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&#39;s subject matter experts. For more SpyTalk go to: https://www.spytalk.co/

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/10/2/17/c8f43391-35db-40c9-9200-d969c9249f48_spytalk_s2e150_-_john_dingus_-_final.mp3

Investigative reporter John Dinges tells how Henry Kissinger failed to prevent Chile’s 1976 murder of Orlando Letelier in downtown D.C.More from John Dinges<a href="https://substack.com/home/post/p-216346046" rel="nofollow">When Terrorists Struck in the Heart of Washington, D.C. | SpyTalk</a> <a href="https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/john-dinges/270495/?srsltid=AU7gw4UDfu811wcyUbDb3GMPq54fZAyh-cYiL0kcodP_ITXaZnIg_vpR" rel="nofollow">Books by author John Dinges</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

An Assassination on Embassy Row

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/9/25/17/285d38b3-fb89-43c1-8361-47253b77275a_spytalk_s2e149_-_sharon_final.mp3

Sharon Weinberger on how Big Tech is fueling the future of war. Sharon Weinberger talks about her latest book <a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/sharon-weinberger/valley-of-death/9780316595933/?lens=little-brown" rel="nofollow">Valley of Death</a><a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/sharon-weinberger/valley-of-death/9780316595933/?lens=little-brown" rel="nofollow">How Big Tech Is Fueling the Future of War</a>. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

The Tech Bro Gods of War

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/9/18/18/cdfb7157-a6c3-4a29-84bc-1e9097217a9e_spytalk_s2e148_-_bruce_hoffman_final.mp3

A greater array of better-armed threats confronts the US than on 9/11.Terrorism and insurgency expert Bruce Hoffman joins the podcast to discuss the current state of Al-Qaeda and its affiliates in the world More from Bruce Hoffman<a href="https://x.com/hoffman_bruce" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/hoffman_bruce</a> <a href="https://www.cfr.org/experts/bruce-hoffman" rel="nofollow">https://www.cfr.org/experts/bruce-hoffman</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

A greater array of better-armed threats confronts the US than on 9/11.

Terrorism and insurgency expert Bruce Hoffman joins the podcast to discuss the current state of Al-Qaeda and its affiliates in the world

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Terror’s New Faces

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/9/9/18/fde1e163-1a11-42c0-98c9-12ef226a884a_spytalk_s2e147_-_peter_final.mp3

Peter Bergen on the triumphs and tragedies wrought by 9/11.More from our guest:<a href="https://www.peterbergen.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.peterbergen.com/</a>  His latest book:<a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/all-the-presidents-wars-twenty-five-years-of-america-s-war-on-terror-peter-bergen/83784c9a7cb57e67" rel="nofollow">All the Presidents&#39; Wars </a><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/all-the-presidents-wars-twenty-five-years-of-america-s-war-on-terror-peter-bergen/83784c9a7cb57e67" rel="nofollow">Twenty-Five Years of America&#39;s War on Terror - Bookshop.org US</a>  Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | <a href="https://twitter.com/SpyTalker" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/SpyTalker</a>Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | <a href="https://twitter.com/isikoff" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/isikoff</a> Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | <a href="https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3</a> Follow SpyTalk on Twitter | <a href="https://twitter.com/talk_spy" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/talk_spy</a> Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | <a href="https://www.spytalk.co/" rel="nofollow">https://www.spytalk.co/</a>  Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

25 Years of Counterterrorism

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/9/4/14/bf72573e-6bea-4ae0-85db-1a9a1059ec37_spytalk_s2e146_-_jim_lawler_draft.mp3

Former CIA operations officer and member of CIA&#39;s Senior Intelligence Service (SIS-3) turned author, Jim Lawler joins Micheal to discuss real world espionage, spy recruitment, and his latest spy novel.<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Traitors-Tale-Guild-James-Lawler/dp/B0DX8MS6YW" rel="nofollow">The Traitor’s Tale by Jim Lawler </a>Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | <a href="https://twitter.com/SpyTalker" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/SpyTalker</a>Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | <a href="https://twitter.com/isikoff" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/isikoff</a> Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | <a href="https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3</a> Follow SpyTalk on Twitter | <a href="https://twitter.com/talk_spy" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/talk_spy</a> Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | <a href="https://www.spytalk.co/" rel="nofollow">https://www.spytalk.co/</a>  Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

How to Recruit a Traitor

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/28/15/38135ccd-1271-499b-967e-566a8656f953_spytalk_s2e145_-_steve_draft.mp3

Former CIA Chief Learning Officer Steve Hirsch tells how Russia, China, and Iran exploit the cracks in US intelligence. More From Stephen Hirsch | <a href="https://stephenhirsch.com/" rel="nofollow">https://stephenhirsch.com/</a> Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | <a href="https://twitter.com/SpyTalker" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/SpyTalker</a>Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | <a href="https://twitter.com/isikoff" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/isikoff</a> Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | <a href="https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3</a>  Follow SpyTalk on Twitter | <a href="https://twitter.com/talk_spy" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/talk_spy</a> Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | <a href="https://www.spytalk.co/" rel="nofollow">https://www.spytalk.co/</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

U.S. Adversaries Exploit Intel Failures

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/21/4/2ddd979e-16f1-4cb6-a57a-550dc57f9ed3_spytalk_s2e144_joby_warrick.mp3

Joby Warrick joined SpyTalk to talk about “The Jackal: The Rise and Fall of Carlos, the World’s First Super-Terrorist.”Check out the book:<h1><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Jackal/Joby-Warrick/9781668070550" rel="nofollow">The Jackal</a></h1><h2><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Jackal/Joby-Warrick/9781668070550" rel="nofollow">The Rise and Fall of Carlos, the World&#39;s First</a></h2> More from <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/joby-warrick/" rel="nofollow">Joby Warrick</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

The World's First Super-terrorist

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/16/17/a9fcfe47-1708-4a1e-a8fc-75cf13f75d02_spytalk_s2e143_-_julia_curlee_final1.mp3

Political pressure on the spy agency is forcing people out, says former senior analyst <a href="https://www.lawfaremedia.org/contributors/jcurlee" rel="nofollow">Julia Curlee.</a> More From Julia Curlee at | <a href="https://www.lawfaremedia.org/contributors/jcurlee" rel="nofollow">https://www.lawfaremedia.org/contributors/jcurlee</a>  Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | <a href="https://twitter.com/SpyTalker" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/SpyTalker</a>Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | <a href="https://twitter.com/isikoff" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/isikoff</a> Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | <a href="https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3</a> Follow SpyTalk on Twitter | <a href="https://twitter.com/talk_spy" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/talk_spy</a> Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | <a href="https://www.spytalk.co/" rel="nofollow">https://www.spytalk.co/</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Gunfight at the CIA Corral

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/7/18/b09319c0-0ab5-4548-9259-922ffbfabf89_spytalk_s2e142_-_lauren_anderson_final.mp3

Former FBI executive Lauren Anderson on the Director’s China, Russia outreaches.Lauren C. Anderson | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurencandersonintl/" rel="nofollow">https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurencandersonintl/</a><a href="https://laurencanderson.substack.com/" rel="nofollow">https://laurencanderson.substack.com/</a>Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | <a href="https://twitter.com/SpyTalker" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/SpyTalker</a>Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | <a href="https://twitter.com/isikoff" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/isikoff</a> Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | <a href="https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3</a> Follow SpyTalk on Twitter | <a href="https://twitter.com/talk_spy" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/talk_spy </a>Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | <a href="https://www.spytalk.co/" rel="nofollow">https://www.spytalk.co/</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Kash Patel’s Strange Trips

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/7/31/14/17945047-4061-41e4-b32c-4ab5993182e2_spytalk_s2e141_-_bojan_pancevski_final.mp3

Wall Street Journal reporter <a href="https://www.wsj.com/news/author/bojan-pancevski" rel="nofollow">Bojan Pancevski</a> unveils the astounding story of Ukraine’s sabotage of the Russian pipeline.Plus, Jeff and Michael discuss Jay Clayton, Todd Blanche, and more.Read Bojan’s book<a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250410436/thenordstreamconspiracy/" rel="nofollow">The Nord Stream Conspiracy</a>  Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | <a href="https://twitter.com/SpyTalker" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/SpyTalker</a>Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | <a href="https://twitter.com/isikoff" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/isikoff</a> Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | <a href="https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3</a>  Follow SpyTalk on Twitter | <a href="https://twitter.com/talk_spy" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/talk_spy</a> Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | <a href="https://www.spytalk.co/" rel="nofollow">https://www.spytalk.co/</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

The Nord Stream Conspiracy

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/7/24/4/3bab9a51-a60a-4c96-9e5e-55f604ce114b_spytalk_s2e140_-_shane_draft.mp3

Atlantic staff writer <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/author/shane-harris/" rel="nofollow">Shane Harris</a> drills down on the changes roiling the ODNI and CIA. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | <a href="https://twitter.com/SpyTalker" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/SpyTalker</a>Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | <a href="https://twitter.com/isikoff" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/isikoff</a> Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | <a href="https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3</a>  Follow SpyTalk on Twitter | <a href="https://twitter.com/talk_spy" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/talk_spy</a> Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | <a href="https://www.spytalk.co/" rel="nofollow">https://www.spytalk.co/</a>  Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Who’s Running US Intelligence?

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/7/18/20/9776891d-7310-4b8c-8259-ffef06baa21f_spytalk_s2e139_-_colin_clark_draft.mp3

Terrorism expert Colin Clarke fact-checks the administration’s claims on leftwing extremism and election security.More from our guest: <a href="https://thesoufancenter.org/team/colin-p-clarke/" rel="nofollow">Colin P. Clarke</a>Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter | <a href="https://twitter.com/isikoff" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/isikoff</a>Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | <a href="https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3</a>Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | <a href="https://twitter.com/SpyTalker" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/SpyTalker</a>Follow SpyTalk on Twitter | <a href="https://twitter.com/talk_spy" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/talk_spy</a>Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | <a href="https://www.spytalk.co/" rel="nofollow">https://www.spytalk.co/</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Terrorism expert Colin Clarke fact-checks the administration’s claims on leftwing extremism and election security.

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Trumpworld’s Dystopian World of Terror

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/7/3/17/e12ae930-0591-4f7c-bb01-bbf4fbacb98e_spytalk_s2e138_-_tom_lobianco_draft.mp3

Tom LoBianco answered an ad for a writer and then things went south.  Tom LoBianco is a veteran national politics reporter and editor of 24sight News, the independent news site on Substack. 24sight&#39;s scoops have been featured in The New York Times, CNN, ABC News, the Reddit front page, the Columbia Journalism Review and many other outlets. Tom LoBianco<a href="https://www.24sight.news/" rel="nofollow">https://www.24sight.news/</a>  Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/SpyTalker" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/SpyTalker</a> Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/isikoff" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/isikoff</a> Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter <a href="https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3</a>  Follow SpyTalk on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/talk_spy" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/talk_spy</a>  Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack <a href="https://www.spytalk.co/" rel="nofollow">https://www.spytalk.co/</a>  Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

The Reporter and the China Trap

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/6/26/22/78665e70-550c-4e6c-8246-afaa4df777e6_spytalk_s2e137_-_jeffrey_stern_final.mp3

Seeing-eye bombs were supposed to limit civilian casualties. Jeffrey Stern, author of “The Warhead,” explains why they didn’t. <a href="https://www.jeffreyestern.com/" rel="nofollow">Jeffrey Stern</a>The Warhead<a href="https://www.jeffreyestern.com/books" rel="nofollow">https://www.jeffreyestern.com/books</a>  Follow Michael Isikoff | <a href="https://x.com/isikoff" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/isikoff</a>   Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | <a href="https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3</a> Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | <a href="https://x.com/SpyTalker" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/SpyTalker</a>  Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | <a href="https://www.spytalk.co/" rel="nofollow">https://www.spytalk.co/</a>  Jeffrey E. Stern is an award-winning journalist and the author of five books, including his newest book The Warhead, The 15:17 to Paris, which was adapted as a major motion picture by Clint Eastwood and Warner Brothers, and The Last Thousand: One School’s Promise in a Nation at War, an honorable mention for best book of the year by Library Journal. Stern co-wrote and produced the award-winning independent film Yasmeen’s Element, which premiered at the SXSW film festival and was named a “best of the fest.” He has been named a graduate fellow at the Stanford Center for International Conflict and Negotiation and a grantee of the Pulitzer Center Fellow for Crisis Reporting. Stern’s reporting has appeared in magazines such as The New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, and The Atlantic. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

War-Ender Weapons

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/6/19/16/edb15fb3-2738-477d-88fc-f7e5e02878fd_spytalk_s2e136_-_julian_barnes_final.mp3

New York Times Intelligence Reporter Julian Barnes on the Rise of Bill Pulte.More from Julian<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/julian-e-barnes" rel="nofollow">Julian E. Barnes</a> Writes about the American intelligence community, including the Central Intelligence Agency, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and other spy agencies, as well as broader national and international security issues. His stories seek to break news about what intelligence officials are thinking, and occasionally doing, and to explain the U.S. perspective on security matters.<ul><li>X: <a href="https://www.twitter.com/julianbarnes" rel="nofollow">@julianbarnes</a></li><li>Threads: <a href="https://www.threads.net/julianbarnes" rel="nofollow">@julianbarnes</a></li><li>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbarnes3/" rel="nofollow">Julian E. Barnes</a></li><li>Signal: <a href="https://signal.me/#eu/dQK5eaq7JQuPdE3th-6BWnkEaT6VJN0z9F72X5YBWbmdDWUHEUtNDomFdT3JET4j" rel="nofollow">julianbarnes.99</a></li><li>Anonymous tips: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/tips" rel="nofollow">nytimes.com/tips</a></li></ul> Follow Michael Isikoff | <a href="https://x.com/isikoff" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/isikoff</a> Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&q=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2FKarenGreenberg3&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbXdQcVFYOXNqdE1STWFuVW9PMEdjUnFpS3Q2d3xBQ3Jtc0trN3ZMUnN5SnRrNmZONWFLbkl1V3U1Uzc0Qi1sVzZ0VVBQUU5JNGg0Rmg5OVBaRkNIbnFmQmpQNEYyNFRlallqck1YRG1TdXFSYkdDOW1PRkt2bzlvaVlWUWxpbi1uamVzQ0tEQkpRTEpJT2RZWG91WQ&v=BS9uL7n3_M8" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3</a>Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | <a href="https://x.com/SpyTalker" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/SpyTalker</a> Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | <a href="https://www.spytalk.co/" rel="nofollow">https://www.spytalk.co/</a>  Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Trump's Hatchet Man Atop US Intelligence

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/6/12/20/555b94f0-2d17-419e-9c0e-1874d5e58bbe_spytalk___kanin.mp3

Former senior CIA analyst David Kanin on the crises in US intelligence. David Kanin is a retired CIA senior analyst and member of the Senior Intelligence Service.https://commonsensecoalition.net/about-csc/Follow Michael Isikoff | <a href="https://x.com/isikoff" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/isikoff </a>Follow Karen Greenberg | <a href="https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3</a>Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | <a href="https://x.com/SpyTalker" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/SpyTalker</a> Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | <a href="https://www.spytalk.co/" rel="nofollow">https://www.spytalk.co</a> Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

How Trump Broke the ODNI

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/6/5/21/4d7b1c03-da06-4c8a-a8e6-34a5f6be8ccc_spytalk_s2e134_-_michael_lebowitz_final.mp3

Former Gitmo prosecutor Michael Lebowitz takes us inside the nuclear plot that never was.Mike Lebowitz is one of America’s few war-crimes prosecutors with front-line counterterrorism experience. A former senior attorney at the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, he spent nearly a decade prosecuting cases at Guantanamo Bay, including the 9/11, USS Cole, and top Al Qaeda commander trials. A US Army combat veteran and former Pathfinder unit paratrooper officer, Lebowitz also served as a senior legal advisor to US Army Cyber Command. He has been featured or quoted by the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, NPR, Associated Press, and the Atlantic. He lives in Washington, DC.<a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Second-Wave/Michael-Lebowitz/9798895151655" rel="nofollow">Second Wave by Michael Lebowitz</a>In 2003, US intelligence uncovered evidence that al Qaeda had acquired nuclear materials, plotting to smuggle them into American ports. The “Second Wave” threat triggered one of the most urgent and secretive manhunts in US history.With the cinematic intensity of Zero Dark Thirty and the investigative depth of The Looming Tower, Michael Lebowitz captures post-9/11 chaos and drama: agents risking everything to prevent another catastrophe, families torn apart, and the ethical fault lines still dividing US intelligence.Readers meet Pakistani-American industrialist Saifullah Paracha, whose import- export business concealed ties to al Qaeda; Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, architect of 9/11; Majid Khan, a Baltimore gas-station clerk turned jihadist who mapped US targets; an FBI interrogator who broke suspects faster than any waterboard; and an Orthodox Jewish garment importer whose betrayal helped avert disaster. On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Lebowitz’s account reveals a global pursuit that tested America’s moral limits and asks: Are we as prepared today as we were then?Follow Michael Isikoff | <a href="https://x.com/isikoff" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/isikoff</a> Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&q=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2FKarenGreenberg3&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbXdQcVFYOXNqdE1STWFuVW9PMEdjUnFpS3Q2d3xBQ3Jtc0trN3ZMUnN5SnRrNmZONWFLbkl1V3U1Uzc0Qi1sVzZ0VVBQUU5JNGg0Rmg5OVBaRkNIbnFmQmpQNEYyNFRlallqck1YRG1TdXFSYkdDOW1PRkt2bzlvaVlWUWxpbi1uamVzQ0tEQkpRTEpJT2RZWG91WQ&v=BS9uL7n3_M8" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3</a>Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | <a href="https://x.com/SpyTalker" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/SpyTalker</a> Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | <a href="https://www.spytalk.co/" rel="nofollow">https://www.spytalk.co/</a>  Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

How a Terror Case Fizzled

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/5/29/21/061e0dbd-8740-45e2-ac52-7466b6a08a60_spytalk_s2e133_-_tommy_final.mp3

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

Pod Save Our National Security with Tommy Vietor

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/5/22/18/ee20aaea-4730-43df-9790-df5be4fce38b_spytalk_s2e132_-_peter_kornbluh_final2.mp3

Cuba intervention expert Peter Kornbluh joins SpyTalk to discuss Trump’s pressure campaign.<a href="https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/about/staff/peter-kornbluh" rel="nofollow">Peter Kornbluh | National Security Archive</a> Peter Kornbluh, Senior Analyst, has worked at the Archive since April 1986. He currently directs the Archive&#39;s Cuba and Chile Documentation Projects. He was co-director of the Iran-Contra documentation project and director of the Archive&#39;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.<a href="https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/cuba/2026-05-19/cuba-declassified-records-brothers-rescue-shootdown" rel="nofollow">Cuba: Declassified Records on the Brothers to the Rescue Shootdown | National Security Archive</a>Check out National Security Archive on Facebook and Bluesky<a href="https://www.facebook.com/NSArchive" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/NSArchive</a> <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/nsarchive.bsky.social" rel="nofollow">https://bsky.app/profile/nsarchive.bsky.social</a> Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter |<a href="https://x.com/isikoff" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/isikoff</a>     Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | <a href="https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3</a>   Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | <a href="https://x.com/SpyTalker" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/SpyTalker</a>   Follow SpyTalk on Twitter | <a href="https://x.com/talk_spy" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/talk_spy</a>   Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | <a href="https://www.spytalk.co/" rel="nofollow">https://www.spytalk.co/</a>  Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Is Havana Up For Grabs?

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/5/15/19/8d49cf3b-15b3-4101-adb6-04f1a49f39a0_spytalk_s2e131_-_drogin_watson_final.mp3

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 &#34;Curveball.&#34;More from our guests:<a href="https://www.latimes.com/people/bob-drogin" rel="nofollow">Bob Drogin | Los Angeles Times</a> <a href="https://www.spytalk.co/p/a-cia-officer-returns-to-iraq-and?utm_campaign=post" rel="nofollow">A CIA Officer Returns to Iraq and Uncovers Embarrassing Details of the Spy Agency’s WMD Debacle</a> <a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/397688/curveball-by-drogin-bob/9780091923044" rel="nofollow">Curveball</a>Jerry Watson | <a href="https://www.criticalanswers.net/" rel="nofollow">https://www.criticalanswers.net/</a>  Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter |<a href="https://x.com/isikoff" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/isikoff</a>     Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter | <a href="https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3</a>   Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter | <a href="https://x.com/SpyTalker" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/SpyTalker</a>   Follow SpyTalk on Twitter | <a href="https://x.com/talk_spy" rel="nofollow">https://x.com/talk_spy</a>   Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack | <a href="https://www.spytalk.co/" rel="nofollow">https://www.spytalk.co/</a>  Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

The Ultimate Intelligence Fiasco

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/