SpyCast

Summary Andrew leads a SPY Museum panel discussion between four experts on the most damaging mole in FBI history, Robert Hanssen. This program was in collaboration with CBS/Paramount on their new podcast “Agent of Betrayal" What You’ll Learn Intelligence The story of Robert Hanssen How his colleagues reacted to his betrayal A psychological analysis of Hanssen  How the Hanssen case has impacted the...

Summary Col. (Ret.) Shlomo Mofaz (LinkedIn) and Col (Ret.) Zohar Palti (Wikipedia) join Andrew to discuss their respective careers in the Israeli Defense Forces and the Mossad.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence Israel’s relationships with neighboring countries  The role of intelligence within the Intifadas  Israel and the Lebanon War Hezbollah, Hamas, and other groups that pose threats to Israeli se...

Summary Lt. Col. (ret.) Aviram Halevi (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss Israel’s top secret commando unit, Sayeret Matkal. Aviram formerly served as Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Sayeret Matkal.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence The origins of Sayeret Matkal Collaboration across Israeli intelligence  Operation Spring of Youth & the Entebbe Raid Intelligence & hostage retrieval Re...

Welcome to a very special bonus episode of SpyCast, coming to you directly from the stage of the International Spy Museum. Last month, we hosted a live panel discussion in collaboration with our friends at Goat Rodeo who produced the new podcast, Spy Valley: An Engineer’s Nuclear Betrayal, a series by Project Brazen and PRX.  The riveting series tells the true story of James Harper, a Silicon Vall...

Summary Uri Bar-Joseph (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the intelligence failure of the Yom Kippur War. Uri is an author and professor emeritus at Haifa University.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence How Israel failed to predict the Yom Kippur War Egyptian spy Ashraf Marwan’s role in the War How Israeli intelligence evolved post-War Israeli leadership’s accountability for the fa...

Summary Uzi Arad (Wikipedia) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss intelligence and policy at the highest level. Uzi was also a former foreign policy advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Director of Intelligence for the Mossad.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence National security in Israel Israel’s position within the Middle East  State leaders as consumers of intelligence Uzi’s rel...

Summary Brig. Gen. (res.) Erez David Maisel (Twitter, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to provide a crash-course in Israeli Intelligence history. Erez is a researcher and former head of the IDF’s International Cooperation Division.  *FULL SHOWNOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE* What You’ll Learn Intelligence Early history of intelligence in Israel The origins of Israeli intelligence organizati...

Summary Letitia “Tish” Long (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss her time as the Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Tish was the first woman to be appointed director of an American intelligence agency.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence GEOINT & its importance Tish’s recollection of the Bin Laden raid The differences between NGO and NGA Information sharing betw...

Summary Vappala Balachandran (Wikipedia) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss his career and the ancient roots of espionage in India. Bala formerly served as Special Secretary for India’s Cabinet Secretariat.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence India’s Research and Analysis Wing The Tamil Tigers’ threat to Indian national security Intelligence considerations within India-Pakistan relations Less...

Summary Michael McElgunn (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss intelligence in the Republic of Ireland. Michael is the Assistant Commissioner of An Garda Síochána’s Crime and Security Intelligence Service.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence The history of An Garda Síochána The intelligence components of the Garda The present state of Northern Ireland relations Current threats to Iris...

Summary Brigadier General (Ret.) Wilson Boinett joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss Kenyan intelligence. Wilson is the former Director of Kenya’s National Intelligence Service.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence The effect of colonialism on intelligence The organization of Kenya’s National Intelligence Service Wilson’s role in adapting and reforming Kenyan intelligence  The Nairobi bombings a...

Summary David Petraeus (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter, LinkedIn) to discuss his strategic analysis of the war in Ukraine. General Petraeus is a former Director of the CIA. What You’ll Learn Intelligence General Petraeus’ appraisal of the situation in Ukraine What victory would look like for each side What role intelligence is playing in the War General Petraeus’ time as Director of the CIA  Refl...

Summary Bill Britton (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) in a discussion about cybersecurity and cyber awareness. Bill is the Director of the California Cybersecurity Institute and CIO at Cal Poly.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence How to better protect your online information Why cybersecurity is more important now than ever How Cal Poly is addressing cybersecurity challenges The state of c...

Summary Keith Michaels (LinkedIn) and James Lockhart (LinkedIn) join Andrew to discuss intelligence in an unlikely place: Casinos! James and Keith have collectively over 30 years of experience within Las Vegas gaming surveillance.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence How casinos conduct surveillance Collaboration between casinos and intelligence organizations  The mob origins of Las Vegas Nation-state...

Summary Eamon Javers (Twitter, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter, LinkedIn) to discuss China’s Corporate Spy War. Eamon is the Senior Washington correspondent at CNBC.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence Why go after corporate secrets?  What’s at stake for the United States  The case of Yanjun Xu and GE Aviation Military implications of economic espionage Reflections The innovation nation Simple twists...

Summary Steve James (IMDb) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss his new film, A Compassionate Spy. 18-year-old Ted Hall was the youngest physicist working on the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence Soviet-American relations during WWII The Manhattan Project and the development of the Atomic Bomb  Motivations for atomic espionage The life and story of Theodore Ha...

Summary Michael Vickers (Website) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss his remarkable career and memoir. He was formerly the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence His specialized training to wear a “Nuclear Backpack” (yes, literally!) Overseeing a multibillion-dollar CIA covert action program against the Soviets Planning the Osama Bin Laden raid Retooli...

Summary Jorhena Thomas (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss her career as an analyst and passion for intelligence education. Jorhena spent 8 years in the FBI as an Intelligence Analyst.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence What makes a great analyst Her thoughts on the “Intelligence Cycle” The Robert Levinson case  How the FBI adapted after 9/11 Reflections Teamwork and collaboration ...

Summary Leta McCollough Seletsky (Website; Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to share the story of her father, the famous “Kneeling Man” – The man knelt next to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at his assassination at the Lorraine Motel in 1968. Leta is a litigator turned essayist and memoirist.  *Nominate SpyCast for a People’s Choice Podcast Award HERE!* What You’ll Learn Intelligence The life...

Summary Ryan Zimmerman (MLB Stats; Wikipedia) and Marc Polymeropoulos (Twitter; LinkedIn) join Andrew to discuss intelligence and America’s pastime. From the SpyCast Field of Dreams. What You’ll Learn Intelligence Sign-stealing and codebreaking Glue guys and teamwork Ethics in baseball and espionage Clutch and pinch hitters in espionage and baseball Reflections Daring to fail Stepping up to the pl...

Summary Ioanna Iordanou (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss Venice’s Secret Service. Her research on “centralized intelligence” during the Italian Renaissance has secured her two entries in Guiness World Records! What You’ll Learn Intelligence The origins of centralized intelligence  “The Council of Ten” - Venice’s spy chiefs “The Inquisitors of the State” - Venice’s co...

Summary  This week on SpyCast, Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) is joined by former DPRK Agent Kim, Hyun Woo. This is the first time Dr. Kim has stepped out from the shadows to speak.  *EXTENDED SHOW NOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE* What You’ll Learn  Intelligence  The organizational structure of North Korean intelligence The journey of a defector  The training and skills needed to be a DPRK agent North Ko...

Summary Calder Walton (Website, Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the 100-year intelligence war between the United States and Russia. Calder is the author of the new book, SPIES.  *EXTENDED SHOW NOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE* What You’ll Learn Intelligence The epic clash of intelligence systems Russia’s assassination program then and now The roots of Putinism  China as “the Sovie...

Summary Cory Graff (Website, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter, LinkedIn) to discuss the D-Day deception operation to mask the landings at Normandy. Cory is a Curator at The National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence Deception tactics used by the Allies  The core deception operations BODYGUARD and FORTITUDE  The German secret agents who became British “do...

Summary Noah Hurowitz (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss infamous drug kingpin El Chapo. A weak link in his cybersecurity set-up would help bring him down.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence El Chapo’s internal surveillance operation The cartel’s use of cryptography to keep communications covert How cybersecurity enabled then brought down El Chapo The role of the infamous...