SpyCast

Dina Rezk, an Associate Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History, discusses Egyptian intelligence, including leadership, relationships with neighboring countries, internal security, and the role of intelligence during the Arab Spring. They also explore the power dynamics in Egypt, the influence of the military, and the collaboration between Israeli and Egyptian intelligence.

Rear Admiral Tim Woods, British Defence Attaché to the United States, discusses the role of a defence attaché, the impact of intelligence on military strategy, his experience during the 2021 Russian invasion of Ukraine, constant surveillance, sacrificing personal privacy for national security, and the power of relationships and connections.

Laura Tohe, Poet Laureate of the Navajo Nation, discusses the WWII Navajo Code Talkers and how Navajo language was used as a weapon. She shares insights about the formation of the Code Talking Units and the relationship between language and the state. The podcast also explores the power of oral history and the preservation of Navajo stories.

SummaryAndrew leads a SPY Museum panel discussion between four experts on the most damaging mole in FBI history, Robert Hanssen. This program was in collaboration with CBS/Paramount on their new podcast “Agent of Betrayal"What You’ll LearnIntelligence The story of Robert Hanssen How his colleagues reacted to his betrayal A psychological analysis of Hanssen  How the Hanssen case has impacted the FBI and U.S. intelligence Reflections Disillusionment and betrayal “The child is father of the man” And much, much more …Resources SURFACE SKIM*SpyCasts* The Counterintelligence Chief with FBI Assistant Director Alan Kohler (2023) Code Name Blue Wren: Cuban Spy Ana Montes with Jim Popkin (2023) SPY@20 – “The Spy of the Century” with Curators Alexis and Andrew on Kim Philby (2022) America's Most Damaging Russian Spy, FBI Agent Robert Hanssen with Lis Wiehl (2022) *Beginner Resources* Here's the damage notorious Russian spy Robert Hanssen caused the US in over 20 years, YouTube (2023) [5 min. video] How Robert Hanssen Spied for the Soviets, History (2017) [Short article] How is a mole different from a spy?, The Times of India (2006) [Short article] DEEPER DIVEBooks Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East and West, C. Walton (Simon & Schuster, 2023) A Spy in Plain Sight: The Inside Story of the FBI and Robert Hanssen―America's Most Damaging Russian Spy, L. Wiehl (Pegasus Books, 2022)  Spy: The Inside Story of How the FBI's Robert Hanssen Betrayed America, D. Wise (Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2003) Primary Sources  A Review of the FBI’s Progress in Responding to the Recommendations in the Office of the Inspector General Report on Robert Hanssen (2007) The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Voted Today to Begin a Formal Investigation of the Robert Philip Hanssen Espionage Case (2001) George W. Bush Remarks on the Robert Hanssen Espionage Case (2001) Affidavit in Robert Hanssen Spy Case (2001) Veteran FBI Agent Arrested and Charged with Espionage (2001) Statement of FBI Director Louis J. Freeh On the Arrest of FBI Special Agent Robert Philip Hanssen (2001) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Head of Counter-terrorism Analysis, IDF and Former Head of Intelligence, Mossad dive into their extensive careers in Israeli defense forces, sharing insights on intelligence, relationships with neighboring countries, role of intelligence in Intifadas, Israel's perspective on the Lebanon War, dealing with threats from Hezbollah and Hamas, and the pressure and power of their responsibilities.

SummaryLt. Col. (ret.) Aviram Halevi (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss Israel’s top secret commando unit, Sayeret Matkal. Aviram formerly served as Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Sayeret Matkal. What You’ll LearnIntelligence The origins of Sayeret Matkal Collaboration across Israeli intelligence  Operation Spring of Youth & the Entebbe Raid Intelligence & hostage retrieval Reflections The value of teamwork No room for fear  And much, much more …Episode NotesThis week on SpyCast, Andrew was joined by Aviram Halevi, former Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Sayeret Matkal, Israel’s top-secret elite commando unit. Aviram served over two decades in various branches of Israeli intelligence, and recently co-wrote the book Sayeret Matkal: The Greatest Operations of Israel's Elite Commandos. Andrew and Aviram discuss the origins and history of the unit, including the stories of some of Sayeret Matkal’s most notable operations. And… Sayeret Matkal’s motto is “Who Dares Wins” – A motto first used by Britain’s Special Air Service during World War II. Since then, 11 other elite special forces units have also adopted the saying.Quotes of the Week“What makes [Sayeret Matkal] so unique? The fact is that these people, and you mentioned that before, we are not rambos and there is no ramboism in the unit in Sayeret Matkal. On the contrary, the basic building block of the Sayeret is the team. The team is what you're kind of imprinted with once you get drafted. And this will be your designation forever. I'm team Raz. Raz was my commander, and my soldiers are team Aviram for the rest of their lives.” – Aviram Halevi.Resources SURFACE SKIM*SpyCasts* The Intelligence Legacy of the Yom Kippur War with Uri Bar-Joseph (2023) Intelligence, Special Operations, and Strategy with Michael Vickers (2023) Israeli Military Intelligence with IDF Brig. General (Res.) Yossi Kuperwasser (2022) Black Ops: The Life of a Legendary CIA Shadow Warrior with Ric Prado (2022) *Beginner Resources* Massacre at the 1972 Olympic Games, National Park Service (2023) [Short article] What Is Sayeret Matkal, Israel's Special Forces Unit Set For Hostage Rescue Operation In Gaza?v, YouTube (2023) [7 min. video] Entebbe Raid, Encyclopedia Brittanica (n.d.) [Short encyclopedia entry] DEEPER DIVEBooks Sayeret Matkal: The Greatest Operations of Israel's Elite Commandos, A. Shur & A. Halevi (Skyhorse, 2023) No Mission Is Impossible: The Death-Defying Missions of the Israeli Special Forces, M. Bar-Zohar & N. Mishal (Ecco, 2016)  Operation Thunderbolt: Flight 139 and the Raid on Entebbe Airport, the Most Audacious Hostage Rescue Mission in History, S. David (Little, Brown and Company, 2015) Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Team, G. Jonas (Simon & Schuster, 2005)  Video Follow Me: The Yoni Netanyahu Story (2012) One Day in September (1999)  Primary Sources  Entebbe Protocols (1976) [Rabin, Allon, Peres, etc.] Ambassador Dinitz and Secretary Kissinger (June 30, 1976) Ambassador Dinitz and Secretary Kissinger (July 5, 1976) Uganda, Kenya Dispute (1976) Amin Says Uganda Retains Right to Reply to the Raid (1976) Speech by Ugandan Prime Minister on the 40th Anniversary of Entebbe (2016) *Wildcard Resource*Elite commando units like Sayeret Matkal, while not as focused on intelligence, go back as far as military history. To read about the special forces of antiquity, check out Persia’s The Immortals, Byzantine’s Tagma, and Rome’s Extraordinarii Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a very special bonus episode of SpyCast, coming to you directly from the stage of the International Spy Museum. Last month, we hosted a live panel discussion in collaboration with our friends at Goat Rodeo who produced the new podcast, Spy Valley: An Engineer’s Nuclear Betrayal, a series by Project Brazen and PRX. The riveting series tells the true story of James Harper, a Silicon Valley engineer turned spy who sold nuclear secrets to the Soviet Bloc. The series takes listeners on a journey of nuclear spying, technology theft, and double agents, with intelligence that might still help Moscow in a nuclear exchange today. Tune in to all six episodes of Spy Valley NOW to learn more! This live panel features moderator Sharon Weinberger, the national security and foreign policy editor at The Wall Street Journal, featuring Zach Dorfman, investigative journalist and host of Spy Valley; John Gibbons, who headed the United States Attorney's prosecution team in the case against James Harper; Dr. Raymond J. Batvins, Former Supervisory Special Agent and Counterintelligence Course Instructor at the Institute of World Politics; and Dr. Vince Houghton, Director of the National Cryptologic Museum and former historian at SPY. They’ll explore how the tech capital of the world became a hotbed for Soviet Bloc spies and what James Harper’s betrayal of his country has meant for modern day warfare.Thank you to our friends and collaborators at Goat Rodeo, Project Brazen, and PRX for their support of this program. Listen to the series here or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Uri Bar-Joseph, an author and professor emeritus at Haifa University, discusses the intelligence failure of the Yom Kippur War. Topics include how Israel failed to predict the war, the role of Egyptian spy Ashraf Marwan, Israeli intelligence post-war, and Israeli leadership's accountability. They also talk about learning from mistakes, national trauma, and more.

SummaryUzi Arad (Wikipedia) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss intelligence and policy at the highest level. Uzi was also a former foreign policy advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Director of Intelligence for the Mossad. What You’ll LearnIntelligence National security in Israel Israel’s position within the Middle East  State leaders as consumers of intelligence Uzi’s relationship with PM Netanyahu Reflections Handling intense pressure  Power, proximity, and influence And much, much more …Resources SURFACE SKIM*SpyCasts* Irregular Warfare & Intelligence with IWC Director Dennis Walters (2023) Israeli Military Intelligence with IDF Brig. General (Res.) Yossi Kuperwasser (2023) Keeping Secrets/Disclosing Secrets with Spy Chief turned DG of Australia’s National Archives David Fricker (2022) Intelligence & the World’s Largest Democracy with Former Indian Intelligence Director Vikram Sood (2021) *Beginner Resources* National Security Definition and Examples, R. Longley, ThoughtCo (2021) [Short article] What Was the Iran-Contra Affair?, HISTORY, YouTube (2018) [5 min. video] A 60-Second Guide To The Arab Spring, G. Wyler, Insider (2011) [Short article] DEEPER DIVEBooks Eighteen Days in October: The Yom Kippur War and How It Created the Modern Middle East, U. Kaufman (St. Martin’s Press, 2023)  Bibi: The Turbulent Life and Times of Benjamin Netanyahu, A. Pfeffer (Basic Books, 2018) Gideon's Spies: The Secret History of the Mossad, G. Thomas (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2015)  Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East, M. B. Oren (Presidio Press, 2006) Primary Sources  Trilateral Statement on the Middle East Summit at David Peace, The Avalon Project (2000)  The Wye River Memorandum (1998)  The Washington Declaration, Jewish Virtual Library (1994) Report of the Congressional Committees Investigating the Iran-Contra Affair, CIA FOIA (1987)  Israel’s “Peace for the Galilee” Operation in Lebanon – Some Initial Perspectives, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (1982) Sitting 145 of the Ninth Knesset (1978) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Erez David Maisel, former head of the IDF's International Cooperation Division, provides a crash-course in Israeli intelligence history. Topics include early intelligence efforts in Palestine, the origins of Israeli intelligence organizations, and the shift from British to American influence. This is the first episode of a 5-part series on Israeli Intelligence.