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SpyTalk

SpyTalk, Jeff Stein

SpyTalk lives at the intersection of intelligence operations, foreign policy, homeland security, and military strategy. Hosted by veteran national security journalists Jeff Stein, Michael Isikoff and Karen J. Greenberg, the podcast features exclusives by SpyTalk’s roster of longtime reporters, news and profiles of US and foreign spymasters, and interviews with policymakers and expert authors. There’s nothing quite like it—a place for experts and laypersons alike, who enjoy national security scoops and insights by SpyTalk's subject matter experts. For more SpyTalk go to: https://www.spytalk.co/

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  • 31 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 54 min
  • English
Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
  • May 29 · 59 min

    Pod Save Our National Security with Tommy Vietor

    Former Obama speechwriter Tommy Vietor talks about energizing Dems on vital US foreign policy issues. Tommy Vietor | https://x.com/TVietor08 | https://crooked.com/podcast-series/pod-save-the-world/ Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | https://x.com/isikoff Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://x.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter | https://x.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | https://www.spytalk.co/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | https://twitter.com/isikoff Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow SpyTalk on Twitter | https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | https://www.spytalk.co/ Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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  • May 22 · 54 min

    Is Havana Up For Grabs?

    Cuba intervention expert Peter Kornbluh joins SpyTalk to discuss Trump’s pressure campaign. Peter Kornbluh | National Security Archive Peter Kornbluh, Senior Analyst, has worked at the Archive since April 1986. He currently directs the Archive's Cuba and Chile Documentation Projects. He was co-director of the Iran-Contra documentation project and director of the Archive's project on U.S. policy toward Nicaragua. From 1990-1999, he taught at Columbia University as an adjunct assistant professor of international and public affairs. Cuba: Declassified Records on the Brothers to the Rescue Shootdown | National Security Archive Check out National Security Archive on Facebook and Bluesky https://www.facebook.com/NSArchive https://bsky.app/profile/nsarchive.bsky.social Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter |https://x.com/isikoff Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://x.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter | https://x.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | https://www.spytalk.co/ Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  • May 15 · 1 hr 3 min

    The Ultimate Intelligence Fiasco

    Ex-CIA operative Jerry Watson and journalist Bob Drogin tell the disastrous story of Curveball and its relevance to today’s war against Iran. The US invaded Iraq after the based on bogus intel. Much of that intel was fabricated by Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi an Iraqi defector codenamed "Curveball." More from our guests: Bob Drogin | Los Angeles Times A CIA Officer Returns to Iraq and Uncovers Embarrassing Details of the Spy Agency’s WMD Debacle Curveball Jerry Watson | https://www.criticalanswers.net/ Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter |https://x.com/isikoff Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://x.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter | https://x.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | https://www.spytalk.co/ Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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  • May 8 · 46 min

    Putin in Peril?

    Former CIA Russia hand Sean Wiswesser assesses Putin’s grip on his security services amid rumors of coups. Sean Wiswesser is a Russian intelligence and espionage expert, retired CIA senior ops officer, and author. His latest book, Tradecraft, Tactics, and Dirty Tricks: Russian Intelligence and Putin's Secret War, is out now. x.com/Wiswesser https://www.instagram.com/seanwiswesser/ http://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-wiswesser Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter https://x.com/isikoff Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://x.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://x.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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  • May 1 · 1 hr 3 min

    JFK’s Fatal Mistake

    Veteran journalist Jack Cheevers takes another look at President Kennedy’s ambivalent role in the overthrow and assassination of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem. Check out Kennedy’ Coup by Jack Cheevers Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter https://x.com/SpyTalker Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter https://x.com/isikoff Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow SpyTalk on Twitter https://x.com/talk_spy Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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  • April 23 · 47 min

    Deciphering the Iran War Talks

    A former Pakistani ambassador to the US says the more Trump bashes Iran, the more it will dig in. Husain Haqqani joins SpyTalk to discuss the state of diplomacy between Iran and the US. Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter https://twitter.com/isikoff Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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  • April 17 · 59 min

    A Spy's Iran

    Former CIA Iran spy recruiter Mark Fowler says the “peace deal” is not the end of the war. He shares his analysis of the recent peace talks based on his understanding of how Iranians negotiate. For more of Mark Fowler's analysis follow him on Substack | https://substack.com/@malfow5 Mark also writes espionage fiction | https://markafowler-author.com/ Michael Isikoff on Twitter | https://twitter.com/isikoff Karen Greenberg on Twitter | https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker SpyTalk on Twitter | https://twitter.com/talk_spy Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  • April 10 · 57 min

    Stone Age Tactics

    Former CENTCOM commander Gen. Joseph Votel says military leaders should refuse a Trump order to bomb Iran "back to the Stone Ages" Joseph Leonard Votel is a retired four-star general in the United States Army who was commander of United States Central Command from March 2016 to March 2019. Before that, he served as commander of the United States Special Operations Command. Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | https://twitter.com/isikoff Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter | https://twitter.com/talk_spy Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  • April 3 · 46 min

    Scapegoats with Yossi Melman

    Trump and Netanyahu finger others for Iran war problems. SpyTalk speaks with Yossi Melman, an investigative journalist with The Jerusalem Post about issues USA and Israel have with the methods and objectives of the war. More from Yossi Melman | Yossi Melman | The Jerusalem Post | www.yossimelman.com | (@yossi_melman) Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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  • March 27 · 51 min

    Eve of Destruction

    Former CIA operative and Senior DOD Official Mick Mulroy Details Trump’s Bad Options on Iran. https://www.loboinstitute.org/ Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/isikoff Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter: https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  • March 21 · 50 min

    Identity Crisis

    Acclaimed Iranian American writer Hooman Majd talks about the likely future of the Islamic Republic. Hooman Majd is an Iranian-born American journalist, author, and political commentator focused on Iranian affairs. https://x.com/hmajd Minister without Portfolio: Memoir of a Reluctant Exile Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/isikoff Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter: https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    • Transcript
Showing 21–31 of 31 episodes