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
Is Putin really sick? Former CIA medical officer Leslie Pyenson assesses signs of Putin’s failing health with Jeanne Meserve, and author Jefferson Morley discusses his new book, Scorpions’ Dance: The President, the Spymaster, and Watergate , with Jeff Stein. Guests: Leslie Pyenson Jefferson Morley https://twitter.com/jeffersonmorley Follow Jeanne Meserve on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeanneMeserve https://www.jeannemeserve.com/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow...
Jun 09, 2022•55 min•Ep. 64
Former President of the FBI Agents Association and retired FBI Special Agent, Tom O’Connor talks about the need for a domestic terrorism law in the United States. Also, political scientist at Rand, Andrew Radin discusses options the US has with future relations with Afghanistan. With Jeff Stein and Jeanne Meserve. Guests: Tom O'Connor https://twitter.com/tfoconnor83 Andrew Radin https://twitter.com/andrewmradin https://twitter.com/RANDCorporation Read the Report Andrew Co-authored: “Engage, Isol...
Jun 02, 2022•51 min•Ep. 63
Former CIA officer Robert Baer talks about the CIA’s unresolved search for another Russian mole in its ranks, while diplomatic historian Kelly McFarland addresses the ramifications of Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian wheat exports. With Jeff Stein and Jeanne Meserve. Guests: Robert Baer Robert Baer: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks Kelly McFarland https://twitter.com/McFarlandKellyM Sound Off - Supporting Veterans on Their Terms https://sound-off.com/ https://twitter.com/Soundoff Subscribe to Sp...
May 26, 2022•46 min•Ep. 62
Cult expert Steven Hassan talks with Jeanne Meserve about deprogramming racist murderers and ex-CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos tells Jeff Stein about a new mobile app to reduce suicides among counterterrorism veterans. Guests: Steven Hassan, PhD https://twitter.com/CultExpert Marc Polymeropoulos https://twitter.com/Mpolymer Sound Off - Supporting Veterans on Their Terms https://sound-off.com/ Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtra...
May 19, 2022•54 min•Ep. 61
Newly declassified FBI and UK documents on Saudi intrigues in the 9/11 attacks are discussed by former FBI Supervisory Agent Mark Rossini, and reporter Haley Britzky talks about her exposé of brutal harassment at the Marine Corps Intelligence School. With Jeff Stein and Jeanne Meserve. Guests: Haley Britzky https://twitter.com/halbritz Mark Rossini https://twitter.com/MarkRossini Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtrac.com/start-su...
May 12, 2022•53 min•Ep. 60
Christopher Drew, author of the definitive book on submarine espionage past and present, talks with Jeff Stein. And we dig into the new bestseller The Bin Laden Papers with author and New America Senior Fellow Nelly Lahoud. Guests: Christopher Drew https://www.facebook.com/chris.drew.9250 https://twitter.com/nytdrew https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/23829.Christopher_Drew Nelly Lahoud https://www.newamerica.org/our-people/nelly-lahoud/ https://yalebooks.co.uk/display.asp?K=9780300260632 Subs...
May 05, 2022•51 min•Ep. 59
Robert Cardillo, former head of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, talks anti-satellite warfare and Oval Office briefings, while China’s stealth move into the Solomon Islands is analyzed by The Soufan Group’s Mollie Saltskog. With Jeanne Meserve and Jeff Stein. Guests: Robert Cardillo https://twitter.com/cardillogroup Mollie Saltskog https://twitter.com/msaltskog https://twitter.com/TheSoufanGroup https://twitter.com/TheSoufanCenter Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk....
Apr 28, 2022•45 min•Ep. 58
Robert Cardillo, former head of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, discusses the role of spy satellites in Ukraine and how images can be spoofed, while investigative reporter and author Scott Anderson dissects the differences between the old Cold War with Russia and the emerging new one. With Jeanne Meserve and Jeff Stein. Guests: Robert Cardillo https://twitter.com/cardillogroup Scott Anderson https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/633/scott-anderson/ Subscribe to SpyTalk on Subst...
Apr 21, 2022•57 min•Ep. 57
Jeanne Meserve talks with retired Army Gen. Kevin Ryan about the Russian military’s chaos in Ukraine, while journalist Janet Reitman dissects the FBI’s mishaps in the Michigan Wolverine Watchmen trial with Jeff Stein. Guests: Brigadier General Kevin Ryan (U.S. Army retired) https://twitter.com/Kennedy_School https://twitter.com/BelferCenter Janet Reitman, Journalist Covering National Security and Extremism https://twitter.com/janetreitman https://twitter.com/NewAmerica Subscribe to SpyTalk on Su...
Apr 14, 2022•57 min•Ep. 56
Intelligence historian Tim Weiner talks with Jeff Stein about CIA ops against Russia from the Cold War onward, and Chinese espionage expert Nick Eftimiades discusses Beijing’s covert campaigns against US-based dissidents with Jeanne Meserve. Guests: Tim Weiner https://twitter.com/Folly_and_Glory Nicholas Eftimiades: https://twitter.com/neftimiades https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/expert/nicholas-eftimiades/ Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&a...
Apr 07, 2022•51 min•Ep. 55
Veteran former CIA operations officer Lucy Kirk talks with Jeff Stein about changes in the spy game since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and leading extremism scholar Daveed Gartenstein-Ross goes deep on Ukraine’s neo-Nazi problem with Jeanne Meserve. Guests: Daveed Gartenstein-Ross https://twitter.com/daveedgr https://valensglobal.com/ Lucy Kirk: https://twitter.com/Decktora https://www.lucykirkauthor.com/ Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&a...
Mar 31, 2022•44 min•Ep. 54
Former Navy electronic warfare expert Bryan Clark talks about techniques the US can use to spoof Russian troops, and Adam M. Smith, who focused on sanctions in the Obama administration, details the challenges of separating oligarchs from their hidden stashes. With cohosts Jeff Stein and Jeanne Meserve. Guests: Bryan Clark: https://twitter.com/HudsonInstitute Adam M. Smith Former Senior Advisor to the Director of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) https://www.g...
Mar 24, 2022•57 min•Ep. 53
Former CIA officer and former head of Department of Energy intelligence Rolf Mowatt-Larssen assesses the risks in Vladimir Putin's takeover of Ukraine's nuclear power stations in a conversation with Jeanne Meserve. And Lawrence Wilkerson, retired US Army Colonel and former chief of staff to General Colin Powell, tells Jeff Stein that this brutal war is Putin's attempt to secure a revered place in Russian history. Guests: Rolf Mowatt-Larssen: https://www.belfercenter.org/person/rolf-mowatt-larsse...
Mar 17, 2022•43 min•Ep. 52
“Maverick strategist” Sean McFate, a former private mercenary, talks about the Ukraine deployment of Russia’s paramilitary Wagner Group, while ex-senior CIA ops officer Gregory Sims says US security officials should “expect the unexpected” not to be caught flat-footed by a cornered Vladimir Putin, including big “surprises" like 9/11 and Pearl Harbor. Guests: Sean McFate: https://twitter.com/seanmcfate https://www.seanmcfate.com/ Gregory Sims https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-sims-b39a1115a?trk...
Mar 10, 2022•49 min•Ep. 51
Former CIA officer Douglas London talks about covert possibilities against the Russians with Jeff Stein. Former Cyber Command and NSA Chief Mike Rogers talks about the cyber side of the war with Jeanne Meserve. Guests: Douglas London: https://mobile.twitter.com/douglaslondon5 Admiral Michael S. Rogers, USN, Ret. Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Follow Jeanne Meserve on T...
Mar 03, 2022•44 min•Ep. 50
Russian intelligence expert Filip Kovacevic profiles Putin’s spy bosses with Jeff Stein, and Foreign Policy magazine correspondent Amy Mackinnon details Russian plans for Ukraine roundups and assassinations with Jeanne Meserve. Filip Kovacevic https://twitter.com/ChekistMonitor Amy Mackinnon https://twitter.com/ak_mack https://twitter.com/foreignpolicy Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://w...
Feb 24, 2022•38 min•Ep. 49
Jeanne Meserve talks with Angela Stent, author of Putin’s World , and Jeff Stein catches up with former US Army Lt. Col. Ron Capps, who’s capturing the pain of war in his beautiful songs and stories. Angela Stent https://twitter.com/AngelaStent Putin's World https://www.twelvebooks.com/titles/angela-stent/putins-world/9781455533015/ Lt. Col. Ron Capps https://twitter.com/ron_capps https://roncappsmusic.com/ Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&...
Feb 17, 2022•44 min•Ep. 48
Jeanne Meserve talks with The Soufan Group’s Colin Clarke about the unsolved mystery of the Jan. 6 pipe bombs case, and Jeff Stein plumbs a spy’s 'sociopathic soul' with acclaimed CIA case officer Jim Lawler. Colin Clarke on Twitter @TheSoufanGroup @ColinPClarke Jim Lawler's book: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/living-lies-james-lawler/1140040320 Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.s...
Feb 10, 2022•44 min•Ep. 47
John Sipher, who once ran CIA operations against the Russians, talks about US options for dealing with an invasion of Ukraine, while Brian Murphy, a former top DHS intelligence official, deconstructs the Kremlin's disinformation campaign against us. With cohosts Jeff Stein and Jeanne Meserve. John Sipher https://twitter.com/john_sipher https://twitter.com/AtlanticCouncil Brian Murphy https://twitter.com/NatSecBrian https://twitter.com/LogicallyAI Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtrac.c...
Feb 03, 2022•42 min•Ep. 46
The FBI’s explanations for its Jan. 6 failures don't add up, reporter Jason Paladino tells Jeff Stein. And Jeanne Meserve dives deep into the creepy Metaverse with terrorism researchers at the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center. Our guests: Jason Paladino https://twitter.com/jason_paladino https://twitter.com/gridnews The National Counterterrorism, Innovation, Technology, and Education Center @NCITE_COE Austin C. Doctor https://twitter.com/austincdoctor @UNOma...
Jan 27, 2022•53 min•Ep. 45
Retired Green Beret Col. David Maxwell discusses paramilitary options against Russian invaders in Ukraine, while former US-Iran nuclear deal negotiator Ernest Moniz offers perspective on new talks with hardliners. With Jeff Stein and Jeanne Meserve. David Maxwell* https://twitter.com/DavidMaxwell161 http://maxoki161.blogspot.com/ *A previous version of this episode placed David Maxwell with Georgetown. This corrected version notes that he is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democ...
Jan 20, 2022•52 min•Ep. 44
