CIA Files: True Stories of U.S Intelligence

We'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 links: https://www.instagram.com/riseofmammon/ https://www.facebook.com/riseofmammon https://twitter.com/riseofmammon

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 eye and you tell him he's onto something. He's definitely discovered aliens zipping around your military base. Then the fun begins. This is the story of Paul Bennewitz, a man subjected to what some might describe as a intimate, one-on-one psy-op. After stumbling upon government secrets, he is led into a crazy world involving a variety of aliens and rumors of a secret underground base where these aliens live and work. And Brandon updates us on current events surrounding Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the CTSO.  https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/why-are-armenia-azerbaijan-fighting-again-why-does-it-matter-2022-09-13/ https://www.livescience.com/ukraine-ufo-uap-report https://arxiv.org/pdf/2208.11215.pdf https://www.snopes.com/news/2022/09/14/ufos-over-kyiv/ http://www.greatdreams.com/Falcon-Richard-Doty.htm https://supernaturalmagazine.com/articles/the-strange-saga-of-paul-bennewitz-and-the-undergruond-alien-base-at-dulce https://www.openminds.tv/william-moore-ufo-opportunist-agent-disinformation/29056 Mirage Men Documentary

In 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, whom you may recognize as the voice of our quotes, joins us to contribute to the commentary. It's a fun, light-hearted episode this week.  https://www.wired.com/story/meet-the-mad-scientist-who-wrote-the-book-on-how-to-hunt-hackers/

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 rub elbows with the rich and famous at glorious Mar a Lago. Was she a real estate agent? A charity president? A music promoter? A rampaging elephant? Wait, I got off track there. Anyway, that's what's in this episode. Sorry it's late. As such, some of the news we mention may be out of date. I'm very, very sorry. https://www.reuters.com/world/mikhail-gorbachev-who-ended-cold-war-dies-aged-92-agencies-2022-08-30/ https://www.emptywheel.net/2022/08/26/trump-had-human-signals-and-fisa-intelligence-in-an-insecure-room-at-mar-a-lago-for-a-year/ https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-home-search-unearthed-some-documents-covered-by-attorney-client-privilege-2022-08-29/ https://newsinteractive.post-gazette.com/anna-de-rothschild-trump-mar-a-lago-security-fbi-investigation https://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/trump-mar-lago-security-risk-espionage-235950 Photo credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RIAN_archive_359290_Mikhail_Gorbachev.jpg

Brandon 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/nra-russia-investigations-gun-lobby Maria Butina https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Butina https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-sioux-falls-maria-butina-us-news-russia-bc8e1858b424ca5d5d6119a53facfcdd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Erickson_(activist) CALEXIT infiltrated https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article264043131.html Texas too (Troll Factory) https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-41853131 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62359884 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_J._Marinelli#Life_in_Russia Elena Branson https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/russian-american-charged-with-acting-as-spy-in-u-s-1318658/ Republican asked for Russian Help https://www.newsweek.com/russell-taub-2016-election-rhode-island-russia-intelligence-fec-trump-1681742 Russian Open support for succession movements https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/what-s-behind-russian-support-world-s-separatist-movements-n614196 Bots misinformation https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/russian-trolls-flood-twitter-after-parkland-shooting-n848471

On 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 House, but eventually gave in. Mid-February, classified information was found in the documents retrieved from Mar A Lago. This raised concerns about what other classified material he might still have. It also raises the possibility that Trump broke federal law by bringing classified material to his Florida home.  Officials from the National Archive also noticed that there were a number of documents that should have been returned but were still missing. Around June, members of the DoJ and the FBI visited Mar A Lago to meet with Trump’s lawyers about the possibility that Trump still had classified material there. They issued a subpoena for more documents. Trump’s lawyers responded, saying any and all classified documents that Trump may have had were returned with the boxes turned over to the National Archives in January.  On Friday, August 5, a judge issues a search warrant for Trump’s Florida home, and the FBI exercises the warrant and searches Trump’s Mar A Lago mansion. Trump’s lawyers were apparently given about 45 minutes’ notice. It’s worth noting that the White House says it had no advanced knowledge about the raid, and the current FBI director, Chris Wray, was appointed by Trump.  The GOP and right-wing media immediately began crying foul. Trump supporters began protesting. Calls for violence against the FBI and other government organizations began flooding social media.  On Thursday, August 11, Attorney General Merrick Garland said that he initiated the request for the search warrant. That same Thursday, 42-year-old Navy veteran and Trump supporter Ricky Shiff attacked the FBI office in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was eventually killed by law enforcement.  https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/ohio-shooting-fbi-standoff-shiffer-latest-b2144460.html  The Department of Homeland Security has issued a statement saying the threat of more violence is extremely high at the moment.  https://www.reuters.com/world/us/fbi-dhs-warn-us-law-enforcement-threats-after-trump-search-2022-08-14/  https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/08/11/garland-trump-mar-a-lago/  https://thehill.com/policy/defense/515700-trump-disclosed-secret-weapons-system-to-woodward-book/  https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/15/super-duper-missile-us-trump-military https://news.yahoo.com/trumps-mar-lago-security-nightmare-111008352.html

Sorry 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 fake digital personas for agents working under cover in the field. These secret keyboard warriors help produce fake credentials, like passports and drivers' licenses, and can even tap into official government databases to falsify records, enabling agents to pose as other people and to cross international borders without raising any eyebrows. Sources https://www.newsweek.com/exclusive-inside-militarys-secret-undercover-army-1591881 https://opticsmanagement.com/what-is-signature-reduction-and-how-can-it-help-you-protect-your-privacy/ https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/us-intelligence-is-more-privatized-than-ever-before/ https://www.salon.com/2007/06/01/intel_contractors/

This week, we review CIA Director Bill Burns' track record so far. 

Who 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 to become trusted with America's Premier Intelligence Agency™. In part one, we discuss his upbringing, his education, and his career as an ambassador, as well as his role in facilitating the now-lifeless Iran nuclear deal. We also discuss the concept of the "Deep State" and what that actually looks like, as opposed to how it's portrayed by certain politicians who like to complain a lot and who don't like the concept of "Checks and Balances." https://www.businessinsider.com/what-deep-state-is-and-why-trump-gets-it-wrong-2020-1?op=1 https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/cumberlink/name/william-burns-obituary?pid=199107880 https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/105574.htm https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/burns-william-joseph https://eunacr.com/2021/03/20/who-is-william-j-burns-the-new-director-of-the-cia/ https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-iran-nuclear-deal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nunn%E2%80%93Lugar_Cooperative_Threat_Reduction

The 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 to be lost forever after Director Richard Helms ordered all material on MK Ultra destroyed. But a lucky CIA researcher named H. Keith Melton stumbled across old, forgotten Xerox copies of the manuals in 2007, and now we can get a glimpse at some of the inner workings of some of the CIA's operating procedures from the time. You can purchase a physical copy of the book here on Amazon, or you can download a free digital copy at  Archive.org.

No episode this week, but we'll be back next week.

Julian 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 the details of who he is and what he's done.  https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/06/07/no-secrets https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-47907600 https://news.yahoo.com/kidnapping-assassination-and-a-london-shoot-out-inside-the-ci-as-secret-war-plans-against-wiki-leaks-090057786.html https://reason.com/2022/06/22/julian-assanges-case-frightening-omen-press-freedom/ https://www.newsweek.com/what-did-julian-assange-do-wikileaks-founder-faces-17-espionage-charges-1716860

That'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.

Jim 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 https://www.muckrock.com/news/archives/2017/oct/19/angleton-return/ https://jfkfacts.org/what-angleton-told-jfk-investigators-behind-closed-doors/ https://www.thedailybeast.com/my-lunch-with-the-spider-who-nearly-wrecked-the-cia https://spartacus-educational.com/SSangleton.htm

Chinese 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.

More 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.

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. 

Finland 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. 

https://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 https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/ukraine-crisis-bucha-killings-soldiers/ https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/diplomatic-efforts-seek-save-ukraine-fighters-mariupol-zelenskiy-2022-05-07/ https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-azovstal-steelworks-evacuation-focuses-wounded-medics-2022-05-08/

I 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://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-25/indonesia-pushed-to-ask-ukraine-to-g-20-summit-alongside-putin https://www.reuters.com/world/russian-spy-chief-says-us-poland-plotting-division-ukraine-2022-04-28/ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/30/depleted-russian-units-that-failed-to-take-kyiv-ukraine-are-merging-says-mod https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-says-russia-stole-several-hundred-thousand-tonnes-grain-2022-04-30 https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/3472447-what-we-know-about-the-ghost-of-kyiv/

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 you in this week's episode of CIA Files: Raw File News! Find show notes at https://www.ciafiles.net/raw-file-news-is-russias-fsb-is-ready-to-break-up-with-putin-were-just-asking-questions-is-all/

News 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 officers and sincere Soviet defectors. Eventually, Angleton would be forced out of the agency, and the extent of his secret empire would be uncovered, revealing the vast trove of secrets squirreled away in the floorboards of the intelligence agency he helped to build. Coming soon, the conclusion to the story of James Jesus Angleton, on CIA Files, True Stories of U.S. Intelligence.

We 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 in Ukraine. And for our Weird File, the story of the time the CIA tried to turn kitty cats into cyborg spies. Spoiler, it didn't work. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-n-envoy-hopeful-that-theres-a-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel-for-yemens-war https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/yemens-rebels-criticize-us-led-task-force-red-84119001 https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-s-approves-1-billion-arms-sale-to-nigeria-despite-human-rights-record https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taliban-authorities-summon-pakistani-envoy-protest-military-strikes-2022-04-16/ https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-zelenskyy-biden-genocides-c933e9effd7bb2e30d42be11e0384fcd https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/04/15/national/russia-missile-test-sea-of-japan/ https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/world/finland-sweden-move-toward-possible-nato-membership-amid-russian-war-in-ukraine https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-already-has-nuclear-weapons-baltic-region-says-lithuania-2022-04-14/ https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/13/technology/russia-tech-workers.html https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61114843 https://www.businessinsider.com/captured-putin-ally-viktor-medvedchuk-assets-seized-by-ukraine-2022-4 https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-cias-most-highly-trained-spies-werent-even-human-20149/?page=3

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 https://medium.com/@kravchenko_mm/what-should-russia-do-with-ukraine-translation-of-a-propaganda-article-by-a-russian-journalist-a3e92e3cb64 https://www.newsweek.com/russia-ukraine-mariupol-azov-nazi-1695125 https://riamo.ru/amp/547852/detej-sirot-pribyvshih-iz-donbassa-v-podmoskove-mogut-usynovit-v-rossii-xl https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2022/04/8/7338199/ https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/two-russian-rockets-hit-railway-station-east-ukraine-used-by-evacuees-rail-2022-04-08/ https://www.ft.com/content/1c0e6e15-c8fe-4a84-99dc-12b6836bf0f4 https://thehill.com/news/wire/3262365-japan-to-expel-8-russian-officials-impose-new-sanctions/ https://www.axios.com/slovakia-s300-ukraine-air-defense-system-russia-2d1b77ea-5ccb-4483-b630-0076cb94b1e6.html https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/06/1bn-for-ukraine-35bn-for-russian-energy-eu-chief-calls-out-funding-gap https://www.businessinsider.com/fmr-russian-special-forces-captain-abramovich-poisoning-was-a-trick-2022-4 https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1591385/Ukraine-latest-mariupol-surrender-video-russia-propaganda https://youtu.be/saEpkcVi1d4 https://www.iheartradio.ca/chom/music-news/pink-floyd-releases-hey-hey-rise-up-for-ukraine-1.17540513 https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/us-sounds-alarm-over-reports-of-possible-ethnic-cleansing-in-tigray https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/04/1115392 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-61055210

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-Secret-Spymaster-James-Angleton/dp/1250080614 https://spartacus-educational.com/SSangleton.htm https://www.politicsforum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=62447 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/feb/26/russia.theobserver https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2007/apr/26/greatspeeches1 https://www.cia.gov/stories/story/agency-people-james-angleton-master-spy-hunter/

https://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/ https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-latest-russia-bucha-mass-graves-b2049884.html https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/un-rights-office-says-evidence-growing-mariupol-mass-graves-2022-03-25/ https://news.yahoo.com/soviet-made-tanks-headed-ukraine-170112372.html https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-china-lavrov-visit-beijing-vladimir-putin-xi-jinping-new-world-order/ http://www.merkle.com/pluto/pluto.html

For 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 tainted the trust of the American people. Coming soon… the conclusion of story of the man the CIA calls a “Master Spy Hunter,” but who others might call a narcissist with paranoid delusions… James Jesus Angleton. On CIA Files: True Stories of U.S. Intelligence.

This 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 the name?) Ethiopia: Tigray rebels agree ‘cessation of hostilities’ after government truce https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/25/ethiopia-tigray-rebels-agree-cessation-of-hostilities-after-government-truce Smoke plume seen after Houthi attack on Saudi oil facility ahead of Formula 1 race weekend https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/25/middleeast/saudi-jeddah-aramco-attack-intl/index.html https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/saudi-gp-would-have-been-cancelled-if-security-threat-sports-minister-2022-03-27/ Tensions rise again as Azerbaijani forces cross line of contact - report https://www.jpost.com/international/article-702273 Russia says first phase of war is over as its advances in Ukraine appear to have stalled https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/25/europe/russian-general-calls-encirclement-of-ukrainian-cities-a-deliberate-plan/index.html Russia reasserts right to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/26/russia-reasserts-right-to-use-nuclear-weapons-in-ukraine-putin McDonald's Flag at Half-Mast for Madeleine Albright Leaves Internet Baffled https://www.newsweek.com/mcdonalds-guantanamo-bay-flag-half-mast-madeleine-albright-1691762 The CIA’s Psychic probing of Jupiter in 1973 https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/NSA-RDP96X00790R000100040010-3.pdf CIA Release of 1973 Controlled Remote Viewing of Jupiter https://stillnessinthestorm.com/2017/06/cia-release-of-1973-controlled-remote-viewing-of-jupiter/ https://haroldsherman.com/ https://ingoswann.com/

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 anyone who happened to cross his path. He made strong impressions, and quickly, among those who met him. Some were immediately taken by his sharp wit and astute observations, while others were utterly put off by his obnoxious political preaching and shameless name-dropping.

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.

Russian disinformation, taking a point from George W Bush's playbook. Putin in a thong. And we play a fun yet horrifying game. 

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?

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.

Chris and Brandon talk Russia, China, and Civ 5. And some other stuff, but that's most of it.

Chris and Brandon discuss a handful of stories, including strategic intelligence leaks, same old, same old from the CIA, and Battlebots In Space!

After 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 quickly rose through the ranks of MI6, and in doing so, granted Moscow unprecedented access to the inner workings of what would become one of their greatest enemies. If not for Philby's work as a spy for Russia, the Cold War likely would have ended very differently, for better or worse.

Chris and Brandon discuss a few things happening around the world. 

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.

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? 

Toward 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 up, Jim denounced fascism in all the appropriate meetings and hearings. But behind the scenes, he helped facilitate the migration of Nazis and Italian fascists into the service and protection of the United States government.

Were 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 tyranny and violence. And in doing so, he enabled innumerable crimes against humanity.

Kim 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 have speculated he used to his advantage whenever he needed an extra moment to think of a lie on the spot. Philby inspired loyalty, trust, and a sense of security in those who moved within his sphere of influence. It was this ability that allowed Philby to work for Moscow in secret for so many years without drawing suspicion

Sadly, 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!)

Somebody 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.

As 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.

Hey 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.

Carmel 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.

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.

We 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 this situation looks like it does now.

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.

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 running his own side project, Operation Midnight Climax.

A 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 Tweets About Tupac Are ‘Vital to the Legitimation of the Agency’ https://www.vice.com/en/article/akgw45/the-cia-is-tweeting-about-tupac-is-vital-to-the-legitimation-of-the-agency China Blinks As American, Philippine Fleets Challenge Possible Reef Seizure https://www.lawfareblog.com/whitsun-reef-incident-and-law-sea https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2021/04/15/china-blinks-as-american-philippine-fleets-challenge-reef-seizure/?sh=532d0e7f5531 U.S. embassy to withdraw staff as Chad rebels advance https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/us-embassy-withdraw-staff-chad-rebels-advance-2021-04-18/

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.

I’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 intrigue. And I figured that if I’m digging through this story for myself, maybe I can illuminate some of the shadows for anyone else curious about the group that calls itself "America's premier foreign intelligence agency!" This is a podcast where we explore the lives of those wrapped up in the web of clandestine operations and global politics, including the villains, the victims, the unwitting actors, and the shadowy masterminds.  If you think true crime is fun, you're going to love learning about State-sanctioned true crime. We proudly present CIA Files: True Stories of U.S. Intelligence.

We 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.