Drycleanercast: Espionage, Terrorism & Geopolitics

On today’s episode, Matt welcomes back Phillip Smyth, one of the leading researchers of Iranian-backed militia groups in the Middle East. This time, they discuss last month’s exchange of missiles, drones, and airstrikes between Israel and Iran. Phillip helps unpack what triggered this latest cycle of violence, gauge Iran’s intent behind an unprecedented attack against Israel itself, and look ahead at how it may impact the war in Gaza and the wider conflict throughout the region. Phillip’s work for The Washington Institute for Near East Policy: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/experts/phillip-smyth Phillip’s work for West Point’s Combatting Terrorism Center: https://ctc.westpoint.edu/authors/phillip-smyth/ Follow Phillip on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhillipSmyth Support Secrets and Spies:  Become a “Friend of the podcast”  on Patreon for £3 www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996?asc=u   Subscribe to our Youtube page: https://www.you

Hi all, due to essential maintenance works at London HQ, there won't be an Espresso Martini or Extra Shot this weekend. We are very sorry about this. We will have a new podcast out next weekend, so please stay tuned. We hope you all have an excellent weekend and we will catch you on the next episode. All the best Chris & Matt

On today’s podcast, Chris is joined by national security Lawyer Mark S. Zaid. They discuss the legal case for the victims of the Anomalous Health Incidents, more popularly known as Havana Syndrome. Mark discusses the US government's denial and how that affects his clients, who have had their lives disrupted by these alleged attacks.  You can find out more about Mark and his work here: https://markzaid.com/ You can follow Mark on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/MarkSZaidEsq If you feel politicians and decision-makers should be doing more to help the victims of these attacks, you can contact Politicians via the links below: Contact your Senator: https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm Contact your MP: https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/contact-your-mp/ Support Secrets and Spies:  Become a “Friend of the podcast”  on Patreon for £3 www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996?asc=u   Subscribe to our Yo

On today’s podcast Chris is joined by Dr James Giordano. Dr Giordano served as the consulting neuroscientist on research into the original cases of Havana Syndrome. Dr. James Giordano is a neuroscientist and neuroethicist, whose work focuses upon mechanisms and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, and neuroethical issues arising from the use and misuse of neuroscientific techniques and technologies. Dr Giordano wrote a fantastic article titled “Directed Energy Remains Key Suspect Behind Havana Syndrome” which looks at Dr Giordano’s research on directed energy devices and their potential weaponisation. You can read that article here: https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2024/4/4/directed-energy-remains-key-suspect-behind-havana-syndrome You can find out more about Dr. Giordano’s work at the links below:  Georgetown University https://gufaculty360.georgetown.edu/s/contact/00336000014Tm4oAAC/james-giordano Bio Defense Research https://biodefenseresearch.org/the-institute-for-biodefense-rese

On today’s podcast, Chris is joined by Former US Navy Destroyer Captain Gene Moran to discuss the Houthi Threat in the Red Sea. In this episode, they look at the background of the Houthis, the threat that they pose, and how the US Navy and its allies are dealing with that threat. They then discuss life on a ship during a time of conflict and finish up with Gene explaining what more he thinks could be done to counter this threat.  You can find out more about Gene and his work here:  https://www.genemoran.com/ You can connect with Gene on LinkedIn here:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/genemoran Check out Gene’s books on his Amazon page:  https://www.amazon.com/stores/Gene-Moran/author/B07YW9RLMD?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true Support Secrets and Spies:  Become a “Friend of the podcast”  on Patreon for £3 www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996?asc=u   Subscribe to our Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/c

On today’s episode, we are going to look at Putin exploiting the ISIS-K attack for his war on Ukraine, House Republicans holding up US aid to Ukraine, and we will wrap up looking at new revelations on Havana Syndrome. Then we will move to our Patreon only show “Extra Shot”. On that we will look at Chinese Disinformation efforts targeting the US elections, a Chinese Drone flying over the Sea of Japan, the results of a recent survey that suggests some US gun owners would engage in political violence, and we wrap up looking at Hollywood’s depiction of espionage in Film & TV.  You will need to be a Patreon subscriber to get access to Extra Shot. Click here to subscribe and listen to Extra Shot: https://www.patreon.com/posts/extra-shot-13-04-102258042?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link Articles discussed: https://cepa.org/article/moscow-terror-attack-a-lie-too-good-to-waste/ https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/01/us/politics/mike-jo

On today’s podcast, we are joined by Ibad Bayramov, and we discuss the imprisonment of his father, Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu, in Azerbaijan. Dr Ibadoghlu is an economics professor who was a visiting professor at the London School of Economics and a leading figure in the opposition in Azerbaijan. In July 2023, he was arrested and held by Azerbaijan authorities while visiting family. He is facing up to 12 years in prison for the production, acquisition, or sale of counterfeit money by an organised group and allegedly possessing extremist material—charges he denies. Find out more about Dr Ibadoghlu at the Gubad Files Website: https://thegubadfiles.com/ You can connect with and follow Ibad here:  https://twitter.com/BayramovIbad Ibad’s sister Zhala is also on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BayramovaZhala You can contact Politicians via the links below: Contact your Senator: https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm Contact your MP: https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/contact-your

In today’s episode, we welcome Dr Taras Kuzio, who has just returned from a trip to Ukraine. Dr. Taras Kuzio is a Professor in the Department of Political Science at the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy and an Associate Research Fellow at the Henry Jackson Society. Winner of the 2022 Peterson Literary Prize for Russian Nationalism and the Russian-Ukrainian War: Autocracy-Orthodoxy-Nationality (Routledge, 2022). In the first section, we discuss the recent ISIS-K terrorist attack in Moscow and how President Putin is capitalising on that atrocity and attempting to blame Ukraine. We look at new Ukrainian tactics against Russia and an increasingly risk-averse US government to give Ukraine what it needs to defeat Russia. We then shift focus to Dr Kuzio’s trip to Ukraine, in which he shares his observations, and then we look at how President Zelensky is holding up after recent reports that he has been at loggerheads with senior members of the Ukraine military. We also discuss some of the talking points

As it's the Easter weekend, Chris and Matt are away. So today, we are going to share a sample episode of "Extra Shot," our Patreon-only show that immediately follows each episode of "Espresso Martini." To get access to future and past episodes of "Extra Shot" please subscribe here: www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies In this edition of Extra Shot, we will look at recommendations for a shake-up of British intelligence, the arrest of an alleged member of the Red Army Faction in Germany, we also look at the conviction of a left-wing terrorist in the UK and a cyber-attack against an Iranian spy ship.  Links to articles discussed: https://therecord.media/british-former-spy-chiefs-shakeup https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-68415892 https://news.sky.com/story/left-wing-anarchist-guilty-of-terror-offences-after-declaring-he-wanted-to-kill-mps-13072775 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/us-conducted-cyberattack-suspected-iranian-spy-ship-rcna138638 NSPCC: “Spotting the signs of radicalisation” http

On today’s episode, we are going to look at how close we got to Russia using nukes in Ukraine, spies wining and dining in Brussels, Russia setting up fake news sites and more. Then we will move to our Patreon-only show, “Extra Shot”. On that, we will look at how to run a CIA station abroad, SAS soldiers accused of murder, reports that the King has died and more. Get Patreon access to Extra Shot here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/extra-shot-23rd-100909002?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link Articles https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/09/politics/us-prepared-rigorously-potential-russian-nuclear-strike-ukraine?cid=ios_app https://www.politico.eu/article/belgian-justice-minister-only-tip-iceberg-brussels-spy-problem-known/ https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/07/business/media/russia-us-news-sites.html https://www.axios.com/2024/03/10/antarctica-china-science-geopolitics https://nordicmonitor.com/2024/03/turkey-escalates-covert-intelligence-

On today’s episode, Matt is joined by investigative journalist, bestselling author, and Pulitzer Prize finalist Garrett Graff. His latest book, “UFO: The Inside Story of the US Government's Search for Alien Life Here—and Out There,” draws from original archival research, declassified documents, and interviews with senior intelligence and military officials to explore America’s obsession with UFOs and the government’s decades-long pursuit of answers to the age-old question: Are we alone in the universe? Purchase UFO on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/UFO-Inside-Governments-Search-Here_and/dp/1982196777/ Garrett’s website: https://www.garrettgraff.com/ Follow Garrett on Twitter: https://twitter.com/vermontgmg Follow Garrett on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@vermontgmg Support Secrets and Spies:  Become a “Friend of the podcast”  on Patreon for £3 www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996?asc=u   Subscribe to our Youtube page: https://www.y

On today’s episode, The Washington Post’s Pulitzer Prize-winning intelligence correspondent, Shane Harris, joins Matt to discuss the “Discord Leaks” and the air national guardsman who, earlier this week, pleaded guilty to charges of willful retention and transmission of US national defense information, an act that’s been called the largest disclosure of classified material in years. Shane shares his reporting on who this man is, what he leaked, and his bewildering motivations for doing so. Read Shane’s reporting for The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/shane-harris/ Watch the Post and PBS Frontline’s documentary on the leaks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkgkBEuEHwU Follow Shane on Twitter: https://twitter.com/shaneharris Follow Shane on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@shanewharris Support Secrets and Spies:  Become a “Friend of the podcast”  on Patreon for £3 www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996?asc=u   Sub

In today's episode, we are going to look at a leak of Russian documents about their threshold for using nuclear weapons, the assassination of a Russian defector in Spain, details on the cooperation between the CIA and Ukraine intelligence services and more. Then we will move to our Patreon-only show, “Extra Shot”. On that we will look at recommendations for a shake-up of British intelligence, the arrest of an alleged member of the Red Army Faction in German, we also look at the conviction of a left-wing terrorist in the UK and a cyber-attack against an Iranian spy ship.  You can listen to Extra Shot here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/extra-shot-2nd-99562088?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link Links to articles discussed: https://www.ft.com/content/f18e6e1f-5c3d-4554-aee5-50a730b306b7 https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/20/world/europe/russian-pilot-maksim-kuzminov-spain.html https://www.sandboxx.us/news/the-man-who-stole-americas-s

On today’s podcast, I am joined by Edward Lucas to discuss the death of Alexei Navalny and its consequences.  Edward is the author of the 2008 book “The New Cold War”. He has been warning us for many years of an increasingly aggressive Russian foreign policy dictated by President Vladimir Putin. When Edwards's book came out in 2008, he was largely ignored, and the recent invasion of Ukraine and countless assassinations abroad have shown us that we cannot ignore or dismiss President Putin and his geopolitical aims. Edward was selected as the Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for the constituency of Cities of London and Westminster and he will run in the next general election. You can find out more about Edward Lucas here: https://www.edwardlucas.com/about Support Secrets and Spies: Become a “Friend of the podcast”  on Patreon for £3 www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996?asc=u   Subscribe to our Youtube page: https://w

In today's episode, we are going to look at a potential new Russian threat in space, then we are going to look at Tucker Carlson’s trip to Russia, then look at Russian efforts to destabilise US politics, and more. Then we will move to our Patreon-only show, “Extra Shot”. On that, we will look at the rise of the AFD in Germany, the Cult of AI, the impact of AI on elections in Indonesia, and the return of an old Cold War spymaster. You can listen to Extra Shot here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/extra-shot-17th-98642658?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link Links to articles discussed: https://www.twz.com/space/alarm-raised-over-destabilizing-new-russian-threat-in-space-reports https://carnegieendowment.org/politika/91614 https://www.wired.com/story/russia-disinformation-campaign-civil-war-texas-border/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/01/31/levittown-pennsylvania-beheading-justin-mohn-youtube/ Support Secrets and Spi

On today’s episode, Matt speaks with the veteran foreign policy journalist and Middle East watcher, Laura Rozen. After four months of war between Israel and Hamas, the conflict seems to be entering a new phase with the possibility of another ceasefire on the horizon. Laura joins us to unpack what she’s seeing from her reporting and discuss the delicate ongoing diplomatic talks between the US, Israel, and the Arab states on how a post-war Gaza would be governed and what it might mean for the region. Follow Laura on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lrozen Subscribe to Laura on Substack: https://diplomatic.substack.com/ Support Secrets and Spies:  Become a “Friend of the podcast”  on Patreon for £3 www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996?asc=u   Subscribe to our Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dg For more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.com/ Connect with

Phillip Smyth, a leading researcher of Iranian-backed militia groups, returns to Secrets and Spies to unpack the January 28th drone attack against a US military outpost in Jordan that killed three service members and the resulting round of airstrikes beginning on February 2nd targeting the militias believed to be responsible. He gives his take on the degree of Iranian control over these militias, analyzes the effectiveness of the US response thus far, and tells us what, if anything, can be done to deter future attacks. Follow Phillip on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhillipSmyth. Find Phillip’s work for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/experts/phillip-smyth. Explore Phillip’s Shia Militia Mapping Project: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/shia-militia-mapping-project. Support Secrets and Spies:  Become a “Friend of the podcast”  on Patreon for £3 www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/sho

On today’s episode, Matt speaks with the global best-selling author Terry Hayes. Following a storied career as a journalist, Hollywood screenwriter, and film producer, his 2014 debut novel, I Am Pilgrim, was a revelation in the spy genre and sold millions of copies worldwide. Ten years later, Terry returns with a long-anticipated follow-up, The Year of the Locust. They talk about his creative inspirations, why the book took a decade to complete, and how contemporary spy fiction can take a page from epic fantasy and science fiction. Every bit as gritty, sweeping, and intricately plotted as I Am Pilgrim, The Year of the Locust’s bold bending of conventions will surely make it one of the most talked-about thrillers of the year. Terry Hayes’ author page: https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Terry-Hayes/15705144. Order The Year of the Locust on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1668055783. Support Secrets and Spies:  Become a “Friend of the podcast”  on Patreon for £3 www.patreon.com/Secrets

On today's show, we will be looking at the strikes against Houthi Rebels who have been attacking ships in the Red Sea; we will also look at the hunt for Hamas’s spoke person, Chinese spies recruiting Western politicians, more information on the Chinese spy balloon from last year and we will round off with a worrying story of an Iranian operative who was arrested in connection with a plot to kill Iranian journalists based in London. Then we will move to our Patreon-only show, “Extra Shot”. On that, we will look at reports of China rebuilding its nuclear weapons testing facilities, the retirement of MI5’s longest-serving member; celebrities tricked into making propaganda videos, concerns of a former CIA officer about Trump returning to the White House and we will wrap up on the death of Gaston Glock, who created the legendary Glock pistol favoured by people on both sides of the law.   You will need to be a Patreon subscriber to get access to Extra Shot. Click here to subscribe and listen: https://www.patreon.

On today’s episode, Matt speaks with aerospace historian Peter Merlin, whose new book, “Dreamland: The Secret History of Area 51,” is the first authoritative, scholarly history ever published on the infamous top-secret base located deep in the Nevada desert. This isn’t a book about UFOs or conspiracy theories, but instead offers a sweeping, comprehensive study of the REAL Area 51, where for seventy years the US Air Force has developed and tested classified military aircraft like the U-2 and SR-71 spy planes, the F-117 stealth fighter, and numerous other projects that will remain a secret for decades to come. Purchase Dreamland through Schiffer Publishing: https://schifferbooks.com/products/dreamland. Find Dreamland and Peter’s other books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3APeter+W.+Merlin&s=relevancerank&text=Peter+W.+Merlin&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1. If you enjoyed the podcast, please support the show and get access to our new Patreon-only show, "Extra Shot." Go to th