The IWP Podcast

An IWP Media House Production

A podcast from The Institute of World Politics in Washington, DC. Visit us at www.iwp.edu.**Please note that the views expressed by our host and guest speakers do not necessarily reflect the views of The Institute of World Politics.

  1. Inside Counterintelligence: Wiretaps and the Wall

    6D AGO

    Inside Counterintelligence: Wiretaps and the Wall

    In this fourth installment of The IWP Podcast: Inside Counterintelligence Series, Professor John Quattrocki sits down with Paul Kepp, a former senior CIA operations officer with decades of experience in the Directorate of Operations, much of it overseas. The conversation takes listeners through a deep examination of the legal authorities, surveillance tools, and institutional tensions that shaped U.S. counterintelligence. The discussion traces how American counterintelligence developed across distinct historical periods, from Roosevelt-era intervention and Hoover’s expanding remit to the post-1947 national security framework, the impact of the Church Committee, FISA, Executive Order 12333, and the changing relationship between intelligence collection and criminal prosecution. The episode also explores how presidential direction, legal barriers, interagency coordination, and resource constraints shaped the modern counterintelligence mission. Wiretaps and The Wall examines the history of U.S. counterintelligence through one of its most consequential fault lines: the struggle to balance surveillance, security, and the rule of law. This episode shows how wiretaps, courtroom realities, and government policy reshaped the roles of the FBI, CIA, and the broader intelligence community during the Cold War, the post-Cold War period, and the years after 9/11.

    41 min
  2. Inside Counterintelligence: Reagan to Retrenchment

    APR 2

    Inside Counterintelligence: Reagan to Retrenchment

    In this third installment of The IWP Podcast: Inside Counterintelligence Series, Professor John Quattrocki sits down with Paul Kepp, a former senior CIA operations officer with decades of experience in the Directorate of Operations, much of it overseas. The conversation moves into the Reagan era and examines a period of rapid expansion in U.S. counterintelligence, where both the FBI and CIA scaled their capabilities to confront a growing and increasingly complex espionage threat. The discussion highlights how manpower, operational demands, and interagency coordination shaped the counterintelligence mission at its peak during the final chapter of the Cold War. Reagan to Retrenchment explores how this surge in capability exposed both strengths and vulnerabilities within the system. The episode examines major espionage cases that defined the era, the operational realities behind investigating them, and how the end of the Cold War triggered a shift in priorities that reduced resources at a critical moment. It underscores how strategic decisions, institutional pressures, and evolving threat landscapes reshaped the trajectory of U.S. counterintelligence moving into the 1990s.

    43 min
  3. Inside Counterintelligence: Secret, Scandals, Reform

    MAR 19

    Inside Counterintelligence: Secret, Scandals, Reform

    In this episode of the IWP Podcast: Inside Counterintelligence series, Professors John J. Quattrocki and Paul Kepp take us through a deep examination of the history and evolution of U.S. counterintelligence. The discussion traces how American counterintelligence developed across distinct historical periods, from World War I sabotage concerns and Hoover-era domestic security practices to the post-1947 national security framework, the impact of the Church Committee, FISA, and the changing relationship between the FBI and CIA. The episode also explores how presidential direction, legal authorities, interagency cooperation, and resource constraints shaped the modern counterintelligence mission. Secrets, Scandals, Reform explores the history of U.S. counterintelligence through the forces that shaped it most: covert threats, institutional failures, political pressure, and the reforms that followed. This episode examines how espionage, controversy, and government oversight helped redefine the roles of the FBI, CIA, and the broader American counterintelligence mission. This is a timely and important discussion for anyone interested in intelligence, national security, espionage, and the institutional history behind how the United States detects and responds to foreign threats. The Institute of World Politics teaches counterintelligence, intelligence policy, and the instruments of statecraft as part of its graduate education in national security and international affairs.

    32 min
  4. Inside Counterintelligence: Myths and Realities in US Counterintelligence

    MAR 5

    Inside Counterintelligence: Myths and Realities in US Counterintelligence

    This episode, “Myths vs Reality in U.S. Counterintelligence,” traces the evolution of CI through technical collection and oversight, including Venona’s lasting implications, why FISA uses orders rather than warrants, and how 9/11 plus the rise of the internet and mobile telephony changed the practical and legal realities of collection.

    33 min
  5. LIONESS - THE LIFE OF AN EXFILTRATION EXPERT

    09/20/2024

    LIONESS - THE LIFE OF AN EXFILTRATION EXPERT

    Terrorists Never Sleep, but Neither Do Soccer Moms In this episode, Professor John Tsagronis interviews Kelley DeConciliis, a highly experienced professional in the fields of national security, intelligence, and international affairs. DeConciliis serves as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Advisors at the Institute of World Politics (IWP) and is also an Adjunct Professor at the school. She shares her fascinating background, including her work in areas like evacuation, exfiltration, and extraction operations, as well as her insights on balancing a demanding career with family life. Guest: Kelley DeConciliis, Vice Chairman of the Board of Advisors at the Institute of World Politics (IWP) and Adjunct Professor Guest Host: John Tsagronis, Professor of Statecraft and National Security Affairs; Former Senior Director for Policy Implementation and Execution on the National Security Council Staff Main Topics Discussed: DeConciliis' background and how she got into the field of national security and intelligence (00:01:25) Her experiences with evacuation, exfiltration, and extraction operations, including specific examples (00:03:05) The challenges of being a woman in national security and the importance of mentorship (00:04:01) DeConciliis' new course at IWP on "The Fog of War" and the practical lessons she aims to impart to students (00:23:01) DeConciliis' personal journey, including overcoming setbacks and failures, and how they have shaped her (00:31:27) DeConciliis' involvement with the Institute of World Politics and the Spy Museum (00:49:08) Where to Find Kelley DeConciliis: Institute of World Politics: https://www.iwp.edu/faculty/kelley-deconciliis/ Where to Find Professor John Tsagronis: Institute of World Politics: https://www.iwp.edu/faculty/s-john-tsagronis/

    56 min
  6. NAVIGATING THE COMPLEXITIES OF POLITICAL WARFARE

    09/11/2024

    NAVIGATING THE COMPLEXITIES OF POLITICAL WARFARE

    In this episode, Professor Glancy discusses his teaching at IWP, the importance of understanding political warfare and economic statecraft, and the strategic challenges facing the United States in competition with adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran. Key topics include: Glancy's courses at IWP on propaganda, political warfare, economic statecraft, and forecasting/risk analysis (00:01:19 - 00:02:46) The need to relearn political warfare capabilities after the Cold War (00:03:32 - 00:04:40) Challenges of confronting adversaries like Iran, China, and Russia that have strategic approaches to political warfare (00:04:56 - 00:07:54) Potential for a "grand bargain" with Russia and the unlikelihood of such an approach succeeding (00:14:28 - 00:18:15) Concerns about foreign interference in US elections and the limited impact of past efforts (00:31:38 - 00:37:41) Debate over whether the US remains the "indispensable country" amid relative economic and military decline (00:38:49 - 00:43:41) Where to Find the Guest: David Glancy's faculty profile: www.iwp.edu/faculty/david-glancy Where to Find the Host: Jim Robbins, Dean of Academics at IWP IWP podcast: www.iwp.edu/podcast

    45 min
  7. POWERING NATIONAL SECURITY: Why the U.S. Needs a Comprehensive National Energy Strategy

    09/05/2024

    POWERING NATIONAL SECURITY: Why the U.S. Needs a Comprehensive National Energy Strategy

    This podcast episode features a comprehensive discussion with Dr. Sara Vakhshouri, an expert on energy security and an adjunct professor at the Institute of World Politics (IWP). The discussion covers a wide range of topics: -The Need for a Comprehensive U.S. National Energy Security Strategy -The National Security Implications of Rapidly Growing Electricity Demand -Navigating the Energy Trilemma: The Need for Diversification -Renewable Energy: The Necessity of a Balanced Approach -Energy Access and Equity: Ensuring Fair Distribution and Availability The discussion also includes the close connection between energy and national security, the challenges of balancing energy security, sustainability, and affordability, the ineffectiveness of sanctions on Russia's energy exports, the interconnection between energy and food security, and the need for a balanced approach to energy that utilizes a variety of sources. Throughout the discussion, Dr. Vakhshouri, emphasizes the importance of a bipartisan, long-term national energy strategy that provides continuity and stability, rather than the radical shifts in policy that have occurred between administrations. Where to Find Dr. Sara Vakhshouri: - Institute of World Politics: [https://www.iwp.edu/faculty/sara-vakhshouri/] Where to Find Host Jim Robbins: - Institute of World Politics: [https://www.iwp.edu/leadership/james-s-robbins/]

    50 min
  8. DOUBLE AGENTS AND FALSE FLAGS

    08/29/2024

    DOUBLE AGENTS AND FALSE FLAGS

    Guest: Professor John Quattrocki, distinguished background in the FBI, DNI, the NSC, and the private sector, as well as being one of the most popular IWP professors for 13 years. In this episode, Professor Quattrocki discusses the history and evolution of counterintelligence policy in the U.S. government, covering topics such as: - The origins of the counterintelligence review process in the early 2000s, starting with PDD-75 under the Clinton administration (00:01:02) - The impact of 9/11 on the counterintelligence review and the shift in focus to counterterrorism (00:16:16)  - The lack of consensus among senior policymakers on the definition and role of counterintelligence (00:23:54) - The challenges of resourcing counterintelligence efforts compared to the scale of the threat (00:31:05) - The importance of offensive and strategic counterintelligence, beyond just counterespionage (00:37:18) - The distinction between recruitment of foreign agents and the use of double agents (00:43:04) --- Where to Find Professor Quattrocki: - Institute of World Politics: https://www.iwp.edu/faculty/john-j-quattrocki/ Where to Find Host Jim Robbins: - Institute of World Politics: https://www.iwp.edu/leadership/james-s-robbins/

    1h 10m
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Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

A podcast from The Institute of World Politics in Washington, DC. Visit us at www.iwp.edu.**Please note that the views expressed by our host and guest speakers do not necessarily reflect the views of The Institute of World Politics.

Information

  • Creator
    An IWP Media House Production
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    30
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The IWP Podcast

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