Summary Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones ( Website ; Wikipedia ) joins Andrew ( Twitter ; LinkedIn ) to discuss his book. He has studied American intelligence for 50 years. What You’ll 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...
Sep 27, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 558
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 You’ll Learn Intelligence His reflections on the CIA at 75 How the CIA’s story intersected with his own His take on the organization’s 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 ...
Sep 20, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 557
Summary Alex Finley ( Twitter ; Website ) joins Andrew ( Twitter ; LinkedIn ) to discuss life as a CIA Reports Officer turned author. She lives in Barcelona. What You’ll 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 gold...
Sep 13, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 556
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 You’ll 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 Bu...
Sep 06, 2022•56 min•Ep. 555
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 You’ll 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/Amer...
Aug 30, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 554
Summary Seth Abramovitch ( Twitter ; LinkedIn ) joins Andrew ( Twitter ; LinkedIn ) to discuss the British war-hero who spied on behalf of the Japanese during Hollywood’s Golden Age. This is a story-and-a-half, by jingo! What You’ll 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 Ono’s father The spy ring’s activities before and after Pearl Harbor Reflections Playing the game...
Aug 23, 2022•53 min•Ep. 553
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.) Stum...
Aug 16, 2022•54 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...
Aug 09, 2022•1 hr 4 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 ...
Aug 02, 2022•1 hr 6 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...
Jul 26, 2022•1 hr 5 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...
Jul 19, 2022•1 hr 14 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...
Jul 12, 2022•1 hr 7 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 ab...
Jul 05, 2022•1 hr 6 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 n...
Jun 28, 2022•58 min•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 Res...
Jun 21, 2022•34 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 Res...
Jun 14, 2022•54 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. migh...
Jun 07, 2022•1 hr 2 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 S...
May 31, 2022•1 hr 3 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 Reflection...
May 24, 2022•1 hr 7 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•53 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 relationsh...
May 10, 2022•54 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-thinki...
May 03, 2022•39 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 Refle...
Apr 26, 2022•48 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 ...
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 prio...
Apr 12, 2022•39 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...
Apr 05, 2022•48 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 motiva...
Mar 29, 2022•1 hr 4 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” Reflect...
Mar 22, 2022•1 hr•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 nat...
Mar 15, 2022•1 hr 1 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 amoun...
Mar 08, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 529
