← American Scandal
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- [00:01]
Narrator
Did you know that the US Government secretly brought over former Nazi scientists after World War II to help advance American military technology? Or that in the 1950s the army conducted a clandestine biological experiment by releasing bacteria over San Francisco without telling the public? These aren't just conspiracy theories. They're real, documented cases that were buried in classified files for decades. And they're all exposed by the new podcast Declassified Mysteries. Each week, host Luke Lamanna pulls back the curtain on covert experiments, secret operations, and unsettling connections that have had a huge impact on the world. You'll be left asking, how have I never heard about this before? You're about to hear a clip from Declassified mysteries with Luke LaManna, and while you're listening, be sure to follow the show on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. For ad free access, you can join Wondery plus in the Wondery App or Apple Podcasts.
- [01:06]
Kermit Roosevelt Jr.
In the summer of 1953, CIA operative Kermit Roosevelt Jr. Paced around his office at the American Embassy in Tehran, or as he liked to call it, his battle station. Kermit was the grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt, and to took real pleasure in feeling like he was in charge. But outside the embassy, in the Iranian streets, it didn't seem like anyone was in command of anything. Beyond the gates at the edge of the embassy compound, crowds of protesters were moving down the street, chanting anti American slogans. What sounded like a glass bottle exploded on the street. Kermit moved to his window and flipped the blinds shut. Iran's government was friendly with the US in those days, but Tehran, the capital, had been in chaos for the past three days. There had been protests and riots all over the city, and now the violence was reaching a crescendo. Statues of former Iranian leaders had been torn down one by one. The crowds had also looted every building in the main city square and opened fire on counter protesters and passersby alike. So far, hundreds had died in the riots, and inside the American embassy, the tension was high. Kermit, the CIA's director of operations, took a deep breath, trying to keep calm. Then the door to his office swung open and his radio operator stumbled in, already on the verge of tears. With a shaky hand, he held up a cable transmission. It had been sent almost 24 hours ago, but there had been some kind of delay. The operator looked sick as he read the transmission aloud, urging Kermit and his people to evacuate Tehran. Washington wanted them gone before the mobs had a chance to storm the embassy, before it was too late for them to get out of Iran alive. But Kermit showed no surprise. This was the third time he'd been told to leave the embassy since the street fighting had started. A gunshot rang out somewhere down below, and the operator jumped, but Kermit remained unflinching. He laughed coldly and told the operator to return to his desk. They weren't going anywhere. The radio operator backed out of his office, walking down the hallway as though he was on a death march. But Kermit wasn't even a little concerned, because he knew something that his superiors back in the United States didn't that he was the one responsible all of this chaos, and things were going better than he could have dreamed.
- [03:46]
Narrator
You can listen to Redacted Declassified Mysteries with Luke Lamanna early and ad free right now by joining Wondery plus and the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.