Drycleanercast: Espionage, Terrorism & Geopolitics

Espresso Martini & Extra returns a little later this month on Saturday, 30th September. Today, we are airing a taster episode of Extra Shot, which was recorded in June. If you enjoy Extra Shot and wish to listen to future episodes, you must be a Patreon subscriber. Go to the Secrets & Spies Patreon page and subscribe there to get access: www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies On this episode: Chris & Matt look at the sinking of a boat in Italy with Mossad and Italian intelligence officers aboard. Was it foul play or an accident? Dan Kaszeta joins us to discuss his thoughts on the recent poisonings of Kremlin critics in Berlin & Prague. He also gives us some good cheese recommendations. The final story, Chris & Matt, look at whether Vladimir Putin was involved with Red Army Faction terrorists during his time in Germany in the 1980s. Articles discussed in Extra Shot Mossad boat party deaths in Italy https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/01/world/europe/spy-deaths-boat-italy.html?smid=tw-nyti

On today’s Espresso Martini, Matt & Chris look at a coup in Niger and Gabon, Prigozhin’s death, his legacy haunting us from the grave and a Russian pilot involved in a dramatic defection to Ukraine with his Mil Mi-8 helicopter. On "Extra Shot", immediately following this show on Patreon, Chris & Matt take a look at concerns of a NATO collapse if Donald Trump is re-elected as President, a mysterious submarine sinking off the coast of Taiwan, a new security agreement between China and Fiji and an update on the GCHQ stabbing story. Plus some spy entertainment news as legendary documentary filmmaker Erroll Morris has a new film about the life of spy author John Le Carré. — Extra Shot — To listen to "Extra Shot", you must be a Patreon subscriber. Go to the Secrets & Spies Patreon page and subscribe there to get access: www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Links to articles discussed in Espresso Martini Recent coups in Niger & Gabon https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/what-is-going-on-with-th

On today's Summer Special, author and literary agent Andrew Lownie joins us to discuss his excellent book “Stalin’s Englishman: The Lives of Guy Burgess.” You can find out more about the book here: https://www.andrewlownie.co.uk/authors/andrew-lownie/books/stalins-englishman-the-lives-of-guy-burgess The podcast will return with a new "Espresso Martini" and "Extra Shot" on Saturday 9th September. — Extra Shot — To listen to "Extra Shot", you must be a Patreon subscriber. Go to the Secrets & Spies Patreon page and subscribe there to get access: www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies For more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.com/  Support Secrets and Spies:    * Subscribe to our Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dg * Become a “Friend of the podcast”  on Patreon for £3 www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies * You can buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996?asc=u Connect with us on social media 

On today’s Espresso Martini and season seven finale, Matt & Chris look at the puzzlingly short tenure of the Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang; they unpack some hot gossip surrounding last month’s Wagner mutiny and discuss updates on the war in Ukraine, both at sea and on land. In the last story, they look at AI's potential threat in the 2024 US Elections and the 2025 UK general election. On Extra Shot, immediately following this show on Patreon, Matt & Chris ask Is it time to most expeditiously take a hammer to your smart watch? They also discuss friend of the pod Dan Kaszeta’s legal victory over Downing Street, have a spoiler-free-ish chat about Christopher Nolan’s new Oppenheimer biopic, and then indulge in some flagrantly irresponsible speculation about the next Bond movie. — Extra Shot — To listen to Extra Shot, you must be a Patreon subscriber. Go to the Secrets & Spies Patreon page and subscribe there to get access: www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies We want to wish listeners a happy Sum

On this episode of Espresso Martini, Chris and Matt look at cluster munitions being supplied to Ukraine, Putin & Prigozhin’s post-mutiny meeting, and Ukraine’s future membership with NATO. On “Extra Shot” that follows this show on Patreon, we will be looking at Russian spies in Switzerland, a MOSSAD operation in Iran, CIA Director William Burns's keynote speech at the Ditchley Foundation and Vladimir Putin’s secret train. — Extra Shot — To get listen to Extra Shot you will need to be a Patreon subscriber. Go to the Secrets & Spies Patreon page and subscribe there to get access: www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Links to articles discussed in Espresso Martini Giving Ukraine Cluster Munitions is Necessary, Legal and Morally Justified By Dr Jack Watling and Professor Justin Bronk from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/giving-ukraine-cluster-munitions-necessary-legal-and-morally-justified Nato summit: Allies refuse to give Ukraine

On today’s episode, Matt welcomes back his friend and fellow indie spy writer, Stephen England, to discuss his new novel, “Soon Dies the Day.” They take a deep-dive into the book's development and unpack some of its more timely geopolitics themes, including the German far-right and infighting in Russian security services. If you’re a fan of realistic, thoroughly researched spy thrillers, this is a conversation for you. Stephen’s website: https://www.stephenenglandbooks.com Get Soon Dies the Day on Amazon: https://a.co/d/1p1O8AO Find out more about Matt and his book “Active Measures” https://mattfulton.net/ --- Alphabet Boys Podcast --- Alphabet Boys reveals the secret investigations of the FBI, DEA, ATF, and other alphabet agencies. Hosted by journalist Trevor Aaronson, Alphabet Boys exposes secret undercover recordings that the government never wanted the public to hear. We explore dangerous and absurd cases to ask this question: Are America’s top cops catching criminals or creating them? Find out mo

On today’s episode, Matt talks with Pate McMichael, a journalist and professor at the University of Arizona, about his book, "Operation Chrysler: Stolen Valor Behind Enemy Lines in World War II”. They explore the gripping true story of Operation Chrysler, an OSS mission deep inside Nazi-occupied Italy, and the decades-long investigation into the murder of its commanding officer, Major William Holohan. Through meticulous research and riveting storytelling, Pate’s book unravels layers of deception, intrigue, espionage, and betrayal that will leave you questioning the very nature of valor and honor in times of war. Get a copy of Operation Chrysler here: https://www.amazon.com/Operation-Chrysler-Stolen-Behind-During/dp/B086G11XSK. Find out more about Matt and his book “Active Measures”  https://mattfulton.net/ Additionally, don't miss out on our new show, "Extra Shot," available exclusively on the Secrets & Spies Patreon page. Subscribe now to gain access to this thrilling content and delve deeper into th

On this special episode of Espresso (Vodka) Martini, join Chris, and Matt as they delve into the recent dramatic events in Russia. Like the rest of the world, they were taken aback when Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner mercenaries orchestrated an armed convoy headed towards Moscow, seemingly attempting a coup. In this episode, Chris & Matt strive to shed light on what is known so far. If you enjoyed this podcast please support us by becoming a Patreon subscriber and get access to our exclusive show “Extra Shot”.  You can subscribe to the Secrets & Spies Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Links to articles discussed in Espresso Martini “Band of Brothers: The Wagner Group and the Russian State” by Centre of Strategic Studies https://www.csis.org/blogs/post-soviet-post/band-brothers-wagner-group-and-russian-state Professor Phillips O’Brien: “Substack weekend update 34” https://phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/weekend-update-34?sd=pf Putin Caught In His Own Trap By Anne Applebaum for

On this episode of Espresso Martini, Chris and Matt look at Former President Trump being accused of illegally retaining classified documents, new evidence suggesting Russian forces are responsible for destroying the Kakhvoka dam, and information on a Chinese spy base in Cuba. On Extra Shot, they look at the German intelligence service seeing more aggressive Russian intelligence efforts, Russian assassins targeting a defector in Miami, and a Cold War traitor deep in the Australian intelligence services finally being unmasked. You can access “Extra Shot” by subscribing to the Secrets & Spies Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Surfshark offer Get an exclusive Surfshark deal! Enter promo code SECRETS for an extra 3 months free at https://surfshark.deals/SECRETS Links to articles discussed in Espresso Martini & Extra Shot: What Trump indictment tells us about US security risks By Gordon Corera https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65878149 Chinese Nationals at Mar-a-Lago Raise Questions Abou

On this episode of Espresso Martini, Chris and Matt look at the death of the Russian spy who was deep in the FBI, Robert Hanssen. Later in the episode, they are joined by Chemical, Biological and Radiological expert Dan Kaszeta who the UK Government Blacklisting has blacklisted for being critical of the government on Twitter. Dan discusses what that experience has been like and what he has since discovered. And lastly, they look at the destruction of the Kakhovka dam and discuss who may be responsible. On Extra Shot (Patreon Exclusive show) Chris & Matt look at the sinking of a boat in Italy with Mossad and Italian intelligence officers aboard. Was it foul play or an accident? Dan joins us to discuss his thoughts on the recent poisonings of Kremlin critics in Berlin & Prague. He also gives us some good cheese recommendations. The final story Chris & Matt look at whether Vladimir Putin was involved with Red Army Faction terrorists during his time in Germany in the 1980s. You can access “Ex

Today, Chris is joined by Aki J. Peritz, a former CIA officer and author. They dive into the gripping story of the liquid bomb plot and the monumental counterterrorism investigation launched to thwart it. Aki's captivating book, "Disruption," provides an insider's perspective on the plot and sheds light on how it was successfully foiled. Join them as they uncover the secrets behind this high-stakes operation and unravel the reasons behind the stringent restrictions on carrying liquids in hand luggage aboard planes. Get a copy of “Disruption” here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/disruption-inside-the-largest-counterterrorism-investigation-in-history-aki-j-peritz/16580363?ean=9781640123809 Additionally, don't miss out on our new show, "Extra Shot," available exclusively on the Secrets & Spies Patreon page. Subscribe now to delve deeper into espionage and intrigue. www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies For more information about the Secrets & Spies, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.com/ 

On this episode of Espresso Martini Chris and Matt take a look at Bakhmut means for Putin and Russia, the UK Government Blacklisting chemical weapons export Dan Kaszeta for being critical of the government on Twitter. They also take another look at the Turkish Presidential elections and accusations of Russian interference. Also the new Patreon exclusive show “Extra Shot” launches. You can access it by subscribing to the Secrets & Spies Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Links to articles discussed:  Putin & Bakhmut https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/05/23/putin-is-toast-with-or-without-bakhmut/ Dan Kaszeta blacklisted by UK Gov https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65675247 Turkey https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/12/turkish-opposition-accuses-russia-of-election-interference-days-before-vote  Find out more about Matt and his book “Active Measures.”  https://mattfulton.net/ Check out Chris’s short spy film “THE DRY CLEANER” which is now available to buy on Apple TV

We are launching an extra show that will be a Patreon exclusive and it will follow immediately after each Espresso Martini. The new show is called “Extra Shot” and it will give us an opportunity to talk about stories we didn’t cover but we really wanted to. Also, we may talk about any stories or bits of history that are on our mind at the moment and in time we plan to get on the odd guest and hopefully even some listeners. So to get access to Extra Shot you will need to go to  www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies You will need to pick a subscription level, and depending on which level you select, you will get a complimentary Secrets & Spies coffee cup or set of coasters.  So, we hope that sounds good value to you, you will be directly supporting this podcast, and if it becomes popular, we will be open to expanding and making more content exclusively for you. So to get access to Extra Shot you will need to go to  www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies

On this episode of Espresso Martini, Chris, Matt and Oliver the cat discuss a little more Jack Teixeira the man arrested over Pentagon files leak. Then we will look at a former FBI Special Agent arrested for his role in the January 6th attack. Then we look at an interesting spy story involving a retired Iranian government member accused of being a spy for MI6. In the last section of the show, we discuss some of the new information on the Nord Stream pipeline attack and look ahead at the Presidential elections in Turkey this weekend. Links to articles discussed: War, Weapons and Conspiracy Theories: Inside Airman Teixeira’s Online World https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/06/us/politics/jack-teixeira-leaks-discord-messages.html Ex-FBI agent who feds say urged Jan. 6, rioters to kill police worked terrorism task force https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/ex-fbi-agent-feds-say-urged-jan-6-rioters-kill-police-worked-terrorism-rcna82775 Iranian Insider and British Spy: How a Double Life Ended on the

On this episode of Espresso Martini we discuss the recent Pentagon leaks, a Russian pro-war blogger who is not actually Russian, business men taking money from Chinese spies and Spy Ships off the coast of Scotland. Links to articles discussed: Who is Jack Teixeira, the man arrested over Pentagon files leak? By Peter Beaumont reporting for The Guardian Newspaper https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/13/who-is-jack-teixeira-the-man-arrested-over-pentagon-files-leak What the leaked Pentagon documents reveal - key takeaways By Paul Adams, Jean Mackenzie and Antoinette Radford reporting for the BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65238951 Pentagon Leaks: Russian Su-27 Nearly Shot Down British Rivet Joint Last Year By David Cenciotti reporting for The Aviationist https://theaviationist.com/2023/04/11/russian-su-27-nearly-shot-down-british-rivet-joint-last-year/ Social-Media Account Overseen by Former Navy Noncommissioned Officer Helped Spread Secrets By Yaroslav Trofimov for the Wall Street

On todays podcast Chris is joined by Eldad Ben Aharon who is a researcher of Israeli intelligence and geopolitical history. We discuss the challenges of researching intelligence history in Israel and the importance of first person interviews with intelligence community members. You can connect with Eldad on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/EldadBenAharon You can read the following papers by Eldad via the links below Interview with Efraim Halevy https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02684527.2022.2095600 'Doing Oral History with the Israeli Elite': https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00940798.2019.1702467 (free ungated access to the content).  Research project bout Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: https://www.hsfk.de/en/publications/publication-search/publication/between-geopolitics-and-identitiy-struggle-why-israel-took-sides-with-azerbaijan-in-the-nagorno-karabakh-conflict You can read more from Eldad via his website here: https://hsfk.academia.edu/EldadBenAharon For more information ab

On this episode, Matt sits down with his friend and fellow indie spy writer Stephen England. They talk about Stephen's decade-long career as a novelist, the history and development of his 'Shadow Warriors' series, their inspirations, and the ethics of writing in the spy genre For more information about Stephen and his books, check out his Amazon page: shorturl.at/elFI0 For more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.com/  Connect with us on social media  TWITTER twitter.com/SecretsAndSpies FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/secretsandspies INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/secretsandspies/ SPOUTIBLE   https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies Support Secrets and Spies:    * Subscribe to our Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dg * Become a “Friend of the podcast”  on Patreon for £3 www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies * You can buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996?asc=u Find out more about Matt and his

On this episode of Espresso Martini, Chris & Matt take a look at President Xi’s trip to China, Chinese espionage against the west and the revelations of a recent Russian defector who paints a less than flattering picture of President Putin and his mental state. Links to articles discussed on this episode “China portrays Xi’s Russia trip as bid for leadership of non-Western world” – by Lily Kuo for the Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/03/21/china-xi-russia-world-leadership/ “China waging decades-long spy war” by Calder Walton for Foreign Policy https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/03/28/china-has-been-waging-a-decades-long-all-out-spy-war/ “Russian defector sheds light on Putin paranoia and his secret train network” by Andrew Roth and Pjotr Sauer for The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/05/russian-defector-sheds-light-on-putin-paranoia-including-secret-train For more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.com/ Conn

Hi everyone, we just wanted to share a quick update about the podcast. We will now be producing two Espresso Martinis a month. Chris & Matt will also be splitting interviews between them. So exciting times ahead for the show! We will have an "Ask us anything" section on the next Espresso Martini. Email or Tweet at us your questions before 6th April.  You can email us here: secretsandspiespodcast&gmail.com and Tweet at us here:  www.twitter.com/SecretsAndSpies Support Secrets and Spies:    * Subscribe to our Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dg * Become a “Friend of the podcast”  on Patreon for £3 www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies * You can buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996?asc=u Connect with us on social media  TWITTER twitter.com/SecretsAndSpies FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/secretsandspies SPOUTIBLE   https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies Check out our short spy film “THE DRY CLEANER” which is now available to buy on Apple

We are joined by Matthew Orr, a Eurasian analyst at RANE, Risk Assistance Network & Exchange in this episode. We discuss the first anniversary of Russia’s war on Ukraine and what to expect over the next few months. You can find out more about RANE here: https://www.ranenetwork.com/ Music on this podcast is provided by Andrew R. Bird (Andy Bird) You can check out his work here: https://soundcloud.com/andrewbirduk For more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.com/ Support Secrets and Spies    Subscribe to our Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dg  Become a “Friend of the podcast”  on Patreon for £3 www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies  You can buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996?asc=u Connect with us on social media TWITTER twitter.com/SecretsAndSpies FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/secretsandspies SPOUTIBLE   https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies Check out our short spy film “THE DRY