On today's podcast, I am joined by Sam Lichtenstein. Sam is a Director of Analysis at RANE, which stands for Risk Assistance Network and Exchange. In this episode, we will look at world events for the year ahead with RANE’s annual Global forecast for 2023. 2023 looks to be another challenging year, and I think you will want to check it out. It’s a deep episode, so pour yourself your favourite drink, sit back, and I hope you find it informative. To find out more about RANE and its annual global f...
Jan 27, 2023•44 min•Season 7Ep. 17
On today's podcast, I am joined by Bernd von Koska, who is the curator of the Allied Museum in Berlin and co-author of the excellent book Capital of Spies. In this episode, we discuss Capital of Spies which takes a look at the history of Cold War Berlin. You can get a copy of Capital of Spies here: https://www.casematepublishing.co.uk/capital-of-spies.html And you can find out more about the Allied Museum here: https://www.alliiertenmuseum.de/en/ Music on this podcast is provided by Andrew R. Bi...
Jan 20, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 7Ep. 16
Happy New Year everyone and welcome to Espresso Martini episode Four, which is our first podcast of 2023. On todays episode of Espresso Martini, Chris & Matt take a look at a coup plot in Germany that was discovered by the German authorities and they also take a look at the rising Covid numbers in China and the official denials coming from the ruling Communist Party. Related articles to the discussion: German Coup Plot: Germany arrests 25 accused of plotting coup https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/w...
Jan 06, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 7Ep. 15
On this episode of Espresso Martini, Chris and Matt take a look at the key stories from November in the world of espionage, geopolitics and intrigue. They discuss the Crimean Bridge Attack, infighting among Putin’s allies, a Russian GRU officer who defected to Estonia, a spy trial at the Old Bailey and the hit Star Wars espionage series Andor. Links to articles discussed are below How Ukraine blew up the bridge - By James Glanz and Marco Hernandez – New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/interac...
Dec 03, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Season 7Ep. 14
On this podcast episode, we are joined by author and journalist Dave Troy. Dave is an Investigative journalist addressing threats to democracy, and we discuss the possible ideological motivations behind Elon Musk’s recent purchase of Twitter, and it’s national security implications. Read Dave’s fantastic article: “No, Elon and Jack are not competitors. They’re collaborating” https://davetroy.medium.com/no-elon-and-jack-are-not-competitors-theyre-collaborating-3e88cde5267d You can find out more a...
Nov 20, 2022•59 min•Season 7Ep. 13
On the second episode of Espresso Martini, Chris & Matt do their best to cover events from the jam pact month of October. Topics discussed Elon Musk takes over Twitter Russian espionage foiled in the US and Europe Mysterious Chinese "Police stations" have been discovered in UK, USA & Europe Spy Entertainment Links The Dry Cleaner is screening at the Horsham Film Festival on 30th November Tickets are available here: https://www.everymancinema.com/Booking/horsham/8814967 Articles discussed...
Nov 05, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Season 7Ep. 12
Social Media Disinformation Mid Terms and Elon Musk with David Neiwert On this podcast episode, we are joined by author and journalist David Neiwert. David is an expert on the far-right, so he joins us to discuss online disinformation, the upcoming US midterm elections and the concerns about Elon Musk’s recent purchase of Twitter. You can read David’s articles here: https://www.dailykos.com/users/david%20neiwert David is the author of a fantastic book called "Alt America: The Rise of the Alt-Rig...
Nov 04, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 7Ep. 11
On today's podcast, we are joined by former CIA officer and investigative journalist Frank Snepp. Frank recently published an article titled "Stop Kvetching About Biden’s Afghan “Screw-Ups” – Kudos Are Owed”. You can read it here: https://franksneppexclusives.com/?p=519 This is a detailed episode where I take a back seat and let Frank explain what he found. In the last section of the podcast, we discuss the broader context of the evacuation and what it is like to play god in an evacuation, havin...
Oct 31, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Season 7Ep. 10
We are joined by Matthew Orr, a Eurasian analyst at RANE, Risk Assistance Network & Exchange in this episode. We discuss Russia’s war on Ukraine and what to expect as winter settles in. We also look at Putin’s political motivations for the war and speculate on his future and what a Russia without Putin may look like. You can find out more about RANE here: https://www.ranenetwork.com/ And you can also read a few of Matthew’s reports in the links below: https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/d...
Oct 28, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Season 7Ep. 9
In this episode, we are joined by Nick Lowles from Hope Not Hate. Hope Not Hate is the real organisation behind ITV’s The Walk-In. Nick joins us to discuss the work of Hope Not Hate, and he gives us an overview of the far-right in Britain today. We also discuss a Far Right plot by the terrorist group National Action to murder Labour MP, Rosie Cooper. That plot was foiled by a National Action member who objected to violence and became an informant for Hope Not Hate. The plot to murder Rosie Coope...
Oct 27, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 7Ep. 8
In this episode, we are joined again by Dr Taras Kuzio, discussing the latest developments on Russia’s war against Ukraine. Taras Kuzio is a professor of political science at the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy and the author of Russian Nationalism and the Russian-Ukrainian War (2022) and Fascism and Genocide: Russia’s War Against Ukrainians (2023). You can connect with him on Twitter https://twitter.com/TarasKuzio Music on this podcast is provided by Andrew R. Bird (Andy Bird) You ca...
Oct 13, 2022•55 min•Season 7Ep. 7
We have a brand new show on Secrets & Spies! Welcome to episode one of Espresso Martini. Once a month, Chris Carr & Matt Fulton will pick out stories that catch their eye about espionage, terrorism, geopolitics and pretty much anything that relates to the themes of the podcast. In episode one, we look at the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II, who died at the beginning of September. According to "C", the head of MI6, Britain's foreign intelligence service, Queen Elizabeth was the longest servi...
Oct 01, 2022•1 hr 26 min•Season 7Ep. 6
On today's podcast, I am joined by Dr Anthony Wells, and we discuss his latest book, “Crossroads in Time: Philby & Angleton A Story of Treachery”, which looks at the relationship between Kim Philby and James Jesus Angleton. The book also takes a look at if Angleton, whilst at the CIA, could have done more to prevent the assassination of President John F Kennedy in 1963. You can get a copy of “Crossroads in Time” here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crossroads-Time-Philby-Angleton-Treachery-ebook/d...
Sep 24, 2022•49 min•Season 7Ep. 5
On today's podcast, Liam Duffy from the Counter Extremism Project. In this episode, we discuss Liam’s report on Western Foreign Fighters and the Yazidi Genocide. You can read Liam’s report here: https://www.counterextremism.com/press/cep-report-launch-western-foreign-fighters-and-yazidi-genocide And you can read more of his writing here: https://unherd.com/author/liam-duffy/ Music on this podcast is provided by Andrew R. Bird (Andy Bird) You can check out his work here: https://soundcloud.com/an...
Sep 03, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 7Ep. 4
On our 100th podcast, we are joined by best-selling novelist Meg Gardiner, and we discuss “Heat 2”, which she co-authored with legendary film director Michael Mann. Heat 2 is available here: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/heat-2-michael-mannmeg-gardiner?variant=40050976129058 You can find out more about Meg at her website: http://meggardiner.com/ You can follow Meg on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/MegGardiner1 You can follow Michale Mann on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/MichaelMa...
Aug 09, 2022•40 min•Season 7Ep. 3
We are joined by former CIA analyst Susan Ouellette on today's podcast. We discuss her novel “The Wayward Assassin”, and we talk about how the Chechen war influenced her book. You can find out more about Susan at her website below: https://www.susanouellette.com/ Music on this podcast is provided by Andrew R. Bird (Andy Bird) You can check out his work here: https://soundcloud.com/andrewbirduk This episode was edited by Rob Daniel For more information about the podcast, check out our website: ht...
Jul 29, 2022•1 hr•Season 7Ep. 2
On today's podcast, we are joined by Michael Frost Beckner. Michael was the writer of my favourite spy film “Spy Game”. He joins us to discuss the making of that film and we also look at his TV show “The Agency” which was the first TV show to get access to the CIA headquarters and it had direct assistance from the CIA on certain stories and episodes. You can find out more about Michael at the following links below: IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0065847/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 Twitter: https://twitt...
Jul 15, 2022•1 hr 30 min•Season 7Ep. 1
On today's podcast, we are joined by authors Catherine McGlynn and Shaun McDaid. In this episode, we discuss their writing and research on Radicalisation and Counter-Radicalisation in Higher Education. You can get a copy of their book here: https://www.emerald.com/insight/publication/doi/10.1108/9781787560024 This episode was edited by Rob Daniel For more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.com/ Secrets and Spies is part of the Spy Podcast Network...
Jun 16, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 6Ep. 24
In this episode, we are joined by former CIA officer and investigative journalist Frank Snepp. Frank Snepp won the CIA's second-highest award, the Medal of Merit, for his intelligence work in Vietnam. He went on to become a CIA whistleblower, a US Supreme Court precedent-maker; a Peabody award-winning investigative journalist, and the author of two CIA memoirs. Frank recently published a very detailed article titled "Putin's Plan B for Ukraine", which delves into two murky peace plans connected ...
May 28, 2022•1 hr 31 min•Season 6Ep. 23
On this podcast, I am joined by Robert Mazur, and we discuss his book “The Betrayal” , which looks at his time working undercover against the Cali cartel for the DEA. Robert previously worked undercover for US Customs against the Medellin cartel in the legendary “Operation C-Chase”. That story was later turned into an excellent film called “The Infiltrator”, and Robert was played by Bryan Cranston from “Breaking Bad.” You can get a copy of Robert’s excellent book here: https://uk.bookshop.org/bo...
May 19, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Season 6Ep. 22
On today's podcast, I am joined by Sam Lichtenstein. Sam is Director of Analysis at RANE, the Risk Assistance Network and Exchange In this episode, we discuss Sam’s articles about the impact of the Ukraine War on Russian Espionage activity in Europe. Sam’s Articles To read Sam’s articles, you can subscribe to Stratfor Worldview here: https://cloud.subscribe.stratfor.com/worldview (just $1 for 4 weeks) The Impact of the Ukraine War on Russian Espionage in Europe, Part I The Impact of the Ukraine ...
May 06, 2022•51 min•Season 6Ep. 21
On today's podcast, I am joined by former CIA officer and fellow podcaster Andrew Bustamante. We discuss his excellent website “Everyday Spy” which enables people to learn valuable lessons from the world of intelligence and apply them in their everyday life. Andrew also shares his thoughts and insights on the war on Ukraine towards the end of the episode. Check out Andrew’s website here: https://everydayspy.com/ And his excellent podcast “Everyday Espionage” is here: https://everydayspy.com/podc...
Apr 15, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Season 6Ep. 20
On todays podcast we are joined by Dan Kaszeta, who is chemical and biological weapons expert. He is also the author of the fantastic book “Toxic” which is a history of nerve agents from Nazi German to Putin’s Russia. On this episode we discuss the conspiracy theories around so called “Bio Labs” and we also discuss the potential use of Chemical and Nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine. You can find out more and connect with Dan here: https://twitter.com/DanKaszeta You can also buy a copy of his...
Mar 25, 2022•48 min•Season 6Ep. 19
Hi everyone Just a quick shoutout, I was a guest on an excellent podcast called “Spy Hards”. On that episode we discuss one of my favourite spy movies “Spy Game”, directed by Tony Scott and starring Robert Redford and Brad Pitt. You can listen to the episode here: https://www.podpage.com/spyhards/081-spy-game-2001/ You can connect with “Spy Hards” here: https://linktr.ee/SpyHards I hope you enjoy it...
Mar 24, 2022•1 min
On todays podcast we are joined by Macer Gifford and we discuss his book “Fighting Evil”, which looks at the controversial topic of volunteer fighters who joined the Kurds in the fight against ISIS. You can find out more and connect with Macer here: https://twitter.com/macergifford Episode edited by Rob Daniel Music Music on this podcast is provided by Andrew R. Bird (Andy Bird) You can check out his work here: https://www.monsteromnibus.com/?fbclid=IwAR0%E2%80%A6BdNQbuCvt9KWU Please support thi...
Mar 18, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Season 6Ep. 18
On todays podcast I am joined by Dr Taras Kuzio from the Henry Jackson society. Dr Kuzio wrote a great book called “Putin's War Against Ukraine: Revolution, Nationalism, and Crime”. On this episode we take a look at the background to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. You can also visit Dr Kuzio’s website here: http://www.betweeneuropeandrussia.com/ You can also visit the Henry Jackson Society here: https://henryjacksonsociety.org/ Episode edited by Rob Daniel Our film “The Dry Cleaner” has been rele...
Mar 08, 2022•52 min•Season 6Ep. 17
Today we are joined by Dr. Precious N Chatterje-Doody who co-authored the book “Russia Today and Conspiracy Theory” with with Dr Ilya Yablokov On this episode we discuss how Russia Today has covered the Russian invasion of Ukraine. And we also take a look at the recent banning of the channel in the EU, UK and America. The book is available with here: https://www.routledge.com/Russia-Today-and-Conspiracy-Theories-People-Power-and-Politics/Yablokov-Chatterje-Doody/p/book/9780367224677# You can als...
Mar 04, 2022•41 min•Season 6Ep. 16
On todays special podcast about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we are joined by Edward Lucas. Edward is the author of the 2008 book “The New Cold War”. He has been warning us for many years of an increasing aggressive Russian foreign policy dictated by President Vladimir Putin. You can find out more about Edward Lucas here: https://www.edwardlucas.com/about Podcast Edited by Rob Daniel Our film “The Dry Cleaner” has been released! Check out the trailer here: https://youtu.be/j_KFTJenrz4 Music ...
Mar 03, 2022•27 min•Season 6Ep. 15
Feb 21, 2022•45 sec
Marc Polymeropoulos - Clarity in a Crisis On this episode we are joined by former senior CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos and we discuss his book “Clarity in a Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the CIA” You can find out more about Marc and get a copy of his book on his website: https://marcpolymeropoulos.com/ Our film “The Dry Cleaner” has been released! Check out the trailer here: https://youtu.be/j_KFTJenrz4 Music Music on this podcast is provided by Andrew R. Bird (Andy Bird) You can check out h...
Feb 18, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Season 6Ep. 14
