undercover to lead the covert evacuations. We also hear from Takele Mekonen, one of the thousands of Jews saved during the operation. In Part One, Dani Limor recounts the frantic early days of the mission, and his partnership with the heroic Ethiopian...
Balkan Betrayals, Part 2/2: Escape from Sarajevo | CIA
In the early 1990s, the collapse of Yugoslavia sparked a brutal series of conflicts in Eastern Europe. At first, the USA pursued a policy of non-intervention - officially. Unofficially? That's where H.K Roy comes in. Sophia Di Martino joins H.K as he keeps tabs on the warzone for the CIA. In Part 2, things heat up for H.K on the war-torn streets of Sarajevo, where trust is in short supply. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad...
Balkan Betrayals, Part 1/2: The Correspondent | CIA
In the early 1990s, the collapse of Yugoslavia sparked a brutal series of conflicts in Eastern Europe. At first, the USA pursued a policy of non-intervention - officially. Unofficially? That's where H.K Roy comes in. Sophia Di Martino joins H.K as he monitors the warzone for the CIA. In Part 1, H.K makes the leap from plying his tradecraft in a quiet corner of the continent to becoming a spy-cum-war-reporter, brushing against danger at every turn. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick...
Tradecraft, Part 6
The tools in a spy's arsenal are more varied than you might think. But they all come under one name: Tradecraft. In our sixth round of insights from the world of espionage, Sophia Di Martino learns how to spy in a warzone, meets undercover journalists in Putin's Russia and investigates a CIA mole in our annual digest of the series so far. Could YOU master the craft? From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Alex Burnard. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Tradecraft, Part 5
The tools in a spy's arsenal are more varied than you might think. But they all come under one name: Tradecraft. In our fifth round of insights from the world of espionage, Sophia Di Martino encounters a dictator on the run, an undercover Hells Angel, a mole in the NSA and more in our annual digest of the series so far. Could YOU master the craft? From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Alex Burnard. Music by Nick Ryan.
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How to Steal a MiG, Part 2/2: The Men in Plaid | CIA
In the skies over Cairo, an unlit military transport plane makes a wary descent in to the city's international airport. Under cover of darkness, it's loaded with a precious consignment - an artefact that the USA has gone to great lengths to procure. Not a cursed relic, or a crystal skull - but a cutting-edge Russian fighter jet. In Part Two, CIA Officer Jim Fees' daughter, Paula, and aviation expert Steve Davies guide Sophia di Martino through the final stages of a daring desert heist - and explain the true significance of this exceptional Cold War coup. From SPYSCAPE, the...
How to Steal a MiG, Part 1/2: The Pyramid Scheme | CIA
In the skies over Cairo, an unlit military transport plane makes a wary descent in to the city's international airport. Under cover of darkness, it's loaded with a precious consignment - an artefact that the USA has gone to great lengths to procure. Not a cursed relic, or a crystal skull - but a cutting-edge Russian fighter jet. In Part One, Sophia Di Martino flies cargo-class with the CIA's Jim Fees - the officer who stole a MiG-23 from under the nose of the Soviet Union in the late 1970s. To tell his story, we've enlisted Jim's only daughter, alongside...
Aldrich Ames - The Ultimate Double Agent, Part 2/2: Operation Nightmover | CIA
The CIA is only as strong as it's weakest link. And in the waning years of the Cold War, weak links were in ready supply. A number of trusted Agency officers were caught selling secrets to the Russian regime. And the most notorious traitor? Aldrich Hazen Ames. In part 2, Sophia Di Martino joins FBI Special Agent Leslie G Wiser Jr on the toughest assignment of his career so far. But to take down Aldrich Ames, he'll need to bend the rules... From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced...
Aldrich Ames - The Ultimate Double Agent, Part 1/2: Selling Secrets | CIA
The CIA is only as strong as it's weakest link. And in the waning years of the Cold War, weak links were in ready supply. A number of trusted Agency officers were caught selling secrets to the Russian regime. And the most notorious traitor? Aldrich Hazen Ames. In the first episode of a 2-part True Spies story, Sophia Di Martino joins journalist and spy chronicler Bryan Denson to uncover the inglorious origins of Ames' betrayal - and the beginnings of his downfall. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced...
The Bin Laden Files, Part 3/3: A Lion In Winter
As a new era of True Spies begins, Sophia di Martino joins the experts to reveal Osama bin Ladens origins, methods and motivation. CIA operatives Gina Bennett and Tracy Walder join CNNs Peter Bergen, the man who first interviewed Osama, to share the unvarnished truth about Bin Ladens rise to power. In Part 3, the hunt begins for the world's most infamous terrorist begins in earnest - and a humble courier has an important part to play. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by...
The Bin Laden Files, Part 2/3: Take The Shot
As a new era of True Spies begins, Sophia di Martino joins the experts to reveal Osama bin Ladens origins, methods and motivation. CIA operatives Gina Bennett and Tracy Walder join CNNs Peter Bergen, the man who first interviewed Osama, to share the unvarnished truth about Bin Ladens rise to power. In Part 2, the world begins to pay attention to Bin Laden - and the CIA makes its first moves against the Al Qaeda kingpin. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by Nick...
The Bin Laden Files, Part 1/3: The Making of Osama
As a new era of True Spies begins, Sophia di Martino joins the experts to reveal Osama bin Ladens origins, methods and motivation. CIA operatives Gina Bennett and Tracy Walder join CNNs Peter Bergen, the man who first interviewed Osama, to share the unvarnished truth about Bin Ladens rise to power. In Part 1 of this three-part epic we follow Bergen to the mountainous Afghan-Pakistan border region for the recording of the first televised interview with the Al Qaeda leader. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Max...
The Legal Attach, Part 2/2: Lobsters in a Box | FBI
The men and women of the FBI are entrusted with defending Americans from their enemies at home and abroad. As an FBI Legat, Kathy Stearman performed that service in a variety of foreign locales. But even as she faced off against terrorists, she was fighting another insidious threat - one that affects women in every field. Vanessa Kirby joins Kathy for a no-holds-barred look at the realities of misogyny and sexism at the heart of the Bureau - and how those realities affected her in some of the world's most dangerous environments. In Part 2, Kathy becomes a key witness...
True Spies: A New Era
Prepare for a new era of True Spies stories, as told by Sophia Di Martino.
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The Legal Attach, Part 1/2: Kentucky Windage | FBI
The men and women of the FBI are entrusted with defending Americans from their enemies at home and abroad. As an FBI Legat, Kathy Stearman performed that service in a variety of foreign locales. But even as she faced off against terrorists, she was fighting another insidious threat - one that affects women in every field. Vanessa Kirby joins Kathy for a no-holds-barred look at the realities of misogyny and sexism at the heart of the Bureau - and how those realities affected her in some of the world's most dangerous environments. In Part 1, Kathy finds herself in the...
The Fourth Man, Part 2/2: The Rock Star | CIA
In the late 80s and early 90s, the Agency was rocked by a series of high-profile turncoats Aldrich Ames, Robert Hanssen, and Edward Lee Howard all leaked secrets to the Russians, with often-deadly consequences for agents on the ground. 20 years later, former CIA officer Bob Baer caught wind of a disturbing possibility - that a fourth, and even more insidious mole might have been active at the heart of America's intelligence community. In Part 2, Vanessa Kirby joins Bob Baer in the present day, where renewed interest in the Fourth Man case throws up more questions than answers... From...
The Fourth Man, Part 1/2: The Big Case | CIA
In the late 80s and early 90s, the Agency was rocked by a series of high-profile turncoats Aldrich Ames, Robert Hanssen, and Edward Lee Howard all leaked secrets to the Russians, with often-deadly consequences for agents on the ground. 20 years later, former CIA officer Bob Baer caught wind of a disturbing possibility - that a fourth, and even more insidious mole might have been active at the heart of America's intelligence community. In Part 1, Vanessa Kirby joins Bob at the outset of an ongoing investigation with the potential to rock the CIA all over again. From SPYSCAPE, the...
Veil of Beads, Part 3/3: The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful | Investigation
Everywhere on Earth has its own flavors of greed, corruption and lies. And everywhere produces its own champions - beacons of light in the murk. In Sub-Saharan Africa, that champion is Anas Aremeyaw Anas - investigative reporter extraordinaire. Hiding his face behind a veil of beads, Anas goes deep undercover to expose the rot at society's heart. In Part 3, an investigation into endemic corruption within Ghana's soccer industry has tragic consequences for Anas and his team. Vanessa Kirby narrates. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Frank...
Veil of Beads, Part 2/3: The Ritual | Investigation
Everywhere on Earth has its own flavors of greed, corruption and lies. And everywhere produces its own champions - beacons of light in the murk. In Sub-Saharan Africa, that champion is Anas Aremeyaw Anas - investigative reporter extraordinaire. Hiding his face behind a veil of beads, Anas goes deep undercover to expose the rot at society's heart. In Part 2, Vanessa Kirby follows Anas and a rookie journalist, Henry Mhango, into a dangerous confrontation with a gang of unscrupulous ritual killers. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by...
Veil of Beads, Part 1/3: The Method and the Madness | Investigation
Everywhere on Earth has its own flavors of greed, corruption and lies. And everywhere produces its own champions - beacons of light in the murk. In Sub-Saharan Africa, that champion is Anas Aremeyaw Anas - investigative reporter extraordinaire. Hiding his face behind a veil of beads, Anas goes deep undercover to expose the rot at society's heart. In Part 1, Vanessa Kirby follows Anas on a dangerous mission to bust a drugs ring operating out of a Ghanaian mental hospital. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Frank...
Mexican Maneuvers, Part 2/2: By The Dawn's Early Light
In Mexico, life can come cheap - but some are worth millions. When ruthless gangs kidnap the loved ones of the wealthy, the ransoms can soar in to seven-figure sums. And when that happens, Nick Brokhausen and Jeff Miller are the men you want on your side of the negotiating table. They're former Special Forces operatives who've spent a lifetime solving problems and making money in some of the most dangerous parts of the world. In Part 2, Vanessa Kirby joins the duo on a second adventure south of the border. This time, a Mexican dairy tycoon is in danger...
Mexican Maneuvers, Part 1/2: Pancho and Cisco
In Mexico, life can come cheap - but some are worth millions. When ruthless gangs kidnap the loved ones of the wealthy, the ransoms can soar in to seven-figure sums. And when that happens, Nick Brokhausen and Jeff Miller are the men you want on your side of the negotiating table. They're former Special Forces operatives who've spent a lifetime solving problems and making money in some of the most dangerous parts of the world. In Part 1, Vanessa Kirby joins Jeff and Nick on the trail of a kidnapping victim in Texcoco - and they'll use any means necessary...
CASSIA Spy Ring, Pt. 2/2: The Best Laid Plans | Historical | WW2
In the face of an historical evil, would YOU have the courage to resist? It's a question that weighed heavily on the members of the CASSIA spy ring - a civilian resistance operation based out of a church in occupied Vienna. Vanessa Kirby joins ex-CIA officer Christopher Turner and Austrian intelligence expert Siegfried Bier to uncover a story of extreme courage in the face of insurmountable odds. In Part 2, the Austrian spies are folded in to the OSS - America's new foreign intelligence agency. But the acquisition comes with unforeseen - and deadly - complications. From SPYSCAPE, the home...
CASSIA Spy Ring, Pt. 1/2: The Priest and the CEO | Historical | WW2
In the face of an historical evil, would YOU have the courage to resist? It's a question that weighed heavily on the members of the CASSIA spy ring - a civilian resistance operation based out of a church in occupied Vienna. Vanessa Kirby joins ex-CIA officer Christopher Turner and Austrian intelligence expert Siegfried Bier to uncover a story of extreme courage in the face of insurmountable odds. In Part 1, we meet clergyman Heinrich Maier and rubber tycoon Franz Messner - unlikely friends who became the core of a new movement. Together, they recruited like-minded individuals to strike back at...
Russia's Laundromat, Part 3/3: Putin's Butler? | Investigation
All around the world, dirty money pollutes public and private life. Those who wield it are a diverse cast of businessmen, politicians, and criminals - and sometimes, they're all three. In this anthology, Vanessa Kirby meets the investigators using open source intelligence to expose the murky relationship between international institutions and Russian financial crime. In Part 3, author and journalist Oliver Bullough exposes the UK's role as a facilitator of questionable foreign wealth - a butler to the world. When a shady Ukrainian businessman with ties to the Kremlin embeds himself at the heart of the British establishment, Oliver is...
Russia's Laundromat, Part 2/3: The Godfather | Investigation
All around the world, dirty money pollutes public and private life. Those who wield it are a diverse cast of businessmen, politicians, and criminals - and sometimes, they're all three. In this anthology, Vanessa Kirby meets the investigators using open source intelligence to expose the murky relationship between international institutions and Russian financial crime. In Part 2, investigative journalist Olesya Shmagun goes on record with her efforts to expose the financial dealings of a wealthy musician with close ties to the Kremlin. But working against corruption inside the Russian Federation isn't without risk.Would YOU poke the bear? From SPYSCAPE, the...
Russia's Laundromat, Part 1/3: The Minister of Thievery | Investigation
All around the world, dirty money pollutes public and private life. Those who wield it are a diverse cast of businessmen, politicians, and criminals - and sometimes, they're all three. In this anthology, Vanessa Kirby meets the investigators using open source intelligence to expose the murky relationship between international institutions and Russian financial crime. In Part 1, former financier and anti-corruption activist Roman Borisovich details an undercover operation in London, where an eager real-estate industry is all too willing to get rich off of ill-gotten cash. Could YOU shine a light in the shadows? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets....
Special Relationships, Part 3/3: Hands Across Libya | CIA & MI6
After a shaky start, the friendship between Britain and America has blossomed in to one of the most important alliances on the world stage. In this anthology, Vanessa Kirby relates three crucial chapters in the evolution of the Special Relationship. In Part 3, former CIA case officer Jim Lawler and intelligence writer Michael Smith lift the lid on a rare joint operation between the CIA and MI6. When AQ Khan - the father of Pakistan's nuclear program - is caught selling nuclear secrets to rogue states, the Brits and the Americans must join forces to bring him down. To do...
Special Relationships, Part 2/3: The Lisbon Connection | Historical
After a shaky start, the friendship between Britain and America has blossomed in to one of the most important alliances on the world stage. In this anthology, Vanessa Kirby relates three crucial chapters in the evolution of the Special Relationship. In Part 2, scholar and intelligence professional Dr. Anthony Wells takes us behind the scenes in WW2-era Lisbon, where rival spies work tirelessly to turn the tide of war. Among their number is Commander Ian Fleming, who mounts an operation that will provide the inspiration for a daring new American intelligence agency... Could YOU survive in the City of Spies?...
Special Relationships, Part 1/3: The Zimmermann Telegram | Historical
After a shaky start, the friendship between Britain and America has blossomed in to one of the most important alliances on the world stage. In this anthology, Vanessa Kirby relates three crucial chapters in the evolution of the Special Relationship. In Part 1, scholar and intelligence professional Dr. Anthony Wells is your guide to the unprecedented carnage of World War One - and how a crafty British Naval Intelligence officer tipped the scales by bringing the USA in to the conflict. Could YOU adapt to a new reality? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series...
Team Alpha, Part 2/2: First Casualty | CIA
October 17, 2001. The dust of 9/11 has barely settled. America and the world are reeling. In Afghanistan, 8 CIA officers - a crack team of linguists, tribal experts and paramilitaries - are the first Americans to infiltrate Taliban territory after the attacks. Their mission is to ensure that Al Qaeda does not strike again. They are Team Alpha. In Part 2, Vanessa Kirby joins CIA linguist David Tyson and author Toby Harnden for the gripping conclusion to the first act of the War on Terror. Could YOU adapt to a new reality? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A...
Team Alpha, Part 1/2: The Tip of the Spear | CIA
October 17, 2001. The dust of 9/11 has barely settled. America and the world are reeling. In Afghanistan, 8 CIA officers - a crack team of linguists, tribal experts and paramilitaries - are the first Americans to infiltrate Taliban territory after the attacks. Their mission is to ensure that Al Qaeda does not strike again. They are Team Alpha. In Part 1, Vanessa Kirby joins CIA linguist David Tyson and author Toby Harnden to tell the true story of Team Alpha's first foray in to a dangerous and unpredictable new theatre of war. Could YOU adapt to a new reality?...
Sexpionage, Part 3/3: The Lover, the Ax, and Leon Trotsky | NKVD
Throughout history, spies have used sex, seduction and emotional manipulation to achieve their shadowy aims. In this 3-part anthology, Vanessa Kirby joins espionage authors Henry Schlesinger and Michael Smith to uncover the real stories behind some of history's most explosive honeytrap operations. In Part 3, Michael and Henry tell the real spy story behind one of history's most famous murders. When Ramn Mercader attacked Marxist revolutionary Leon Trotsky at his home in Mexico, the evidence suggested a crime of passion. In reality, it was the culmination of a long and intricate honeypot operation by Stalin's secret service. Could YOU get...
Sexpionage, Part 2/3: Russian Doll | SVR
Throughout history, spies have used sex, seduction and emotional manipulation to achieve their shadowy aims. In this 3-part anthology, Vanessa Kirby joins espionage authors Henry Schlesinger and Michael Smith to uncover the real stories behind some of history's most explosive honeytrap operations. In Part 2, Henry Schlesinger reveals the unlikely life and times of a celebrity spy. In 2010, Russian property entrepreneur Anna Chapman was exposed as one of 10 deep-cover agents working on US soil. Armed with SVR tradecraft, nightlife connections and charm to spare, she was linked to a variety of rich and influential men as she rose...
Sexpionage, Part 1/3: Operation Diamond | Mossad
Throughout history, spies have used sex, seduction and emotional manipulation to achieve their shadowy aims. In this 3-part anthology, Vanessa Kirby joins espionage authors Henry Schlesinger and Michael Smith to uncover the real stories behind some of history's most explosive honeytrap operations. In Part 1, Michael Smith relates an audacious plot by the Israeli Mossad in the turbulent 1960s. Mossad officers targeted Iraqi pilots, hoping to seduce them into defecting with a MiG-21 - the next-gen fighter plane favoured by Israel's enemies. In a bloody and dangerous mission spanning three continents, the outcome played a part in changing the face...
The Spy's Son, Part 2/2: Dark Inheritance | CIA
When he was arrested in 1996, Jim Nicholson - nicknamed 'Batman' - was the highest-ranking CIA officer to be convicted of espionage for the Russian Federation. 10 years later, he did it again. Join Vanessa Kirby for the first ever True Spies duology - a tale of spy-craft, treachery, and a toxic father-son relationship. In Part 2, DoJ Attorney Ethan Knight shines the spotlight on Nicholson's son, Nathan, who was manipulated by his incarcerated father into continuing his espionage work. But before long, his spy fantasies turned sour. Could YOU live a double life? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets....
The Spy's Son, Part 1/2: Bringing Down Batman | CIA
When he was arrested in 1996, Jim Nicholson - nicknamed 'Batman' - was the highest-ranking CIA officer to be convicted of espionage for the Russian Federation. 10 years later, he did it again. Join Vanessa Kirby for the first ever True Spies duology - a tale of spy-craft, treachery, and a toxic father-son relationship. In Part 1, veteran CIA case officer John Maguire tells the story of his strangest mission - an operation on American soil to bring down one of his own colleagues. Could YOU befriend a traitor? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production....
Network Request | DIA
LinkedIn - the social network for professionals - is a part of working life for millions of people around the world. But do you really know who you're connecting with? Vanessa Kirby joins former DIA officer J.T Mendoza on a cross-agency collaboration to take down Kevin Patrick Mallory - an American traitor recruited online by a hostile foreign power. Do YOU think before you click? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Music by Nick Ryan.
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I Was Never Here | CSIS
True Spies work in all sorts of far-flung locales - but some assignments are closer to home. For Andrew Kirsch, a Special Operations officer with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the suburbs of Toronto hold as much intrigue as Moscow or Baghdad. Vanessa Kirby joins Andrew on a nail-biting infiltration mission to unmask a home-grown terrorist, right in his back yard. Could YOU spy in suburbia? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Hidden Hand | CIA
Deep in the jungles of Central America, right-wing 'Contra' guerrillas face off against government forces. Major Alex, a Honduran army officer, trains and supplies the Contras on the ground. Except Major Alex isn't a Major at all - he's Ric Prado, CIA. Vanessa Kirby joins Ric as he recalls the most nail-biting moments from his time undercover. Could YOU survive the jungle? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Leo Hornak. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Undercover In The Old West | Historical
In the Old West, money talks and six-guns shout. All too often, it's not a world that rewards subtlety. Enter Charlie Siringo - a detective with the world-famous Pinkerton Agency. Vanessa Kirby joins Charlie to outwit outlaws, bust fraudulent prospectors and bring the hammer down on union toughs. Could YOU survive the Frontier? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Charlie Siringo is voiced by Mike Capozzola. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Leo Hornak. Music by Nick Ryan.
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The Spy Who Couldn't Spell | FBI
Some stories are too fascinating to go untold. Author and journalist Yudhijit Bhattacharjee tells them. When he heard about a dyslexic spy who came close to selling some of America's most dangerous secrets, he had to know more. With the help of the FBI agent who brought the traitor to justice, he spent years researching this incredible tale. Could YOU put the pieces together? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Emma Roberts. Music by Nick Ryan.
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King of Scotland Yard | Metropolitan Police Special Branch
It's 2003, and coalition forces have taken Baghdad. A conference is held to portion out the contracts that will sustain the occupation. The United Kingdom sends a minister to negotiate their share - but the war-torn city is too dangerous for him to travel alone. Enter Carlton King - a senior protection officer with the Metropolitan Police Special Branch. With no time, 3 handguns and a broken sat-phone, Carlton and his tight-knit team must prepare the ground for the Minister's visit. Could YOU guarantee his safety? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma...
Pure Green Greed | FBI
In 1992, the Cold War is all but over. But for Special Agent John Whiteside, the counter-espionage case of a lifetime is about to begin. An anonymous source reports a traitor within the NSA, active during the height of the Vietnam War. He thinks he's gotten away with it - but the crimes of the past call for modern justice. Could YOU turn the heat up on a cold case? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Frank Palmer. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad...
The Man on the Mountain | USMS
In the remote mountains of Northern Idaho, there's no shortage of places to hide. Fortunately, Deputy US Marshal Marc Cameron is an expert seeker. It's 1996, and a dangerous fugitive has taken refuge in the dense forests of Bonner County. Vanessa Kirby joins Marc on an audacious operation to lure the outlaw into the open. Could YOU hunt the deadliest game of all? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Q, Followed by U | Historical
It's World War One, and German submarine technology terrorises the British Navy. Fortunately, Captain Gordon Campbell is anything but traditional. He's at the helm of the first 'Q-boats' - heavily armed sub-busters, ingeniously disguised as civilian ships. Vanessa Kirby sets sail with Captain Campbell on a secretive mission to take back the oceans. Could YOU stare down a torpedo? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Captain Gordon Campbell is voiced by Justin Avoth. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Leo Hornak. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Catching Noriega | DIA
It's 1989, and the USA has invaded Panama. The country's corrupt leader, General Manuel Noriega, goes in to hiding. Martha Duncan of the Defense Intelligence Agency is tasked with tracking him down - and she'll do whatever it takes to bring him out in to the open. Vanessa Kirby joins the hunt for Panama's most wanted. Could YOU catch a dictator? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. . Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Louise Clarke-Rowbotham. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Lord of the Highway | Naval Intelligence
Uruzgan Province, Southern Afghanistan. An Army convoy rumbles in on the dangerous highway from Kandahar, bringing vital supplies to American troops. This is facilitated by Matiullah Khan, a local warlord with connections in the Afghan government. When two US soldiers are assassinated by an Afghan ally, Naval intelligence officer Matt Cricchio suspects that Khan might be behind the attack. Vanessa Kirby joins Matt on a mission to bring him down. Could YOU tell friend from foe? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. . Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by...
Havana Syndrome Special | Analysis
2 years after the USA resumed diplomatic relations with Cuba, American intelligence officers on the island began experiencing strange and debilitating neurological symptoms. Before long, the phenomenon began affecting US officials around the world. Veteran CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos was first afflicted during a trip to Russia in 2017 - and he's been fighting ever since. Vanessa Kirby joins Marc, Russia expert John Sipher and Dr. James Giordano to analyse the personal, political and medical possibilities behind the mysterious Havana Syndrome. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. . Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced...
The Ace of Spies | Historical
Who was Britain's Ace of Spies? The truth is, nobody really knows. But the name he used was Sidney Reilly - and nobody did it better.
Vanessa Kirby follows Sidney on his dark and bloody path through the early 20th century, reckoning with oil barons, personal pride, and the rise of Communism. Could YOU survive decades on the edge? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Sidney Reilly is voiced by Thomas Delacourt. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Leo Hornak. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Operation: Black Biscuit | ATF
Undercover ATF Agent Jay Dobyns was shot during his first week of work. He went on to spend 27 years in the field. That should tell you something about a man who risked his personal health and happiness to infiltrate one of America's toughest biker gangs, the Hell's Angels. Jay had to prove himself worthy of membership - and the price of admission was murder. Could YOU earn your patch? From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Emma Roberts. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad...
The Mole | Investigation
When health issues ended Ulrich Larsen's career in the kitchen, the Danish chef embarked on an altogether more dangerous livelihood - spying on North Korea. After gaining the trust of the Korean Friendship Association in Denmark, he was sent to the isolated dictatorship as an envoy, where he gathered evidence of sanction-busting deals in arms and narcotics. Could YOU become the Mole? From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Diane Hope. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Operation: Goldenrod | FBI
During the 1980s, a rash of hostage situations in the Middle East threatened American lives. in response, President Reagan authorised new legislation which empowered the FBI to hunt the hostage takers down - any time, any place. Former Assistant Director Oliver 'Buck' Revell led the first operation of this kind - a daring plot to capture a Lebanese hijacker off the coast of Cyprus. Vanessa Kirby joins Buck for a make-or-break mission in the Med. Could YOU make history? From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs....
Hunting The Wolverine | CIA
In the desert of Southern Afghanistan, CIA Case Officer Douglas Laux is on the hunt. He's traced a number of deadly IED attacks to a shadowy figure with ties to the Taliban. Now, his mission is to bring him down before more US personnel are killed. To do so, he'll have to push himself - and his assets - to the limit. How long could YOU take the heat? From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices....
The Consultants | Special Forces
Jeff Miller and Nick Brockhausen are two ex-Green Berets who share a brotherhood forged in battle. Their philosophy? Where there's war, there's money to be made. And if you can do a little good at the same time, all the better. In the 1990s, Jeff and Nick decided to open a commando training school for Bosnian forces in the besieged capital of Sarajevo. But first, they needed funding. Vanessa Kirby follows them on a gonzo adventure replete with political intrigue and deadly near-misses in the heat of war. Could YOU make a difference - and a fortune too? From SPYSCAPE,...
Undercover With The Nipsters | Investigation
Writer and researcher Julia Ebner makes a living out of infiltrating extremist groups. In the divided political landscape of the 21st century, some of those groups are making a play for the mainstream. Enter Generation Identity - a European far-right organisation putting a millennial gloss on old and dangerous ideas. Vanessa Kirby follows Julia as she goes undercover with the Nazi Hipsters - Nipsters, for short. Could YOU blend in? From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad...
Tradecraft, Part 4
The tools in a spy's arsenal are more varied than you might think. But they all come under one name: Tradecraft. In our fourth round of insights from the world of espionage, Vanessa Kirby meets brave investigators, wily whistleblowers and whip-smart spycatchers in the ultimate digest of the series so far. Could YOU master the craft? From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Alex Burnard. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Tradecraft, Part 3
The tools in a spy's arsenal are more varied than you might think. But they all come under one name: Tradecraft. In our third round of insights from the world of espionage, Vanessa Kirby meets daring undercovers, sweet-talking case officers and spies who shaped history in the ultimate digest of the series so far. Could YOU master the craft? From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Alex Burnard. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Stalin's Romeo Spy | Historical
In the fall of 1973, journalist Emil Draitser met an ageing Soviet super-spy. His name was Dmitri Brystrolyotov, and for him, sex and secrets went hand-in-hand. At the time, Emil could scarcely believe what he heard - much less publish it. 30 years later, long after the collapse of the USSR, Brystrolyotov's story could finally be told. Vanessa Kirby enters a world of seduction, secrets and lies between the wars. Could YOU mix business and pleasure? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick...
White Traitor | ANC
To her colleagues, South African journalist Sue Dobson appeared to be a pro-Apartheid conservative. Nothing could have been further from the truth. In fact, she was a trained paramilitary and secret agent, infiltrating the government's propaganda wing on behalf of the African National Congress. Vanessa Kirby relates an incredible story of bravery in the face of bigotry. How hard would YOU fight for a better future? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Leo Hornak. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Asset Terminated | CIA
Today, veteran CIA operative Doug Patteson is an expert in his field. But as a rookie Case Officer in South-East Asia, he still had a lot to learn. When the Agency put him in an awkward position, Doug was forced to find the middle-ground between his personal code and the life he chose. Could YOU always put the job first? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Emma Roberts. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Moonlight Maze | DoD
It's 1999, and DoD intelligence officer Bob Gourley is at the vanguard of the US Government's defence against cyber-espionage. He's joined a taskforce charged with uncovering the shadowy hackers who have been siphoning America's scientific secrets for 3 years. If he wants answers, Bob needs to navigate cutting-edge tech, inter-agency backbiting and the machinations of an old enemy. Could YOU stop a hacker in their tracks? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by James Trew. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Monkey Business | Historical
Spy. Counterspy. Mercenary. Informant. Ricardo 'Monkey' Morales was all these things and more. Rising from humble beginnings in Cuba, he served within various intelligence agencies before becoming notorious in the criminal underworld of 1980s Miami. But when the FBI came knocking, he mounted a daring wire-tap operation against the city's powerful drug lords - Operation Tick Talks. Which side would YOU choose? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Ricardo 'Monkey' Morales is voiced by J.J Caruncho. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Justin Trefgarne. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad...
Me and the Mullah | DIA
It's 2011, and the hunt for Osama Bin Laden is intensifying. Shawnee Delaney, a case officer for the Defense Intelligence Agency, is determined to be the one to bring him in. But her source on the ground - an Islamic scholar with ties to Al Qaeda - proves to be a difficult man to recruit. To succeed, she needs to figure out what motivates him - and fast. Could YOU make the killer pitch? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn...
The War Driver | Investigation
When it comes to cyber-espionage, white-hat hacker Matt Devost is someone you want on your side. When a corporate client reported extortionate emails from an unknown aggressor, Matt was determined to unmask them. To do so, he'd need to test the limits of his considerable skills - and step out from behind the keyboard. Could YOU become a hacker for hire? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Diane Hope. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Allied with Al-Qaeda | CIA
CIA Operations Officer Doug London had one shot to recruit one of Al-Qaeda'skey facilitators. Doug has to find common ground with a man with a vastly different background and beliefsystem. Lives hang in the balance. He has to succeed.Vanessa Kirby tells the storyof how Dougdid it. Howwould YOU do it? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Morgan Childs. Music by Nick Ryan.
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The Reluctant Narco | DEA
When banker Keith Bulfin went to prison, he entered a waking nightmare. When he got out, things only got worse. As a reluctant agent of the DEA, he was tasked with infiltrating the brutal world of the Cartels. If he was successful, he'd be given a chance to return to his old life. If not, living wouldn't be an issue. Could YOU take the strain? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan.
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The Digital Silk Road | Investigation
Linguist and intelligence analyst Charity Wright has spent her career monitoring China. But as the country expands its influence around the globe, she's worried that the balance of global power could be shifting. Vanessa Kirby reveals the ways in which Chinese espionage could shape the future of the planet. What could YOU discover? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Music by Nick Ryan.
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The Real Sopranos | FBI
FBI agent Giovanni Rocco grew up playing in the back yards of New Jersey's criminal class. As an adult, he went undercover to take them down. Vanessa Kirby follows Giovanni's descent into the violent world that inspired HBO's hit series, The Sopranos. Could YOU meet the Family - and live? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Leo Hornak. Music by Nick Ryan.
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The Code Clerk | FBI
In Atlanta, a woman is found murdered. The suspect? An employee of a hostile Embassy, responsible for monitoring secret communications. He's also a spy, recruited by the FBI. Now he's on the run, and the pressure is on for the Bureau to bring him in - before his own side take him out. Vanessa Kirby joins former Assistant Director for Counterintelligence Frank Figliuzzi on a manhunt with international implications. Could YOU beat the clock? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Frank Palmer. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn...
The Philadelphia Wire | FBI
Northern Philadelphia, 1989. FBI agent Judy Tyler is on the hunt. Her target? A local entrepreneur with a lucrative side-line as a cocaine kingpin. From wiretaps to polygraphs to secret cameras, Judy has the Bureau's full arsenal of tradecraft tricks at her disposal - but can she get her man before someone gets hurt? Vanessa Kirby joins Judy on the mean streets of Philly. Could YOU clean them up? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices....
The Gadget Master | MI6 | WW2
Missionary. Agent. Inventor. Charles Fraser-Smith fought his war from a workshop, creating the real-life equipment that would inspire one of Ian Flemings' most beloved creations - Q, the MI6 quartermaster. During WW2, Fraser-Smith was the mind behind some of the British spy's most essential kit in the fight against the Nazis. Vanessa Kirby meets the man behind the gadgets. Could YOU bring it back in one piece? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Charles Fraser-Smith is voiced by Tom Hayes. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Leo Hornak. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn...
A Spy Amongst Skinheads | FBI
It's the early-90's, and the USA is still reeling from the LA Race Riots. A paranoid Far Right are preparing for all-out war. With his blonde hair and blue eyes, Mike German is the picture-perfect neo-Nazi. But in reality, he's working undercover, infiltrating a cell of violent white supremacists for the FBI. Vanessa Kirby joins Mike in the belly of the beast. Could YOU survive to tell the tale? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices....
The Armageddon Papers | FBI
What secrets do you give away with the twitch of an eyelid - the tap of a finger? Joe Navarro knows. As an FBI agent, he developed an innate gift for reading body language. But when Joe came up against hyper-intelligent US traitor Rod Ramsay, those skills were put to the test. The consequences of failure? Nuclear. Vanessa Kirby enters a world of lies and misdirection. Could YOU look beneath the mask? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Mariana Des Forges. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more...
Rise and Kill First | Mossad
Ronen Bergman is comfortable in the company of spies. As one of Israel's foremost investigative journalists, he's been privy to the inner workings of the country's legendary intelligence community. But when he was tasked with writing a definitive history of the Mossad's targeted assassinations, he came up against serious resistance from inside the organisation. Vanessa Kirby gets the inside scoop on a unique and secretive institution. How far would YOU go for the truth? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn...
Operation: Bullwinkle | FBI
Robert Wittman was a special kind of Special Agent. During his long career with the FBI, he went undercover to retrieve millions of dollars worth of stolen art. When a priceless Rembrandt was stolen from Sweden's National Gallery, Robert descended into Europe's criminal underworld to get it back. Vanessa Kirby narrates a high-stakes hunt for a truly unique prize. Would YOU accept the price of failure? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Frank Palmer. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Psychic Spies | DoD
As head of the STARGATE programme, sponsored by the US Department of Defense, his job was to prove the existence of psychic phenomena - and then use them against America's enemies. Vanessa Kirby enters a world of remote viewing, daring rescues and Cold War intrigue. Could YOU explain the inexplicable? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Music by Nick Ryan.
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The Ritchie Boys | WW2
It's 1944 - 3 days after D-Day. 22-year old Guy Stern lands in Normandy. Unlike many of his comrades in the US Army, it's not his first time in Europe. Forced to leave Germany in 1937, he returns as part of an elite Military Intelligence unit charged with interrogating German POWs in their native tongue. Now 99 years old, Guy tells Vanessa Kirby a story of wit and courage in the face of unimaginable pressure. Could YOUR words win a war? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by...
You Me, Same Same | CIA
Ryan Hillsberg can be whoever you want him to be. As a CIA case officer, he recruited assets for the Agency by transforming himself into their ideal companion - a confidante par excellence. But maintaining a degree of professional detachment isn't always easy. Vanessa Kirby follows Ryan on one of his most memorable recruitments. Could YOU make friends and influence people? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Morgan Childs. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Mission in the Dog Meat Valley | Investigation
CW: Animal cruelty. In South Korea, dog meat is a controversial delicacy. The farming of dogs for meat is largely unregulated, and animals are kept in horrendous conditions. Activists Nami Kim and Nina Jackel are on a personal mission to stop the slaughter. But to expose their enemies, they'll need to gather the right intelligence - and put their own safety on the line. Vanessa Kirby tells a story of courage in the face of cruelty. Could YOU defend the defenceless? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Mariana Des...
The ATHAR Project | Investigation
Across the ravaged towns and cities of Syria, looters are trafficking the country's rich reserves of priceless antiquities. Amr Al-Azm and Katie A. Paul, two US-based academics, became unlikely spymasters on a mission to hold the looters to account. Standing in their way are ISIS militants, a hostile regime and the world's largest social network. Vanessa Kirby tells a powerful story of preservation in the face of destruction. What's YOUR cause? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices....
CIA? More Like CON | Investigation
Wayne Simmons was the toast of cable news. A former CIA officer with a storied operational history, he was called upon to comment on matters concerning the Agency. The only problem? He'd never served at all. Vanessa Kirby meets Kent Clizbe, the genuine ex-CIA operations officer who revealed Simmons' fraud to the world at large. Could YOU sniff out a liar? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Claire Crofton. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Catch Me If You Can | BRIXMIS
In the divided Germany of the 1980s, spying was a way of life. Dave Butler knows - he was there. As part of BRIXMIS, a British military liaison unit with an unofficial sideline in espionage, he ran missions deep inside Communist territory. But they didn't always go to plan. Vanessa Kirby tells a story of danger and disaster behind enemy lines. Could YOU go up against the Stasi? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Mariana Des Forges. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices....
The Mouse at Pearl Harbor | WW2
A single spy can change the course of history - for better, or for worse. Takeo Yoshikawa was one such spy. Stationed in Honolulu, Yoshikawa's intelligence was used by the Japanese to launch a devastating attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The massacre brought the USA in to WW2, and ultimately led to Japan's crushing defeat. He shares his unsettling story with Vanessa Kirby. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Takeo Yoshikawa is voiced by Eiji Mihara. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Morgan Childs. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices....
The Sociopathic Spy | CIA
Location - unknown. Time period - classified. Hero? You decide.
Jim Lawler is one of the CIA's most successful recruiters of foreign spies. But even he had to start somewhere. Vanessa Kirby joins Jim on his first foreign posting. His mission? To enlist a crucial intelligence asset for the USA. To do it, he'll stop at nothing to manipulate, subvert, and seduce his target. How far would YOU go? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan.
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The Destroyed Man | Investigation
Betrayal. It's an important theme in spy fiction. But Steve Chao, investigative journalist, has seen it up close - and the price of betrayal is all too real. Vanessa Kirby joins Steve as he meets a reluctant spy who could be the key to breaking a story of truly global significance. Would YOU break your silence? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Frank Palmer. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Trade Secrets | Investigation
Once, money made the world go round. Today, it's semiconductors. They're the hardware that enables global communications, nuclear weapons systems and more. Taiwan is the world's largest semiconductor producer - and it's under attack. Vanessa Kirby meets Chad Duffy and CK Chen, cybersecurity experts who defend the industry from catastrophic damage at the hands of malicious hackers. Could YOU become a keyboard warrior? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by James Trew. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Making Jack Falcone | FBI
CW: Violence, Suicide, Strong Language Undercover FBI agent Joaquin 'Jack' Garcia spent more than 20 years in disguise as various drug dealers, gangbangers and bad guys. But his final role was the one he was born to play. With little more than his wits, a wire, and an encyclopedic knowledge of Italian food, Jack infiltrated New York's notorious Gambino crime family. Vanessa Kirby tells a story of bravery and brutality in the shadow of the Big Apple. Could YOU become a made man? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by...
The Boiling Frog | CIA
At the peak of his career, Jack Devine was one of the world's top spymasters. But everybody starts somewhere. Vanessa Kirby follows Jack to Chile on his first overseas assignment. It's 1971, and the CIA is determined to undermine the country's socialist government. But as a military coup plot begins to gather steam, he's about to learn an important lesson - be careful what you wish for. Could YOU stay out of hot water? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Morgan Childs. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about...
Her Majesty's Secret Service | Historical
Protestant England faces an existential threat from Catholic Spain. Queen Elizabeth calls on Sir Francis Walsingham, the Royal spymaster, to undermine the Spanish war effort. Vanessa Kirby tells a story of loyalty, fear, and the terrible lengths to which a good spy will go to protect Queen and Country. Could YOU sink an Armada? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Sir Francis Walsingham is voiced by Linus Roache. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Justin Trefgarne. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Searching For The Soldier | NSA
From the Australian outback, a top-secret NSA signals station intercepts intelligence concerning America and her allies. It's 1995, and a US fighter pilot is shot down over the former Yugoslavia. The team at Pine Gap must locate his distress signal before it's too late. Vanessa Kirby joins signals analyst David Rosenberg on an international race against time. Could YOU save a life at 8000 miles? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Claire Crofton. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Russia's Most Wanted | Investigation
Bill Browder's fund made billions in the wake of the Soviet Union's collapse. But in the new Russia, the cost of doing business could be counted in more than cash. When Bill caught wind of widespread financial corruption in the country, he decided to act - making powerful enemies in the process. Vanessa Kirby unravels a story of money, power and terrible sacrifice. Would YOU challenge the powers that be? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Mariana Des Forges. Music by Nick Ryan. Correction: The original programme stated that...
Operation Game Over | Investigation
Vanessa Kirby meets Andrea Crosta, a dotcom tycoon turned undercover activist and elephant saviour. Confronted with the brutality of the illegal ivory trade, Andrea made it his mission to make a difference - by any means necessary. How hard would YOU fight for what you believe in? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by James Trew. Music by Nick Ryan
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Indian Actors | Investigation
Meet the EU Disinfo Lab, the open-source investigators exposing disinformation at the heart of Europe's most important institutions. In 2019, they discovered a complex network of websites and NGOs, all hijacked by actors with an anti-Pakistan agenda. Researcher Roman Adamczyk brings Vanessa Kirby on a mission to reveal the fake news and malign influences that shape international politics. Do YOU believe everything you read? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production.Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Operation Zulu Cricket | Detective
What do you get if you combine a huge quantity of heroin, a terrorist organisation, and an undercover agent? Operation Zulu Cricket. Peter Bleksley spent years breaking bread with dangerous criminals, but one mission pushed him to his limit. Vanessa Kirby explores a story of tactics, terror and tradecraft in Cool Britannia. Would YOU give yourself away?
From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production.Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Ant Adeane. Music by Nick Ryan.
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New Russia, New Rules | CIA
It's 1993, and Russia is tearing itself apart. A violent coup is threatening to derail Boris Yeltsin's fragile post-Soviet government. Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, Deputy Chief of Station for the CIA in Moscow, is caught in the crossfire. To get out alive, he'll need to lean on an unlikely new ally - Russian Intelligence. Vanessa Kirby tells his story. Could YOU break bread with the enemy? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production.Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan.
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The Spy In The Cornfield | FBI
In the golden cornfields of rural Iowa, mysterious men are stealing seeds. Corn is big business - and the secret of growing good corn is priceless intellectual property. But is this a simple case of corporate theft, or foreign espionage in a vital strategic battle between nations? Vanessa Kirby joins Special Agent Mark Betten, FBI, on his mission to find out. Could YOU dig up the truth? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Tim Mansel. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Bring Down The Big Man | Detective
From London to Lagos, a web of corruption is spreading. At its center is James Ibori, AKA The Big Man - a Nigerian politician with a taste for the high life. Vanessa Kirby meets Jonathan Benton, the British detective who followed the trail of dirty cash that put Ibori behind bars. But when allegations of corruption were turned against Jonathan's team, he had to fight to ensure that justice was served. Could YOU bring down the Big Man - and keep him down, too? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced...
Surviving NXIVM | Investigation | Spy Sisters
In 2005, actress Sarah Edmondson joined NXIVM, a company offering 'personal development' coaching. 12 years later, she realized that she had been brainwashed into a dangerous sex-trafficking cult. She borrowed techniques from the world of spy tradecraft to bring down the man behind the curtain - Keith Raniere. Vanessa Kirby joins Sarah on a journey that forced her to question everything she thought she knew. Could YOU take back control? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
The Profiler | FBI
July 20th, 1993. White House Counsel Vince Foster is found dead, apparently by his own hand. Rumours of foul play are circulating - and some very famous names are in the mix. FBI Profiler Jim Clemente must use his best tradecraft to find out what happened. Vanessa Kirby follows Jim on an investigation that sent shockwaves through the corridors of power. Could YOU uncover the truth? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Frank Palmer. Music by Nick Ryan.
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The Not-So-Beautiful Game | Detective
It's high summer in the Italian beach resort of Rimini. But Garry Rogers isnt on holiday. Hes working undercover, infiltrating some of Britain's most dangerous soccer hooligans as they enjoy the 1990 World Cup. Vanessa Kirby follows Garry into a violent world of booze, beatings and naked belligerence as he walks a thin line between lawman and thug. Could YOU handle the pressure? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Tim Mansel. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Putin's Palace? | Investigation
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny believes the Russian state poisoned him in August 2020. In January 2021, he released a film that sent shockwaves through the country. Part-expos, part-psychological portrait, his investigation claimed to reveal a culture of corruption within the Kremlin - with President Putin at its heart. In February 2021, Navalny was jailed. In this special episode of True Spies, Vanessa Kirby presents an abridged version of Navalny's explosive investigation. The Kremlin deny everything - how far would YOU go to fight against your government? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Alexei Navalny...
Inside NAMBLA | FBI
CW: This episode contains details relating to the sexual abuse of children. In 26 years undercover with the FBI, Bob Hamer developed a thick skin. He's posed as a contract killer, a drug dealer - even an international arms dealer. But there's one case he could never quite shake off. Vanessa Kirby tells the chilling story of Bob's descent into the twisted world of NAMBLA - an organization dedicated to enabling child sex abuse. Could YOU take them down? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production.Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Frank Palmer. Music by Nick...
Seven Female Spies | WW2 | Spy Sisters
CW: This episode contains descriptions of Nazi war-crimes that some listeners may find upsetting. During the Second World War, Vera Atkins sent hundreds of British spies into Occupied France. Some of them never came back - and nobody knew why. Vanessa Kirby shares the story of one woman's mission to find answers in the rubble of post-war Europe.How far would YOU go for the truth? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production.Vera Atkins was voiced by Clare Wille. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices....
Mandela's Spy | ANC
As an undercover officer in South Africa, Bradley Steyn played his part in a deadly culture of racial oppression - Apartheid. After meeting an inspirational freedom fighter, he made the life-changing decision to switch sides. For years, Bradley worked from the inside to destroy the institutions of apartheid. What would you RISK for what you believe in? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Tim Mansel. Music by Nick Ryan. O Fortuna from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff, performed by MIT Concert Choir, is licensed under an Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United...
The Money Spy | FSB
How do you flee your country and join the other side? A former Russian intelligence agent gives Vanessa Kirby a rare masterclass in international tradecraft. Janosh Neumann fled Moscow armed only with his wits, a suitcase and the names of Russia's most influential money launderers, to begin a dangerous journey to the other side of the world. Could YOU do it? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Freeing Meek Mill | Detective
In 2017, superstar rapper Meek Mill was incarcerated - again. To free him, Tyler Maroney had to go back to the scene of Meek's first arrest a decade earlier, and use all his best tradecraft to contend with corrupt cops, biased judges and a broken prison system. Could YOU deliver justice to justice itself? With Vanessa Kirby. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Mariana Des Forges. Music by Nick Ryan.
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How To Make Friends and Stage Coups | CIA
Damascus, 1949. A plot to bring down the Syrian government is brewing. Stewart Copeland voices the jazz musician, raconteur, and CIA agent pulling the strings - his father Miles Copeland. Vanessa Kirby tells his story - a tale of double agents, dangerous friendships and shoot-outs that shaped the future of the Middle East. Could YOU hold the levers of power? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Tradecraft, Part 2
A good spy needs a very particular set of skills. But there's only so much that training can prepare you for. Tradecraft - the real business of spying - has to be learnt on the job. In the second installment of an exciting 2-part special, Vanessa Kirby brings you the most cunning and courageous examples of tradecraft from the series so far. Could YOU survive in the field? From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Frank Palmer. Music by Nick Ryan..
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Tradecraft, Part 1
A good spy needs a very particular set of skills. But there's only so much that training can prepare you for. Tradecraft - the real business of spying - has to be learnt on the job. In the first installment of an exciting two-part special, Vanessa Kirby brings you the most cunning and courageous examples of tradecraft from the series so far. Could YOU make it in the field? From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. Narrated by Vanessa Kirby. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Frank Palmer. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your...
The Irishman | JCUNI
Ever get the feeling you're being watched?
Vanessa Kirby meets the spy behind the camera. Sean Harnett worked at one of the British Army's most secretive regiments, responsible for tracking terrorists across Northern Ireland. As the secrets, lies and workload intensified, he found himself questioning his purpose - and his loyalties. Could YOU keep your eye on the prize? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Olympic Games | Investigation
Meet the men who uncovered a new era in global warfare.Eric Chien and Liam O'Murchu identifiedStuxnet,the digital weapon designed to attack the physical world.To figure out its target, and its creators, they'd have to enter a dangerous world of international intrigue - involving twonuclearsuperpowers. How far would YOU go for answers? Join our host Vanessa Kirby for a deep dive into the alarming newera of cyberwarfare.From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Frank Palmer. Music by Nick Ryan. Archive material provided by Al Jazeera, ABC, and BBC News. Learn more...
The 'Dreams-Come-True' Business | CIA
Vanessa Kirby meets Barry Broman, a CIA case officer who recruited foreign spies for the USA. Working alongside a suave MI6 officer, Barry was tasked with bringing a high-ranking Communist over to the West. To succeed, they had to make him an offer he couldn't refuse. Could YOU get inside his head? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Blood On The Waterside | MI5
Vanessa Kirby meets a spy who infiltrated the political wing of the Irish Republican movement. Willie Carlin risked his life in Derry, Northern Ireland, on a daily basis to provide the UK with intelligence that could help to end decades of violence and killing. How far would YOU go for peace? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan
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Drug Wars | Detective
Vanessa Kirby goes undercover with a man who spent 14 years fighting the War on Drugs. Disguised as an addict, Neil Woods risked his life to infiltrate brutal narcotics gangs. The experience led him to question our whole approach to fighting the War on Drugs, and led him to a remarkable new strategy and life. How would YOU fight this war? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Louise Clarke-Rowbotham. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Hacked | Investigation
Vanessa Kirby meets Nick Davies, the reporter who used covert skills to break one of the most explosive stories of the Noughties. The News of the World, a British tabloid, had been deliberately hacking the mobile phones of celebrities and public figures. Through a carefully-chosen network of sources, Nick launched an investigation that shook the foundations of the government, the police and the media establishment. Could YOU speak truth to power? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Tim Mansel. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your...
Burgers & Spies | FBI
Vanessa Kirby meets Naveed Jamali, an FBI operative who worked his way into the world of espionage. Hoping to impress US Intelligence, Naveed used family connections to set himself up as a double agent, fooling the Russians into revealing their operations on American soil. Armed only with a secret recording device, an encyclopaedic knowledge of spy movies and a high tolerance for fast food, he spent 3 years luring in one of Russia's most senior operatives. Could YOU make it up as you went along? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer:...
Codename: Madeleine | WW2 | Spy Sisters
Vanessa Kirby lands in Nazi-occupied France with Noor Inayat Khan, the Allied spy who risked her life to aid the Resistance. Armed with a wireless radio, Noor relayed vital intelligence to the British Special Operations Executive, right under the nose of Hitler's secret police. The average life expectancy of a radio operator was just 6 weeks. Could YOU beat the odds? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. Featuring Radhika Apte as Noor Inayat Khan. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
Sister Spies | WW2
Vanessa Kirby meets Pat and Jean Owtram, two British sisters who played crucial roles as Allied codebreakers during World War 2. Bound by the Official Secrets Act, neither sister knew that the other was a spy until decades later. Now in their 90s, they reveal their hidden hands in planning D-Day, aiding the Resistance, and cracking the Enigma code. Tune in to True Spies to hear their story. Would YOU have the skills to make a difference? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Mariana Des Forges. Music...
The Argonauts | CIA
Vanessa Kirby meets Mark and Cora Lijek, two ordinary American diplomats who took part in one of the most daring espionage operations in CIA history, dramatized in the Hollywood film, Argo. In 1979, the US embassy in Tehran was overrun by Iranian revolutionaries. To escape, Mark and Cora would need to master the art of spycraft - and fast. Tune in to True Spies to hear their story. Could YOU become a master of disguise? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Tim Mansel. Music by Nick Ryan....
The Limping Lady | WW2 | Spy Sisters
Vanessa Kirby goes behind enemy lines with Virginia Hall, one of the bravest Allied heroines of WWII. As part of Churchill's Secret Army, Virginia was sent into occupied France to organize resistance efforts and disrupt Nazi plans by any means necessary.As the Germans closed in, betrayal was a constant threat. Would YOU know who to trust? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. Featuring Sarah Megan Thomas as Virginia Hall. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Justice For Leon Klinghoffer | CIA
Vanessa Kirby follows CIA veteran Bob Dougherty as he seeks justice for the kidnap and killing of an American war veteran aboard a cruise ship in the Mediterranean.Bob had to wait nearly 20 years for his chance to capture Palestinian Liberation Front leader Abu Abbas. Could YOU play the waiting game? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Blinking Red | CIA | Spy Sisters
CIA analyst Gina Bennett shows Vanessa Kirby the origins of America's most infamous enemy. Throughout the 1990s, Osama bin Laden launched a series of attacks on American interests at home and abroad. Operating in the man's world of counter-terrorism, Gina had to fight to have the threat he posed taken seriously. Would YOU trust your gut? FromSPYSCAPE,the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Tim Mansel. Music by Nick Ryan.
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The Nuclear Superhighway | CIA
Undercover CIA agent James Olson takes Vanessa Kirby on a nail-biting mission behind the Iron Curtain. In the late 1970s, James was tasked with tapping an underground communications line between Moscow and a top-secret nuclear weapons facility. Under constant surveillance from the KGB, he would need to use a combination of traditional spycraft and hi-tech gadgetry to intercept this priceless intel without risking a diplomatic catastrophe. Could YOU evade detection? FromSPYSCAPE,the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
Exit Strategy | CIA | Spy Sisters
CIA analyst Sarah Carlson drops Vanessa Kirby into the pressure-cooker of post-revolutionary Libya. In 2011, the Arab Spring swept Colonel Gaddafi from office, leaving a deadly power vacuum. Three years later, civil war engulfed the nation. Under a hail of rocket fire, Sarah had to figure out a way to extract 150 American personnel from the carnage. Could YOU get them to safety? FromSPYSCAPE,the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Claire Crofton. Music by Nick Ryan.
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The Targeter | CIA | Spy Sisters
Former CIA targeting officer Nada Bakos takes Vanessa Kirby on the controversial hunt for one of the Iraq War's deadliest terrorists. Abu Musab Al-Zaqarwi was a two-bit criminal until the US government named him as one the world's most dangerous insurgents. His presence in Iraq was part of the justification for the invasion - but did the facts stack up? It was Nada's job to find out. Could YOU find out the truth? FromSPYSCAPE,the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your...
The Real Black Klansman | Crime
Vanessa Kirby meets Ron Stallworth, the black Colorado cop who fooled the USA's most notorious racists. In 1979, Ron and a white colleague infiltrated a local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. Posing as two sides of the same alter-ego, they led a double-pronged attack on the group, even gaining the trust of the Klan's leader, David Duke. Could YOU take the risk? FromSPYSCAPE,the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Claire Crofton. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Blackbird | USAF
Colonel Buz Carpenter puts Vanessa Kirby in the cockpit of his legendary SR-71 "Blackbird" spy plane. In 1979, two Gulf nations were on the brink of war. To negotiate peace, the USA needed detailed military intelligence on both sides. Buzshares amazing (and awkward!) details of his dangerous secret mission along the border between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Could YOU match his nerve? FromSPYSCAPE,the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan
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N Is For Novichok | Investigation
Vanessa Kirby gets Christo Grozev, a modern Sherlock Holmes, to share the secrets of how he solved one of the most notorious assassination attempts of the 21st century - the poisoning of retired Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal, hospitalised by a mysterious nerve agent on British soil. Would YOU have the skills to do the same? FromSPYSCAPE, the global HQ of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Tim Mansel. Music by Nick Ryan.
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The Man From The Getty | Detective
Vanessa Kirby and Charles Hill share the inside story of an iconic art theft. Hill went undercover to retrieve The Scream' by Edvard Munch after it was stolen from Norways National Gallery. Posing as a buyer for the Getty Museum, Charles drew the dangerous thieves out of the shadows.What would YOU do? FromSPYSCAPE, the global HQ of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan
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The Spy Who Said No | GCHQ
Hayley Atwell meets ex-spy Katherine Gun and journalist Martin Bright, who tried to derail the course of history. On the brink of the Iraq War, Katherine leaked a top-secret memo which exposed a US plot to secure support for the invasion through blackmail. Would YOU have done the same? FromSPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Louise Clarke-Rowbotham. Music by Nick Ryan.
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The Survivor | WW2 ] Spy Sisters
Hayley Atwell meets Marthe Cohn, the brave 100-year-old French spy who stole Nazi secrets during WWII. Disguised as a German nurse, Marthe fed top-secret information to the Resistance from behind enemy lines, right under the nose of the deadly SS. What would YOU do? FromSPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Mariana Des Forges. Music by Nick Ryan.
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The Billion Dollar Spy | CIA
`Hayley Atwell tells the story of Adolph Tolkachev, one of the CIA's most prolific Russian assets, with his handler David Rolph. David's task was to keep this priceless information flowing, but first he had to make sure the KGB weren't onto him. What would YOU do? FromSPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Louise Clarke-Rowbotham. Music by Nick Ryan.
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The Purple Bathrobe | FBI
Hayley Atwell tells the story of the capture of the Mexican druglord El Chapo, with former FBI undercover agent Michael McGowan. To trap this murderous gangster, Michael had to convince him that he was in the same business. What would YOU do? From SPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Mariana Des Forges. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Undercover Jihadi | CSIS
Hayley Atwell relates the story of Mubin Shaikh, an Islamist extremist who became a spy for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. Undercover as a member of the terrorist group that would be known as the Toronto 18, Mubin was told that his cover would be blown. What would YOU do? FromSPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Louise Clarke-Rowbotham. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Shadow Games | Special Forces Berlin
Hayley Atwell shares the secrets of an elite clandestine unit, Special Forces Berlin, with the help of former operative James Stejskal. Stationed in West Berlin but deployed wherever their skills were needed, they found themselves at the centre of the Tehran Hostage Crisis, but no-one could know they were there. What would YOU do in their position? From SPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Mariana Des Forges. Music by Nick Ryan.
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True Narcos | DEA
Hayley Atwell tells the story of the capture of Pablo Escobar, with the DEA agents who helped bring him down and inspired the TV show 'Narcos'. Steve Murphy and Javier Pea found themselves in Colombia on the trail of the notorious druglord - two "gringos" with a price on their heads. What would YOU do? From SPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Music by Nick Ryan.
https://www.deanarcos.com/
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The Art Of Disguise | CIA | Spy Sisters
Hayley Atwell explains how an effective disguise can save your life, with former CIA Head Of Disguise Jonna Mendez. On a mission to bring in a notorious terrorist on foreign soil, Jonna found herself face to face with him, and he seemed to be onto her. What would YOU do? From SPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by David Waters. Music by Nick Ryan.
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The Rookie And Bin Laden | CIA | Spy Sisters
Hayley Atwell shares what went on during 9/11 inside The Vault, the CIA's top secret bunker, with Tracy Walder, a rookie operative who was there.9/11 was only the second day of Tracy's first real CIA assignment, and she was tasked with hunting the world's most wanted terrorist, Osama Bin Laden, with President George W Bush looking on. What would YOU do? From SPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Producer: David Waters. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Music by Nick Ryan.
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The Spycatcher | FBI
Hayley Atwell recounts a mission to capture a Cuban agent who had infiltrated the FBI, with spycatcher Robert Booth. Robert managed to identify the traitor, but proving Kendall Myers' treachery was another matter entirely. What would YOU do? From SPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Producer: David Waters. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Music by Nick Ryan.
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The Illegal | KGB
Hayley Atwell relates the story of a KGB agent embedded deeply, too deeply, in US life, with Jack Barsky, a.k.a. Albrecht Dittrich. After many years undercover in New York, Barsky got the signal that he was compromised, yet by then he had an American wife and children. What would YOU do? From SPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Producer: David Waters. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Fair Game? | CIA | Spy Sisters
Hayley Atwell details a deadly conflict between espionage and politics with former CIA agent Valerie Plame. Valerie was outed in the press as an undercover agent when someone close to her challenged the government's line on Weapons Of Mass Destruction, placing her family and contacts in grave danger. What would YOU do? From SPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Gray Suit And The Ghost | FBI
Hayley Atwell describes the hunt for the infamous FBI mole Robert Hanssen, with Eric ONeill, the agent tasked with catching him. Eric needs to get Hanssen into a hire car so his own car can be searched for evidence of his betrayal... but the hire car isnt there. What would YOU do? From SPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Music by Nick Ryan.
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Operation Brothers | Mossad
Hayley Atwell tells the story of a fake diving resort that saved the lives of refugees from Ethiopia, with Mossad operative Gad Shimron.He ran roadblocks, endured arrest and interrogation, and survived a gunfight at sea, all to help Ethiopians flee Sudan. What would YOU do in Gads position? From SPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Music by Nick Ryan.
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True Spies: Teaser
Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby, Sophia Di Martino and Daisy Ridley narrate true stories from the real spies behind the worlds greatest espionage operations. What do they know? What are their skills? And what would YOU do in their position? From Spyscape Studios.
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