Intelligence Matters

CBS News
  • 4.7 (3.2K)
  • GOVERNMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
Intelligence Matters Podcast

Former acting Director of the CIA Michael Morell speaks with top leaders of the U.S. intelligence community as they reflect on their life, career and the critical roles they play in shaping national security policies. As a central figure in the most significant U.S. counter-terror efforts of the past two decades and a former CIA intelligence analyst, Morell is uniquely skilled at taking industry leading knowledge to make connections that provide deep insight into complex security events – helping decode intelligence officials’ key priorities and providing perspectives on how to achieve national security objectives. Morell is the author of “The Great War of Our Time” and a vivid account of the Central Intelligence Agency, a life in secrets, and a war in the shadows.

  1. 03/29/2023

    CIA Clinical Psychologist Ursula Wilder on Profiling World Leaders

    In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with Ursula Wilder, a clinical psychologist at the Central Intelligence Agency, about why intelligence agencies conduct psychological profiles of world leaders, and how past policymakers have used what they have learned to make strategic decisions. Wilder, who also worked in CIA's counterterrorism center and Medical and Psychological Assessments unit, explains the "dark tetrad" of personality -- narcissism, paranoia, Machiavellianism and sadism -- and how those traits can influence how leaders make decisions and engage in negotiations. She and Morell also discuss how policymakers respond to psychological profiles compiled by government agencies.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    44 min

  2. 03/22/2023

    Former Middle East Envoy Dennis Ross on Regional Instability

    In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with former senior U.S. ambassador and Middle East envoy Dennis Ross about growing instability in the Middle East, including tensions between Israel and Palestine, controversial judicial reforms in Israel, and consistent advancements in Iran's nuclear program. Ross, now counselor and a distinguished fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, offers suggestions for a clearer and more muscular U.S. policy vis a vis Iran and weighs the implications of a possible unilateral military strike on its nuclear facilities by Israel. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    38 min

  3. 03/15/2023

    The U.S. Invasion of Iraq: A Look at Intelligence, 20 Years Later

    In this special episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with five former senior CIA officers about the agency's work before, during and after the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. With personal recollections and reflections, Morell offers a candid walkthrough of what the CIA and other intelligence agencies assessed about Saddam Hussein's intentions and weapons programs in the lead-up to the invasion, how intelligence was used within the U.S. government throughout this period, and how the consequences of the CIA's missteps - as well as its successes - continue to reverberate today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    49 min

  4. 03/08/2023

    Kristin Wood on the Intelligence Value of Open Source Data

    In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with former senior CIA officer Kristin Wood about the history, value and current applications of open source data to intelligence collection and analysis. Wood, who helped lead the innovation and technology group at CIA's Open Source Center, walks through the types of information available to the public and for purchase through commercial firms that create unique insights into companies, behaviors and events. Morell and Wood discuss the ways in which the U.S. intelligence community has leveraged - or failed to leverage - some key open source data. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    42 min

  5. 03/01/2023

    Assessing Top Global Security Threats with Expert Frederick Kagan

    In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with Frederick Kagan, director of the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, about the current landscape of global security threats from the likes of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. Kagan and Morell discuss Russian president Vladimir Putin's options and objectives in the war in Ukraine and the lessons China's Xi Jinping may be drawing from the conflict. Kagan also offers insights into the effect of recent protests on the Iranian regime's stability and the nuclear ambitions of both Tehran and Pyongyang.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    36 min

  6. 02/22/2023

    Marking One Year of War in Ukraine: State Department Counselor Derek Chollet

    In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with State Department Counselor Derek Chollet about the state of the war in Ukraine as it enters its second year. Morell and Chollet discuss the implications of a deepening relationship between Russia and Iran as well as Russia and China, which the U.S. recently warned against providing material aid to Moscow. Chollet also provides new insights into the newly tense relationship between Washington and Beijing, following the shootdown of a Chinese surveillance balloon. He outlines the Biden administration's approach to managing Iran's nuclear ambitions after the earlier collapse of nuclear talks.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    39 min

  7. 02/15/2023

    Chinese Spy Balloon Fallout: Military Expert John Culver

    In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with former senior CIA analyst and National Intelligence Officer for East Asia John Culver about the rippling implications of the Chinese surveillance balloon shot down over U.S. territory. Culver and Morell discuss Beijing's possible intentions behind deploying the balloon as well as the potential information it - and other Chinese surveillance efforts - may have targeted. They also discuss the ways in which heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing could raise the risks of conflict over Taiwan. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    38 min

  8. 02/08/2023

    Inside Global Diplomacy: RT. Honourable Baroness Catherine Ashton

    In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with Rt. Honourable Baroness Catherine Ashton, former Vice President of the European Commission and the European Union's first representative for foreign affairs and security policy, about her career and new book, "And Then What? Inside Stories of 21st Century Diplomacy." Ashton provides an insider's view of several high-stakes diplomatic engagements, including the early days of forging the Iran nuclear deal and the EU-brokered talks between Serbia and Kosovo. Morell and Ashton also discuss the nature of political leadership and share thoughts about some of the world leaders with whom they engaged personally.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    41 min
See All (291)

Hosts & Guests

4.7
out of 5
3,178 Ratings

About

Former acting Director of the CIA Michael Morell speaks with top leaders of the U.S. intelligence community as they reflect on their life, career and the critical roles they play in shaping national security policies. As a central figure in the most significant U.S. counter-terror efforts of the past two decades and a former CIA intelligence analyst, Morell is uniquely skilled at taking industry leading knowledge to make connections that provide deep insight into complex security events – helping decode intelligence officials’ key priorities and providing perspectives on how to achieve national security objectives. Morell is the author of “The Great War of Our Time” and a vivid account of the Central Intelligence Agency, a life in secrets, and a war in the shadows.

Information

  • Creator
    CBS News
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2023
  • Episodes
    291
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
  • Show Website
    Intelligence Matters

More From CBS News

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada