SpyTalk
SpyTalk lives at the intersection of intelligence operations, foreign policy, homeland security, and military strategy. Hosted by veteran national security journalists Jeff Stein, Michael Isikoff and Karen J. Greenberg, the podcast features exclusives by SpyTalk’s roster of longtime reporters, news and profiles of US and foreign spymasters, and interviews with policymakers and expert authors. There’s nothing quite like it—a place for experts and laypersons alike, who enjoy national security scoops and insights by SpyTalk's subject matter experts. For more SpyTalk go to: https://www.spytalk.co/
An Assassination on Embassy Row
Investigative reporter John Dinges tells how Henry Kissinger failed to prevent Chile’s 1976 murder of Orlando Letelier in downtown D.C.
More from John Dinges
When Terrorists Struck in the Heart of Washington, D.C. | SpyTalk
Books by author John Dinges
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
The Tech Bro Gods of War
Sharon Weinberger on how Big Tech is fueling the future of war.
Sharon Weinberger talks about her latest book Valley of Death
How Big Tech Is Fueling the Future of War.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Terror’s New Faces
A greater array of better-armed threats confronts the US than on 9/11.
Terrorism and insurgency expert Bruce Hoffman joins the podcast to discuss the current state of Al-Qaeda and its affiliates in the world
More from Bruce Hoffman
https://x.com/hoffman_bruce
https://www.cfr.org/experts/bruce-hoffman
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
25 Years of Counterterrorism
Peter Bergen on the triumphs and tragedies wrought by 9/11.
More from our guest:
https://www.peterbergen.com/
His latest book:
All the Presidents' Wars
Twenty-Five Years of America's War on Terror - Bookshop.org US
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker
Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | https://twitter.com/isikoff
Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3
Follow SpyTalk on Twitter | https://twitter.com/talk_spy
Subscribe to SpyTa...
How to Recruit a Traitor
Former CIA operations officer and member of CIA's Senior Intelligence Service (SIS-3) turned author, Jim Lawler joins Micheal to discuss real world espionage, spy recruitment, and his latest spy novel.
The Traitor’s Tale by Jim Lawler
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker
Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | https://twitter.com/isikoff
Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3
Follow SpyTalk on Twitter | https://twitter.com/talk_spy
Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | https://www.spytalk.co/
U.S. Adversaries Exploit Intel Failures
Former CIA Chief Learning Officer Steve Hirsch tells how Russia, China, and Iran exploit the cracks in US intelligence.
More From Stephen Hirsch | https://stephenhirsch.com/
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker
Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | https://twitter.com/isikoff
Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3
Follow SpyTalk on Twitter | https://twitter.com/talk_spy
Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | https://www.spytalk.co/
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
...
The World's First Super-terrorist
Joby Warrick joined SpyTalk to talk about “The Jackal: The Rise and Fall of Carlos, the World’s First Super-Terrorist.”
Check out the book:
The Jackal
The Rise and Fall of Carlos, the World's First
More from Joby Warrick
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Gunfight at the CIA Corral
Political pressure on the spy agency is forcing people out, says former senior analyst Julia Curlee.
More From Julia Curlee at | https://www.lawfaremedia.org/contributors/jcurlee
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker
Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | https://twitter.com/isikoff
Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3
Follow SpyTalk on Twitter | https://twitter.com/talk_spy
Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | https://www.spytalk.co/
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
<...
Kash Patel’s Strange Trips
Former FBI executive Lauren Anderson on the Director’s China, Russia outreaches.
Lauren C. Anderson | https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurencandersonintl/
https://laurencanderson.substack.com/
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker
Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | https://twitter.com/isikoff
Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3
Follow SpyTalk on Twitter | https://twitter.com/talk_spy
Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | https://www.spytalk.co/
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/p...
The Nord Stream Conspiracy
Wall Street Journal reporter Bojan Pancevski unveils the astounding story of Ukraine’s sabotage of the Russian pipeline.
Plus, Jeff and Michael discuss Jay Clayton, Todd Blanche, and more.
Read Bojan’s book
The Nord Stream Conspiracy
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker
Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | https://twitter.com/isikoff
Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3
Follow SpyTalk on Twitter | https://twitter.com/talk_spy
Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack...
Who’s Running US Intelligence?
Atlantic staff writer Shane Harris drills down on the changes roiling the ODNI and CIA.
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker
Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | https://twitter.com/isikoff
Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3
Follow SpyTalk on Twitter | https://twitter.com/talk_spy
Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | https://www.spytalk.co/
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Trumpworld’s Dystopian World of Terror
Terrorism expert Colin Clarke fact-checks the administration’s claims on leftwing extremism and election security.
More from our guest: Colin P. Clarke
Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | https://twitter.com/isikoff
Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3
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/
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
The Reporter and the China Trap
Tom LoBianco answered an ad for a writer and then things went south.
Tom LoBianco is a veteran national politics reporter and editor of 24sight News, the independent news site on Substack.
24sight's scoops have been featured in The New York Times, CNN, ABC News, the Reddit front page, the Columbia Journalism Review and many other outlets.
Tom LoBianco
https://www.24sight.news/
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpyTalker
Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter https://twi...
War-Ender Weapons
Seeing-eye bombs were supposed to limit civilian casualties. Jeffrey Stern, author of “The Warhead,” explains why they didn’t.
Jeffrey Stern
The Warhead
https://www.jeffreyestern.com/books
Follow Michael Isikoff | https://x.com/isikoff
Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://x.com/SpyTalker
Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | https://www.spytalk.co/
Jeffrey E. Stern is an award-winning journalist and the author of five books, including his newest book The...
Trump's Hatchet Man Atop US Intelligence
New York Times Intelligence Reporter Julian Barnes on the Rise of Bill Pulte.
More from Julian
Julian E. Barnes
Writes about the American intelligence community, including the Central Intelligence Agency, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and other spy agencies, as well as broader national and international security issues. His stories seek to break news about what intelligence officials are thinking, and occasionally doing, and to explain the U.S. perspective on security matters.
X: @julianbarnesThreads: @julianbarnesLinkedIn: Julian E. BarnesSignal: julianbarnes.99Anonymous tips: nytimes.com/tipsF...
How Trump Broke the ODNI
Former senior CIA analyst David Kanin on the crises in US intelligence.
David Kanin is a retired CIA senior analyst and member of the Senior Intelligence Service.
https://commonsensecoalition.net/about-csc/
Follow Michael Isikoff | https://x.com/isikoff
Follow Karen Greenberg | https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://x.com/SpyTalker
Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | https://www.spytalk.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
How a Terror Case Fizzled
Former Gitmo prosecutor Michael Lebowitz takes us inside the nuclear plot that never was.
Mike Lebowitz is one of America’s few war-crimes prosecutors with front-line counterterrorism experience. A former senior attorney at the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, he spent nearly a decade prosecuting cases at Guantanamo Bay, including the 9/11, USS Cole, and top Al Qaeda commander trials. A US Army combat veteran and former Pathfinder unit paratrooper officer, Lebowitz also served as a senior legal advisor to US Army Cyber Command. He has been featured or quoted by the Washington Post, Wall Street Jour...
Pod Save Our National Security with Tommy Vietor
Former Obama speechwriter Tommy Vietor talks about energizing Dems on vital US foreign policy issues.
Tommy Vietor | https://x.com/TVietor08 | https://crooked.com/podcast-series/pod-save-the-world/
Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | https://x.com/isikoff
Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://x.com/SpyTalker
Follow SpyTalk on Twitter | https://x.com/talk_spy
Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | https://www.spytalk.co/
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Is Havana Up For Grabs?
Cuba intervention expert Peter Kornbluh joins SpyTalk to discuss Trump’s pressure campaign.
Peter Kornbluh | National Security Archive
Peter Kornbluh, Senior Analyst, has worked at the Archive since April 1986. He currently directs the Archive's Cuba and Chile Documentation Projects. He was co-director of the Iran-Contra documentation project and director of the Archive's project on U.S. policy toward Nicaragua. From 1990-1999, he taught at Columbia University as an adjunct assistant professor of international and public affairs.
Cuba: Declassified Records on the Brothers to the Rescue Shootdown | National Security Archive
Check out Nat...
The Ultimate Intelligence Fiasco
Ex-CIA operative Jerry Watson and journalist Bob Drogin tell the disastrous story of Curveball and its relevance to today’s war against Iran.
The US invaded Iraq after the based on bogus intel. Much of that intel was fabricated by Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi an Iraqi defector codenamed "Curveball."
More from our guests:
Bob Drogin | Los Angeles Times
A CIA Officer Returns to Iraq and Uncovers Embarrassing Details of the Spy Agency’s WMD Debacle
Curveball
Jerry Watson | https://www.criticalanswers.net/
Follow...
Putin in Peril?
Former CIA Russia hand Sean Wiswesser assesses Putin’s grip on his security services amid rumors of coups.
Sean Wiswesser is a Russian intelligence and espionage expert, retired CIA senior ops officer, and author.
His latest book, Tradecraft, Tactics, and Dirty Tricks: Russian Intelligence and Putin's Secret War, is out now.
x.com/Wiswesser
https://www.instagram.com/seanwiswesser/
http://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-wiswesser
Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter
https://x.com/isikoff
Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter
https...
JFK’s Fatal Mistake
Veteran journalist Jack Cheevers takes another look at President Kennedy’s ambivalent role in the overthrow and assassination of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem.
Check out Kennedy’ Coup by Jack Cheevers
Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter https://x.com/SpyTalker
Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter https://x.com/isikoff
Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3
Follow SpyTalk on Twitter https://x.com/talk_spy
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Priv...
Deciphering the Iran War Talks
A former Pakistani ambassador to the US says the more Trump bashes Iran, the more it will dig in.
Husain Haqqani joins SpyTalk to discuss the state of diplomacy between Iran and the US.
Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter https://twitter.com/isikoff
Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3
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/
<...
A Spy's Iran
Former CIA Iran spy recruiter Mark Fowler says the “peace deal” is not the end of the war. He shares his analysis of the recent peace talks based on his understanding of how Iranians negotiate.
For more of Mark Fowler's analysis follow him on Substack | https://substack.com/@malfow5
Mark also writes espionage fiction | https://markafowler-author.com/
Michael Isikoff on Twitter | https://twitter.com/isikoff
Karen Greenberg on Twitter | https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3
Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker
SpyTalk on Twitter | https://twitter.com/talk_sp...
Stone Age Tactics
Former CENTCOM commander Gen. Joseph Votel says military leaders should refuse a Trump order to bomb Iran "back to the Stone Ages"
Joseph Leonard Votel is a retired four-star general in the United States Army who was commander of United States Central Command from March 2016 to March 2019. Before that, he served as commander of the United States Special Operations Command.
Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | https://twitter.com/isikoff
Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker
Follow SpyTalk o...
Scapegoats with Yossi Melman
Trump and Netanyahu finger others for Iran war problems.
SpyTalk speaks with Yossi Melman, an investigative journalist with The Jerusalem Post about issues USA and Israel have with the methods and objectives of the war.
More from Yossi Melman | Yossi Melman | The Jerusalem Post | www.yossimelman.com | (@yossi_melman)
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Eve of Destruction
Former CIA operative and Senior DOD Official Mick Mulroy Details Trump’s Bad Options on Iran.
https://www.loboinstitute.org/
Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/isikoff
Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter: https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3
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/
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privac
Identity Crisis
Acclaimed Iranian American writer Hooman Majd talks about the likely future of the Islamic Republic.
Hooman Majd is an Iranian-born American journalist, author, and political commentator focused on Iranian affairs.
https://x.com/hmajd
Minister without Portfolio: Memoir of a Reluctant Exile
Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/isikoff
Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter: https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker
Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy
Ballistic Diplomacy in Iran
Ex-CIA op sees no end in sight for Iran conflict.
"What you're now looking at is perpetual war," says Reuel Gerecht, former Iran target officer in SpyTalk interview.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Trump's Wars Raise Stakes For Taiwan
Former top intel operative David Shedd says it's now "50-50" Xi will invade next year.
David Shedd
The Great Heist China’s Epic Campaign to Steal America’s Secrets
Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/isikoff
Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter
https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/SpyTalker
Follow SpyTalk on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/talk_spy
<...
War Fever
Trump, Iran at fateful crossroads, top Middle East expert Jon Alterman says on the SpyTalk podcast.
Jon Alterman — https://www.csis.org/people/jon-b-alterman
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/SpyTalker
Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter
https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3
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/
...
Who Is on the DOJ's Secret "Domestic Terror" List
Congressmember Mary Gay Scanlon speaks with SpyTalk's Michael Isikoff about the secretive government list of “domestic terrorist groups” Attorney General all but confirmed the existence of in her recent trip to The Hill.
Then Karen Greenberg and Michael Isikoff talk with writer and retired American FBI agent, Mike German about the implications and consequences of the NSPM7 memo and the FISA court.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
What’s Going on with Tulsi Gabbard?
Former senior CIA official Larry Pfeiffer discusses the DNI’s strange behavior with SpyTalk hosts Jeff Stein, Michael Isikoff and Karen Greenberg.
Larry Pfeiffer | https://www.linkedin.com/in/larrypfeiffer/
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
The New Wizards of Espionage
How A.I. is revolutionizing the spies’—and spy catchers’—toolkits. With ex-CIA officer Aaron Brown.
Aaron Brown | https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-brown-lumbra/
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Terror’s Comeback
ISIS and other Afghan-based terror groups are growing stronger, a new UN report says. Expert Colin Clarke explains why.
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/SpyTalker
Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter
https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3
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/
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/bran...
Battlefield Greenland
Former senior Danish intelligence officer Jacob Kaarsbo talks about Trump’s murky designs on Greenland and NATO.
https://jacobkaarsbo.substack.com/
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Will the Iranian Regime Survive?
Two prominent Iranian-American journalists, Jason Rezaian of the Washington Post and Hooman Majd of NBC News, say the regime may be losing its grip.
Jason Rezaian
https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/jason-rezaian/
Hooman Majd
https://www.hoomanmajd.com/
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/SpyTalker
Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter
https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3
Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/isikoff
Follow SpyTalk on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/talk_sp...
Gulp of America
CIA in Venezuela, Cuba and Beyond
With Luis Rueda
https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-rueda-b060a217/
and
Peter Eisner
https://substack.com/@petereisner
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/SpyTalker
Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter
https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3
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...
Her Grandfather Was a Nazi Spy
Christine Kuehn talks about her shocking discovery in “Family of Spies"
Family of Spies
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250344465/familyofspies/
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/SpyTalker
Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter
https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3
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...
The House of Secrets
Tom Blanton talks about 40 years of unearthing CIA plots at the National Security Archive.
https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/
Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/SpyTalker
Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter
https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3
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.
...