Enter the secretive world of spies, espionage, and covert operations.
Hosted by former CIA analyst turned spy novelist, David McCloskey, and veteran security correspondent, Gordon Corera, this podcast unravels real-life spy stories, intelligence secrets, and the hidden power struggles shaping global events.
From Cold War espionage to modern-day intelligence agencies like the CIA, MI6, and Mossad, explore the world of double agents, classified missions, and the shadowy figures who operate in them. Whether you're a true crime addict, a thriller fan, or fascinated by spy stories, this is the show for you.
Last refreshed: ⓘ
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more
How did the CIA mastermind one of the most audacious coups in world history? What does it take to remove a world leader? And what does the future hold for Latin America with Donald Trump now at the helm of US foreign policy? Listen as David and Gordon recount the story of the 1954 Guatemalan coup and delve into whether Cuba will be the next state on Donald Trump's hit list. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026 at The Rest Is Fest: Buy your tickets HERE to see David and Go...
Is Cuba next on Trump's hit list? Why are the US so concerned by what's happening in their "backyard"? And what can we learn from the history of regime change in Latin America to help us understand the "Donroe Doctrine"? Listen as David and Gordon delve inside the Guatemalan coup of 1954 and examine what Donald Trump has learnt from how the CIA plotted regime change in the agency's early years. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026 at The Rest Is Fest: Buy your tickets HERE ...
After 9/11 it looked as though a new path of diplomacy could be forged between Iran and the US, and then George Bush referred to the nation as part of the Axis of Evil. The years that followed were characterised by Iran-backed terror attacks, regional instability and an uncertain future. But how did we get here? Listen as David and Gordon are once again joined by historian and author Arash Azizi to discuss the role of Saddam Hussein and Iran’s nuclear programme in the long conflict between Iran ...
Why did the US and Israel launch strikes on Iran on 28 February? What is the secret history behind the conflict? And how did Ayatollah Khamenei seize power in 1979? Listen as David and Gordon are joined by historian and author Arash Azizi to discuss the road to Operation Epic Fury and the long history that brought us to this point. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show: https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newslett...
Was Putin behind the election of Trump in 2016? And were Hillary Clinton's emails really as “crooked” as they seemed? As David and Gordon conclude their series on how Russia made Trump, they ask what the legacy of the active measures campaign has been and whether the aftermath has changed the world, forever. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show: https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up -------------...
Russian trolls are trying to influence the 2016 US election, but did Putin's keyboard warriors really propel Donald Trump into the White House? In the penultimate episode in their series on how the Russians hacked the 2016 US presidential election, David and Gordon return to the sordid tale of Yevgeny Prigozhin: restaurateur and Russian troll farmer. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show: https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com...
Former CIA analyst, David McCloskey, is joined by CNN's Chief International Correspondent, Clarissa Ward, live from the ground in northern Iraq as she breaks the story of a reported CIA operation to arm Kurdish militias to sow dissent in Iran. Listen as David and Clarissa discuss what it's currently like operating in Iraq amidst the escalating conflict, what the US serves to gain from toppling the Iranian regime and sowing unrest, and how this conflict compares to ones Clarissa has reported from...
Foreign spies are messing with the 2016 election. Private emails are being leaked. But what will Donald Trump say about it? In their latest episode on the Russian active measures campaign to hijack the 2016 US presidential election, David and Gordon go deep into the story of how the Obama campaign reacted to a series of leaked emails, and why the Republicans chose not to get involved. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show...
The Russians have hacked into the Democrats' servers and WikiLeaks are threatening to expose Hillary Clinton's emails. Is this the moment that triggers the downfall of the 2016 Clinton campaign? Listen as David and Gordon explore how Julian Assange and his WikiLeaks team helped the Russian GRU and SVR expose the secrets of the Clinton campaign. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show: https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-...
Israel and the US have launched missiles at Iran and killed Iran’s leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But what is actually happening on the ground? How did we get here? And what happens next? Listen as David and Gordon shared the intelligence perspective on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, live on Sunday 1 March. ------------------- Later today, we will also be sending out a round up with perspectives from across our shows on the situation in Iran. You'll hear from Gordon, Alastair and Rory...
Donald Trump is gaining ground in the 2016 presidential race, but what does his rise mean for Russian hackers desperate to take down Hillary Clinton? In the second episode of our series on Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election, David and Gordon delve inside the Russian active measures campaign to hack the campaigns of the Democratic and Republican candidates. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show: http...
Did Russia really interfere in the 2016 US presidential election? Did the election of Donald Trump benefit Vladimir Putin? And how did the scandal begin? Listen as David and Gordon begin their exploration of the role of the Russians in the 2016 election and the dramatic rise of Donald Trump. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show: https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up ------------------- Join the D...
Time is of the essence to stop the Al Qaeda plotters from taking down multiple airliners and MI5 are rushing to make arrests. But is there enough evidence to charge them with terror offences? In the final episode of our series on the Liquid Bomb Plot, David and Gordon unpack the suspenseful moments before the plotters are arrested and how everything nearly went so wrong. ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews wi...
The “Special Relationship” is under strain as MI5 and the CIA butt heads over how to stop an Al Qaeda cell in East London from committing the next 9/11. With the Americans visiting Pakistan and making risky unauthorised decisions, will the intelligence alliance survive? Listen as David and Gordon take us to Islamabad in the latest episode of their series on the Liquid Bomb Plot, and try to understand why a lone agent acted so impulsively. ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go deep...
Was convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein working undercover for the Kremlin? Did Putin recruit Epstein to harvest kompromat on his enemies? And what does this mean for global security going forward? Listen as David McCloskey spoke LIVE to former CIA officer and foreign policy, intelligence, and national security expert John Sipher to discuss the ongoing intelligence developments coming out of the Epstein Files. ------------------- Make someone a Declassified Club Member this year – go deeper i...
MI5 have discovered a bomb making factory in East London, but how do they stop the Al Qaeda plotters from carrying out their terrifying plans? In the second episode of their series on the Liquid Bomb Plot, David and Gordon share the inside story of how MI5 surveilled the extremist cell and “legally” broke into the bomb factory. ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular livest...
In the aftermath of 9/11, while the world was still reeling from the deadliest terror attack on US soil, Al Qaeda were plotting an airline attack with ever graver consequences. This is the story of the Liquid Bomb Plot. Listen as David and Gordon delve into the story of how MI5 foiled the plans of an extremist cell in East London. ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular liv...
A Russian agent is trying to defect to Britain, but there’s only one person in his way: Kim Philby. Will the communist double agent at the heart of MI6 sell his comrade down the river to save himself, or spare his life at the risk of giving the game away? As David and Gordon reach the end of their first foray into the infamous life and career of Kim Philby, they ask: can you ever feel sympathy for a traitor? ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go deeper into the world of espionage ...
Kim Philby’s moment in the sun has finally arrived: he has been recruited by MI6 and asked to join the anti-communist division. With access to intelligence beyond his wildest dreams, this is Philby’s chance to show the Russians what he’s made of. Listen as David and Gordon continue their story on the rise of Kim Philby from war correspondent to one of the most important men in British intelligence. ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go deeper into the world of espionage with exclu...
Following his recruitment by Soviet intelligence, Kim Philby initially struggles to penetrate British institutions, first as a journalist, then as a war correspondent in the Spanish Civil War where he even receives a medal from Franco. Despite facing Moscow's purges and the Nazi-Soviet Pact, Philby's unwavering commitment leads him to re-establish contact and, through an astonishing twist involving his controversial father and the "old boys' network," secure his entry into the British Secret Intelligence Service.
The first part of a four-part series, this episode introduces Kim Philby, arguably the 20th century's greatest traitor. It examines his unconventional upbringing, including his anti-colonial father and formative years in India, and explores how witnessing the rise of fascism in Europe radicalized him. The narrative culminates with his intellectual conversion to Marxism at Cambridge, his move to politically charged Vienna where he falls in love and experiences a violent crackdown, and his eventual recruitment by Arnold Deutsch, a brilliant Soviet talent spotter, setting him on a path of betrayal.
To coincide with the release of David's latest novel, The Persian , we have the book’s first chapter in audiobook form for you to enjoy. Mixing suspense with strikingly cinematic action, David McCloskey takes readers deep into the shadow war between Iran and Israel. The Persian by David McCloskey, is OUT NOW in the UK. Pre-order a signed edition via this link. ------------------- What happens when a spy is forced to reckon with the consequences of his deception? Kamran Esfahani, a Persian Jew...
Why is Trump backing down on his plans to seize Greenland? Are the Russian's already spying in the Arctic? And should we be fearing Chinese influence in the icy north? In this emergency podcast, David and Gordon delve into the intelligence story regarding Greenland and ask why Trump's forcefulness may be distracting us from the plans of China and Russia. ------------------- Make someone a Declassified Club Member this year – go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, intervie...
What does history tell us about how a revolution is going to play out? What can intelligence agencies and political scientists working on Iran learn from Syria? And why didn’t Donald Trump follow through on his plan to militarily intervene in Iran? Listen as David and Gordon look at the ongoing situation in Iran through the lens of intelligence analysts and ask what there is to be learnt from studying revolutions of the past. ------------------- Make someone a Declassified Club Member this year ...
This episode delves into Iran's current unrest, triggered by economic pressures and met with brutal repression, while examining the role of intelligence agencies in understanding and predicting such a volatile situation. Drawing on the CIA's analytical methods, the hosts dissect the "pillars of stability" for the Islamic regime, including elite cohesion, security force loyalty, and the socioeconomic contract, ultimately highlighting the inherent challenges in forecasting political change.
Delving into the persistent theories surrounding Jeffrey Epstein's intelligence ties, this episode examines claims of his connection to Mossad through Robert Maxwell and his daughter Ghislaine. The hosts differentiate between being a formal intelligence agent and a "spy-adjacent" figure like Epstein, who leveraged extensive networks and resources for personal gain and to facilitate business and political connections, notably with Ehud Barak. The discussion concludes that while Epstein operated in murky circles, there's no evidence he was a recruited or tasked spy, suggesting his motivations were primarily financial and personal criminal exploitation.
This episode begins a two-part series exploring whether Jeffrey Epstein worked for an intelligence agency. It delves into Epstein's background, vast connections, and controversial legal history, including his death in jail. The discussion then examines the theory of Epstein running a blackmail ring for kompromat, comparing it to historical operations like Salon Kitty, while critically assessing the likelihood of intelligence agency involvement, especially regarding Mossad allegations.
Former CIA officer Dave Fitzgerald provides an insider's perspective on Cuba's significant involvement in protecting the Venezuelan regime. He details how Cuba offered comprehensive security and intelligence services, including personal bodyguards for Maduro and counterintelligence operatives across all government levels. Fitzgerald ultimately assesses this operation as a complete failure by the Cubans, questioning their perceived intelligence prowess given their singular focus on the United States.
Following the successful operation to depose Nicolás Maduro, this episode delves into the true reasons behind the U.S. intervention. It scrutinizes the drug trafficking claims, revealing them as a convenient legal pretext, and highlights the significant role of Venezuela's vast oil reserves and broader U.S. geopolitical ambitions to reassert the Monroe Doctrine. The hosts also discuss the parallels with past U.S. actions, the surprising efficiency of the operation, and the uncertain future implications for global power dynamics and other Latin American leaders.
The Rest is Classified presents an emergency two-part series on the intelligence story behind the US apprehension of Nicolas Maduro. This first episode dives into "Operation Absolute Resolve," exploring the escalating military pressure, covert CIA intelligence collection, and the intricate planning by Delta Force. It covers Maduro's defiance, the tactical execution of the raid, and his swift extraction to the US, highlighting the mission's remarkable success from an operational standpoint.
