Secrets and Spies Podcast: Current Affairs | Geopolitics | Intelligence - podcast cover

Secrets and Spies Podcast: Current Affairs | Geopolitics | Intelligence

Secrets & Spiessecretsandspiespodcast.com
Secrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode unpacks global events through the lens of intelligence and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and analysts. Tune in for balanced, critical perspectives that will expand your understanding of our uncertain world, deciphering the most enigmatic professions, ideologies, and organizations that shape the global landscape. Subscribe to Secrets and Spies today on all major podcast streaming platforms. Our Hosts Host Chris Carr, driven by a teenage encounter with former KGB officer Oleg Gordievsky, brings a unique authenticity to the podcast. His deep-seated fascination with espionage is evident in his highly acclaimed short spy film The Dry Cleaner, available on Apple TV and Amazon Prime. Currently developing feature film and television scripts inspired by the podcast's themes, Chris aims to create realistic and compelling spy dramas. Joining him is Matt Fulton, a novelist and screenwriter who draws inspiration from masters of the spy genre like John Le Carré, Tom Clancy, and Graham Greene. Author of the Active Measures series of globe-trotting geopolitical thrillers, Matt brings his decades of extensive research and narrative prowess to the podcast, offering listeners a front-row seat to the thrilling world of covert operations.

Episodes

S7 Ep31: Espresso Martini Episode Nine

On this episode of Espresso Martini, Chris, Matt and Oliver the cat discuss a little more Jack Teixeira the man arrested over Pentagon files leak. Then we will look at a former FBI Special Agent arrested for his role in the January 6th attack. Then we look at an interesting spy story involving a retired Iranian government member accused of being a spy for MI6. In the last section of the show, we discuss some of the new information on the Nord Stream pipeline attack and look ahead at the Presiden...

May 13, 20231 hr 21 minSeason 7Ep. 31

S7 Ep30: Espresso Martini Episode Eight

On this episode of Espresso Martini we discuss the recent Pentagon leaks, a Russian pro-war blogger who is not actually Russian, business men taking money from Chinese spies and Spy Ships off the coast of Scotland. Links to articles discussed: Who is Jack Teixeira, the man arrested over Pentagon files leak? By Peter Beaumont reporting for The Guardian Newspaper https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/13/who-is-jack-teixeira-the-man-arrested-over-pentagon-files-leak What the leaked Pentagon ...

Apr 22, 20231 hr 21 minSeason 7Ep. 30

S7 Ep29: Challenges researching Israeli intelligence history with Eldad Ben Aharon

On todays podcast Chris is joined by Eldad Ben Aharon who is a researcher of Israeli intelligence and geopolitical history. We discuss the challenges of researching intelligence history in Israel and the importance of first person interviews with intelligence community members. You can connect with Eldad on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/EldadBenAharon You can read the following papers by Eldad via the links below Interview with Efraim Halevy https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02684...

Apr 15, 202345 minSeason 7Ep. 29

S7 Ep28: How to Write a Spy Thriller with Stephen England

On this episode, Matt sits down with his friend and fellow indie spy writer Stephen England. They talk about Stephen's decade-long career as a novelist, the history and development of his 'Shadow Warriors' series, their inspirations, and the ethics of writing in the spy genre For more information about Stephen and his books, check out his Amazon page: shorturl.at/elFI0 For more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.com/ Connect with us on social med...

Apr 14, 20231 hr 22 minSeason 7Ep. 28

S7 Ep27: Espresso Martini Episode Seven

On this episode of Espresso Martini, Chris & Matt take a look at President Xi’s trip to China, Chinese espionage against the west and the revelations of a recent Russian defector who paints a less than flattering picture of President Putin and his mental state. Links to articles discussed on this episode “China portrays Xi’s Russia trip as bid for leadership of non-Western world” – by Lily Kuo for the Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/03/21/china-xi-russia-world-leade...

Apr 08, 20231 hr 24 minSeason 7Ep. 27

Podcast update, Two Espresso Martinis a month and no podcast this week

Hi everyone, we just wanted to share a quick update about the podcast. We will now be producing two Espresso Martinis a month. Chris & Matt will also be splitting interviews between them. So exciting times ahead for the show! We will have an "Ask us anything" section on the next Espresso Martini. Email or Tweet at us your questions before 6th April. You can email us here: secretsandspiespodcast& gmail.com and Tweet at us here: www.twitter.com/SecretsAndSpies Support Secrets and Spies: * ...

Mar 31, 20234 min

S7 Ep26: Ukraine War First Anniversary with Matthew Orr from RANE

We are joined by Matthew Orr, a Eurasian analyst at RANE, Risk Assistance Network & Exchange in this episode. We discuss the first anniversary of Russia’s war on Ukraine and what to expect over the next few months. You can find out more about RANE here: https://www.ranenetwork.com/ Music on this podcast is provided by Andrew R. Bird (Andy Bird) You can check out his work here: https://soundcloud.com/andrewbirduk For more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsan...

Mar 17, 202358 minSeason 7Ep. 26

S7 Ep25: Nord Stream attack with Shane Harris

Matt Fulton interviews Shane Harris from the Washington Post on today's podcast. Shane has written about intelligence, security and foreign policy for over two decades. He is a staff writer with The Washington Post, covering U.S. intelligence agencies and national security. Shane takes us through his research on the Nord Stream attack and how it is not as straightforward as previously believed. These are Shane’s articles discussed in the episode: No conclusive evidence Russia is behind Nord Stre...

Mar 13, 202339 minSeason 7Ep. 25

S7 Ep24: Espresso Martini Episode Six

On this episode of Espresso Martini, Chris & Matt look at President Joe Biden’s historic trip to Ukraine, leaked documents showing how Russia plans to take over Belarus, and CIA director William Burns's secret trip to Libya and more! Links to articles discussed in this episode “Biden’s Surreal and Secretive Journey Into a War Zone” By Peter Baker and Michael D. Shear for the New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/20/us/politics/biden-kyiv-ukraine.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&refer...

Mar 10, 20231 hr 20 minSeason 7Ep. 24

S7 Ep23: Russia's war on Ukraine with John Sweeney

On today's podcast, I am joined by journalist John Sweeney, the author of “Killer in the Kremlin”. John joins me from Kyiv, and we reflect on the first anniversary of Russia’s war against Ukraine. You can get a copy of “Killer in the Kremlin” and find out more about John and his work here: https://www.johnsweeney.co.uk/ You can support his freelance work in Ukraine here: https://www.patreon.com/JohnSweeneyRoar You can follow John on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/johnsweeneyroar For more info...

Feb 22, 202352 minSeason 7Ep. 23

S7 Ep22: Ukraine War One Year On with Dr. Taras Kuzio

On today podcast I am joined by Dr Taras Kuzio and we reflect on the first anniversary of Russia’s war against Ukraine and we discuss what to expect in the months ahead. You can also visit Dr Kuzio’s website here: http://www.betweeneuropeandrussia.com/ You can connect with Dr.Kuzio on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/TarasKuzio For more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.com/ Music on this podcast is provided by Andrew R. Bird (Andy Bird) You ca...

Feb 17, 20231 hr 18 minSeason 7Ep. 22

S7 Ep21: NFL Espionage with Kevin Bryant

On todays Super Bowl Special, we are joined by author Kevin Bryant to discuss his book “Spies on the sidelines” which looks at espionage within the NFL. Kevin’s book “Spies on the Sidelines” is available here: https://www.spiesonthesidelines.com/ Connect with Kevin via social media: Facebook: @kevinbryant.author Instagram: @kevinbryant.author Twitter: @kevbryantauthor Linkedin: @kevinbryantauthor Music on this podcast is provided by Andrew R. Bird (Andy Bird) You can check out his work here: htt...

Feb 10, 202358 minSeason 7Ep. 21

S7 Ep20: Espresso Martini Episode Five

On today's episode of Espresso Martini, Chris & Matt take a look at the Chinese “weather balloon” (Spy Balloon), Israel's drone strike on an Iranian missile facility and a Russian spy in the ranks of the BND, Germany’s foreign intelligence service Topics covered Chinese Spy Balloon & Chinese electronic espionage in the west https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/chinas-spy-balloon-over-montana-is-part-of-a-larger-more-troubling-pattern https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/our-first-look-...

Feb 10, 20231 hr 2 minSeason 7Ep. 20

S7 Ep19: The Jabbari Lincoln Files with Yaya J. Fanusie

On today's podcast, I am joined by former CIA analyst Yaya J Fanusie. Yaya was my third guest on the podcast back in 2016, and he returns today to tell us about his exciting new podcast called “The Jabbari Lincoln Files”. “The Jabarri Lincoln Files” is a CIA-based espionage thriller that partly takes a look at the world of Financial intelligence. Yaya and I talk about the real-world inspiration for his podcast, and we also discuss his writing process and artistic influences. You can listen to “T...

Feb 04, 20231 hr 22 minSeason 7Ep. 19

S7 Ep18: Ukraine update with Malcolm Nance

Malcolm Nance joins us on our first special podcast looking at Ukraine as we get close to the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion. Malcolm visited Ukraine before the war, joined the Ukrainian army and fought on the front line against Russian forces. Malcolm is an American author and media commentator on terrorism, intelligence, insurgency, and torture. He is a former United States Navy senior chief petty officer specializing in naval cryptology. He is the author of several books, includ...

Jan 31, 202357 minSeason 7Ep. 18

S7 Ep17: 2023 global forecast with Sam Lichtenstein from RANE

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, 202344 minSeason 7Ep. 17

S7 Ep16: Berlin, Capital of Spies with Bernd von Koska

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, 20231 hr 4 minSeason 7Ep. 16

S7 Ep15: Espresso Martini: Episode Four

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, 20231 hr 6 minSeason 7Ep. 15

S7 Ep14: Espresso Martini: Episode Three

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, 20221 hr 19 minSeason 7Ep. 14

S7 Ep13: The Ideology behind Elon Musk buying Twitter

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, 202259 minSeason 7Ep. 13

S7 Ep12: Espresso Martini 2

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, 20221 hr 12 minSeason 7Ep. 12

S7 Ep11: Social Media Disinformation, US Mid Terms and Elon Musk with David Neiwert

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, 20221 hr 5 minSeason 7Ep. 11

S7 Ep10: Biden and the Afghan evacuation one year on with Frank Snepp

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, 20221 hr 21 minSeason 7Ep. 10

S7 Ep9: Putin’s war on Ukraine with Matthew Orr

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, 20221 hr 11 minSeason 7Ep. 9

S7 Ep8: Hope Not Hate and the Walk-In with Nick Lowles

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, 20221 hr 6 minSeason 7Ep. 8

S7 Ep7: Ukraine Update with Dr Taras Kuzio

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, 202255 minSeason 7Ep. 7

S7 Ep6: Espresso Martini 1

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, 20221 hr 26 minSeason 7Ep. 6

S7 Ep5: Philby, Angleton and JFK

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, 202249 minSeason 7Ep. 5

S7 Ep4: Western Foreign Fighters and the Yazidi Genocide

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, 20221 hr 2 minSeason 7Ep. 4