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 X Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback, too. http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7...
Oct 06, 2023•36 min•Ep. 94
This week Jeff talks cybersecurity with Michael Mestrovich, the former director of the CIA’s 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 | LinkedIn Rubrik Leadership Rubrik a Multi-Cloud Data Control Company Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack...
Sep 22, 2023•33 min•Ep. 93
Jeff talks with retired former CIA Al Qaeda expert Cindy Storer Cynthia Storer | Johns Hopkins Advanced Academic Programs Cynthia Storer | UTEP Pre-Order the book Jeff mentioned The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA - Kindle edition by Liza Mundy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback, too. h...
Sep 14, 2023•31 min•Ep. 92
Jeff talks with CIA operations veteran Laura Thomas about the gains and losses for women at the spy agency. Follow Laura Thomas On Twitter - Laura Thomas (@laurae_thomas) Substack The Action Line Read Laura’s piece Espionage is a Man's World - by Laura Thomas Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback, too. http:...
Aug 25, 2023•34 min•Ep. 91
Jeff talks with John Hadden, author of “Conversations with a Masked Man: My Father, the CIA, and Me." https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://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/SpyTalker Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/isikoff Follow SpyTalk on Twitter:...
Aug 11, 2023•39 min•Ep. 90
Jeff Stein talks with Kai Bird, co-author of “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer.” Follow Kai Bird https://twitter.com/Kaibird123 “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer” https://www.kaibird.com/book/book_details/1 Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtra...
Jul 28, 2023•43 min•Ep. 89
David Ignatius talks about his new thriller “The Tao of Deception.” Follow David Ignatius https://twitter.com/IgnatiusPost Read “The Tao of Deception” https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/interactive/2023/tao-of-deception-david-ignatius/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQ...
Jul 13, 2023•32 min•Ep. 88
Jeff talks with top former CIA Russia hand John Sipher about spy agency ops and Moscow’s leadership crisis. Follow John Sipher on Twitter: https://twitter.com/john_sipher Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://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/SpyTalk...
Jun 30, 2023•40 min•Ep. 87
Jeff talks with Calder Walton, author of “Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East and West.” Calder Walton https://twitter.com/calder_walton Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East and West https://www.amazon.com/Spies-Epic-Intelligence-Between-East-ebook/dp/B0BHTMFTLS/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2MI0 Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey...
Jun 02, 2023•44 min•Ep. 86
Journalist James Risen speaks with Jeff Stein about his new book on Sen. Frank Church’s unprecedented investigation of CIA misdeeds, from assassination plots to LSD mind-control experiments to spying on Americans. James Risen https://twitter.com/JamesRisen1 The Last Honest Man https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/james-risen/the-last-honest-man-senator/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk o...
May 17, 2023•46 min•Ep. 85
Former CIA and DoD Chinese espionage expert Nicholas Eftimiades talks with Jeff about Beijing’s newly aggressive covert campaigns against pro-democracy activists in the US. Nick Eftimiades https://twitter.com/neftimiades https://www.linkedin.com/in/eftimiades/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.a...
Apr 20, 2023•36 min•Ep. 84
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/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://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/SpyTalker Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter: https://twit...
Apr 14, 2023•31 min•Ep. 83
Law enforcement and extremist reporter Ali Winston says the FBI is getting better, but radicals are metastasizing. Ali Winston https://twitter.com/awinston Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://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/SpyTalker Follow Micha...
Apr 04, 2023•37 min•Ep. 82
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 is transferring four MiG-29s to Ukraine. Our Guest: David Cenciotti https://twitter.com/cencio4 The Aviationist https://twitter.com/TheAviationist https://theaviationist.com/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https...
Mar 17, 2023•31 min•Ep. 81
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 Johnson https://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=1-2 Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on ...
Feb 25, 2023•39 min•Ep. 80
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 of SPYFAIL: Foreign Spies, Moles, Saboteurs, and the Collapse of America’s Counterintelligence . Follow our guest: James Bamford https://mobile.twitter.com/washauthor Spy Fail https://www.amazon.com/Spyfail-Saboteurs-Collapse-Americas-Counterintelligence/dp/1538741156/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1673890947&sr=8-1 ...
Feb 03, 2023•42 min•Ep. 79
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/SpyTalker Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/isikoff Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback. http://survey.podtrac.com/start-sur...
Jan 20, 2023•37 min•Ep. 78
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 Bersin https://twitter.com/AlanBersin https://twitter.com/TheWilsonCenter https://twitter.com/BelferCenter Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeanneMeserve https://www.jeannemeserve.com/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://tw...
Sep 08, 2022•25 min•Ep. 77
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/AlanBersin Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeanneMeserve https://www.jeannemeserve.com/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_sp...
Sep 01, 2022•34 min•Ep. 76
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 Clarke https://twitter.com/ColinPClarke https://twitter.com/TheSoufanGroup J.J. Klaver https://mobile.twitter.com/FBI Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeanneMeserve https://www.jeannemeserve.com/ F...
Aug 25, 2022•38 min•Ep. 75
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 Beirich https://twitter.com/heidibeirich https://twitter.com/globalextremism Rita Katz https://mobile.twitter.com/Rita_Katz https://twitter.com/siteintelgroup...
Aug 18, 2022•50 min•Ep. 74
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 Krzyzaniak https://twitter.com/john_krzyzaniak https://twitter.com/WisconsinProj Jill Dougherty https://mobile.twitter.com/jillrussia/ https://twitt...
Aug 11, 2022•34 min•Ep. 73
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 Braun Merchant of Death: Money, Guns, Planes, and the Man Who Makes War Possible https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/1033695.Merchant_of_Death J...
Aug 04, 2022•35 min•Ep. 72
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 Lautman https://twitter.com/OlgaNYC1211 Kremlin File podcast https://twitter.com/Kremlinfile...
Jul 28, 2022•18 min•Ep. 71
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 China’s theft of military technology. Guests: John Taylor - The Psychology of Spies and Spying https://www.afandjt.com/ August Cole - https://twitter.com/august_cole https://www.augustcole.com/ Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeanneMeserve https://www.je...
Jul 21, 2022•43 min•Ep. 70
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/LeighBa1 Read “Follow the Leader” - https://magazine.atavist.com/follow-the-leader-nazi-putin-sonntag-cold-war/ Shawn Usman - https://w...
Jul 14, 2022•53 min•Ep. 69
Originally released on January 6, 2022 This week: Jeanne Meserve talks with the Atlantic Council’s 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 Holt https://twitter.com/jaredlholt https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/expert/jared-holt/ Joe Weisberg https://twitter.com/joeweisberg https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/12/17/russia-united-states...
Jul 08, 2022•54 min•Ep. 68
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 Korea’s nuclear capabilities and ambitions with Jeanne Meserve Guests: Matthew Kroenig twitter.com/MatthewKroenig The Atlantic Council twitter.com/AtlanticCouncil Gail Helt https://twitter.com/ghelt Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeanneMeserve https://www.jeannemeserve.com...
Jun 30, 2022•47 min•Ep. 67
Former Deputy CIA Director John McLaughlin and Jeanne Meserve discuss the case of a deep cover Russian spy rolled up in Holland. Mossad’s war on Iran gets scrutinized by Middle East expert Jonathan Broder and Jeff Stein. Guests: Jonathan Broder twitter.com/BroderJonathan John McLaughlin https://twitter.com/jmclaughlinSAIS Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeanneMeserve https://www.jeannemeserve.com/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on...
Jun 23, 2022•41 min•Ep. 66
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 Meserve Guests: Carl Ford twitter.com/CarlWFord1 The Footnote https://fordc.substack.com/ Jon Lewis https://twitter.com/Jon_Lewis27 The Program on Extremism at George Washington University https://twitter.com/gwupoe Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jeanne...
Jun 16, 2022•49 min•Ep. 65
