Secrets and Spies Podcast: Current Affairs | Geopolitics | Intelligence

In this episode, we’re joined by Florian Flade, an investigative journalist for Germany’s public broadcaster ARD, based in Berlin. Florian takes us inside the gripping true story of two Russian sleeper spies who lived undercover in Germany for years, posing as an ordinary family. Drawing parallels to the fictional world of The Americans, this real-life espionage tale reveals the extraordinary lengths to which Russia will go to spy on foreign nations. Join us as Florian shares insights from his in-depth research and podcast, shedding light on one of the most remarkable espionage operations uncovered in recent history. Please note that this episode was recorded before the historic prisoner swap with Russia in early August. To listen to Florian’s podcast “Die Anschlags – Russlands Spione unter uns”  visit this link: https://www.ardaudiothek.de/sendung/die-anschlags-russlands-spione-unter-uns-wdr-und-ndr/13420611/ For more information and to connect with Florian, please follow the links below. Blog: https://ojihad.wordpress.com/ Twitter: https://x.com/FlorianFlade Support Secrets and Spies Become a “Friend of the Podcast” on Patreon for £3/$4: 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 Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/SecretsAndSpies Instagram: https://instagram.com/secretsandspies Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social Facebook: https://facebook.com/secretsandspies Spoutible: https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies Secrets & Spies is produced by Films & Podcasts LTD.  

On today’s episode, Washington Post national security reporter and friend of the show, Shane Harris, joins Matt to discuss last week's historic prisoner exchange between the US and Russia, securing the release of several prominent journalists and pro-democracy activists. Shane dives into his reporting on the swap, detailing months of delicate negotiations, who the Russians got in return, and touches on the complicated question of whether these exchanges incentivize autocrats like Putin to take hostage more Westerners and journalists to extract concessions from their governments. Read Shane’s work for The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/shane-harris/ Follow Shane on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/shaneharris Follow Shane on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@shanewharris Reporting and groups discussed in the episode "Inside the deal that led to a blockbuster prisoner swap between US, Russia" by Shane Harris, Yasmeen Abutaleb & Souad Mekhennet: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/08/01/deal-us-russia-prisoner-swap/ Committee to Protect Journalists: https://cpj.org James Foley Legacy Foundation: https://jamesfoleyfoundation.org Support Secrets and Spies Become a “Friend of the Podcast” on Patreon for £3: 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 X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/SecretsAndSpies Instagram: https://instagram.com/secretsandspies Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social Facebook: https://facebook.com/secretsandspies Spoutible: https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies

In today’s special episode, Phillip Smyth, a leading expert on Iranian-backed militias, returns to dissect the latest wave of conflict in the Middle East. Recent escalations have claimed the lives of a dozen Israeli civilians and two senior leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah. Retaliation from Iran and its allies is expected at any moment, leaving the region once again on the brink of a potentially more widespread and unrestrained war. Phillip sheds light on who these two men were and what their deaths mean for their organizations, parses the delicate messaging and maneuvering behind the scenes, and offers his insights on what Iran and Hezbollah’s imminent response might entail. Phillip’s work for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/experts/phillip-smyth Phillip’s work for West Point’s Combatting Terrorism Center: https://ctc.westpoint.edu/authors/phillip-smyth Follow Phillip on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhillipSmyth Reporting discussed in the episode "Who Is Fuad Shukr, Target of the Israeli Strike on Beirut?" by Aaron Boxerman, Ronen Bergman & Euan Ward: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/30/world/middleeast/fuad-shukr-hezbollah-israel-strike.html "Bomb Smuggled Intro Tehran Guesthouse Months Ago Killed Hamas Leader" by Ronen Bergman, Mark Mazzetti & Farnaz Fassihi: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/01/world/middleeast/how-hamas-leader-haniyeh-killed-iran-bomb.html "Iran Arrests Dozens in Search for Suspects in Killing of Hamas Leader" by Farnaz Fassihi: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/03/world/middleeast/iran-security-response-hamas-assassination.html "Houthis Launch Deadly Drone Strike on Tel Aviv, Evading Israel’s Defenses" by Gabby Sobelman, Aaron Boxerman, Ronen Bergman, Lara Jakes & Erin Mendel: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/19/world/middleeast/houthis-drone-strike-tel-aviv.html Support Secrets and Spies Become a “Friend of the Podcast” on Patreon for £3: 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 Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/SecretsAndSpies Instagram: https://instagram.com/secretsandspies Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social Facebook: https://facebook.com/secretsandspies Spoutible: https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies

On today’s podcast, we are joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning author, historian, and journalist Anne Applebaum. In this episode, we discuss Anne’s latest book, Autocracy Inc., which examines how and why autocracies try to undermine democracy. We also consider what can be done to better protect ourselves from anti-democratic propaganda. Find out more about “Autocracy Inc” here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/725302/autocracy-inc-by-anne-applebaum Connect with Anne and find out more about her work here: https://www.anneapplebaum.com Support Secrets and Spies Become a “Friend of the Podcast” on Patreon for £3: 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 Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/SecretsAndSpies Instagram: https://instagram.com/secretsandspies Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social Facebook: https://facebook.com/secretsandspies Spoutible: https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies

Today, we will look at a Russian operative who was arrested in France, details on the failed assassination of Donald Trump, and a little at President Biden stepping out of the 2024 Presidential race. On Extra Shot we will be looking at a developing spy case in Australia, Tech Broligarch’s courting Trump, influences driving extreme misogyny and a former US analyst accused of spying for South Korea To get access to Extra Shot you’ll need to become a Patreon subscriber. You can do that by clicking this link here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/extra-shot-27-07-108936531?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link Article Discussed on Espresso Martini https://theins.ru/en/politics/273350 https://www.twz.com/news-features/experienced-snipers-break-down-the-trump-assassination-attempt https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/23/us/politics/cheatle-secret-service-director-resigns.html https://www.nbcnews.com/investigations/agency-crisis-secret-service-decade-old-staffing-shortfall-rcna162698 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c51ydg792ggo https://theins.ru/en/opinion/weiss/273301 Youtube Videos Chris mentioned https://youtu.be/zfATfPIpDc4?si=V1Ut0C0tTpnGKJLd https://youtu.be/FsvJzfXZI18?si=IW6QqDzgclbpKtfC Articles Discussed on Extra Shot https://www.9news.com.au/national/one-of-two-russians-accused-of-attempting-to-leak-australian-military-secrets-to-moscow-told-colleagues-of-special-forces/2207002f-49a1-4d2f-8d2c-e8ec74b3b20e https://www.9news.com.au/national/australian-soldier-and-husband-charged-with-spying-for-russia/72e72264-a236-40e9-89c6-ee1bc27dfb90 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/20/tech-broligarchs-court-trump-vance-elon-musk-peter-thiel    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cne4vw1x83po https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/16/nyregion/sue-mi-terry-cia-south-korea.html Support Secrets and Spies:  Become a “Friend of the podcast”  on Patreon for £3 www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996?asc=u   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.  BLUE SKY https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social TWITTER twitter.com/SecretsAndSpies FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/secretsandspies INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/secretsandspies/ SPOUTIBLE   https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies Secrets & Spies is produced by Films & Podcasts LTD.

On today’s special episode, Matt is joined again by Jacob Ware, a research fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations focusing on domestic and international terrorism. Jacob helps make sense of last weekend’s assassination attempt on Donald Trump, placing it in the larger context of political violence in the United States and the ongoing threat to the presidential election. Read Jacob’s coverage of the Trump assassination attempt and preventing violence in the 2024 election: https://www.cfr.org/expert-brief/trump-assassination-attempt-poses-new-test-us-democracy https://time.com/6998930/the-trump-assassination-attempt-represents-a-dark-new-chapter-in-american-politics/ https://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2024-07-15/trump-assassination-attempt-poses-new-test-for-u-s-democracy https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/4411720-assassination-attempts-are-on-the-rise-worldwide-is-the-us-next/ https://www.cfr.org/report/preventing-us-election-violence-2024 Follow Jacob on social media: https://x.com/Jacob_A_Ware Support Secrets and Spies:  Become a “Friend of the podcast”  on Patreon for £3 www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996?asc=u   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.  BLUE SKY https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social TWITTER twitter.com/SecretsAndSpies FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/secretsandspies INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/secretsandspies/ SPOUTIBLE   https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies Secrets & Spies is produced by Films & Podcasts LTD.

On today's episode, we will examine who’s who in the new Labour-led UK government, a report on the UK’s armed services, the French elections, and a recently discovered Russian covert information campaign. On Extra Shot, our Patreon only show we will look at NATO’s 75th anniversary, terrorists returning to Afghanistan, a Chinese spy base in Cuba and GPS under attack. To get access to Extra Shot you’ll need to become a Patreon subscriber. You can do that by clicking this link here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/extra-shot-13-07-108077378?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link By joining our Patreon, you’ll be directly supporting this podcast. Depending on your level, you'll receive either a set of coasters or a free coffee cup as a thank you. Links to articles https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0veg88g7jyo https://inews.co.uk/news/uk-intelligence-warning-starmer-major-security-threats-election-3152924 https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/new-defence-secretary-john-healey-addresses-mod-staff/ https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/hollow-force-choices-uk-armed-forces https://www.politico.eu/article/marine-le-pen-france-elections-2024-national-rally-paris-jordan-bardella-emmanuel-macron-europe/ https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/09/business/russian-bots-artificial-intelligence-propaganda.html On Extra Shot https://carnegieendowment.org/emissary/2024/07/nato-summit-ukraine-russia-war https://8am.media/eng/the-taliban-host-terrorist-groups-four-new-settlements-built-for-al-qaeda-and-ttp/ https://features.csis.org/hiddenreach/china-cuba-spy-sigint/ https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/07/02/world/gps-threats.html?campaign_id=190&emc=edit_ufn_20240708&instance_id=128218&nl=from-the-times&regi_id=172310860&segment_id=171610&te=1&user_id=0e295462ed2f443b418b1b6c162349bd Support Secrets and Spies: Become a “Friend of the podcast”  on Patreon for £3 www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996?asc=u   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. BLUE SKY https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social TWITTER twitter.com/SecretsAndSpies FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/secretsandspies INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/secretsandspies/ SPOUTIBLE   https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies Secrets & Spies is produced by Films & Podcasts LTD.

On today’s episode, Chris speaks with author and journalist Mark Hollingsworth about his book Agents of Influence, which looks at how the KGB attempted to subvert Western democracies during the Cold War and how its replacement agency, the FSB, attempts to do the same now. Check out Mark’s website for information about him, his book and his other work: https://markhollingsworth.co.uk/ And get a copy of “Agents of Influence” here: https://markhollingsworth.co.uk/agents_of_influence/ Support Secrets and Spies:  Become a “Friend of the podcast”  on Patreon for £3 www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996?asc=u   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.  BLUE SKY https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social TWITTER twitter.com/SecretsAndSpies FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/secretsandspies INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/secretsandspies/ SPOUTIBLE   https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies Secrets & Spies is produced by Films & Podcasts LTD.

On today’s episode, Matt speaks to former senior CIA officers and now co-founders of Spycraft Entertainment, John Sipher and Jerry O’Shea, to discuss their podcast, Mission Implausible. In their careers with the clandestine service, John and Jerry, in a sense, created conspiracies, convincing terrorists and hostile foreign governments to believe things that were not true. Now, they’re looking into past and present conspiracy theories to assess what’s real and what isn’t and explore why so many are eager to believe the most outlandish ideas. Listen and subscribe to Mission Implausible: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-mission-implausible-146774875/ Spycraft Entertainment: https://spycraftentertainment.com/ Follow John on Twitter: https://x.com/john_sipher Support Secrets and Spies:  Become a “Friend of the podcast”  on Patreon for £3 www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996?asc=u   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.  BLUE SKY https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social TWITTER twitter.com/SecretsAndSpies FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/secretsandspies INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/secretsandspies/ SPOUTIBLE   https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies

On today’s episode, Matt is joined by terrorism experts Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware to discuss their book, "God, Guns, and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America.” Both are fellows at the Council on Foreign Relations and teach at Georgetown University. Their book examines the far-right’s long embrace of political violence as a tactic, its proliferation through social media, and provides a range of policy advice to counter this movement and extremism in democratic societies. Purchase God, Guns, and Sedition: https://www.amazon.com/God-Guns-Sedition-Far-Right-Terrorism/dp/0231211228 Bruce and Jacob’s work for the Council on Foreign Relations: https://www.cfr.org/expert/bruce-hoffman https://www.cfr.org/expert/jacob-ware Follow Bruce and Jacob on Twitter: https://x.com/hoffman_bruce https://x.com/Jacob_A_Ware Support Secrets and Spies:  Become a “Friend of the podcast”  on Patreon for £3 www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996?asc=u   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.  BLUE SKY https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social TWITTER twitter.com/SecretsAndSpies FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/secretsandspies INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/secretsandspies/ SPOUTIBLE   https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies