The Rest Is Classified
Goalhanger
227 episodes
Enter the secretive world of spies, espionage, and covert operations. Hosted by former CIA analyst turned spy novelist, David McCloskey, and veteran security correspondent, Gordon Corera, this podcast unravels real-life spy stories, intelligence secrets, and the hidden power struggles shaping global events. From Cold War espionage to modern-day intelligence agencies like the CIA, MI6, and Mossad, explore the world of double agents, classified missions, and the shadowy figures who operate in them. Whether you're a true crime addict, a thriller fan, or fascinated by spy stories, this is the show for you.
Episodes page 2 of 5
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Is Iran Recruiting Spies to Conduct Anti-Semitic Attacks?
Are groups linked to the Islamic Republic recruiting spies on Telegram to coordinate anti-semitic attacks in Europe? How are Jordanian people feeling about the war in Iran? And why is anti-western sentiment reaching…
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161. Argo: Six Fugitives in Revolutionary Tehran (Ep 2)
Six Americans are hiding out as Canadian houseguests in Tehran. To get them out, the CIA will invent a Hollywood film studio that does not exist. In this episode, David and Gordon examine how the CIA worked with…
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160. Argo: The Secret Iranian Hostage Crisis (Ep 1)
One of the most audacious rescue operations the CIA has ever run. It begins with a mob at the gates of the US Embassy in Tehran, six diplomats slipping out a side door, and a man painting a wolf in a studio above his…
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159. Is NATO Prepared for a Russian Attack?
How worried are Baltic countries about the threat from Russia? Would the US protect its NATO allies from Putin? And what is happening on the Estonian border? Last weekend, Gordon headed to the annual Lennart Meri…
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158. The Road to Iraq: George Bush's Unstoppable War (Ep 6)
Was Iraq WMD one of history’s biggest intelligence failures? Why couldn’t Saddam Hussein prove he has destroyed his weapons of mass destruction? And what is the legacy of the Iraq War in the Middle East? Listen as…
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157. The Road to Iraq: What the Spies Got Wrong (Ep 5)
Who was “Curveball”? Why did Colin Powell rely so heavily on flawed intelligence in his presentation to the UN? And how did this set the tone for the opposition to war? As David and Gordon reach the penultimate…
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156. The Road to Iraq: Tony Blair's Campaign for War (Ep 4)
What was the difference between the so-called “dodgy dossier” and the real dossier prepared by Tony Blair and Alastair Campbell? Why did the US rush their vital National Intelligence Estimate? And why was the…
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155. The Road to Iraq: How 9/11 Changed Everything (Ep 3)
How significant a role did 9/11 play in the decision to go to war in Iraq? And why did Tony Blair commit to standing by George W. Bush “no matter what”? Listen as David and Gordon continue their series on Iraq WMD,…
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154. The Road to Iraq: Saddam Hussein's Fatal Error (Ep 2)
Why did Saddam Hussein secretly destroy his weapons of mass destruction? When did the CIA start plotting against the Iraqi dictator? And did Hussein and Osama bin Laden ever meet? In the second part of their series on…
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153. The Road to Iraq: Weapons of Mass Destruction (Ep 1)
How did Saddam Hussein become one of history’s most notorious dictators? How did the Iran-Iraq war begin? And what really happened to Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction? Listen as David and Gordon begin their 6-part…
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152. Britain’s Man Inside the IRA: Unmasking the Traitor (Ep 4)
What brought about Stakeknife’s downfall? How did the IRA react when they realised there was a spy at the very top of their organisation? And what was Operation Kenova, and how did it reveal the truth of the Stakeknife…
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151. Britain’s Man Inside the IRA: From Spy to Executioner (Ep 3)
What happens when an agent has to commit horrific crimes whilst undercover? What did the British government know about Stakeknife’s crimes? And did the IRA suspect Scappaticci of being a double agent? Listen as David…
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Why Do Russian Spies Interfere in Global Politics?
What does a Russian interference campaign look like? What did Russian spies get up to in Hungary recently? And are Chinese spies the next threat to international politics? Listen as David and Gordon are joined by…
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150. Britain’s Man Inside the IRA: How to Run a Killer (Ep 2)
How did the British security forces recruit agents during The Troubles? And how did the IRA try and hunt down those who had become informers? In the second part of their series on the infamous Stakeknife, David and…
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149. Britain’s Man Inside the IRA: The Truth Behind Stakeknife (Ep 1)
Who was the real man behind the infamous codename, “Stakeknife”? Why did he join the ranks of the IRA? And how did he become a spy for the British? Listen as David and Gordon begin a four-part series delving into the…
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148. Can Europe Salvage its Relationship with Trump?
Is there anyone telling Trump, ‘No’? Is Trump’s use of power getting more unhinged? And should Europe have done more to open the Strait of Hormuz? Listen back to David and Gordon live on YouTube with Washington Post…
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147. Will Trump Destroy Iran’s Nuclear Programme? (Ep 2)
How do you actually destroy a nuclear programme? What would a US boots-on-the-ground raid inside Iran look like? And do David and Gordon think Trump will take Operation Epic Fury to the next level? Listen as David and…
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146. How the CIA Rescued a Pilot Inside Iran (Ep 1)
How involved were the CIA in the operation to rescue a US pilot stranded inside Iran? What does it take to "destroy" a nuclear programme? And what could Iran learn from North Korea? Listen as David and Gordon discuss…
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145. Black Hawk Down: What Osama bin Laden Learnt from Somalia (Ep 4)
What was the legacy of the Battle of Mogadishu? How did the fallout change the US presence in Somalia forever? And how did the experience in Somalia inspire Osama bin Laden’s acts of terror? Listen as David and Gordon…
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144. Black Hawk Down: The Bloodiest US Battle Since Vietnam (Ep 3)
How long will the Battle of Mogadishu last? Can the soldiers survive until daylight? And will the Rescue Team come in time to save the soldiers? Listen as David and Gordon reach the climax of the story of Black Hawk…
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143. Black Hawk Down: Chaos in Mogadishu (Ep 2)
One Black Hawk is down. Americans are taking fire left, right and centre. And it feels like there’s no way out. This is the true story of Black Hawk Down. Listen as David and Gordon continue the story of the Battle…
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142. Black Hawk Down: The True Story (Ep 1)
What really happened at the Battle of Mogadishu? How did an operation that should have taken an hour end up taking almost twenty-four? And what brought US troops into the conflict in the first place? Listen as David…
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141. Trump’s Latin America Playbook: How the CIA Toppled a Regime (Ep 2)
How did the CIA mastermind one of the most audacious coups in world history? What does it take to remove a world leader? And what does the future hold for Latin America with Donald Trump now at the helm of US foreign…
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140. Trump’s Latin America Playbook: Before Venezuela, There Was Guatemala (Ep 1)
Is Cuba next on Trump's hit list? Why are the US so concerned by what's happening in their "backyard"? And what can we learn from the history of regime change in Latin America to help us understand the "Donroe…
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139. Trump vs Iran: Saddam Hussein and the Nuclear Bomb (Ep 2)
After 9/11 it looked as though a new path of diplomacy could be forged between Iran and the US, and then George Bush referred to the nation as part of the Axis of Evil. The years that followed were characterised by…
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138. Trump vs Iran: The Road to Operation Epic Fury (Ep 1)
Why did the US and Israel launch strikes on Iran on 28 February? What is the secret history behind the conflict? And how did Ayatollah Khamenei seize power in 1979? Listen as David and Gordon are joined by historian…
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137. How Russia Made Trump: MAGA Take The White House (Ep 6)
Was Putin behind the election of Trump in 2016? And were Hillary Clinton's emails really as “crooked” as they seemed? As David and Gordon conclude their series on how Russia made Trump, they ask what the legacy of the…
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136. How Russia Made Trump: Putin’s Troll Factory (Ep 5)
Russian trolls are trying to influence the 2016 US election, but did Putin's keyboard warriors really propel Donald Trump into the White House? In the penultimate episode in their series on how the Russians hacked the…
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135. Is The CIA Arming Kurdish Militias In Iran?
Former CIA analyst, David McCloskey, is joined by CNN's Chief International Correspondent, Clarissa Ward, live from the ground in northern Iraq as she breaks the story of a reported CIA operation to arm Kurdish…
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134. How Russia Made Trump: Was The Vote Rigged? (Ep 4)
Foreign spies are messing with the 2016 election. Private emails are being leaked. But what will Donald Trump say about it? In their latest episode on the Russian active measures campaign to hijack the 2016 US…
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133. How Russia Made Trump: Romanian Hackers, WikiLeaks, and Hillary’s Emails (Ep 3)
The Russians have hacked into the Democrats' servers and WikiLeaks are threatening to expose Hillary Clinton's emails. Is this the moment that triggers the downfall of the 2016 Clinton campaign? Listen as David and…
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132. What's Next For Iran?
Israel and the US have launched missiles at Iran and killed Iran’s leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But what is actually happening on the ground? How did we get here? And what happens next? Listen as David and Gordon…
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131. How Russia Made Trump: Stealing Washington’s Secrets (Ep 2)
Donald Trump is gaining ground in the 2016 presidential race, but what does his rise mean for Russian hackers desperate to take down Hillary Clinton? In the second episode of our series on Russian interference in the…
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130. How Russia Made Trump: Putin Hacks The 2016 Election (Ep 1)
Did Russia really interfere in the 2016 US presidential election? Did the election of Donald Trump benefit Vladimir Putin? And how did the scandal begin? Listen as David and Gordon begin their exploration of the role…
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129. Al Qaeda’s Deadliest Plot: Why You Can’t Bring Liquids On Planes (Ep 4)
Time is of the essence to stop the Al Qaeda plotters from taking down multiple airliners and MI5 are rushing to make arrests. But is there enough evidence to charge them with terror offences? In the final episode of…
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128. Al Qaeda’s Deadliest Plot: CIA vs Pakistan (Ep 3)
The “Special Relationship” is under strain as MI5 and the CIA butt heads over how to stop an Al Qaeda cell in East London from committing the next 9/11. With the Americans visiting Pakistan and making risky…
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127. Was Epstein A Russian Spy?
Was convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein working undercover for the Kremlin? Did Putin recruit Epstein to harvest kompromat on his enemies? And what does this mean for global security going forward? Listen as David…
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126. Al Qaeda’s Deadliest Plot: The Terror Attack That Never Happened (Ep 2)
MI5 have discovered a bomb making factory in East London, but how do they stop the Al Qaeda plotters from carrying out their terrifying plans? In the second episode of their series on the Liquid Bomb Plot, David and…
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125. Al Qaeda’s Deadliest Plot: How MI5 Stopped Another 9/11 (Ep 1)
In the aftermath of 9/11, while the world was still reeling from the deadliest terror attack on US soil, Al Qaeda were plotting an airline attack with ever graver consequences. This is the story of the Liquid Bomb…
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124. Kim Philby: Britain’s Most Notorious Traitor (Ep 4)
A Russian agent is trying to defect to Britain, but there’s only one person in his way: Kim Philby. Will the communist double agent at the heart of MI6 sell his comrade down the river to save himself, or spare his life…
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123. Kim Philby: Communist Double Agent In London (Ep 3)
Kim Philby’s moment in the sun has finally arrived: he has been recruited by MI6 and asked to join the anti-communist division. With access to intelligence beyond his wildest dreams, this is Philby’s chance to show the…
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122. Kim Philby: An Assassin In Spain (Ep 2)
Kim Philby has been recruited by the communists to spy on the growing fascist movement across Europe, but he can’t seem to penetrate the intelligence services. So, like all men with access to an old boys’ network in…
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121. Kim Philby: Stalin’s Mole Inside MI6 (Ep 1)
Kim Philby has gone down in history as Britain’s most notorious double agent: spying for Stalin while running the MI6 counter-intelligence operation against him. But how did a quiet public school boy go on to change…
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The Persian (Extract)
To coincide with the release of David's latest novel, The Persian, we have the book’s first chapter in audiobook form for you to enjoy. Mixing suspense with strikingly cinematic action, David McCloskey takes readers…
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120. Greenland Intelligence Scoop: Trump, Xi, and Putin's Battle for the Arctic
Why is Trump backing down on his plans to seize Greenland? Are the Russian's already spying in the Arctic? And should we be fearing Chinese influence in the icy north? In this emergency podcast, David and Gordon delve…
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119. Inside Iran: Why Trump Didn’t Intervene (Ep 2)
What does history tell us about how a revolution is going to play out? What can intelligence agencies and political scientists working on Iran learn from Syria? And why didn’t Donald Trump follow through on his plan to…
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118. Inside Iran: Can You Predict A Revolution? (Ep 1)
How are intelligence agencies reacting to the recent protests in Iran? Is the regime on the edge of collapse? And is it ever possible to predict a revolution? Listen as David and Gordon analyse the ongoing situation…
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117. Epstein Files Declassified: Mossad, Israel and Ghislaine Maxwell (Ep 2)
It has been alleged that Robert Maxwell, father of convicted child sex offender Ghislaine, had connections to the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad. Through these links, some have suggested that Maxwell recruited…
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116. Epstein Files Declassified: Was He A Spy? (Ep 1)
Was disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein working undercover for an intelligence agency? And, if so, which one? Listen as David and Gordon begin a two-part series on Epstein’s alleged…
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Ex-CIA Officer On How The Cubans Failed Maduro in Venezuela
*Declassified Club exclusive: SUBSCRIBE to listen to the full series* What does one of the CIA's leading experts on Venezuela think about the operation to capture President Maduro? What will history say about the…
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