In this True Spies Classic, CIA analyst Gina Bennett shows Vanessa Kirby the origins of America's most infamous enemy. Throughout the 1990s, Osama bin Laden launched a series of attacks on American interests at home and abroad. Operating in the man's world of counter-terrorism, Gina had to fight to have the threat he posed taken seriously. Would YOU trust your gut? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Tim Mansel. Mu...
Feb 11, 2025•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Former CIA counterterrorism analyst, hunter of Bin Laden, author and proud mother - hear from the fantastic Gina Bennett in this week's Debrief. Bennett authored the earliest warnings of today’s terrorism trends including the 1993 report that foreshadowed the danger of Osama bin Laden. Hear her current prescient predictions for what she is calling the new paradigm for national security, and how this will affect the U.S, and nations around the world... From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And ...
Feb 04, 2025•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast International Relations journalist and author, R.T Howard, reveals the tensions, subterfuge and devastating errors that marked the first Cold War. In the 1920s and 30s, the Allies waged an intelligence war against a rising star in global politics - Adolf Hitler. Young intelligence agencies tried in vain to penetrate the Nazi's veil of secrecy. In this episode, you'll hear three stories from this turbulent era - and learn the lessons of the past. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle...
Jan 29, 2025•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this classic episode of True Spis, undercover CIA agent James Olson takes Vanessa Kirby on a nail-biting mission behind the Iron Curtain. In the late 1970s, James was tasked with tapping an underground communications line between Moscow and a top-secret nuclear weapons facility. Under constant surveillance from the KGB, he would need to use a combination of traditional spycraft and hi-tech gadgetry to intercept this priceless intel without risking a diplomatic catastrophe. From SPYSCAPE, the ...
Jan 21, 2025•55 min•Ep 248•Transcript available on Metacast Do you know about the rising threats posed by transnational repression? Hear from Bob Dougherty, veteran of 26 years as a CIA undercover operations officer. Today, Bob works as an instructor for multiple government agencies, increasingly speaking on the dangers of transnational repression; the intimidation, harassment, or other human rights abuses perpetrated by countries on their own people beyond their borders. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe...
Jan 14, 2025•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Journalist and author Steve Vogel unravels the unlikely tale of George Blake, the cunning Cold War double-agent who betrayed one of the most ambitious wire-tapping operations of the 1950s - and made a name for himself as one of spycraft's greatest escapologists. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Frank Palmer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 07, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep 246•Transcript available on Metacast The tools in a spy's arsenal are more varied than you might think. But they all come under one name: Tradecraft. In our ninth round of insights from the world of espionage, Rhiannon Neads looks back on lessons drawn from intrepid cyber-cops, nuclear double-dealers, crafty codebreakers and more. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Alex Burnard. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 31, 2024•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this True Spies Classic, Hayley Atwell tells the story of Mubin Shaikh, an Islamist extremist turned undercover agent for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. Undercover as a member of the terrorist group that would be known as the Toronto 18, Mubin was told that his cover would be blown. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Louise Clarke-Rowbotham. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm...
Dec 24, 2024•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast What can drive an ordinary person to extremist ideology? Hear from former security intelligence and counter terrorism operative, Mubin Shaikh, on his current work as a Counter Extremism Specialist. He delves into real world cases of those who succumb to extremist ideology, why it happens, and his challenging work trying to bring people back. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...
Dec 17, 2024•51 min•Ep 243•Transcript available on Metacast National security journalist Zach Dorfman returns to True Spies with the tantalising tale of one of the War on Terror's most secretive undercover operatives. Known only by his pseudonym, this CIA spy delivered intel directly to the highest echelons of power - and paid a heavy price for his success. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 10, 2024•46 min•Ep 242•Transcript available on Metacast In this True Spies Classic, Hayley Atwell tells the story of the capture of Pablo Escobar, with the DEA agents who helped bring him down and inspired the TV show 'Narcos'. Steve Murphy and Javier Peña found themselves in Colombia on the trail of the notorious druglord - two "gringos" with a price on their heads. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Gemma Newby. Music by Nick Ryan. https://www.deanarcos.com/ Learn more about yo...
Dec 03, 2024•51 min•Ep 241•Transcript available on Metacast Hear from Tim Tate, best-selling author, award-winning documentary filmmaker and investigative journalist, as he dives into a scandal born deep in the heart of the British Intelligence Service. Time untangles the connections between KGB mole Mikhail Golenevsky and MI5 spy catcher Peter Wright. And recalls how in the process of writing his 19th book, he learned he was himself considered a threat to national security, for delving too deep... From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle produ...
Nov 26, 2024•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Veteran journalist Tim Tate tells the story of Peter Wright, the crusading MI5 whistleblower who humiliated the Thatcher government in the 1980s. As the British security services' chief scientific officer, Peter employed unsavory tactics to root out Soviet spies - but a dramatic change of heart would come to define his controversial legacy. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
Nov 19, 2024•53 min•Ep 239•Transcript available on Metacast In this Classic True Spies episode, learn the details of an elite clandestine unit, Special Forces Berlin, with the help of former operative James Stejskal. Stationed in West Berlin but deployed wherever their skills were needed, they found themselves at the centre of the Tehran Hostage Crisis, but no-one could know they were there... From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Justin Trefgarne Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg...
Nov 12, 2024•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast James Stejskal, ex-special forces, tells of the jubilant and vitriolic scenes, as the Berlin Wall came down. November 9th 1989 - the Iron Curtain descends. Hear how it was on the ground, as both ordinary citizens, and global intelligence services, descend on East Berlin, seeking the vast archives of information meticulously gathered over decades by the Stasi. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Learn more about you...
Nov 05, 2024•45 min•Ep 237•Transcript available on Metacast Deep in the African rainforests, how do you hold together a decolonising nation in the wake of mass regional instability? James Stejskal, ex-CIA and former Green Beret, tells the story of his time in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As the nation wrestles with its post-colonial identity, regional instability, and the AIDS crisis, James' job is to keep an exposed US Embassy safe and operating - giving Zaire its best chance to survive in the post-Cold War new world order... From SP...
Oct 29, 2024•49 min•Ep 236•Transcript available on Metacast In this classic True Spies episode, Eric O'Neill describes the hunt for the infamous FBI mole Robert Hanssen. This entire operation hinges around Eric needing to get Hanssen into a hire car so his own car can be searched for evidence of his betrayal... but the hire car isn’t there. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 22, 2024•53 min•Ep 234•Transcript available on Metacast What will cost the global economy $20 trillion come 2026? In this latest Debrief, hear from author and famed security expert: Eric O'Neill. Eric discusses with Morgan Childs the growing hotbeds for cyber espionage, crime and warfare in the world right now, their consequences. Crucially, they also discuss how individuals and companies alike can safeguard now, to prevent catastrophe moving forward. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced ...
Oct 15, 2024•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hear the story of the extraordinary life of the spy with 29 names: Juan Pujol Garcia Born into a tumultuous Spain, Garcia, or Agent Garbo, was a natural spy, seeking out the Allies so strong was his distain for Nazi Germany. Amongst a storied espionage career, learn how his daring actions rescued the Allied invasion of Normandy, from the jaws of defeat. From SPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Producer: Justin Trefgarne. Series producer: Joe Foley. Music by...
Oct 08, 2024•52 min•Ep 233•Transcript available on Metacast In this classic True Spies episode, Tracy Walder shares what went on during 9/11 inside The Vault, the CIA's top secret bunker. 9/11 was only the second day of Tracy's first real CIA assignment, and she was tasked with hunting the world's most wanted terrorist, Osama Bin Laden, with President George W Bush looking on. From SPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Producer: David Waters. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad c...
Oct 01, 2024•51 min•Ep 232•Transcript available on Metacast Spying is stressful, often traumatic work - how do they cope? Former FBI and CIA employee Tracy Walder speaks to True Spies producer Morgan Childs about the mental health ramifications of intelligence work, and her personal experiences as a woman in the line of duty. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 24, 2024•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the aftermath of D-Day, Hitler's armies were losing the Second World War. But in September of 1944, the Nazis enjoyed one final triumph over the Allied forces - the disastrous failure of Operation Market Garden. Author Robert Verkaik sheds new light on the shadowy figures who betrayed Market Garden to the Germans - including a mysterious codename that could mask the involvement of one of Britain's most damaging moles. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series produ...
Sep 17, 2024•48 min•Ep 230•Transcript available on Metacast In this True Spies Classic episode, spy catcher Robert Booth recounts a mission to capture a Cuban agent who had infiltrated the State Department. Robert managed to identify the traitor, but proving Kendall Myers' treachery was another matter entirely. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Producer David Waters. Series producer Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 10, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Does the U.S continue to underestimate the threat the Cuban intelligence services carry? Robert Booth an ex-State Department counterintelligence officer and self described spycatcher, details how penetrative modern Cuban agents are within the United States' highest echelons of power. What information are they looking for? And what do they do with it? From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Learn more about your ad choi...
Sep 03, 2024•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast How does Mickey Bergman, expert political prisoner and hostage advocate, navigate the increasingly difficult waters of global engagements? Also a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, the CEO of Global Reach and the Vice President of the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, Mickey takes us on a deep dive into the complex hostage situation still unfolding between the United States, and Russia. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan C...
Aug 26, 2024•48 min•Ep 227•Transcript available on Metacast Revisit this timely episode of True Spies, as we dive into the deadly conflict between espionage and politics with former CIA agent Valerie Plame. Valerie was outed in the press as an undercover agent when someone close to her challenged the government's line on Weapons Of Mass Destruction, placing her family and contacts in grave danger. From SPYSCAPE. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 20, 2024•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this week's Debrief, catch up with the famously outed ex-CIA officer Valerie Plame. Hear from Valerie how her career has evolved since then, and the state of the Doomsday Clock, what might happen after the expiry of the New Start treaty, and what steps the world can take to ease nuclear tensions... From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 13, 2024•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Writer, analyst and investigative journalist Casey Michel explores one of the early CIA's darkest moments. At the dawn of the Cold War, the USA sent anti-communist agents into Ukraine, tasked with resisting the Soviets. But Stalin's secret intelligence service had experience on their side - and maybe more. The results? Disastrous. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Matthew Nelson. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad cho...
Aug 06, 2024•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Revisit the story of a KGB agent embedded deeply, too deeply, in US life, with Jack Barsky, a.k.a. Albrecht Dittrich. After many years undercover in New York, Barsky got the signal that he was compromised, yet by then he had an American wife and children. From SPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Producer: David Waters. Series producer: Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 30, 2024•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this True Spies: Debrief, ex-KGB agent Jack Barsky reveals the lessons his espionage career taught him, which have proved fundamental to his later life. Plus, hear details of life beyond the Iron Curtain, in East Germany, and how Jack came to love being an American From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 23, 2024•42 min•Ep 222•Transcript available on Metacast 
