SpyTalk

Trump’s shutdown of Russian war crimes investigations is the focus of former US Ambassador-at-large Stephen Rapp and SpyTalk host Michael Isikoff.

Former CIA officer Frank Snepp shares a stunning spy story of the Vietnam War’s chaotic end with host Jeff Stein

Doug Waller talks with Michael Isikoff about his new biography of CIA master spook Frank Wisner, quarterback of the 1953 Iran coup—and so much more.

Pulitzer-winning intelligence historian Tim Weiner discusses the latest wacky—and disturbing—news from inside the Trump administration’s national security team with SpyTalk host Jeff Stein

Host Michael Isikoff, JFK conspiracies-buster Fred Litwin, and national security analyst Peter Kornbluh dissect MAGA Rep. Anna Luna’s wacky hearing featuring Oliver Stone and other assassination plot zealots.

Luis Rueda, once the director of the CIA's Iraq Operations Group, reflects with Michael on the many mistakes the U.S. government made during the war in Iraq-- and the fatal consequences

Sue Miller not only headed CIA Counterintelligence, among other high positions during her 39-year career. She oversaw the agency's controversial assessment of Russian interference in the 2016 election. And she thinks Trump’s pro-Russia moves should be an ongoing counterintelligence concern.

The star player in Trump’s first impeachment tells Michael Isikoff there will no ceasefire in Ukraine and calls DC prosecutor a “henchman” for launching bogus probe of him and his brother.

Former senior CIA operations official Glenn Corn talks with Jeff Stein about his recent trip to Ukraine and its prospects in a rapidly and radically changing diplomatic landscape

Former US NATO envoy and Army General Doug Lute discusses JD Vance insults of allies, administration abandonment of Ukraine to Russia with SpyTalk podcast host Michael Isikoff.

Veteran former senior CIA operations official Bill Murray talks with Jeff Stein about the challenges of countering aggressive Russian intelligence ops, from the Cold War to Trump II’s radical policy shifts toward Moscow.

Former top FBI counterterrorism agent Chris O’Leary tells host Michael Isikoff how Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove was a diligent prosecutor of Jan. 6 rioters before he turned on his teammates at Trump's behest.

Former Senior DHS Intelligence Counsel Spencer Reynolds talks with host Jeff Stein about the troubled past and uncertain future of the agency’s Intelligence & Analysis wing under President Trump.

Ronald Deibert of Citizen Lab tells host Michael Isikoff how his research firm has uncovered the shocking abuse of commercial spyware by foreign governments and spy agencies around the world, resulting in a proliferation of "Watergate-like” scandals.

The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Jim Himes, tells host Michael Isikoff there is "zero evidence" TikTok is providing data on Americans to Beijing, plus talks about the "really, really scary" Jan. 6 pardons and more.

Former senior CIA official and situation room Director Larry Pfeiffer goes inside the White House situation room with SpyTalk host Jeff Stein.

Former Jan. 6 committee chief counsel and federal prosecutor Timothy Heaphy talks with SpyTalk podcast co-host Michael Isikoff about the president-elect's false claims about the Capitol riot and the major role social media played in that and the 2017 Charlottesville rally by white supremacists. He also recommends the FBI loosen its rules that restrict its ability to investigate social media posts.

Top former FBI counterspy executive and NYC Terrorism Task Force honcho Lauren Anderson addresses the looming uncertainty over “Day One,” January 20, with SpyTalk host Jeff Stein

Anti-Assad activist Mouaz Moustafa in Damascus tells Michael Isikoff how he got advance word about the rebel offensive that would topple the Assad regime—including the hidden hand that foreign intelligence agencies may have played in laying the groundwork—and how the regime’s secret files may shed new light on the relationship that DNI-designate Tulsi Gabbard had with the Assad regime.

Garret Graff, historian and journalist, explains why Trump's intention to install the fierce MAGA loyalist in charge of the U.S. government's premier law enforcement agency charged with thwarting terror attacks and protecting the nation's secrets endangers the bureau's mission for years to come.

SpyTalk's Michael Isikoff talks to Chris Costa, former chief of counter-terrorism at the NSC and now executive director of the International Spy Museum, about the mounting threat of Russian hybrid warfare-- including acts of sabotage, arson, assassination and cyber intrusions-- and whether it is time to designate Putin's Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. Costa also weighs in on President-elect Trump's pick of Tulsi Gabbard to be DNI and Sebastian Gorka as the new counter-terror chief at the NSC.

Tim Weiner, the Pulitzer-winning author of groundbreaking histories of the CIA, FBI and more, discusses Trump’s troubling nominees for top national security jobs with SpyTalk host Jeff Stein.

National Security lawyer Mark Zaid discusses Trump's stunning selection as Florida congressman Matt Gaetz to be Attorney General and what it might mean for his plans to target "corrupt actors" in U.S. intelligence and national security agencies who crossed him in the Russia probe.

New Yorker staff writer Charles Bethea joins Jeff Stein to discuss his startling reportage on thousands of Americans preparing for a civil war or other countrywide disasters.

Rep, Jamie Raskin tells SpyTalk why he wants DOJ to investigate whether Trump's son in law is serving as an unregistered agent of the Saudi government due to the $2 billion he's gotten from the Saudi wealth fund, as well as another newly discovered $87 million in "management fees." The feisty Maryland progressive also discusses his thoughts on the election and whether Trump is even eligible to serve as president under the 14th amendment.

Extremism tracker Clara Broekaert talks about political violence in the lead-up to the 2024 election and what conditions have made violent political rhetoric possible.

As president, Trump was known for his "bromance" with North Korean dictator Kim Jung Un, holding two summits in Singapore and Hanoi and engaging in a "love letter" correspondence with him that he took with him to Mar-A-Lago after he left office. But before that, journalist Zach Dorfman reminds us, Trump came perilously close to unleashing a nuclear strike on the country--an attack that, then Secretary of Defense feared, would "incinerate a couple of million people." In a SpyTalk podcast, Dorfman also talks about how, under Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign on the country, the Pentagon and CIA updated ambitious-- and somewhat quixotic-- plans for regime change. Which Trump will guide U.S. policy should he return to the Oval Office: The peacenik who tried to engage Kim in diplomacy or the MAGA warrior who once threatened North Korea "with fire and fury" unlike the world has ever seen? As Dorfman points out, it's a pressing question given that, with North Korea's accelerated missile tests and a growing alliance with Vladimir Putin's Russia, including sending equipment and troops to Ukraine, some scholars believe the threat of a conflict on the Korean Peninsula is greater than it has been in years.

The filmed game’s organizer Janessa Goldbeck joins host Jeff Stein to discuss the jarring results of the all-too-real exercise.

Former FBI analyst and Hezbollah expert Matt Levitt says an attack on Iranian intelligence facilities - rather than nuclear sites- may be coming.

Can a good spy become a good politician? I mean, not as an undercover agent—spy agencies are pretty good at that—but in an overt way, in, say, the messy US Congress. Or, put another way, can the skills that a CIA officer employs in clandestine operations—gregariousness, empathy and, let’s face it, a learned talent for manipulating people, be put to good use in a place like a deeply polarized Congress? This week I’m putting those questions to Abigail Spanberger, a former member of the CIA’s clandestine service, who in 2018 won a seat in Congress from Virginia as a Democrat, breaking, by the way, a nearly 40-year long Republican chokehold on a sprawling district in the near and far suburbs Washington, DC. Since then Spanberger has developed a strong reputation for working across the aisle with Republicans on bills that help constituents. And now she’s running for governor of Virginia with no primary opposition.

Top cyberwar expert and former Trump White House Homeland Security Advisor Thomas Bossert tells host Michel Isikoff that Israel’s deadly exploding pagers op was a “brilliant” tactic that Hezbollah's terrorists deserved.

Sam Goodwin tells us about his harrowing ordeal as a prisoner in one of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad's torture chambers. It is an extraordinary story of a young American from St. Louis who embarked on a personal adventure to visit every country in the planet only to be ensnared when he made it into Syria by Assad's security forces, who threw him into one of their most notorious prisons as a suspected CIA spy. His account, told in his new book called Saving Sam, the true story of an American's disappearance in Syria and his family's extraordinary fight to bring him home, is a reminder of the still ongoing atrocities in Syria's 13 year long civil war.

Over a period of roughly 14 years, according to the feds, Linda Sun rose through the ranks to become deputy chief of staff to Governor Hochul, before she was fired for unspecified reasons and became a target of federal investigators. But according to the DoJ, the 41-year-old was secretly using her position to advance Chinese political and business interests and steal relevant documents. In return, the feds say, Beijing’s spy service showered the couple with millions of dollars that afforded them lavish homes, a Ferrari Roma sports car, and—people had fun with this—special salted duck dishes prepared by a Chinese Embassy chef. In court on Tuesday the couple entered not guilty pleas to charges of acting as unregistered foreign agents.

John Sullivan, the former U.S. ambassador to Moscow under Presidents Trump and Biden, worries that the Ukraine war could go on for "decades" and offers some candid views on his dealings with Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

Washington Post investigative reporter Craig Whitlock, author of “The Afghanistan Papers,” is Jeff Stein’s guest on the sad anniversary of the chaotic retreat.

SOMEWHERE IN THE REMOTE MOUNTAINS of Pakistan’s southwest province of Balochistan, a shadowy, 29-year-old veteran of the Afghan Army is believed to be holed up, keenly conscious that the U.S. government has placed a $10 million bounty on his head.

This week, we’re going to take a look at the shock and disorientation the children of spies face when they learn that one, or both, of their parents are not who they say they are. Jeff’s guest, Johanna McCloy, didn’t know she was the daughter of an American spy until she was 15 years old.

The Pentagon’s stunning plea deal with 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-defendants was negotiated and announced without briefings for the families of victims of the terrorist attack–an apparent failure that drew a furious reaction Thursday from a leading 9/11 victims’ group.

Veteran CIA ops officer Jim Lawler talks about the tricks of the trade with host Jeff Stein.

Former DHS Intel Chief John Cohen on the Butler, Pa. fiasco with guest host Michael Isikoff.

“Mafia Spies” is based on a 2019 book by the same name by veteran investigative reporter Thomas Maier, with the subtitle, “The Inside Story of the CIA, Gangsters, JFK, and Castro.” Which in turn was based largely on declassified files relating to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The TV series includes dramatic recreations of critical moments in the plots, lively, insightful commentary with longstanding experts on Cuba, Castro and the Kennedys, as well as on-camera interviews with a few, still living relatives and associates of the key gangsters in the conspiracies, Johnny Rosselli and Sam Giancana. The series sheds new light on the grisly demise of Giancana and Rosselli before they were able to spill all the beans about the demonic—and sometimes comic failures—of the Castro assassination efforts.

Reuters reporter Aram Roston with Jeff Stein on the Proud Boys resurgence.

Frank Figliuzzi talks with Jeff Stein about the Bureau’s dizzying challenges.

Fat Leonard was “a maritime fixer who provided harbor protection, barges, cranes, food, fresh water, sewage collection, and anything else a nuclear powered aircraft carrier might need.” It’s absolutely astonishing how easily Leonard corrupted so many ranking Navy officers by providing them with prostitutes, booze, cash and airline tickets.

Middle East hand Jonathan Broder talks about the convoluted intelligence relationship between Jerusalem and Washington with host Jeff Stein. There are friendly nations, but no friendly intelligence services, goes an old saw in the spy business. What that means in practicality is that we have close intelligence relationships with our allies, but in many cases, we also spy on each other, not entirely trusting what they’re telling us.  In no place is this convoluted arrangement better exemplified than the security relationship between US and Israel, who have a long history of snooping on each other while closely working together on mutual targets, like Iran and its allied militias, like Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and now, Hamas in Gaza.

Jason Leopold, a senior reporter with Bloomberg News, has literally been getting under the skin of government bureaucracies for decades. His weapon: The Freedom of Information Act, enacted by Congress in the mid-1960s because the feds, well, had an insidious propensity to bury embarrassing, or even illegal, acts under layers of official secrecy. Over the years the law has been strengthened—not that it’s stopped the government from continuing its bad behavior.

Last month’s spectacular terrorist attack on a concert venue on the outskirts of Moscow, which left 144 people dead, was quickly followed by startling news that US intelligence had warned the Russians about the impending assault. When the Kremlin said the warnings hadn’t been specific, moreover, US officials pushed back, saying, in effect, “Oh yes they were,” and added details to its rejoinder. Likewise, it turned out that back in January, US intelligence had warned Iran about an impending Islamic State terrorist attack at a gathering to honor its fallen Quds Force leader Qasem Soleimani, who had been killed by a US drone strike in Baghdad.  The revelations that our spy services had actually warned two of our greatest mortal enemies astounded many people and triggered a lot of acidic commentary, confusion and the inevitable conspiracy theories on social media. Today’s guest, former CIA case officer and base chief Laura Thomas, who held a number of senior intelligence positions during her nearly 16 years of government service, says those actions followed a standard practice in American intelligence. It’s called “a duty to warn.” And she’s here to explain how that seemingly esoteric, even confounding, practice is not only a staple of the spy world—at least on the American side—but it has some espionage benefits as well.

New SpyTalk Contributing Editor Mike Isikoff pokes holes in 60 Minutes’ blockbuster story.

Jeff talks with Henry Schlesinger, author of "Honey Trapped: Sex, Betrayal, and Weaponized Love."

Jonna Mendez, former CIA chief of disguises, discusses her new book, “In True Face: A Woman's Life in the CIA, Unmasked.”

Former top CIA ops official Dan Hoffman talks with Jeff about options on Putin.

Former US Army “influence ops” specialist Paul Cobaugh talks with Jeff about combatting conspiracy mongering.

Former CIA officials Kristin Wood and Martin Petersen built a Red Cell project on The Cipher Brief to challenge experts to explore how China came to supplant the US by 2041.

Former Special Forces and CIA case officer James Stejskal chats with Jeff Stein about Berlin, Russia and more.

Former senior CIA officer Glenn Corn talks with Jeff Stein about the agency’s new generation and its challenges in the Middle East, Russia, and Ukraine in 2024.

The Washington Post’s Ellen Nakashima talks with Jeff about Beijing’s secret infiltration of US infrastructure.

Former CIA ops officer Douglas London joins Jeff to discuss spooky events from Gaza to Moscow, Kyiv & beyond.

The Washington Post’s Shane Harris joins Jeff to discuss his scoop on Ukraine’s murky op to sabotage the Nordstream-2 pipeline.

CIA Russia Hand John Sipher discusses spying and sabotage ops against Vladimir Putin.

Liza Mundy, author of “The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA,” is this week’s special guest.

This week, Jeff talks with award-winning journalist and groundbreaking author of “Wilderness of Mirrors,” National Security Correspondent for CBS, David Martin.

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.

Jeff talks with retired former CIA Al Qaeda expert Cindy Storer

Jeff talks with CIA operations veteran Laura Thomas about the gains and losses for women at the spy agency.

Jeff talks with John Hadden, author of “Conversations with a Masked Man: My Father, the CIA, and Me."

Jeff Stein talks with Kai Bird, co-author of “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer.”

David Ignatius talks about his new thriller “The Tao of Deception.”

Jeff talks with top former CIA Russia hand John Sipher about spy agency ops and Moscow’s leadership crisis.

Jeff talks with Calder Walton, author of “Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East and West.” Calder Walton https://twitter.com/calder_walton

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 on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short

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.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short

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

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

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://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short

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 Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short

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 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

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.

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://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

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_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

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/ 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

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 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_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

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://twitter.com/TheWilsonCenter 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_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

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 Jill Dougherty https://mobile.twitter.com/jillrussia/ 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_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

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 Center for European Policy Analysis https://twitter.com/CEPA 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_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

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.jeannemeserve.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://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short

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://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-usman-8b4169169/ Rhea Space Activity https://www.rheaspaceactivity.com/ 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_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

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-cold-war/ 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 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_spy

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/ 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

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 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

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/JeanneMeserve https://www.jeannemeserve.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://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short

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 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

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, Isolate, or Oppose American Policy Toward the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PEA1540-1.html 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_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

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 SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short   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_spy

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.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short   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_spy

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-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short   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_spy

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 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 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_spy

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.co/ Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short   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_spy

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 Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short   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_spy

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 Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey: http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short   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_spy