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 You’ll 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 ...
Aug 16, 2022•56 min•Ep. 552
Summary David McCloskey (Twitter; Website) and James Stejskal (Twitter; LinkedIn) join Andrew to discuss writing about espionage. They are both former intelligence officers. What You’ll 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 ge...
Aug 09, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 551
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 You’ll 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 decisi...
Aug 02, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 550
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 You’ll Learn Intelligence Two Cold War intelligence experiences Two perspectives on the U.S. intel. community in the 80’s & early 90’s Two reflections on the art and science of counterintelligence Two perspectives on serving on the National Security Council Reflections Career bookends “Inadequate war t...
Jul 26, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 549
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 SPY’s 20th Anniversary. What You’ll Learn Intelligence Why Philby has been called “The Spy of the Century” Philby the man, the ideologue, the spy, and the traitor Philby’s corrosive effect on Cold War British and American intelligence The cultural blind spot that allowed him to hide in plain sight then ...
Jul 19, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 548
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 You’ll Learn Intelligence His views on Russia and its trajectory since the Cold War’s 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 Pass...
Jul 12, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 547
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 You’ll Learn Intelligence America’s 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...
Jul 05, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 546
Summary Vikram Sood (Twitter, Blog) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss intelligence in the world’s largest democracy. He was the chief of India’s Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW). What You’ll 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 narrati...
Jun 28, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 545
Summary Ellen McCarthy (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss her career and time as head of the State Department’s intelligence agency. INR is one of the 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. What You’ll 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 ...
Jun 21, 2022•35 min•Ep. 544
Summary Ellen McCarthy (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss her career and time as head of the State Department’s intelligence agency. INR is one of the 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. What You’ll 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 ...
Jun 14, 2022•55 min•Ep. 543
Summary Mike Burgess (Website; Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss his agency and the enduring strength of Australia’s alliances. ASIO is the second intelligence agency he has directed. What You’ll 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...
Jun 07, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 542
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 You’ll 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 ...
May 31, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 541
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 You’ll 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...
May 24, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 540
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 You’ll 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 ...
May 17, 2022•54 min•Ep. 539
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 You’ll 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 Hanssen’s impact on the FBI and American Intelligence How the Hanssen case effected the FBI-CIA relationship Ref...
May 10, 2022•55 min•Ep. 538
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 You’ll Learn Intelligence Applying aspects of Mike’s training to the private sector using “competitive intelligence” Mike’s 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 soc...
May 03, 2022•40 min•Ep. 537
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 You’ll 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...
Apr 26, 2022•49 min•Ep. 536
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 You’ll Learn Intelligence El Chapo’s internal surveillance operation The cartel’s 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. co...
Apr 19, 2022•58 min•Ep. 535
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 You’ll 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...
Apr 12, 2022•40 min•Ep. 534
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 You’ll 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 Cente...
Apr 05, 2022•49 min•Ep. 533
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 You’ll 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 ...
Mar 29, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 532
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 You’ll 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 ...
Mar 22, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 531
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 You’ll 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 ...
Mar 15, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 530
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 You’ll 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 ...
Mar 08, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 529
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 Ric’s book, Black Ops, and support the International Spy Museum’s mission here. What You’ll 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 “Co...
Feb 28, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 528
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 You’ll Learn Intelligence o The NIU – what it is, what it does, and what it does differently. o NIU’s position within the American intelligence ecosystem o How NIU “banks knowledge” without compromising intelligence o What it is like to be a student in a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmentalized Information (TS-SCI...
Feb 22, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 527
Summary David Fricker (Website; LinkedIn) had the No.2 job at Australia’s 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 You’ll Learn… Intelligence o ASIO, the Australian intelligence landscape and the region o His role as CIO and then Deputy-Director General of ASIO o The role major allies & partners play including the US a...
Feb 15, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 526
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 You’ll Learn Intelligence o His past experience as a hardliner who loved to hate the “evil empire” o His 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 o His interpretation of the KGB and Vladimir Putin o His take on...
Feb 08, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 525
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 You’ll Learn o What it is like to be the leader of intelligence and security across the largest peacetime alliance in history? o How does intelligence come together at NATO – who are the key-players, institutions, and stakeholders? o What are some of the main challenges facing the Alliance includin...
Feb 01, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 524
"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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 25, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 523
