Spy Satellites, Outer Space & the NRO - “Beyond the Kármán Line”
Spy satellites are fascinating! Man-made objects up there – sometimes way up there – looking down to see what other humans are up to. I believe it’s called a God’s eye view. You may not be as unfamiliar with satellites as you think: for starters, you’re on one! The earth is a satellite of the sun, the moon is a satellite of the earth, you are a satellite of…historian Dr. James Outzen sat down with Andrew to talk about artificial – i.e., man-made – satellites as part of a conversation marking the 60th anniversary of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
22 Jun 20211h 10min
Juneteenth Special: African American Spies - As Chosen By a Spy, A Diplomat and a Magazine Editor
A superstar line-up chooses an African American spy from American history. Harriet Tubman, Ralph Bunche and Willie Merkerson Jr. are introduced, before we have a discussion about African Americans and the American experience. Our guests are Mel Gamble, a former CIA Chief of the Africa Division and Senior Intelligence officer; Reuben E. Brigety II, former US Ambassador to the African Union and current Vice Chancellor of the University of the South; and Kaia Niambi Shivers, writer, activist and founder of Ark Republic magazine. #Juneteenth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
19 Jun 202151min
“Risk Taker, Spy Maker” – CIA Operator Barry Broman
Barry Broman spent most of his life in South-east Asia as a photographer, an infantry officer, and as a “diplomat” (although not really!). It is not that he wasn’t a diplomat - it’s just that he did something else too…like recruit over 40 agents, escape the genocidal Khmer Rouge, supervise covert paramilitary operations, and bring in gargantuan quantities of heroin in major drug busts. Barry has lived a life – and then some. Andrew sat down with Barry to talk about his life east of the Irrawaddy River. You can buy Barry's book here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
15 Jun 20211h 5min
“The Spymaster’s Prism” – CIA Legend Jack Devine on Countering Russian Aggression
What do Afghan Mujahedeen, the KGB, Pablo Escobar, Iran-Contra, and Chilean Elections have in common? Two words: Jack Devine. This CIA legend is the Forrest Gump of the intelligence world, in that he always finds himself at the center of events. Jack reflects on his remarkable career and hones in on Russian aggression and Vladimir Putin, the subject of his current book, The Spymaster’s Prism. Anybody who went from the streets of blue-collar Philadelphia to Acting Deputy Director of Operations for the CIA has serious gumption. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
8 Jun 20211h 17min
“Do You Have a Plan for the Worst 15 Seconds of Your Life?” – Life Saving Lessons from CIA Operator Rob Montgomery
Rob Montgomery had a real scare on deployment in Afghanistan…the scare was back in Virginia though; he had a motion detect on his phone that showed multiple unidentified males outside his home in a sleepy college town - while his wife and children were asleep inside. You’ll need to listen to hear the rest of the story, but it did prompt Rob to think more deeply about the life-saving skills he developed over 34 years serving in some of the most austere and dangerous places on the planet. We talk “situational awareness,” CIA training, Krav Maga, and whether you need a go-bag! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 Jun 20211h
“A Jewish Spy in Nazi Germany” – 101-Year-Old Marthe Cohn’s Incredible True Story
Hear an incredible true story. Marthe Cohn was a young Jewish woman who went behind enemy lines into Nazi Germany with a pair of walking shoes, a cover story, and about half a ton of chutzpah. 101-year-old Marthe spoke to Andrew over the phone from her home in Los Angeles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
25 Mai 20211h 2min
“Intelligence & the World’s Largest Democracy” - Indian Spy Chief Vikram Sood
In a first for the show, this week’s guest is a former spy chief from the world’s largest democracy. Vikram Sood was the Director of India's Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW). Andrew and Vikram talk Pakistan, China, the United States, human capital, intelligence reform and the power of narratives: because spies can be sensitive souls too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
18 Mai 202158min
“The Greatest Analyst We Ever Had” – CIA Spy Chief Marty Petersen
Where to begin. Marty was described to me as, “the greatest analyst we ever had (truthfully),” would I be interested in speaking to him? Guess the answer!? The result, a SpyCast with a CIA analytic legend. For 40 years Marty analyzed intelligence for US foreign policymakers, trained a whole generation of analysts, and mentored figures who would go on to have senior leadership positions within American intelligence, such as former Acting and Deputy Director of CIA Mike Morrell. In this episode we talk China, Asia, making sense of the world, and a whole host of topical issues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
11 Mai 20211h 19min
