Shows
CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceEpisode 27: People know about Donald but wait until you hear about Melina. Donald and Melinda Maclean the KGB Power couple of the Cambridge 5British aristocrat Donald Maclean, as a member of the Cambridge 5, worked his way to the top of the British Foriegn Office while secretly working as KGB spy. His wife was in on it the whole time. How did an extremely wealthy and noticable couple succefully spy for so long, and why? Learn about their backgrounds, deeds, and fates. This is the fourth episode to deal with the Cambridge 5. The other episodes are:
Episode 7: Secret Agent Super Spy: Harold Kim Philby: The 1st in a series on the Cambridge 5, Episode 10: Kim Philby Part 2: I Really Must Be Going; The second...2023-08-1434 min
The Raising Alphas ProjectJIERRA - Know Your ValueIn this weeks episode, the Alphas bring on Special Guest Jierra! A Singer/Songwriter, Actress, Radio Host and Human Rights Activist! The shows hits on many current challenges with becoming free of societies strongholds and decades of conditioned mindsets. The pressure a person goes up against and obstacles they overcome, only create that diamond capable of shining it brightest and being able to cut through the hardest of barriers. As Alphas in our communities, we must lead by example, stay strongest when surrounded by the weak, and always push through with intensity to overcome the evils in our way.2023-07-101h 58
CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceEpisode 16: The Life of CIA Director John Brennan: News: The American NCO/Pro-Putin podcaster, The Prankster tricking Russians into torching recruitment offices, A Chinese police station on US soil.This is our third episode in a three part series on CIA Directors who shaped US policy towards the Soviet Union and now Russie. I give an overview of the life of John Brennan, a straight talking Irishman from New Jersey. The episode ends with anecdotes about a stateside former American sailor pretending to be in the Donbass while promoting pro-Kremlin propaganda, a Ukrainian operation to trick Russians into burning down their own recruitment stations, a hacker who steals from the FSB and gives to Ukraine and the FBIs prosecution of alleged Chinese agents on US soil. The agents a...2023-06-2236 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceEpisode 15: The Life of CIA Director Robert Gates; News: The Imprisoned Accused Russian Spy Mad He Can't Pay His Bills, Wagner in SudanThis is our second episode in a three part series on CIA Directors who shaped US policy towards the Soviet Union. I gives an overview of the life of Robert Gates a proverbial and literal boyscout. We also give a brief news update about Wagner in Sudan and Armenia's frustration with Russia. 2023-04-1727 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceEpisode 14: The Life of CIA Director William Casey and an Interview with Ukrainian Volunteer Medic Rebecca MaciorowskiFrom the OSS to CIA Director William Casey is the CIA Director who shaped America's Cold War policy and indirectly gave us GPS. Find out how. This is the first episode in a three part series on CIA Directors who influenced our present policy towards Russia. Though a sober man Casey was not without controversy.
At minute 19:00 there is an interview with Rebecca Maciorowski. She is an American nurse who is volunteering as a medic in Ukraine.
You may donate to her via paypal at bechendry@gmail.com, or at www.bymeacoffee.com/bekamaciorowski
2023-03-2546 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceAnnouncementWe're taking a break from our weekly conversations to focus on our proper episodes. Look out for Frank Wisner, part 2 in two weeks. Then we're taking a short break to get things prepped for what we're generously calling Season 2 of CIA Files. Meanwhile, for international news, check out This Week Explained, which does a great job of covering current events around the globe.
And we're working hard on our upcoming show, Rise of Mammon, wherein we will discuss the rise of Christo-fascism and America's new Nationalist Christians, or Nat-Cs for short. You can follow us at these...2022-09-2903 min
CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligencePaul Bennewitz and "Aliens," the Story of a Government Psy-op.Picture this: You're a high-ranking Air Force official overseeing research and development of new, top-secret aircraft. Your job is Operational Security, which is to say, keeping it secret.
Then one day, a civilian who's an expert on radio waves, as well as a bit of a photography buff, comes to you with a massive collection of pictures and data related to the top-secret aircraft you're supposed to be keeping secret. Not ideal, right? But then this civilian explains that he's pretty sure what he has is evidence of an alien invasion. So you look him in the...2022-09-221h 16
CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceProfile: Clifford Stoll, the First Master of CybersecurityIn 1986, computers were still the domain of the wily nerd. They wouldn't become cool until the World Wide Web was invented. And even then, computers weren't really that much cooler until DSL connections came along.
But Clifford Stoll, an unemployed astronomer, took an IT job at a university, where his superior nerdity would lead him to be the first IT person to discover and track down a computer hacker. That hacker was sniffing around private U.S. military and national defense databases, selling whatever information he could find to the KGB.
Also, this week, Josh...2022-09-1349 min
CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceProfile: Mikhail Gorbachev. Plus, MORE-A-LAGO!!! (has anybody done that yet? i haven't seen it, so i'm using it.)Mikhail Gorbachev died on August 30, 2022, at the age of 91. Brandon discusses the man's life and political trajectory while making the case that Gorbachev's legacy deserves more appreciation.
And I, Topher, talk about new details in the unending drama that is former President Donald Trump versus the National Archives. Or FBI. Or Department of Justice.
We also talk about a Ukrainian immigrant named Inna Yashchyshyn, or as Donald Trump, Senator Lindsey Graham and former Missouri governor Eric Greitens knew her, Anna de Rosthchild. She posed as a member of the famous, wealthy family in order to r...2022-09-0855 min
CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceCIA Files: Wherein Brandon helps us suss out the finer points of Russia's culture war shenanigans in AmericaBrandon walks us through some of the misunderstood, overblown, and under-reported aspects of Russia's long-term efforts to sow derision and division among Americans. How involved was Russia with the NRA? Has the Kremlin been stirring up secessionist movements? And what's up with those crazy Russian dashcam videos? We don't really talk about that last question, but we're still curious.
NRA Infiltrated
https://www.thedailybeast.com/kremlin-used-nra-to-help-trump-in-2016-says-senate-intelligence-committee?fbclid=IwAR0qMckztLmcsp7TzK0bmwVl5n3J_dSppQZwfsNp0mKd8ukEe7ykb8tHh74
https://www.npr.org/2019/09/27/764879242/nra-was-foreign-asset-to-russia-ahead-of-2016-new-senate-report-reveals
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/mar/01...2022-08-2559 min
CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceCIA Files: Donald Trump's FBI WoesOn Monday, August 8th, the FBI conducted a search of Trump’s Mar A Lago mansion, seizing 11 boxes of documents. It was later disclosed that the boxes were classified material, including some labeled Top Secret, that the National Archives and the Department of Justice say Trump was not authorized to take with him after he left the White House.
In mid January, 2022, 15 boxes of presidential records were moved from Mar A Lago back to National Archives. Officials involved in the matter said Trump dragged his feet on the request for documents from his time in the White Hou...2022-08-161h 04
CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceCIA Files: The Pentagon's Secret Keyboard WarriorsSorry for the delay. We recorded this episode to release last week, but I (Topher) had a lot going on and neglected to edit and publish it on time. So here it is for this week. We hope you didn't miss us too much.
In this episode, we dive into the world of "signature reduction" -- which is made up of efforts to hide agents' true identities online in the world of social media and open-source intelligence. All of this is being produced by a massive network of military and private contractor efforts, which also include constructing...2022-08-0955 min
CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceCIA Files Profile: CIA Director Bill Burns, Part 2This week, we review CIA Director Bill Burns' track record so far. 2022-07-281h 07
CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceCIA Files Profile: CIA Director Bill Burns, Part 1Who is current CIA Director William J. Burns? Not a soldier, nor a lawyer, nor a long-time intelligence officer. Instead of the usual suspects for the role, Bill Burns is a legacy civil servant and a career diplomat. Under his direction, the CIA seems to be trying a few new things, like being transparent (or is he?!) and meeting face-to-face with world leaders instead of trying to overthrow them from behind a desk in DC.
We decided to take a quick look at this Bill Burns character to see where he came from and what he's done...2022-07-1945 min
CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceCIA Files: The CIA Manual of Deception and TrickeryThe 1950s might be regarded by some as the salad days of the CIA. No ideas were too wacky, and the money was flowing into research and development like a cool, clean mountain spring. So when CIA mad scientist Dr. Sidney Gottlieb decided to hire an up-close magician to write some instruction manuals on how to perform their own sort of magic -- the kind that might involve slipping a drug into someone's champagne or pick someone's pocket, no one batted an eye.
Famed illusionist John Mulholland produced two top-secret manuals for the CIA, which were thought t...2022-07-1542 min
CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceSorry for the interruption of services...No episode this week, but we'll be back next week.2022-07-0501 min
CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceCIA Files: A Look at Julian AssangeJulian Assange began hacking in the 80s when he was just 16 years old. Now he's perhaps the most famous whistleblower in the world. The United States wants to put him on trial for espionage, but his defenders say he was simply working as a journalist to uncover injustices committed by the U.S. military, and what U.S. officials actually want is to punish him for exposing American crimes and to scare other journalists from reporting on American misdeeds. As his extradition to the U.S. approaches, we decided to take a look into his past and get into...2022-06-2241 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceCIA Files: News Stuff - In Which We Bid The News A Fond FarewellThat's right, folks. This is our last news episode. We will still be releasing proper episodes highlighting the lives of the people involved with the CIA. And we'll be releasing more short episodes as well. We will also be launching a new show soon, so keep an eye out for that. Updates to follow.2022-06-1445 min
CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceJames Jesus Angleton Part 3: Cigarettes, Liquor, and LiesJim Angleton dedicated his life to building and maintaining the CIA. He spent years manipulating people and policy from his self-labeled "wilderness of mirrors," motivated by his own paranoia, and informed by an opportunistic Russian defector named Anotoli Golytsin. Eventually, despite his monumental efforts to cover his tracks, Angleton's chickens came home to roost.
Sources:
The Ghost: The Secret Life of CIA Spymaster James Jesus Angleton, by Jefferson Morley
https://amzn.to/3xgHDfS
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brookings-now/2015/05/06/40-years-ago-church-committee-investigated-americans-spying-on-americans/
https://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/church-committee-established-jan-27-1975-234079
2022-06-091h 09CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceCIA Files: Weekly World Report, June 7, 2022Chinese fighter pilots are full of beans. Are things looking up in Yemen? Because they aren't in Tigray. A CIA whistleblower dies. And if you're looking for classified tank information, you might want to check some online video game forums.2022-06-071h 05
CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceRaw File News, May 31, 2022More news from around the world -- an update on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a look at Ethiopia's record number of displaced people, and a discussion about the decline of democracy and the rise of autocracy and authoritarianism.2022-05-311h 27
CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceRaw File News, May 25, 2022 - We may be late, but at least it's free.We discuss global food shortages. Finland officially wants in NATO. Badass e-bikes with missile launchers. George W. Bush makes a textbook Freudian slip. And we've got an update on UFOs, or I guess UAPs now, from the Pentagon. 2022-05-251h 15
CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceRaw File News, May 17, 2022Finland wants in NATO. Elections in the Philippines go retro as the Marcos family gets back into the mix. Did Star Trek: The Next Generation correctly predict Irish reunification? Also, what's going on in Ukraine? Old Russian tanks enjoy more time in the spotlight. Speaking of old Russian things, times continue to be tough for old Russian oligarchs, especially if they visit shamans for toad venom hangover cures. 2022-05-171h 10CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceRaw File News, May 10, 2022https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/exclusive-cia-chief-told-bolsonaro-government-not-mess-with-brazil-election-2022-05-05/
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/nkorea-fires-unidentified-projectile-off-its-east-coast-skorea-military-2022-05-07/
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/yemen-officials-commanders-killed-clash-militants-84560637
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220506-saudi-led-coalition-says-frees-yemen-rebels-in-peace-gesture
https://news.yahoo.com/yemens-war-weary-taez-choked-025617629.html
https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/guinea-orders-legal-proceedings-against-ousted-president-alpha-conde-2022-05-04/
https://news.yahoo.com/putin-apologizes-to-israel-for-bizarre-nazi-comments-170121084.html
https://twitter.com/jh_swanson/status/1523085136530927616
https://www.newsweek.com/russian-official-complains-west-aiding-ukraine-keeping-war-going-1703882
https://news.yahoo.com/pentagon-denies-us-shared-intel-192016395.html
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ukraine-war-us-spy-plane-on-patrol-in-black-sea-before-sinking-of-russian-flagship-moskva-fblbg0znd
2022-05-101h 27CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceRaw File News, May 3, 2022I don't feel well, so imagine a clever blurb and insert that here.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/reputed-federal-informant-whistleblower-found-dead-l-reported-missing-rcna26382
https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/valentin-broeksmit-federal-informant-whistleblower-dead-el-sereno-high-school/
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/28/yemen-saudi-arabia-to-release-163-houthi-prisoners
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/chinese-government-hunting-uyghurs-world-help-surprising-countries-rcna24987
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/20/the-deal-that-shocked-the-world-inside-the-china-solomons-security-pact
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/solomon-islands-pm-says-wont-accept-militarisation-pacific-2022-04-29/
https://intelnews.org/2022/04/29/01-3193/
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/sweden-failed-integration-immigrants-gang-violence-b2067626.html
https://www.foxnews.com/world/putin-g20-summit-indonesia-zelenskyy
https://w...2022-05-041h 10CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceRaw File News: Is Russia's FSB ready to break up with Putin? We're just asking questions is all.A string of odd coincidences has Brandon posing some interesting hypotheticals about what might be happening behind the scenes in Moscow as Putin's bloody invasion seems to be scratching some unusual itches. There's the occasional fire at one or two or three (who's counting?) top secret Russian facilities, and a handful of strange murder-suicides among Russia's retired oligarch community.
Also, are you a useful idiot? If so, congratulations! At least you're not an unuseful idiot like me. I kid. I washed the dishes yesterday, so I've got some value.
All of that and more awaits...2022-04-261h 27
CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceComing Soon: James Jesus Angleton, part 3News of President Kennedy’s assassination sent shockwaves around the world. And at the epicenter of those shockwaves sat one Jim Angleton. His actions following Kennedy’s death would help stoke tales of conspiracies that, perhaps, people within the U.S. government had killed their own Commander-In-Chief, a concern the President himself expressed just before his untimely death.
Angleton played a key role in the investigation of President Kennedy’s murder, though what that role was is still hard to say.
Along the way, Angleton's paranoia and misplaced trust would destroy the careers of faithful CIA of...2022-04-2102 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceRaw File News: Have Russia's Hopes Sunk? Plus, Training Cyborg KittiesWe discuss the sinking of the Moskva and Moscow's PR two-step. Plus, are things looking up for the people of Yemen? And Nigeria gets some shiny new American helicopters. Pakistan is getting a little missile-happy in Afghanistan, testing how easy-going the Taliban really are now. Russia reminds Japan that they're still in the neighborhood, so Japan better not get any funny ideas about those contested islands. Ukrainian richy-rich Viktor Medvedchuk gets tossed in jail. Finland and Sweden move closer to joining NATO, even though Putin really wishes they wouldn't. President Biden uses the word "genocide" in decribing Russia's actions...2022-04-191h 26CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceRaw File News: The Many Forms of Genocide. Plus, the CIA needs better jokes writers.We discuss more claims of Russian war crimes, of course. Plus, a Russian "humanitarian" group announces it'll soon be easier than ever for Russian citizens to adopt Ukrainian orphans. Isn't that nice? We also give an update on the dire situations in Yemen and Ethiopia.
And we also get a peek behind the curtain of the CIA as we review a formerly top-secret document containing the very best in anti-Soviet comedy. I bet you can't wait.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/09/world/europe/putin-russia-war-ukraine.html
https://snyder.substack.com/p/russias-genocide-handbook?s=r
2022-04-121h 09
CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceJames Jesus Angleton part 2: We're Just Getting Started!Jim Angleton was not an ignorant man – he hoarded information the way some unhealthy people hoard newspapers and broken kitchen appliances. Neither was he unintelligent nor unsophisticated – he was a keenly critical and thoughtful individual schooled in literary criticism and spycraft.
But James Jesus Angleton, convinced of his own suspicions, which were reinforced by great personal betrayal, became a tyrant of sorts – working within a private world that he constructed – ending up lost, confused, and unable to see his way out of the maze of mirrors he’d built around himself.
https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Secr...2022-04-0737 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceRaw File News: Is Doxing Always Bad? Also, the Insanity of Project Plutohttps://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/apr/01/first-food-aid-for-100-days-enters-tigray-under-humanitarian-truce
https://news.yahoo.com/saudi-offered-rebel-rejected-cease-030832024.html
https://www.businessinsider.com/great-translation-movement-twitter-account-blowing-up-russia-ukraine-2022-3
https://twitter.com/TGTM_Official
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-asks-putin-release-info-hunter-biden-rcna22117
https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/03/30/video-shows-europe-s-largest-food-warehouse-on-fire-after-deliberate-russian-attack
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/01/ukraine-russia-peace-talks-continue-amid-fresh-bid-to-help-mariupol-residents-flee
https://www.foxnews.com/world/ukrainian-intelligence-releases-names-of-more-than-600-alleged-russian-spies
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/rest-of-world/2022/04/01/food-delivery-leak-unmasks-russian-security-agents/
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/kremlin-says-ukraine-strike-russian-fuel-depot-creates-awkward-backdrop-talks-2022-04-01
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/red-cross-heads-again-mariupol-russia-shifts-ukraine-focus-2022-04-02/
...2022-04-051h 10CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceComing Soon: James Jesus Angleton, Part TwoFor a brief time within the history of the United States, its citizens trusted that their country’s best and brightest were in charge – competent leaders who knew how to navigate the complex, often treacherous, paths of diplomacy and global conflict. This trust, like most things, would not endure.
In the decades immediately following the Second World War, the political mandate engendered by the public’s trust would be squandered by a cadre of self-important men who each believed fervently that he, and only he, knew what was right. James Jesus Angleton embodied this arrogance, and ultimately tainte...2022-03-2901 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceRaw File News: A Little of This, a Little of ThatThis week on Raw File News (that’s what we’re calling the news now. What do you think?) –
Some progress in Ethiopia as a ceasefire has the potential to end the deadly conflict in Tigray…
Plus, Houthi rebels claim responsibility for a massive explosion that rocked an oil field in Saudi Arabia…
And mixed signals from Moscow as the bloody Russian invasion of Ukraine continues…
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright dies, and Guantanamo Bay gives her a strange send-off.
This is Raw File News…(seriously, what do you think of t...2022-03-2954 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceGuy Burgess: I Gotta Be Me!Guy Burgess was perhaps the most unlikely spy in history, which is probably why he ended up being one of the best spies in history.
Guy pulled off incredible feats of espionage without ever being caught. He accomplished this work with a staggering level of audacity and aplomb, all while drinking enough alcohol to kill two or three tortured musicians. Not only did Guy not hide his true self, he was utterly incapable of it.
To meet Guy Burgess was to know Guy Burgess: unkempt, opinionated, inebriated, highly sexual, and seemingly fearless – Guy engaged with any...2022-03-221h 01CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceRaw File News: Did you know Ukraine isn't the only place where stuff's happening?Humans are being terrible to each other all over the world. So we talk about a few places that aren't being invaded by Russia. And of course we also talk about places that ARE being invaded by Russia. Also, don't Google "methane cascade." Not if you want to enjoy your week.2022-03-211h 52CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceRaw File News: [Insert Clever Title Here]Russian disinformation, taking a point from George W Bush's playbook. Putin in a thong. And we play a fun yet horrifying game. 2022-03-1553 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceRaw File News: Are Y'all Tired of Hearing About Russia Yet? Too Bad.Russia, Russia, Russia! Do you think China's starting to feel like Jan Brady yet, or are they glad to have a break from all the attention?2022-03-071h 16CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceRaw File News: What's What In Russia?Chris and Brandon discuss the current Russian invasion into Ukraine and what's next for Russia. They also dive a little into Putin's past. Where did this guy come from? What's his driving motivation? Let's find out.2022-03-011h 16CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceRaw File News: A Little Bit of What's UpChris and Brandon talk Russia, China, and Civ 5. And some other stuff, but that's most of it.2022-02-2154 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceRaw File News: Sunday Morning Talkin' Global StuffChris and Brandon discuss a handful of stories, including strategic intelligence leaks, same old, same old from the CIA, and Battlebots In Space!2022-02-1638 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceKim Philby Part 2: I Really Must Be GoingAfter secretly committing himself to the cause of Communism and to serving the Soviet Union, Kim Philby worked as a reporter in the time preceding WWII. But once the War started, he decided to look for better ways to fight off Fascism and to gain access to the inner workings of his homeland. He'd been casting about for an invitation into British intelligence when fellow Trinity College alum Guy Burgess introduced him to the chief of staff of MI6 Section D's training school for propaganda, Marjorie Maxse.
Once cleared to join British intelligence, Philby q...2022-02-0853 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceRaw File News: One Half-Hour of Global NewsChris and Brandon discuss a few things happening around the world. 2022-02-0233 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceRaw File News: I Heard Something's Up In Ukraine?Brandon and I go over the rising tensions between Russia, Ukraine, and the West. Brandon gives us some historical context for where things are at now, and he makes a prediction or two.2022-01-2745 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceRaw File News: What Just Happened In Kazakhstan?After having lived and worked in Kazakhstan for some time, Brandon gives us a breakdown of what led to the recent mass protests and subsequent violence. What caused the uprising? Were the protests started by outside agitators? Did foreign terrorists take advantage of national unrest to attempt a coup? And if so, were key government officials involved in some way? 2022-01-1749 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceJames Jesus Angleton: Poetry, Fly Fishing, and FascismToward the end of the Second World War, many Americans had rather strong feelings about Fascists, mostly, that Fascists were evil and tyrranical, fueled by hatred and a total disregard for human life.
But there were some who didn’t feel that the Fascists were all that bad. Some Americans actually thought that perhaps the Fascists actually had some good points, if you didn’t get too hung up on the violent anti-semitism.
Jim Angleton fell solidly in the latter category. As a young man, he was intrigued by the ideology of Fascism. As he grew...2022-01-1142 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceFrank Wisner: Local Boy Makes GoodWere it not for a handful of loud, persistent voices shouting “Fire” about Stalin’s intentions toward Western Values, the Cold War may well have never occurred, or may at least have been less brutal, less deadly. And maybe the United States wouldn’t have compromised its stated moral codes so egregiously in the decades following the end of the Second World War.
A liberal Southern lawyer was one of those few, loud voices. Frank Wisner, a man socially ahead of his time, did what he thought was necessary to stop what he considered a spreading scourge of tyran...2021-11-1649 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceSecret Agent Super Spy: Harold Kim PhilbyKim Philby was born into peculiar circumstances at a pivotal moment in world history, and he played his part in the struggle between ideologies that shaped our modern world. But to ask who he was is perhaps too big a question to ever fully understand.
It can be said of Philby that he was a genial man -- pleasant and inquisitive. People tended to trust him instinctively, and he was always a willing confidant to anyone with something to get off of their chest.
He suffered from a slight stutter early in life, which some...2021-10-1948 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceA Brief Interlude And A Brief MentionSadly, we had to postpone this week's episode. But I do discuss a man who deserves his own episode somewhere down the road: St John Philby, father of notorious double-agent Kim Philby. We thought this might help understand Kim Philby, whom we will be covering with the next episode. See you soon! (Well, not literally "see you soon," but we'll have a new episode out soon and we hope you listen to it!)2021-09-2813 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceWilliam Samuel Stephenson: Decent Spy, Amazing LiarSomebody had to teach Americans how to conduct espionage, and British spymaster William Samuel Stephenson was just the man for the job. He taught American spies how to lie, cheat, and use the media to manipulate the populace. He laid the groundwork for practices that would ultimately undermine public trust in the government, leading to where we are today.2021-09-1437 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceRaw File News: AfghanistanAs the war between the U.S. and the Taliban comes to an end after 20 years, Brandon and Chris discuss the history behind the current situation, conditions surrounding the withdrawal of U.S. troops, and what might be next for Afghanistan.2021-08-261h 19CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceProgramming Will Resume ShortlyHey there, valued assets, I mean agents, I mean audience. How's it going?
Just wanted to say that we've gotten behind on production. I'm in the process of relocating my base of operations. And Brandon is on extended holiday, touring Eastern Europe with his family.
But we've got more episodes coming soon. So continue to monitor this communications channel for intel drops.
We'll see you soon, although you probably won't see us.2021-07-2100 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceCarmel Offie: Short and SweetCarmel Offie is one of history’s tragically overlooked characters -- someone who worked with superhuman effort and questionable ethics to protect a country that would, in turn, destroy him out of convenience.
Described by many as short and ugly, Offie still managed to charm everyone he met and curry favor with everyone from political leaders to Army generals. He managed the logistics for several complicated shadow operations in Europe while managing personal smuggling operations via his access to military infrastructure.2021-06-2340 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceAntonio Villas Boas, Part 2: "Oh yeah, I know that guy!"For years, UFO researchers believed there were two ways to consider the fantastic story of Antonio Villas Boas: an unprecedented encounter with other-worldly beings, or a bit of weird fiction, maybe dreamed up by a bored young man.
But years after the story of Villas Boas came to light, a third option was presented when a man named Bosco Nedelcovik entered the scene. His version of the story involves a fancy helicopter and a few CIA officers. Which one is the truth? We lay out the facts, and you decide for yourself.2021-05-2726 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceCIA Files: Raw Files NewsWe take a look at headlines from around the globe. This week, we discuss the kerfuffle that cost a Swiss intelligence leader his job. We discuss the consequences of the CIA's vaccine tracking in their hunt for Osama Bin Laden and how it has made eliminating polio in the area a difficult task. And the CIA steps up its investigation into mysterious "directed-energy" attacks, finally adding the most obvious candidate, Russia's GRU, to its suspects list. Oh, and there's something going on in Israel right now. We break down the history that led to the present, and discuss why...2021-05-1847 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceAntonio Villas Boas, part 1: Can't a Man Farm in Peace?After the Roswell crash in 1947, UFO sightings became commonplace across the country. Local authorities and government agencies became overrun with reports of strange objects in the sky, performing impossible feats before zooming off into the distance.
But it would be more than a decade before another famous element of alien encounters would be introduced, this one being more nefarious than miraculous crafts in the sky -- alien abductions. And this strange phenomenon would begin with a young man named Antonio Villas Boas.2021-05-1028 min
CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceGeorge Hunter White, part 2: "I was too rough for their league."CIA mad scientist Sidney Gottlieb had job opening that might as well have been custom-made for Goerge Hunter White. White had experience in drugging people for experiments during his time in the OSS. He loved drugs himself. He had few scruples when it came to committing acts of cruelty and violence. And perhaps most importantly, he had access to low-level criminals and other social outcasts -- people who would never consider reporting anything done to them to law enforcement. So it was that White would become a key figure in the horror story that was Project MK ULTRA by...2021-04-2635 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceCIA Files: Headlines 4/18/2021A look at headlines from around the world.
Top general: 'Low to medium risk' of Russia invading Ukraine in next few weeks
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/low-to-medium-risk-russian-invasion-ukraine-next-few-weeks-us-general-2021-04-15/
Doctor says Navalny could die 'at any moment'
https://www.npr.org/2021/04/18/988437875/putin-critic-alexei-navalny-could-die-at-any-moment-doctor-says
U.S. Slaps New Sanctions On Russia Over Cyberattack, Election Meddling
https://www.npr.org/2021/04/15/987585796/u-s-slaps-new-sanctions-on-russia-over-cyber-attack-election-meddling
https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/16/politics/russia-retaliate-us-diplomats/index.html
Russia Retaliates Against Biden's New Sanctions, Expelling 10 U.S. Diplomats
The CIA’s Tw...2021-04-1949 min
CIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceGeorge Hunter White, part 1: "Actually, A Heretic"Few people seem to be so lucky as to discover their true purpose in life, and even fewer seem tenacious enough to truly dedicate their entire lives to that purpose. In that regard, George Hunter White may have been the luckiest, most tenacious man to ever live. White’s life was one of lies, drugs, sex, manipulation, coercion, extortion, violence, and murder. And when he reached the end of his life, he was long considered a hero by many.
For a list of our sources, visit www.ciafiles.net.
2021-04-1230 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceTrailer: CIA Files: True Stories of U.S. IntelligenceI’d like to tell you a story. It is a long, strange, story. It is a story about honesty and integrity, or a lack thereof. This story is complex, confusing, and compelling. It is composed of unique people possessed by powerful inner drives. Understanding this story is difficult, but it rewards us with an extra layer of awareness when processing our own lives and understanding the people who hold power over us.
I’m Topher M. Ford, and I’ve always wanted to know everything I could about the foggy, extra-legal world of global intelligence and intrigu...2021-04-1001 minCIA Files: True Stories of U.S IntelligenceTrailer - CIA Files: True Stories of U.S. IntelligenceWe explore the history of the Central Intelligence Agency by telling the stories of the individuals who lived through it. We'll discuss the villains, the victims, and the heroes. We'll uncover the motivations and the ideals of the people who set into motion world-changing events that have steered global politics along the course that has led us to where we are today.2021-01-0901 min