
SpyCast
SpyCast, the official podcast of the International Spy Museum, is a journey into the shadows of international espionage. Each week, host Sasha Ingber brings you the latest insights and intriguing tales from spies, secret agents, and covert communicators, with a focus on how this secret world reaches us all in our everyday lives. Tune in to discover the critical role intelligence has played throughout history and today. Brought to you from Airwave, Goat Rodeo, and the International Spy Museum. The Spy Museum does not endorse, approve, or support the opinions stated by guest speakers. Statements made by speakers do not represent the position or opinion of the International Spy Museum.
Latest episodes

Aug 16, 2022 • 56min
“The Information Battlespace” – Foreign Denial and Deception with Bill Parquette
SummaryBill Parquette (LinkedIn; Website) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss Denial and Deception. They discuss examples such as D-Day, the Yom Kippur War, and the Persian Gulf War.What You’ll LearnIntelligence
Denial and deception – what it is and why it matters
Key examples of denial and deception
Detecting denial and deception operations
How to avoid seeing monsters everywhere
Reflections
How to counter denial and deception in everyday life (children, salespeople, etc.)
Stumbling into new roles in new fields
And much, much more…Episode NotesSun Tzu said, “all warfare is based on deception” and so much of the natural world is also based on denial and deception: camouflage, feigning, mimicry, distraction. It is also a feature of our daily 21st century lives: spyware, trojan horses, catfishing, and spear phishing.With this week’s guest we look at the Denial and Deception Committee, which aimed to discover and mitigate foreign denial and deception operations against the U.S. by coordinating efforts throughout the IC.Bill Parquette was a former Chair of the Committee. He joined the Committee in 2002 and left in 2015. He was formerly a Lt. Col. In the U.S. Army, starting his career with 10 years in the 82nd Airborne, and is currently Professor of Practice at Penn State University. And…The episode looks at deceiving others but the human capacity for self-deception and denial is VAST – from head in the sand, plugging your ears, living in denial, willful ignorance, and cognitive dissonance through to doublethink. Quote of the Week"If I have an audience of one or 100, I ask does anyone have children? And the hands get raised. And then I said, okay, did you teach your child deception or denial? And of course not. Do they conduct denial or deception? And they all said yeah, it's throughout nature, it's throughout society…it's a natural thing to deny. I didn't mom I didn't take that cookie." – Bill ParquetteResourcesHeadline Resources
Bill Parquette’s list of of acronyms and sources
“Countering Foreign Denial & Deception – Rise of Fall of a Discipline” – J. Bruce, Studies in Intelligence, 64/1 (2020)
“Denial & Deception Issue,” American Intelligence, 32/2 (2015)
Andrew’s Recommendation
“D-Day Would be Nearly Impossible to Pull Off Today,” D. Lupton, WaPo (2019)*SpyCasts*
“Deceiving the Iraqis in Operation Desert Storm” – with BGen Tom Draude (2013)
“Agent Garbo” – with Stephan Talty (2012)
“Identity, Espionage and Social Media” – with Thomas Ryan (2011)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Beginner Resources
Deception at D-Day, Army Uni. Press (2022) [video]
The True Story of the D-Day Spies, BBC (2014) [video]
Operation Bodyguard Map, Eisenhower Foundation (n.d.) [map]
Books
History of the National Intelligence Council, Hutchings &. Treverton, eds. (OUP, 2019)
Practice to Deceive, B. Whaley (NIP, 2016)
The Watchman Fell Asleep, U. Bar-Joseph (SUNY, 2005)
The Deceivers, T. Holt (Scribner, 2004)
Deception 101, J. Caddell (Army War College, 2004)
Strategic Denial and Deception, Godson & Wirtz eds. (Transaction, 2002)
Deception in War, J. Latimer (Overlook, 2001)
Videos
The War in October, Al Jazeera (2013)Primary Sources
US-PLO Contacts During War, Oct 26, 1973
Secretary’s Staff Meeting, Oct 23, 1973
Sadat - Speech Calling for Arab-Israeli Peace Conference, Oct 16, 1973
Arab-Israel Tensions – Quandt to Scowcroft, Oct 6, 1973
Ultra – Marshall to Eisenhower, Mar 15, 1944
Overall Deception Policy, Jan 22, 1944
Deception Operations Around England, Dec 18, 1943
Overlord Cover Operation, Nov 20, 1943
*Wildcard Resource*Movies to explore on deception include Deception (1946), The Sting (1973), The Usual Suspects (1995), Donnie Brasco (1997), Female Agents (2008) and Operation Mincemeat (2021), Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 9, 2022 • 1h 6min
“CIA Officers Turned Authors” – with David McCloskey & James Stejskal
SummaryDavid McCloskey (Twitter; Website) and James Stejskal (Twitter; LinkedIn) join Andrew to discuss writing about espionage. They are both former intelligence officers. What You’ll LearnIntelligence
What it is like writing spy fiction as a former practitioner
How fact informs fiction
Writing as a former analyst compared to as a former operator (James)
Reactions by the intelligence community to practitioners-turned-authors
Reflections
The heaven and hell of being an author
The process of getting a process
And much, much more…Episode NotesHear two intelligence formers discuss life as current novelists. Where does fact end, and fiction begin when you are a former CIA officer writing fiction? What parts of your own story bleed into the novel? Are the characters composites of people you knew in your line of work or are they entirely fictional? To answer these questions and more, this week, I sat down with David McCloskey, former CIA analyst and author of Damascus Station, a book David Petraeus described as “the best spy novel I have ever read,” and James Stejskal, author of Appointment in Tehran, which has been called “a textbook clandestine operation involving…US Army Special Forces and a clandestine CIA Case Officer,” which James would know something about, since he was both. And…Spy fiction received quite the blow in the space of a 6-month period (Dec 2020-May 2021) which saw the passing of both John Le Carre and Jason Matthews, two formers who served in British and American intelligence. Le Carre was in MI5 and MI6 while Matthews had a long career in the CIA. David and James join a distinguished cast of formers who became novelists, including Ian Fleming, Graham Greene and Dame Stella Rimington. Quote of the Week"There are far more edits on, short articles I wrote that weren't even going to the president than on the book, so your writing is being critiqued at all levels. I I think when I did write for the PDB [Presidential Daily Brief], I don't think I'm making this up, I believe it was 9 or 10 layers of review. You could probably argue that sometimes that makes it worse, but you have to be able at all stages to roll with the punches and to write and to try to make things very clear." – David McCloskey.ResourcesHeadline Resources
Damascus Station, D. McCloskey (2021)
Appointment in Tehran, J. Stejskal (2021)
Andrew’s Recommendation
The Looking Glass War, J. Le Carre (1965)
Le Carre doubles down on disabusing the public’s romanticization of intelligence
*SpyCasts*
“Snake Eaters, Detachment A, CIA” – James Stejskal (2022)
“American Spy” – Lauren Wilkinson (2021)
“Red Widow” – Alma Katsu (2021)
“American Traitor” – Brad Taylor (2021)
“The Evolution of Spy Fiction” - Wesley Wark (2011)
Beginner Resources
15 Best Espionage Novels, M. Warwick, Mal Warwick On Books (2022) [article]
Novelists Who Became Spies, C. Cumming, Crime Reads (2019) [article]
Best Spy Novels According to a Spy, A. Katsu, Crime Reads (2021) [article]
Books
Missions of the SOE and OSS in WWII, J. Stejskal (Casemate, 2021)
Special Forces Berlin, J. Stejskal (Casemate, 2017)
On Writing, S. King (Scribner, 2010)
Spy Fiction, Spy Films & Real Intelligence, W. Wark (Routledge, 1991)
Articles
Nine Examples of Spy Fiction Books, Masterclass (2021)
How to Write a Spy Thriller, Masterclass (2021)
How End of Cold War Changed Spy Fiction, J. Ciabattari, BBC Culture (2014)
Videos
All the Old Knives, O. Steinhauer, SPY (2022)
Spy Writing in the Real World, Hayden Center (2021)
The Spy Writers You Love to Read, SPY (2020)
Primary Sources
American Observer, CIA (1970)
Barry Farber Show, CIA (1970)
*Wildcard Resource*
The Riddle of the Sands, E. Childers (1903)
An early spy novel that presaged the anti-German “spy fever” that struck allied countries before and during WWI
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Aug 2, 2022 • 1h 8min
“Becoming a Russian Intelligence Officer” – with Janosh Neumann
SummaryJanosh Neumann (LinkedIn; Website) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss life in the FSB. He was born in the Soviet Union to parents in the “business.” What You’ll LearnIntelligence
Why Jan defected to the United States
How you get recruited and trained as a Russian intelligence officer
What it is like to recruit and run agents in Moscow
His take on what he did for the Russian state
Reflections
Learn to connect with anybody
Making a life-changing and potentially life-ending decision
And much, much more…Episode NotesHave you ever wondered how a Russian intelligence officer is trained? Ever wondered what it would be like to be a defector? Ever wondered what it’d be like to be given three choices, shoot yourself, get shot, or go on the run?If so, you’ll enjoy this week’s episode with Jan Neumann, who was born Alexy Yurievich Artamonov in the former Soviet Union. Jan’s father was a KGB internal affairs officer, and he would go on to join one of its successors, the FSB, or Federal Security Service, in which his wife also served. He speaks about a number of projects he is involved in, here in the States, where he now resides.And…Jan is the Co-Founder of RealSpyComics, which will be the first independent comic publisher dedicated to telling true intelligence stories. The International Spy Museum is a partner on this venture, because if there is one thing, we have a lot of – its spy stories!Quote of the Week"I'm not a big fan of ballet, but one of my sources was a big ballet fan. So, I had to go to the Bolshoi Theater, watch this again, and again, and again, I had to do some learning to be able to talk to the guy. And same thing was happening with the art as well. so going to some galleries and talk to the people, be sure that they're using at least same terminology as they are, to be able in the future to support the conversation, be interesting to this person whom you're trying to approach." – Janosh NeumannResourcesHeadline Resources
Russian Spy, American Defector: with Janosh Neumann, YouTube, 2020
“Almost American, 1-5,” Aftershock Comics (2021-22)
Andrew’s Recommendation
Russian Intelligence, K. Riehle (NIU, 2022) [download entire book here for free)*SpyCasts*
“Dealing with Russia” – Jim Olson (2022)
“KGB Spy & NCIS Agent” – Jack Barsky & Keith Mahoney
“The Spymaster’s Prism” – Jack Devine (2021)
“The Corrupted State” – Ilya Zaslavskiy (2016)
Beginner Resources
Introduction to the Three Main Arms of Russian Intelligence, Globe & Mail (n.d.) [video]
Putin, Power & Poison: Russia’s Elite FSB Spy Club, BBC (2018) [article]
From Spy to President: Rise of Putin, Vox (2017) [video]
Federal Security Service (FSB), Britannica (n.d.) [article]
Books
Putin’s People, C. Belton (William Collins, 2021)
Return of the Russian Leviathan, S. Medvedev (Polity, 2019)
Near & Distant Neighbors, J. Haslam (FS&G, 2016)
The New Nobility, A. Soldatov & I. Borogan (Public Affairs, 2010)
Memoirs
Spymaster: My 32 Years in Espionage Against the West O. Kalugin (Basic, 2009)
Special Tasks: A Soviet Spymaster, P. and A. Sudoplatov (Little Brown, 1994)
Articles
How Two Russian Defectors Helped the FBI, B. Denson, Newsweek (2016)
Russian Defectors in Oregon, C. McGreal, Guardian (2015)
Videos
Lubyanka Federation: How the FSB Determines the Politics and Economics of Russia, Atlantic Council (n.d.)
Washington Station: My Life as a KGB Spy, Y. Shvets, C-Span (1995)
Primary Source Collections [All Wilson Center]
Intelligence Operations in the Cold War
The Mitrokhin Archive
The Vassiliev Notebooks
*Wildcard Resource*
KGB Members from Ahmed to Yuri, courtesy of Marvel Comics! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 26, 2022 • 1h 7min
“The Spies Who Came in From the Cold” – with Chris Costa and John Quattrocki at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library in Chicago
SummaryChris Costa (LinkedIn; Website) and John Quattrocki (LinkedIn; Website) join Andrew to discuss coming in from the Cold War. They both had long illustrious careers in intelligence.What You’ll LearnIntelligence
Two Cold War intelligence experiences
Two perspectives on the U.S. intel. community in the 80’s & early 90’s
Two reflections on the art and science of counterintelligence
Two perspectives on serving on the National Security Council
Reflections
Career bookends
“Inadequate war termination”
And much, much more…Episode NotesThe Windy City Episode. The Pritzker Military Museum and Library (PMML) in Chicago is well worth a visit. Located on Michigan Avenue overlooking Grant Park and Lake Michigan – there’s three additional attractions right there – you will not be disappointed. SPY teamed up with PMML to put on what would become this week’s episode.To discuss coming in from the Cold War intelligence landscape, Executive Director of SPY Chris Costa and AFIO board member John Quattrocki sat down for a panel discussion with Andrew. Chris, a former intelligence officer of 34 years with 25 of those in active duty in hot spots such as Panama, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq, is also a past Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism on the NSC. John retired from the Senior Executive Service (SES - 4) as a Special Agent of the FBI with 19 years of operational experience against the Soviet Union/Russia, the Warsaw Pact, East Asia, Islamic extremist groups, and domestic terrorism. He also served on the NSC as the Director of Counterintelligence Programs.And…Pritzker Military Museum & Library’s mission is to “increase the public’s understanding of military history.” The International Spy Museum’s mission is to “educate the public about espionage and intelligence.” As you can see, then, in the military-intelligence-espionage national security continuum, we are pretty much as good a partnership as it gets. Quote of the Week"The government has seen the counterintelligence (CI) resources as a kind of a human capital escrow account to draw on for other elements to the government. And in, so doing, we have started to lend our CI bodies to the private sector. So, we are providing indirect cost support to the private sector for their CI responsibilities, rather than causing them to acquit all their own CI responsibilities." – John Quattrocki"I was not entirely satisfied with the idea of being between wars, because we were trained as infantry men. Our job was to prepare to go to war. And then I said, you know what? I wanna fight against our adversaries on a different plane, multilevel chess, if you will. And that's what brought me into the intelligence business." – Chris CostaResourcesHeadline Resource
Video of the live event featuring Chris & John at PMML in Chicago, YouTube
*SpyCasts*
"The FBI Way" - Frank Figliuzzi (2021)
“Army Intelligence” –Mary Legere (2016)
“The CI Professional” – John Schindler (2016)
Beginner Resources
Cold War Overview, Khan Academy (n.d.)
HUMINT vs. Counterintelligence, Clearance Jobs (2020)
Books
To Catch a Spy, J. Olson (GUP, 2019)
U.S. Army CI Handbook (Dept. of Army, 2013)
Double Cross, B. McIntyre (Crown, 2013)
Articles
The Best Books on Counterintelligence, J. Olson, Shepherd (n.d.)
An Anatomy of Counterintelligence, A.C. Wasemiller, SII (1994)
Terms & Definitions of CI, FAS (2014)
Website
Counterintelligence, FBI
Primary Sources
National CI Strategy, 2020-22 (2020)
The Spy Who Loved Her (1994)
A Review of US CI (1986)
Church Committee Report (1976)
Summary of the “CIA Family Jewels” (1975)
*Wildcard Resource*
“Gerontion,” T.S. Elliott (1920)
This poem is the origin of the phrase often associated with CI: “the wilderness of mirrors.”
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Jul 19, 2022 • 1h 16min
SPY@20 – “The Spy of the Century” – Curators Alexis and Andrew on Kim Philby
SummaryAlexis Albion (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss Kim Philby using some of his personal belongings as prompts. This episode on the Soviet mole inside MI6 coincides with SPY’s 20th Anniversary.What You’ll LearnIntelligence
Why Philby has been called “The Spy of the Century”
Philby the man, the ideologue, the spy, and the traitor
Philby’s corrosive effect on Cold War British and American intelligence
The cultural blind spot that allowed him to hide in plain sight then ride a storm of suspicion
Reflections
Psychological complexity and contradiction
Social stratification
And much, much more…Episode NotesThe Cambridge Five are some of the most notable and notorious traitors in British history, and among them one man stands out in a way that has led some to call him, “The Spy of the Century,” MI6 officer Kim Philby. How did a quintessential Englishman who came from the “right” stock and went to the “right” schools become a Soviet mole? How did a genial chum come to haunt the corridors of British and American intelligence like a ghastly apparition? Dr. Alexis Albion is this week’s guest and the Curator of Special Projects at the International Spy Museum. She was formerly on the 9/11 Commission Report, the World Bank and the U.S. Department of State.In this is a first of a kind podcast, Alexis and Andrew sat down with some of Philby’s personal belongings drawn from our world-leading collection of artifacts on espionage and intelligence. And…Harold Adrian Russell Philby acquired the nickname “Kim” from the main character in Rudyard Kipling’s novel Kim, an orphan-boy-cum-spy in British India. Kim and Philby also have the Punjab in common, the novel begins in Lahore and Philby was born in Ambala, although the historic region was partitioned between Pakistan and India in 1947. The drive between Lahore and Ambala is roughly similar to that between Los Angeles and San Francisco.Quote of the Week"So why is he The Spy of the Century? Maybe the fact that he's not identified with any particular event or set of information [e.g., unlike Julius Rosenberg], but he's identified with this idea of betraying his Englishness is perhaps why he's been such a lasting figure because he almost is a touchpoint for the history of the 20th century and England. Great Britain's demise is a great power." Resources*Andrew’s Recommendation*
My Five Cambridge Friends, Y. Modin (FS&G, 1994)
A one-time KGB handler of the Cambridge 5 reflects on each of them as spies and as individuals
*SpyCasts*
Stalin’s Englishman: Guy Burgess – with Andrew Lownie (2016)
The British the Joint Intelligence Committee – with Mike Goodman (2014)
The Real History of MI6 – with Keith Jeffrey (2010)
The Cambridge 5 – with Nigel West (2009)
*Beginner Resources*
Facts About Kim Philby, J. Hayes, Factinate (n.d.)
Reading Material Culture [i.e., objects] (2020]
India’s Partition in Pictures, BBC (n.d.)
Books
Spies & Traitors, M. Holzman (Pegasus, 2021)
A Spy Among Friends, B. McIntyre (Crown, 2015)
Kim, Rudyard Kipling (1901)
Articles
The Punjab Partition, S. Sultan, LSE (2018)
Philby & Mistrust, M. Gladwell, New Yorker (2014)
Documentary
Why Was India Split into Two Countries, H. Roy, TED-Ed, YouTube (n.d.)
MI6 Agent Turned Russian Spy, Philby, Timeline, YouTube (n.d.)
Primary Sources
Philby, I Spied for Russia from 1933 (1967)
My Silent War, K. Philby (1967)
The Disappearance of Kim Philby (1963)
Kim Philby (Peach): File 1 (1951-52)
Constituent Assembly of India (1946)
Primary Source Collections
Indian Independence & Partition, UK National Archives
*Wildcard Resource*
Surnames & Social Mobility in England, 1230-2012
So, you thought social mobility in England has changed significantly since the Norman Conquest almost 1000 years ago – well, yes, and NO!
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Jul 12, 2022 • 1h 9min
“Dealing with Russia” – A Conversation with Counterintelligence Legend Jim Olson
SummaryJim Olson (Website) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss Putin and Russia. He had a 31-year career with the CIA including a tour in Moscow.What You’ll LearnIntelligence
His views on Russia and its trajectory since the Cold War’s end
His frank assessment of Putin and admiration for the Russian people
His time in Moscow with 3 rotating KGB teams surveilling him
His time as Chief of Station in the city of spies Vienna
Reflections
A “beautiful marriage” with American technology
Passing the generational baton
And much, much more…Episode Notes“James Olson is a legend in the clandestine service,” not my description of this week’s guest, but that of former CIA Director and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Jim spent 31 years in the CIA, including tours in Moscow, Vienna & Mexico City, and rose to become Chief of CIA Counterintelligence. He is the author of Fair Play and To Catch a Spy. He joined Andrew to speak about Russia. He speaks the language, spent time living and working in the country, where he was involved in one particularly daring operation that he shares with us in the episode, and he faced off against the organization that would go on to become the current SVR and FSB – the KGB.Jim has had Vladimir Putin on his radar for many a year, and he doesn’t pull any punches reflecting on his trajectory in this episode.And…Jim grew up in a small town in Iowa where, “we didn’t really follow international affairs, we joked among ourselves…if it didn’t affect the price of corn, we weren’t really interested.” My, how things changed for Jim.Quote of the Week"I have tremendous respect for the Russian people. They are long suffering. I've gotten to know many Russians. I've worked with a lot of Russians. I found them to be people who had a real soul. They had a human qualities that I could admire, but they were locked into a repressive regime that did not allow them to express any of those human sentiments that that they felt." – Jim OlsonResourcesHeadline Resource
To Catch a Spy: The Art of Counterintelligence, J. Olson (GUP, 2019)
Fair Play: The Moral Dilemmas of Spying, J. Olson (Potomac, 2008)
*SpyCasts*
“The Spymaster’s Prism” – with Jack Devine (2021)
“Russians Among Us: The Hunt for Putin’s Spies” – with Gordon Corera (2020)
“The Corrupted State” – with Ilya Zaslavskiy (2016)
“Putin’s End Game in Ukraine” – with KGB General (Retd.) Oleg Kalugin (2014)
Beginner Resources
To Catch A Spy with J. Olson, C-SPAN (2020) [9:44 minutes]
The Best Books on Counterintelligence, J. Olson, Shepherd (n.d.)
Putin’s Revisionist History of Russia and Ukraine, I. Chotiner, New Yorker (2022)
Books
Putin’s People, C. Belton (Picador, 2022)
Operative in the Kremlin, F. Hill & C. Gaddy (Brookings, 2015)
One Soldier’s War in Chechnya, A. Babchenko (Portobello, 2008)
Articles
Former CIA Leader Said LinkedIn is Like a Candy Store to China, C. Burgess, ClearanceJobs (2022)
New Documentary Series Explores Pollard Affair, H. Brown, Jerusalem Post (2022)
J. Olson First Recipient of “The Spirit of Aggieland – 41 Award,” J. Adams, KAGS (2022)
Ex-CIA Chief on Accused Chinese Spymaster, P. Christian, WCPO (2021)
Videos
To Catch A Spy with J. Olson, Houston World Affairs Council (2020)Primary Sources
James Collins Oral History, US Ambassador to Soviet Union, 1997-2001 (n.d.)
Jack Matlock Oral History, US Ambassador to Soviet Union, 1987-1991, (n.d.)
Ukraine: Memo. On Security Assurances (1994)
Belovezha Accords, Eyewitness Account of Former Belarus Soviet Leader (1991)
*Wildcard Resource*
What Classic Russian Literature Can Teach us about Putin’s War on Ukraine
Putin is a big fan of Dostoevsky – who underwent a mock execution & four years of hard labor in Siberia for belonging to a literary discussion group feared by the Tsarist autocracy.
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Jul 5, 2022 • 1h 8min
4th of July Special: “The Wall of Spies Experience” – Espionage, Sabotage and Betrayal in America with John Gise
SummaryJohn Gise joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss the Wall of Spies Experience. It features over 200 stories of espionage and sabotage in America since 1776.What You’ll LearnIntelligence
America’s first Spymaster
The Founding Father of American Counterintelligence
The New Yorker who adopted a Southern accent so she could spy on the Confederacy
The escaped enslaved man who was described as a “walking order of battle chart”
Reflections
Educating a workforce on its past
Dreaming about history
And much, much more…Episode NotesThe Wall of Spies Experience features over 200 stories of espionage, sabotage and betrayal from American history. The physical wall is a private museum on an intelligence community facility, but the second installment of the Digital Wall of Spies has recently been released. Thus far we have the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, with WWI coming up next. Whether you want to get a sense of the evolution of espionage in America, dork out on a particular historical period, or just have a browse – we are sure you will agree that this National Counterintelligence & Security Center (NCSC) sponsored exhibit is a welcome contribution to the public’s understanding of the history of intelligence and espionage.This week’s guest is John Gise, for whom the Wall of Spies was a labor of love. He has had a number of different roles across the US government, including a stint in Special Forces, but for now, spies from American history are with him while awake…and while asleep. And…If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t visit the Statue of Liberty’s torch, you need to listen to the teaser John provides at the end of this episode on the next installment of the Digital Wall of Spies (we’ll give you a clue…it’s the opposite of White Jerry).Quote of the Week"We've now posted online…the digital revolutionary war spies, the digital civil war spies…And we're talking in the revolutionary war about 30 continental army spies and British spies…for the civil war, it's about 25 Union spies and Confederate spies. And many of those spies are also Scouts, right? Collecting information, going behind enemy lines, conducting reconnaissance missions and collecting intelligence for their superiors." – John Gise.ResourcesHeadline Resource
The Wall of Spies Experience (Digital) *SpyCasts*
“Birthplace of American Espionage” - Spy Sites of Philadelphia (2021)
George Sharpe and the BMI: A Conversation with Peter Tsouras (2019)
Washington’s Spies: An Interview with Alexander Rose (2015)
Spies, Patriots, and Traitors: American Intelligence in the Revolutionary War (2014)
Intelligence and Espionage in the U.S. Civil War (2012)
Books
The Creation of American Military Intelligence in the Civil War, P. Tsouras (Casemate, 2018)
Spies, Patriots, and Traitors: American Intelligence in the Revolutionary War (GUP, 2014)
The Secret War for the Union, E. Fishel (Houghton, 1996)
Articles
Audacious Confederate Spies, G. Brockell, WaPo (2022)
The Wall of Spies, M. Rosenwald, WaPo (2019)
Intelligence Agency Unveils New Weapon to Deter Spies – A Museum, J.J. Green, WTOP (2019)
Primary Sources
John McEntee to George H. Sharpe [Charley Wright’s intel on location of Lee's army] 1863)
Lincoln and the Baltimore Plot – Pinkerton Papers [Kate Warne] (1861)
The Federalist Papers: No:64 (John Jay, 1788)
Minutes of the Commissioners for Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies (1778-1781)
Benedict Arnold Letter to John André (1780)
John André Letter to Joseph Stansbury [for Benedict Arnold] (1779)
Letter, George Washington to Benjamin Tallmadge (1779)
*Wildcard Resource*
Fraunces Tavern, New York City
If you want to connect to Revolutionary War espionage, grab an ale, a seat by the fire, and muse (they also have a museum!)
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Jun 28, 2022 • 1h
“Intelligence & the World’s Largest Democracy” – Former Indian Intelligence Director Vikram Sood [from the vault]
SummaryVikram Sood (Twitter, Blog) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss intelligence in the world’s largest democracy. He was the chief of India’s Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW). What You’ll LearnIntelligence
The intelligence landscape in India
China, Pakistan, and the intelligence challenges in the region
The founding and evolution of the Research and Analysis Wing
The pressure involved in the top job and being responsible to the Prime Minister
Reflections
The power of narratives
Spies can be sensitive souls too
And much, much more…Episode NotesThis is the final installment of our month long special on SPY CHIEFS, featuring Vikram Sood. former Director of India’s foreign intelligence agency, the Research & Analysis Wing (RA&W). This episode from the vault was recorded during the darkest days of the pandemic when the International Spy Museum was closed, infections and deaths were sky high, and Andrew was at home in his living room with Vikram at his in New Delhi. So, is the R&AW similar to the CIA or MI6 or both? Does it have a covert action capability? How focused is it on China and Pakistan? Who does the Director report to? To hear the answers tune in to listen to an Indian Spy Chief who was in office in the critical years 2000-2003. Vikram was in the intelligence business for more than thirty years, since leaving as the professional head of India’s foreign intelligence agency he went on to have a successful second career at the think-tank, Observer Research Foundation, which is based in New Delhi. He is the author of two books (see below).And…Depending on the source, India has more, a little less, or roughly the same number of Muslims as Pakistan. An incredible fact when you consider that Pakistan is generally in the top five for having the largest population in the world. In fact, India has a larger population than the United States, Pakistan, Indonesia, Brazil and Nigeria combined. Quote of the Week"There is immense tension in the job because anything can go wrong any day and you will be held responsible if there is another bomb blast somewhere else. But if the leadership is supportive and it's understanding, and also contributes to helping you decide things, takes decisions for you that need politically clearances. That helps a lot that takes away the anxieties, it keeps the blood pressure down." – Vikram SoodResourcesHeadline Resource
The Ultimate Goal: R&AW Chief Deconstructs how Nations Construct Narratives (Harper India, 2020)
The Unending Game: A Former R&AW Chief’s Insights into Espionage (Penguin, 2018)
Beginner Resources
[Video] How Was R&AW Started: Story of India’s External Intelligence Agency, WION (2022)
[Article] RAW: A History of India’s Covert Operations, Yatish Yadav, New Indian Express (2020)
Books
The War that Made R&AW, A. Nandakumar (Westland, 2021)
JFK’s Forgotten Crisis: Tibet, the CIA and the Sino-Indian War, B. Riedel (BIP, 2015)
Intelligence Elsewhere, P. Davies & K. Gustafson (GUP, 2013)
The Kaoboys & R&AW, B Raman (Lancer, 2012)
India’s External Intelligence, V.K. Singh (ManasPub, 2007)
Articles
History of RAW, Sachidananda Mohanty, Frontline (2022)
A Peek Into India’s IB and RAW, Amjed Jaaved, Pakistan Today (2022)
Inside R&AW, Rahul Bedi, The Wire: India (2020)
Quiet Americans in India, P. McGarr, Diplomatic History, 38(5), 2014 (1046-1082)
Videos
Ex-Israel Spy Chief Talks Intelligence Cooperation with India, The Quint, YouTube (n.d.)
Ex R&AW Chief Vikram Sood Gives a Glimpse of the World of Spies, The Quint, YouTube (n.d.)
*Wildcard Resource*
“The James Bond of India”
Real-life spy Ajit Doval who spent years undercover in Pakistan
He is currently the National Security Advisor of India!
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Jun 21, 2022 • 35min
SPY CHIEFS: “From Navy Analyst to State Dept. Intelligence Chief” – Ellen McCarthy’s Journey (Part 2 of 2)
SummaryEllen McCarthy (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss her career and time as head of the State Department’s intelligence agency. INR is one of the 18 U.S. intelligence agencies.What You’ll LearnIntelligence
Her start as a Soviet submarine analyst in the Office of Naval Intelligence
Bringing the U.S. Coast Guard intel. program into the Intelligence Community (IC)
Working for DoD and Geospatial-Intelligence
Why she admires the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR)
Reflections
Government/for-profit/non-profit life
Managing complexity and change
And much, much more…Episode NotesImagine seeing a pyramid from different angles and different heights instead of from one vantage point? You get a better sense of what it truly looks like, its dimensions, colors, idiosyncrasies, and the shadows it casts, right?Ellen McCarthy has seen more of the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) pyramid than most: she started as a junior analyst for the U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence and ended up as the head of the State Dept.’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR). Along the way, she was with the U.S. Coast Guard, in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence, and at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Quite the journey, I am sure you will agree…And…INR has been called the “biggest little intelligence shop in town” and its morning intelligence summary, “Better than Wheaties.” The NYT called it the “least wrong” intelligence agency on Iraq possessing weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and it has been credited for a more accurate assessment of Ukraine’s ability to withstand Russia than its peers. “They get paid attention to because they’re good and they tend to be contrarian,” notes a former chair of the National Intelligence Council. How do they manage this? Well, big question, but the deep, deep expertise of their staff – who are on average on their regional or functional area for over a decade – as well as an “intolerance for mediocrity” would be good places to start.Quote of the Week"The Geographer of the United States sits in INR. I don't think a lot of people know that. So, when there's a boundary dispute or you've got countries trying to build islands, it's INR that's actually working what the legal boundaries are. The other thing that INR does that a lot of folks don't know about is polling. Polling in the intelligence community is conducted at INR…And I will tell you that the polling capability at INR is the best I've ever seen." – Ellen McCarthy Resources*SpyCasts*
“State Department Intelligence: Inside the INR” – INR Leadership (2020)Beginner Resources
Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Wikipedia [webpage]
Learn About the Smallest Organization in the IC, YouTube (n.d.) [1:45 minute]
Geographer of the United States, YouTube, (2011) [13:24 minute]
Books
“Intelligence Informs Policymaking at DoS: INR,” T. King in T. Juneau, ed. Strategic Analysis in Support of Policymaking, R&L (2017), pp. 95-110.
Reducing Uncertainty: Intelligence Analysis & National Security, T. Fingar, SUP (2011)
INR, Intelligence & Research at State, U.S. DoS (1973)
Article
The U.S. Intelligence Community Needs a ‘Wild Bill’ Moment, E. McCarthy & M. Scott, Cipher Brief (2021)Video
SPYCHAT: Ellen McCarthy & Chris Costa, YouTube (2021)
The New IC: Ellen McCarthy Keynote, YouTube (2019)
FedMentor: NGA’s Ellen McCarthy, YouTube (2014)
Primary Sources
INR: 2025 Strategic Plan (2022)
Oral History with Teresita Schaeffer (1998)
Oral History with Thomas F. Conlon (1992)
Oral History with Frank Burnet, (1990)
Oral History with Daniel Zachary (1989)
*Wildcard Resource*
The Ralph J. Bunche Library
State Dept. Library named after OSS intelligence analyst, diplomat & Nobel Prize Winner Dr. Bunche
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Jun 14, 2022 • 55min
SPY CHIEFS: “From Navy Analyst to State Dept. Intelligence Chief” – Ellen McCarthy’s Journey (Part 1 of 2)
SummaryEllen McCarthy (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss her career and time as head of the State Department’s intelligence agency. INR is one of the 18 U.S. intelligence agencies.What You’ll LearnIntelligence
Her start as a Soviet submarine analyst in the Office of Naval Intelligence
Bringing the U.S. Coast Guard intel. program into the Intelligence Community (IC)
Working for DoD and Geospatial-Intelligence
Why she admires the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR)
Reflections
Government/for-profit/non-profit life
Managing complexity and change
And much, much more…Episode NotesImagine seeing a pyramid from different angles and different heights instead of from one vantage point? You get a better sense of what it truly looks like, its dimensions, colors, idiosyncrasies, and the shadows it casts, right?Ellen McCarthy has seen more of the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) pyramid than most: she started as a junior analyst for the U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence and ended up as the head of the State Dept.’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR). Along the way, she was with the U.S. Coast Guard, in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence, and at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Quite the journey, I am sure you will agree…And…INR has been called the “biggest little intelligence shop in town” and its morning intelligence summary, “Better than Wheaties.” The NYT called it the “least wrong” intelligence agency on Iraq possessing weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and it has been credited for a more accurate assessment of Ukraine’s ability to withstand Russia than its peers. “They get paid attention to because they’re good and they tend to be contrarian,” notes a former chair of the National Intelligence Council. How do they manage this? Well, big question, but the deep, deep expertise of their staff – who are on average on their regional or functional area for over a decade – as well as an “intolerance for mediocrity” would be good places to start.Quote of the Week"The Geographer of the United States sits in INR. I don't think a lot of people know that. So, when there's a boundary dispute or you've got countries trying to build islands, it's INR that's actually working what the legal boundaries are. The other thing that INR does that a lot of folks don't know about is polling. Polling in the intelligence community is conducted at INR…And I will tell you that the polling capability at INR is the best I've ever seen." – Ellen McCarthy Resources*SpyCasts*
“State Department Intelligence: Inside the INR” – INR Leadership (2020)Beginner Resources
Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Wikipedia [webpage]
Learn About the Smallest Organization in the IC, YouTube (n.d.) [1:45 minute]
Geographer of the United States, YouTube, (2011) [13:24 minute]
Books
“Intelligence Informs Policymaking at DoS: INR,” T. King in T. Juneau, ed. Strategic Analysis in Support of Policymaking, R&L (2017), pp. 95-110.
Reducing Uncertainty: Intelligence Analysis & National Security, T. Fingar, SUP (2011)
INR, Intelligence & Research at State, U.S. DoS (1973)
Article
The U.S. Intelligence Community Needs a ‘Wild Bill’ Moment, E. McCarthy & M. Scott, Cipher Brief (2021)Video
SPYCHAT: Ellen McCarthy & Chris Costa, YouTube (2021)
The New IC: Ellen McCarthy Keynote, YouTube (2019)
FedMentor: NGA’s Ellen McCarthy, YouTube (2014)
Primary Sources
INR: 2025 Strategic Plan (2022)
Oral History with Teresita Schaeffer (1998)
Oral History with Thomas F. Conlon (1992)
Oral History with Frank Burnet, (1990)
Oral History with Daniel Zachary (1989)
*Wildcard Resource*
The Ralph J. Bunche Library
State Dept. Library named after OSS intelligence analyst, diplomat & Nobel Prize Winner Dr. Bunche
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