Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tim Weiner joins Matt to discuss The Mission, his new history of the CIA in the 21st century. They explore the agency’s quiet successes and moral failings, from dismantling the AQ Khan network to abetting torture and losing its way in Iraq. Weiner recounts how the CIA reoriented after the 2016 Russian election interference, played a key role in supporting Ukraine, and tried to hold the line under Trump. Their conversation spans secret wars, agency leadership, and whether America’s intelligence services can still defend democracy when democracy itself is under threat.

Subscribe and share to stay ahead in the world of intelligence, geopolitics, and current affairs.

More about The Mission: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-mission-tim-weiner

Order The Mission from Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-mission-the-cia-in-the-21st-century-tim-weiner/22062129

Follow Tim on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tim-weiner.bsky.social

Please share this episode using these links

Audio: https://pod.fo/e/2fa57b
YouTube: https://youtu.be/pFMaXhPcNO8

Reviews of The Mission

"The Mission by Tim Weiner review – unmasking the CIA" by John Simpson | The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/jul/10/the-mission-by-tim-weiner-review-unmasking-the-cia

"The Mission" by Publishers Weekly: https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780063270183

"Mission Madness" by Loch K. Johnson | Spytalk: https://www.spytalk.co/p/mission-madness

Support Secrets and Spies

Become a “Friend of the Podcast” on Patreon for £3/$4: https://www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies
Buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996
Subscribe to our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dg
For more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.com

Connect with us on social media

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social
Instagram: https://instagram.com/secretsandspies
Facebook: https://facebook.com/secretsandspies
Spoutible: https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies

Follow Chris and Matt on Bluesky:
https://bsky.app/profile/chriscarrfilm.bsky.social
https://bsky.app/profile/mattfulton.net

Secrets and Spies is produced by F & P LTD.
Music by Andrew R. Bird
Photos by Harper Collins, Jessica Doyle & CIA

Secrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode examines the very topics that real intelligence officers and analysts consider on a daily basis through the lens of global events and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and journalists.

The Event Edit: Canada's Contribution to Combatting IUU Fishing