The Spy Who

The Spy Who Lived Inside Al-Qaeda | Disposable Hero | 3

12 snips
Nov 11, 2025
Danish spy Morten Storm is on a dangerous mission to secure a bounty on terrorist cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. After a failed USB handoff, he grapples with guilt when al-Awlaki is reported dead. Confronted by the CIA about payment, Storm quits and joins al-Qaeda to regain credibility, unknowingly carrying a recording that could expose his ties to the CIA. Tensions rise as he receives warnings about a kill switch and takes his story public, leading to scandals and personal turmoil as he faces ongoing threats.
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ANECDOTE

Courier Drop At A Yemeni KFC

  • Morten Storm met a courier outside a KFC in Sana'a to hand over a USB with materials for Anwar al-Awlaki.
  • The USB secretly carried a CIA tracker intended to locate al-Awlaki's hideout.
ANECDOTE

Guilt And Suspicion After Awlaki's Death

  • Storm watched TV footage announcing Anwar al-Awlaki's death and felt sick at profiting from a friend's killing.
  • He immediately suspected the CIA were denying his role to avoid paying his promised reward.
INSIGHT

Why He Felt Betrayed By His Handlers

  • Storm concluded the courier pickup he organised likely led to the CIA finding al-Awlaki.
  • He interpreted the CIA's public denial as a tactic to avoid paying him the $5 million reward.
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