SpyTalk

SpyTalk, Jeff Stein
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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/

  1. 1 day ago

    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 Journal, NPR, Associated Press, and the Atlantic. He lives in Washington, DC. Second Wave by Michael Lebowitz In 2003, US intelligence uncovered evidence that al Qaeda had acquired nuclear materials, plotting to smuggle them into American ports. The “Second Wave” threat triggered one of the most urgent and secretive manhunts in US history. With the cinematic intensity of Zero Dark Thirty and the investigative depth of The Looming Tower, Michael Lebowitz captures post-9/11 chaos and drama: agents risking everything to prevent another catastrophe, families torn apart, and the ethical fault lines still dividing US intelligence. Readers meet Pakistani-American industrialist Saifullah Paracha, whose import- export business concealed ties to al Qaeda; Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, architect of 9/11; Majid Khan, a Baltimore gas-station clerk turned jihadist who mapped US targets; an FBI interrogator who broke suspects faster than any waterboard; and an Orthodox Jewish garment importer whose betrayal helped avert disaster. On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Lebowitz’s account reveals a global pursuit that tested America’s moral limits and asks: Are we as prepared today as we were then? 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/  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    56 min

  2. 29 May

    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

    1 hr

  3. 22 May

    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 National Security Archive on Facebook and Bluesky https://www.facebook.com/NSArchive  https://bsky.app/profile/nsarchive.bsky.social  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

    55 min

  4. 15 May

    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 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

    1hr 3min

  5. 8 May

    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://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

    46 min

  6. 1 May

    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 Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    1hr 4min

  7. 23 Apr

    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/  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    47 min

  8. 17 Apr

    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_spy Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    1 hr
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Trailer

About

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/

Information

  • Creator
    SpyTalk, Jeff Stein
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    212
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    ©2023 SpyTalk
  • Show Website
    SpyTalk

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