From NFL to Espionage: The Story of Ernest Cuneo

Summary Alan Kohler joins Andrew to discuss the FBI’s counterintelligence division. He is a recipient of the FBI Director’s Award for Outstanding Counterintelligence Investigation.  ***FULL SHOWNOTES AVAILABLE HERE*** What You’ll Learn Intelligence -Counterintelligence vs. Counterespionage -How the FBI recruit’s foreign agents  -Ideological motivations behind spying -Effect of technology on counterintelligence Reflections -Staying grounded under pressure  -The value of creativity Notes Alan Kohler (LinkedIn, Website) has been the FBI Assistant Director for Counterintelligence since 2020. Alan and Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) talk all things counterintelligence. ***FULL RESOURCES AVAILABLE HERE*** *SpyCasts* -The FBI & Cyber with Cyber Division Chief Bryan Vorndran, Part 1 (2022) -The FBI & Cyber with Cyber Division Chief Bryan Vorndran, Part 2 (2022) -My Global Career as a Female FBI Agent with Kathy Stearman (2021) -The FBI Way with Counterintelligence Spy Chief Frank Figliuzzi (2021) ***FULL RESOURCES AVAILABLE HERE*** *Beginner Resources* -What We Investigate, FBI (n.d.) [webpage] -FAQ’S, FBI (n.d.) [webpage] -US Opens Counterintelligence Investigation into China Every 12 Hours (Dir. Wray), MSNBC (2022) [video] -What We Know About China’s Spy Agency, Bloomberg Originals (2019) [video] -Hollow Nickel/Rudolf Abel, FBI (n.d.) [Article] -NCSC Mission, Vision, and Goals, ODNI (n.d.) [Website] Glossary:  -Counterintelligence: Information gathered, and activities conducted to identify, deceive, exploit, disrupt, or protect against espionage or other intelligence activities -FBI Attaché: a special agent assigned to a U.S. embassy or consulate overseas to liaise with local law enforcement and intelligence agencies. They pursue terrorist, intelligence, and criminal threats with international dimensions.  -Occam’s Razor: a rule of thumb theory that states when you are faced with competing explanations for the same phenomenon, the simplest one is probably the correct one. Attributed to William of Ockham, a 14th century English theologian.  ***FULL RESOURCES AVAILABLE HERE*** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2 Jan 20241h 11min

Summary Shane Harris (Twitter, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the role of intelligence in the Ukraine conflict one year after it began. Shane reports on intelligence for the Washington Post and is the author of two books. What You’ll Learn Intelligence  -Where we are with the war in Ukraine -The role intelligence agencies are playing in the conflict -The leadership of Zelensky and Putin -What it’s like to report on spies -Dealing with sources inside the intelligence agencies Reflections -The tenacity of the Ukrainian people and army -History as both repetitive and unpredictable  Episode Notes This week on SpyCast, Shane Harris of The Washington Post joins Andrew to reflect on the previous year and discuss the role of intelligence within the war in Ukraine. He has been writing about these issues for more than two decades, including a period with the Wall Street Journal. He is the author of two books, The Watchers, on the rise of surveillance in the US, and @War, on the rise of the military-internet complex. He was part of a team that won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2021. Quote of the Week “At the outset, [I] believed that what we were looking at was probably a pretty swift Russian victory … They would come in, they would decapitate the central government in Kiev in the first 72 hours, and it would be bloody, and it would be violent, but that Russia would prevail because they were deemed to have the superior military in terms of technology experience numbers. Turns out, all those things were spectacularly wrong.” – Shane Harris. Resources  *SpyCasts* -How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the Spy Game with Mike Susong (2023) -Dealing with Russia A Conversation with Counterintelligence Legend Jim Olson (2022) -Becoming a Russian Intelligence Officer with Janosh Neumann (2022) -The Information Battlespace: Foreign Denial and Deception with Bill Parquette (2022) *Beginner Resources* -Has Putin's war failed and what does Russia want?, P. Kirby, BBC (2023) -A Brief History of Modern Ukraine, BBC (2022) [YouTube video] -Russia-Ukraine Relations in 60 Seconds, CBC News (2022) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

26 Dec 20231h 6min

Summary Bonny Lin (Biography) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the current state of China and intelligence. Bonny is the Director of the ChinaPower Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence -China’s economic power and status  -The current landscape of Chinese intelligence  -China’s relationship with Taiwan -The ChinaPower Project Reflections -Power and prominence  -The global community as a complicated ecosystem  And much, much more … Quotes of the Week “In the last couple of years, we've seen really a securitization of how China views intelligence and national security in general. And just this July, we saw China pass a revised counter espionage law. So with the whole host of laws of China's past since 2014 … it basically has made collection of intelligence and protecting Chinese national security the responsibility of every Chinese citizen.” - Bonny Lin. Resources  SURFACE SKIM *SpyCasts* -The Eye of Horus: Egyptian Intelligence with Dina Rezk (2023) -China’s Corporate Spy War with CNBC’s Eamon Javers (2023)  -The Counterintelligence Chief with FBI Assistant Director Alan Kohler (2023) -Trafficking Data: The Digital Struggle with China with Aynne Kokas (2022) *Beginner Resources* -China-Taiwan crisis explained: What is behind the tensions?, ITV News, YouTube (2022) [3 min. video] -8 things you need to know about China’s economy, World Economic Forum (2016) [Short article] -Xi Jinping, Forbes (n.d) [Brief profile] DEEPER DIVE Books -Spies and Lies: How China's Greatest Covert Operations Fooled the World, A. Joske (Hardie Grant, 2022)  -The Chinese Invasion Threat: Taiwan’s Defense and American Strategy in Asia, I. Easton (Eastbridge Books, 2019) -The Hundred-Year Marathon: China's Secret Strategy to Replace America as the Global Superpower, M. Pillsbury (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2016)  Primary Sources  -National Intelligence Estimate – China-Taiwan: Prospects or Cross-Strait Relations (1999)  -Forecasting the Sino-Vietnamese Split (1986) -China-Vietnam: A Status Report (1983) -Establishment of a China Task Force (1966)  -Communist Chinese Intervention in the Vietnam War (1966) -Controls on Trade with Communist China (1955) *Wildcard Resource* -Need a good cookie recipe for the holidays? Try this recipe adapted from the 1300-year old cookies found during the 1915 excavation of the Astana Cemetery in Xinjiang, China.  -The petrified cookies are currently part of the collection of the British Museum, and still look quite tasty!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

19 Dec 202357min

Summary Barry Zulauf (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss his extensive experience working across the American intelligence community. Barry is the President of the International Association for Intelligence Education.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence What is the “Intelligence Community?” The organizational structure of American intelligence The establishment of the ODNI The intelligence components of the DEA  Reflections A life of service Passion to serve the people  And much, much more … Quotes of the Week “[Fentanyl] is an enormous, enormous problem and no single organization, even as big as the Defense Intelligence enterprise, can deal with it alone. So, it's going to be a lot of diplomacy and a lot of building bridges, convincing people to do the right thing.”  – Barry Zulauf. Resources  SURFACE SKIM *SpyCasts* First of Many…America’s First Female Intelligence Agency Chief with former NGA Director Letitia “Tish” Long (2023) Espionage and the Two Queens with Kent Tiernan (2023) Irregular Warfare & Intelligence with IWC Director Dennis Walters (2023) El Chapo, the Sinaloa Cartel & Intelligence with Trial Reporter Noah Hurowitz (2022) *Beginner Resources* America's intelligence community, explained, The Washington Post, YouTube (2014) [2 min. video] Members of the IC, Office of the Director of National Intelligence (n.d.) [Brief summaries of the 18 agencies]  Who We Are, United States Drug Enforcement Administration (n.d) [Short article] DEEPER DIVE Primary Sources  The WMD Commission Report (2005) The 9/11 Commission Report (2004)  The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (2004) The Clark Report (1955) The Doolittle Report (1955) National Security Act (1947) CIA Review of the World Situation (1947)  *Wildcard Resource* Barry mentioned early in the episode that he actually rowed into town the morning we recorded this episode – Barry shares this hobby with Teddy Roosevelt, an avid rower and the president that was instrumental in the creation of the FBI. Check out this Letter from Charles J. Bonaparte to Theodore Roosevelt that catapulted the FBI into existence.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

12 Dec 202359min

Summary Robert Wittman (Website; Twitter) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss his career and the FBI’s Art Crime Team. Bob recovered over $300 million worth of stolen art and cultural property over the course of his career.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence How the FBI’s Art Crime Team (ACT) was formed The intelligence angle when investigating provenance Living and working undercover abroad Museums & Intelligence Reflections The importance of cultural property Questions of ownership and belonging And much, much more … Quotes of the Week “The motivation for writing the book was to get the word out how important cultural heritage is. It really is important to make the public realize that this is an important program that should be supported by law enforcement both local and federal.” – Robert Wittman. Resources  SURFACE SKIM *Featured Resource* Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World’s Stolen Treasures, R. Wittman (Crown Publishing, 2011) *SpyCasts* The Gambling Capital of the World: Intelligence, Las Vegas Style! with James Lockhart and Keith Michaels (2023) Venice’s Secret Service with Ioanna Iordanou (2023) 70th Anniversary of James Bond, Special with Alexis Albion on 007 (2023) How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the Spy Game with Mike Susong (2023) *Beginner Resources* Why art gets stolen time and again, R. Pryor, The Art Newspaper (2020) [Short article]  FBI Art Theft Program, FBI, YouTube (2013) [6 min. video] What is cultural property?, Information and Heritage Inspectorate (n.d.) [Short article]  DEEPER DIVE Primary Sources  Crystal Sphere, Collection of the University of Pennsylvania Museum Mask of the Man with the Broken Nose, Collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art  Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Collection of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum The Concert, Collection of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum The Rosenberg Diary, Collection of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum  Museums and the theft of works of art (1973)  *Wildcard Resource* Can you identify famous pieces and artists like an art detective? Take this Google Arts & Culture quiz to see if you’re cut out for the job!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

5 Dec 20231h 11min

Summary Dina Rezk (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss Egyptian intelligence. Dina is an Associate Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History at the University of Reading.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence Egyptian leadership & intelligence The intelligence landscape of Egypt Egypt’s relationship with neighboring countries Ashraf Marwan’s story from the Egyptian perspective Reflections Leadership, power, and opposition International perspectives and changing views And much, much more … Quotes of the Week “I think that's one of the ways in which the Egyptian Intelligence Service sort of conceives of its primary responsibility. It's about maintaining internal security, and particularly at the moment you know, since 2014, I would say sort of eliminating any sort of political opposition, any possibility of political opposition.” – Dina Rezk. Resources  SURFACE SKIM *SpyCasts* The Intelligence Legacy of the Yom Kippur War with Uri Bar-Joseph (2023)  Former Senior Indian Intelligence Officer with R&AW Special Secretary Vappala Balachandran (2023) Kenya, East Africa, and America with African Intelligence Chief Wilson Boinett (2023) Israeli Military Intelligence with IDF Brig. General (Res.) Yossi Kuperwasser (2023) *Beginner Resources* Egypt Profile, BBC News (2019) [Timeline] Abdul Fattah al-Sisi - in 60 seconds, BBC News, YouTube (2014) [1 min. video] Why Was The Suez Crisis So Important?, Imperial War Museum (n.d.) [Short article] *Featured Resource* The Arab World and Western Intelligence: Analysing the Middle East, 1956-1981 (Intelligence, Surveillance and Secret Warfare), D. Rezk (Edinburgh University Press, 2018)  DEEPER DIVE Books Making the Arab World: Nasser, Qutb, and the Clash That Shaped the Middle East, F. A. Gerges (Princeton University Press, 2018)  Egypt on the Brink: From Nasser to Mubarak, T. Osman (Yale University Press, 2011) Nasser: The Last Arab, S. K. Aburish (Thomas Dunne Books, 2004) Orientalism, E. W. Said (Vintage Publishing, 1979)  Primary Sources  Mining of the Red Sea (1984)  CBS Broadcast “The Assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat” (1981) ‘The Most Dangerous Game’ In Mideast (1980)  Special Assessments on the Middle East Situation (1967)  “Cairo Hails Nasser as Situation Sends Dulles to England” Newsreel (1956)  Meeting at the White House to Discuss Suez Crisis (1956) *Wildcard Resource* “Intelligence” in Egypt goes back as far as the ancient times of pyramids and pharaohs. One of the earliest accounts of the impact of spies and propaganda in Ancient Egypt is the Battle of Kadesh, a major conflict against the Hittite Empire around 1275 BC.  Check out this relief seen inside the Great Temple of Ramses II depicting an ancient view of interrogation.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

28 Nov 20231h 2min

Summary Rear Admiral Tim Woods (Biography) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss his role as Britain’s Defence Attaché to the United States. Tim previously served as the British Defence Attaché in Kyiv, Ukraine.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence What does a Defense Attaché do How intelligence impacts military strategy Admiral Woods’ experience of the 2021 Russian invasion of Ukraine What it’s like to constantly be surveilled Reflections The power of relationships and connections  Sacrificing personal privacy for national security And much, much more … Resources  SURFACE SKIM *SpyCasts* Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East vs. West with Calder Walton (2023) Ukraine & the Alliance with NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence David Cattler (2023)  Ukraine & Intelligence: One Year On with Shane Harris (2023) *Beginner Resources* What Is The Five Eyes Alliance?, K. Haan, Forbes (2023) [Short article] Russian invasion of Ukraine: A visual timeline of the war, ABC News, YouTube (2023) [6 min. video] What is a defence attaché?, Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (2007) [Backgrounder] DEEPER DIVE Books The Secret History of the Five Eyes: The untold story of the shadowy international spy network, R. Kerbaj (Blink Publishing, 2022) The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine, S. Plokhy (Basic Books, 2017) Defense of the West, S. Sloan (Manchester University Press, 2016) Primary Sources  UK defence policy and the role of the armed forces (2023) Integrated Review Refresh 2023: Responding to a more contested and volatile world (2023) Defence Command Paper 2023: Defence’s response to a more contested and volatile world (2023) Statement on the Salisbury & Amesbury Investigation by Neil Basu (2018)  Strategic Defence and Security Review: First Annual Report (2010) Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine (1991)  *Wildcard Resource* Midway (1976)  A (dramatic) retelling of the 1942 Battle of Midway, one of the most critical naval battles of the Second World War – A battle that perfectly exhibits the importance of intelligence in a time of war.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

21 Nov 20231h 5min

Summary Laura Tohe (Website) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the stories of the WWII Navajo Code Talkers. Laura is a Diné author and the Poet Laureate of the Navajo Nation.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence How the Code Talking units were formed How the Navajo people used their language as a weapon Laura’s father, Benson Tohe’s story Did the Japanese ever break the code?  Reflections The relationship between language and the state Storytelling and the power of oral history And much, much more … Quotes of the Week “When they got into the service they were told, ‘Now you're going to use your language to develop a code.’ They said, ‘But, back at home they told us not to speak Navajo, and now they want us to develop a code in Navajo?’ So, they were not only astounded, they were puzzled why they would be asked to do this when they were in a school where their identity was being erased.” – Laura Tohe. Resources  SURFACE SKIM *SpyCasts* The 18-Year-Old Soviet Spy on the Manhattan Project: Ted Hall with Director Steve James (2023) ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL: “The D-Day Deception” with National WWII Museum Curator Corey Graff (2023) St. Ermin’s Hotel, London – The History of a Legendary Spy Site with Stephen Duffy (2023) Hitler’s Trojan Horse – Nazi Intelligence with Nigel West (2023)  *Beginner Resources* 1942: Navajo Code Talkers, Intel.gov (n.d.) [short article] Basic Navajo Introduction, YouTube (2012) [3 min. video] American Indian Code Talkers, WWII Museum (n.d.) [short article] *Featured Resource* Code Talker Stories, Laura Tohe (Rio Nuevo, 2012) DEEPER DIVE Primary Sources  Navajo Code Talkers: Oral History Interviews (various) Proclamation 4954 -- National Navaho Code Talkers Day (1982) Memorandum from Commander General Vogel to the Marine Corps Regarding Enlistment of "Navaho" Indians (1942) *Wildcard Resource* Diné Bahaneʼ: The Navajo Creation Story Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

14 Nov 20231h 3min