Podcast
SPYCRAFT 101
Hosted by Justin Black · EN
Welcome to your clandestine classroom.
26episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
252. Unearthing War Crimes and Mass Graves Through Geospatial Intelligence with Sam McKnight
6d ago00:41:39Tap to summarizeToday Justin sits down with Sam McKnight. Sam is a graduate student at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. He's also the founder and director of Khthon, a non-governmental organization that uses open source intelligence, satellite imagery, and digital analysis to document war crimes and locate mass graves in conflict zones. Sam founded Khthon in 2022, and since then, it has grown to include more than 100 volunteers dedicated to uncovering and reporting mass graves. He's here to discuss Khthon’s work worldwide, their successes, and their plans for the future. Connect with Sam and Khthon: khthon.org Substack: McKnight Reports IG: @khthonorg IG: @mcknight.reports Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin’s latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Substack: spycraft101.substack.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin’s first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin’s second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative’s Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! https://kruschiki.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Transcribe →251. Unveiling Gladio: Cold War Secrets and Italian Intelligence with Niccolò Petrelli
2w ago01:11:26Tap to summarizeToday Justin sits down with Dr. Niccolò Petrelli. Niccolò is a research scholar at the Center for International and Strategic Studies at LUISS in Rome, Italy. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Political Science, his Master's degree in International Relations, and his PhD in Political Science, all from Roma Tre University. He has also published many papers and journal articles on counterterrorism, counterinsurgency, and intelligence matters. He's here to discuss the relationship between US and Italian intelligence during the Cold War, and in particular, the Gladio operation, which armed, trained, and funded personnel intended to operate behind enemy lines in the event that World War III broke out in Europe. The Gladio teams were also suspected of being employed to suppress communism in Italy. Connect with Niccolò: LinkedIn: Niccolò Petrelli Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin’s latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Substack: spycraft101.substack.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin’s first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin’s second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative’s Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! https://kruschiki.com/ Clandestine Laboratories Your new favorite fragrance is here. I'm partial to Novochoc. https://www.clandestinelaboratories.com/fragrances Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Transcribe →250. CIA and MI6 in Post-War Albania with Dr. Stephen Long
3w ago01:25:21Tap to summarizeToday’s guest is Dr. Stephen Long. Stephen earned a PhD in US foreign policy and intelligence from the University of Birmingham and is an assistant professor of international relations at Shan Xiaotong Liverpool University. He's published articles in many professional journals, including Intelligence and National Security, International History Review, Cold War History, H-Diplo, and American History. He was also a lead contributor to the BBC Radio 4 program, "The Albania Operation," for the BBC's Document series. He's here today discuss the story of one of the CIA's first covert action operations performed jointly with MI6 in the late 1940s and the lessons they learned from it, often at great cost to the operatives themselves. Connect with Steven: steve.long@xjtlu.edu.cn Check out the book, A Rich Harvest of Bitter Fruit, here. https://amzn.eu/d/01R8Udo1 Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin’s latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Substack: spycraft101.substack.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin’s first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin’s second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative’s Sidearm of Choice, here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Transcribe →249. From the Brazilian Navy to Strategic Intelligence with Luis Fernando Baptistella
4w ago01:12:33Tap to summarizeToday Justin speaks with Luis Baptistella. Luis is a specialist in intelligence and counterintelligence, and a retired officer of the Brazilian Navy, where he attained the rank of captain during a distinguished 35-year career. He also served on a US Navy ship in the late 1990s during the conflict in the Balkans, studied at the National Defense University in China, and served as a military attaché in West Africa. In November 2020, he founded Bravus Consultoria, a consulting firm focused on business intelligence and corporate counter intelligence for the Brazilian market. He’s here to discuss his career in the Navy and his later work as a private intelligence consultant. He has also written about intelligence threats, history, and strategies in his book, which is available now. Connect with Luis: IG:@luisfernandobaptistella LinkedIn: Luis Fernando Baptistella Check out the book, Counter & Intelligence 4.0, here. https://a.co/d/06Pk1jOb Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin’s latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Substack: spycraft101.substack.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin’s first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin’s second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative’s Sidearm of Choice, here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Transcribe →248. The Secrets of British Black Propaganda with Rory Cormac
May 1800:55:43Tap to summarizeThis week Justin talks with Rory Cormac. Rory is a professor of International Relations at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, specializing in covert action and secret statecraft. He's also given presentations at Number 10 Downing Street, the UK Ministry of Defense, the US State Department, and the Pentagon. Besides his teaching career, he has authored or co-authored many books focusing on British history, covert action, and statecraft. You might remember Rory from his first appearance here on the podcast when we discussed his book Disrupt and Deny. Now, Rory is back to talk about his newest book, Fakers, which covers the British government's Information Research Department, a Cold War era organization dedicated to producing and disseminating black propaganda worldwide. Check out Rory's first appearance in Ep 107: British Covert Action. Connect with Rory: LinkedIn: Rory Cormac Check out his book, Fakers, here. https://a.co/d/08lUc74v Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin’s latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Substack: spycraft101.substack.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin’s first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin’s second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative’s Sidearm of Choice, here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Transcribe →247. Captured by Russians in Ukraine with Kirillo Alexandrov
May 1100:51:30Tap to summarizeToday Justin sits down with Kirillo Alexandrov. Kirillo grew up in the United States, but moved to Kherson, Ukraine in 2018. In April 2022, following the Russian invasion and occupation of eastern Ukraine, Kirillo was taken prisoner. He was held for 37 days on charges of espionage, but was rescued by a small privately funded team led by Brian Stern. After a harrowing 20-hour journey across Ukraine, Kirillo crossed into Poland before safely returning to the United States. He’s here to discuss his capture, detention, and rescue, which resulted in indictments of four Russian service members by the Department of Justice on charges of war crimes. Connect with Kirillo: Instagram: @thecactuswatch Substack: @thecactuswatch Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin’s latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Substack: spycraft101.substack.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin’s first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin’s second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative’s Sidearm of Choice, here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Transcribe →246. The Ottoman Empire’s Cloak and Dagger with Dr. Emrah Safa Gürkan
May 400:59:21Tap to summarizeToday’s guest is Dr. Emrah Safa Gürkan. Emrah received his bachelor's and Master's degree from Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey, and graduated with a PhD from Georgetown University in 2012. He's worked as a consultant for historical television series and co-hosted the Ottoman History Podcast with Chris Gian beginning in 2011. He also hosts the YouTube History Channel, Omnibus Live, which currently has nearly half a million subscribers. He's here today to discuss Ottoman intelligence operations throughout the Mediterranean. Connect with Emrah: ottomanhistorypodcast.com YouTube: @OMNIBUSLIVE Check out the book, Spies for the Sultan, here. https://a.co/d/06c9iIqR Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin’s latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin’s first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin’s second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative’s Sidearm of Choice, here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Transcribe →245. Tales of A Cuban Exile: The Story of Angel Benitez with Eduardo Barreto
Apr 2701:07:37Tap to summarizeToday Justin sits down with Eduardo Barreto. Eduardo is a high school teacher at Gulliver Prep School and an adjunct professor of English composition at Miami-Dade College. He's married with five children and lives in Miami, Florida. Eduardo has published several books and various subjects, including both fiction and non-fiction. He's here to discuss the life and wars of his "uncle" Angel Benitez, who he has written about in his book. Eduardo was also joined during this interview by Mercedes Benitez, Angel's wife of more than 60 years. You may hear her contribute to the conversation here and there. Connect with Eduardo: theteacherwriter.net Check out the book, Rebel with a Cause: A Cuban in the Congo, here. https://a.co/d/0cwKm2hT Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin’s latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Substack: spycraft101.substack.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin’s first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin’s second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative’s Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Transcribe →244. Fighting Russian Intelligence with Sean Wiswesser
Apr 2000:52:02Tap to summarizeJustin's guest for today is Sean Wiswesser. Sean is a graduate of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in History and Russian and Slavic Linguistics. He also has a Master of Strategic Studies degree from the Air War College. Sean is a former senior operations officer and former Chief of Station with the Central Intelligence Agency and has served multiple overseas tours, including in war zones during his career. He's here to discuss his career with CIA, working inside and against the Russian Intelligence Services, which he has written about in his new book. In it, he details lessons learned from more than 30 years in the intelligence community, working up close with Russian spies, dissidents, and defectors. Connect with Sean: LinkedIn: Sean Wiswesser Check out the book, Tradecraft, Tactics, and Dirty Tricks: Russian Intelligence and Putin's Secret War, here. https://a.co/d/0ckwvi9m Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Transcribe →243. From Radicalization to Redemption: Undercover in the Toronto 18 with Mubin Shaikh
Apr 1301:07:23Tap to summarizeToday Justin sits down with Mubin Shaikh. Mubin grew up in Toronto, Ontario in a family of Indian Muslim immigrants. As a young man, he was drawn down the path of radicalization after traveling to India and Pakistan and encountering Taliban fighters there. However, in 2004, he experienced a change of heart and soon began working with the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service to identify potential jihadis in Canada. In 2006, Mubin was the key witness in Canada's biggest ever homegrown terror investigation, which resulted in nearly 20 convictions. He's here today to discuss his experiences undercover with a terror group that later became known as the Toronto 18, which he wrote about in his book. Mubin's work was instrumental in securing convictions for the participants, but living a double life for more than two years also came at great personal cost to him. Connect with Mubin: parents4peace.org LinkedIn: Mubin Shaikh Check out the book, Undercover Jihadi: Inside the Toronto 18, here. https://a.co/d/06jRj4HA Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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