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I Spy

Foreign Policy·37 episodes

HistoryNewsSocietyCultureFirst-person storiesSpycraft30-40 min/epDocumentary styleStandalone episodesSerialized specials

Spies don’t talk—it’s the cardinal rule of the business. But on Foreign Policy’s podcast I Spy, we get them to open up. We hear from the operations people: the spies who steal secrets, kill adversaries, and turn agents into double agents. Each episode features one spy telling one dramatic story.

Why listen

I Spy turns espionage into first-person documentary storytelling, with former spies, agents, and intelligence professionals recounting one high-stakes operation at a time. The appeal is the directness: instead of punditry or dramatized fiction, you hear the person who lived through the double-cross, undercover assignment, prison negotiation, or blown operation explain what happened and what it cost. It is a strong fit for listeners who like spy stories, geopolitical history, covert operations, and polished narrative journalism with a human voice at the center.

Series(1)

Episodes

33 min
May 29, 2024
After Hotel Rwanda, Part 4: The Homecoming

As pressure on the Rwandan government mounts, Paul signs a pardon request, expressing some contrition and agreeing to refrain from political activities if he's released. But, back at home, he finds it difficult to honor the pledge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

34 min
May 21, 2024
After Hotel Rwanda, Part 3: The Campaign

A Rwandan court convicts Paul Rusesabagina on terrorism charges and sentences him to 25 years in prison. As he comes to terms with the prospect of spending the rest of his life behind bars, a team of lawyers, negotiators, and advocates works up a strategy to win his release. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

28 min
May 21, 2024
After Hotel Rwanda, Part 2: The Backstory

Tensions between ethnic Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda began long before the 1994 genocide—a vestige of Belgian colonial rule in the country. On this episode, we trace the events leading up to the mass killing—and how they affected Paul and his wife. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

29 min
May 10, 2024
After Hotel Rwanda, Part 1: The Trap

An old friend persuades human rights activist Paul Rusesabagina to travel from his home in San Antonio, Texas, to Burundi for a speaking engagement. But the friend turns out to be collaborating with the Rwandan government and the journey is a trap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4 min
May 6, 2024
Introducing: After Hotel Rwanda

Hello I Spy listeners. We're back in your feed to introduce you to a remarkable new podcast made by the producers of I Spy called: After Hotel Rwanda. The show tells the story of Paul Rusesabagina, who in 2020 was lured from his home in San Antonio, Texas, to his former country of Rwanda, where he was tried on terrorism charges and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Rusesabagina had been a national hero in Rwanda for saving the lives of more than twelve hundred people during the 1994 genocide there. His story was told in the Hollywood movie Hotel Rwanda. Our four-part series describes how Rusesabagina went from hero to dissident in Rwanda—and how a team of supporters in Washington and elsewhere managed eventually to bring him home. You can hear an extended trailer in this feed right now—and all four episodes, also in this feed, starting May 7. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

30 min
Sep 28, 2023
The Negotiators is Back!

Hey there I Spy listeners. Here at Foreign Policy, we’re dropping season 3 of our podcast, The Negotiators. On each episode, one former diplomat or troubleshooter tells the story of one dramatic negotiation. If the tagline sounds familiar, that's by design. We think of The Negotiators as the sister show of I Spy.We’re actually inserting the season 2 finale of The Negotiators into this feed because it’s especially I Spy like. It’s about a Texas rabbi who is taken hostage at his own synagogue—and ends up negotiating with his captor. Like the episodes of I Spy, this one is non-narrated. You'll hear our host, Jenn Williams, introduce the story, followed by nothing but rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker. The show is a collaboration between Doha Debates and Foreign Policy.If you want to listen to season 3, find The Negotiators in your favorite podcast app. The first episode of the new season focuses on one of the most famous diplomatic negotiations ever: The Good Friday Agreement that ended decades of violence in Northern Ireland. Meantime—we're working on more episodes of I Spy, so keep watching this space. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11 min
Jun 29, 2023
Introducing: Alphabet Boys

This week, we’re sharing an episode of Alphabet Boys. Alphabet Boys takes you inside secret investigations that the FBI, DEA, CIA, and other alphabet agencies never wanted the public to know about. These cases are both dangerous and absurd … and they raise a troubling question: Are America’s top cops catching criminals -- or creating them? In this episode, you’ll hear real audio from an illegal arms deal and meet our central character, who, despite being arrested, claims he works for the CIA. But does he? Listen to Alphabet Boys at https://link.chtbl.com/ispyalphabetboys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

41 min
Dec 15, 2022
Introducing: Conspiracyland, Season 4

Our friends at Yahoo News produce this seasonal show about conspiracies, real and imagined. We liked season 4 so much, we decided to share the first episode with our listeners.

30 min
Sep 27, 2022
Introducing: Season 2 of The Negotiators

Hey there I Spy listeners. Here at Foreign Policy, we're about to release season 2 of our podcast, The Negotiators. On each episode, one former diplomat or troubleshooter tells the story of one dramatic negotiation. If the tagline sounds familiar, that's by design. We think of The Negotiators as the sister show of I Spy. We're releasing the first episode of the season here in this feed. It's part one of a dramatic story about Danny Fenster, an American journalist sentenced in 2021 to 11 years in prison in Myanmar. Mickey Bergman, a negotiator with the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, describes the grueling process of gaining Fenster's release. Like the episodes of I Spy, this one is non-narrated. You'll hear our host, Jenn Williams, introduce the story, followed by nothing but Bergman. To hear part two of the story, find The Negotiators in your favorite podcast app. The show is a collaboration between Doha Debates and Foreign Policy. We're also working on more episodes of I Spy, so keep watching this space. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

33 min
Jun 28, 2022Episode 6
The Skeptic

Long before Joe Weisberg created the award-winning television show The Americans, he served in the CIA. His brief period in the agency informed story lines in the show and helped shape Weisberg's views on espionage. Eventually, he came to believe that spying does more harm than good in the world.Brought to you by: betterhelp.com/ispy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

29 min
Jun 21, 2022Episode 5
The Investigator

The Secret Service is known for its VIP protection unit but it also investigates international crimes, including hacking cases. On this episode, we feature a Secret Service agent who helped nab one of the biggest hackers in the world, Roman Seleznev. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

33 min
Jun 14, 2022Episode 4
The Handler

Michele Rigby Assad joined the CIA just weeks after the attacks of September 11, 2001, and spent much of the next decade working undercover in the Middle East.In 2007, she helped investigate an ambush in Iraq that killed an American woman.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

34 min
Jun 7, 2022Episode 3
The Spycatcher Part 2

This is part two of Eric O'Neill's story. O'Neill was an FBI agent who went undercover to catch a suspected spy in the bureau: Robert Hanssen.  If you haven't signed up for our newsletter yet, go to https://foreignpolicy.com/ispynewsletter/. Each week we'll send you bonus content you won't find anywhere else, including photos, illustrations, and expanded show notes—for free. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

31 min
May 31, 2022Episode 2
The Spycatcher

On this episode, FBI agent Eric O'Neill goes undercover to catch a suspected spy in the bureau: Robert Hanssen. O'Neill is just 26 at the time. Hanssen turns out to be one of the most damaging spies in U.S. history. This is part one of a two-part story. If you haven't signed up for our newsletter yet, go to https://foreignpolicy.com/ispynewsletter/.Each week we'll send you bonus content you won't find anywhere else, including photos, illustrations, and expanded show notes—for free. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

35 min
May 31, 2022Episode 1
The Trainer

Well, listeners, it's taken us a while but here it is: the first episode of our fourth season.We begin with Ric Prado, a former CIA officer who trained the Contras in Central America in the 1980s.For those of you who don't remember, the Contras were trying to overthrow the Sandinista regime in Nicaragua. America's support for the group eventually led to the Iran-Contra affair, a government scandal that nearly brought down the Reagan administration.For more on the Contras, go back and listen to season one's The Jumper. Eugene Hasenfus, who helped deliver arms to the Contras, describes parachuting from a burning plane and getting captured by Nicaraguan forces. We spent several years tracking down Hasenfus and getting him to tell his story.Also, our show now has a newsletter! Sign up for free to get bonus material after each episode, including photos, illustrations, and other content you won't find anywhere else. https://foreignpolicy.com/ispynewsletter/I Spy is produced by the podcast team at Foreign Policy, the premiere website for intelligent news and analysis from around the world. The best way to support the show—and keep those episodes coming—is by subscribing to Foreign Policy. Save 15% by going to https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and entering ISPY at checkout. Okay, enough verbiage. Enjoy the show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 min
May 18, 2022
I Spy Season 4—Coming May 31

Hey there I Spy listeners, here's the trailer for season 4. We'll have new episodes starting May 31. More spies, more Margo Martindale.This season, we'll also have an I Spy newsletter, with photos, very cool illustrations, and a bunch of other bonus content you won't find anywhere else. Yes, it's free. Sign up at foreignpolicy.com/ispynewsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

29 min
Oct 20, 2021
Introducing: The Negotiators

While you wait for more episodes of I Spy, enjoy this new show from Foreign Policy and Doha Debates called... The Negotiators. The format might sound familiar. We think of it as a kind of sister show to this podcast.Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spy See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

35 min
May 7, 2021
Introducing: Cautionary Tales

While we're working on our new season, we wanted to share with you an episode of another podcast we're enjoying: Cautionary Tales. On the show, host Tim Harford tells stories of awful human error, tragic catastrophes, daring heists and hilarious fiascos. In this episode, Tim describes the trial of an art forger who fooled revered art connoisseurs... and even the Nazis. You can hear more episodes of Cautionary Tales on your favorite podcast app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

27 min
Mar 9, 2021Episode 8
The Cassandra part 2

This is part 2 of Frank Snepp's story. Snepp was a CIA analyst based in Saigon during the Vietnam War. In April of 1975, he discovered that Communist forces were preparing a large-scale attack on Saigon—but the higher ups refused to believe it. When the attack began later that month, the Americans conducted a frenzied evacuation, leaving behind many Vietnamese allies.Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spySave 15% on FP subscriptions. Visit https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and enter code ISPY at checkout to claim this offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

28 min
Mar 2, 2021Episode 7
The Cassandra

Frank Snepp was a CIA analyst based in Saigon during the Vietnam War. In April of 1975, he discovered that Communist forces were preparing a large-scale attack on Saigon—but the higher ups refused to believe it. When the attack began later that month, the Americans conducted a frenzied evacuation, leaving behind many Vietnamese allies.Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spySave 15% on FP subscriptions. Visit https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and enter code ISPY at checkout to claim this offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

33 min
Feb 23, 2021Episode 6
The Special Agent

The FBI's Ali Soufan specialized in Al Qaeda investigations both before and after the attacks of September 11th. In 2002 he was sent to question Abu Zubaydah, a high-level jihadi captured in Pakistan. But after several rounds of interrogation at the secret site, he was sidelined by a CIA contractor who had helped develop a new torture program for the agency.Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spySave 15% on FP subscriptions. Visit https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and enter code ISPY at checkout to claim this offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

35 min
Feb 16, 2021Episode 5
The Hellraiser

Jay Dobyns was a special agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In 2002, he infiltrated the Hells Angels biker gang and spent two years undercover—a period in which he says he worried every single day about getting exposed and killed by the group. Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spySave 15% on FP subscriptions. Visit https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and enter code ISPY at checkout to claim this offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

32 min
Feb 9, 2021Episode 4
The Infiltrator

The British spy agency MI5 recruited Willie Carlin to infiltrate Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland. He spied on the group for 11 years until his cover was blown.  Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spySave 15% on FP subscriptions. Visit https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and enter code ISPY at checkout to claim this offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

30 min
Feb 2, 2021Episode 3
The Interrogator

FBI special agent George Piro spent seven months interrogating deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, establishing a rapport and then getting him to reveal the truth about the country's weapons of mass destruction.Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spySave 15% on FP subscriptions. Visit https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and enter code ISPY at checkout to claim this offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

28 min
Jan 28, 2021Episode 2
The Narc part 2

This is part 2 of the story with DEA special agent Steve Murphy, who goes to Bogota, Colombia, to hunt for the head of the Medellin Cartel, Pablo Escobar.Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spySave 15% on FP subscriptions. Visit https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and enter code ISPY at checkout to claim this offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

29 min
Jan 19, 2021Episode 1
The Narc

Welcome to Season 3 of I Spy. On this episode, DEA special agent Steve Murphy is sent to Bogota, Colombia to hunt for the head of the Medellin Cartel, Pablo Escobar.Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spySave 15% on FP subscriptions. Visit https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and enter code ISPY at checkout to claim this offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2 min
Jan 12, 2021
I Spy Season 3—Coming January 19

More spies, more Margo Martindale.Hey there I Spy listeners, here's the trailer for season 3. We'll have eight new episodes starting January 19.Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spySave 15% on FP subscriptions. Visit https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and enter code ISPY at checkout to claim this offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

30 min
Jun 16, 2020Episode 8
The Analyst

CIA analyst Sarah Carlson spent a year at the U.S. Mission in Libya after the attack that killed four Americans in Benghazi. When battles between rival Libyan militias edged closer and closer to the U.S. compound, she and the other personnel there were forced to flee the country in a harrowing overland journey. Carlson’s story wraps up Season 2 of I Spy. We’ll be back soon with more episodes.Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spySave 15% on FP subscriptions. Visit https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and enter code ISPY at checkout to claim this offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 min
Jun 15, 2020
Hear More about 'The Operative' with I Spy Plus

This season, there’s more I Spy with I Spy Plus. Get ad-free episodes and access to weekly bonus material right in your favorite podcast app. This week, Amy Mackinnon discusses the episode with Anne Speckhard, an adjunct associate professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University who specializes in understanding the motivations of terrorists. Listen to an excerpt of the episode and subscribe to I Spy Plus at foreignpolicy.com/ispy.

35 min
Jun 9, 2020Episode 7
The Operative

Mubin Shaikh poses as a Muslim extremist to nab Canadians who planned to stage large-scale attacks on government targets. The group he infiltrated would come to be known as the Toronto 18.This season, there’s more I Spy with I Spy Plus. Get ad-free I Spy episodes and access to weekly bonus episodes right in your favorite podcast app, plus more exclusive espionage content. Subscribe to I Spy Plus today at foreignpolicy.com/ispy.Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spySave 15% on FP subscriptions. Visit https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and enter code ISPY at checkout to claim this offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 min
Jun 8, 2020
Hear More about 'The Bookseller' with I Spy Plus

This season, there’s more I Spy with I Spy Plus. Get ad-free episodes and access to weekly bonus material right in your favorite podcast app. This week, Amy Mackinnon talks to Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins. Listen to an excerpt of the episode and subscribe to I Spy Plus at foreignpolicy.com/ispy.

32 min
Jun 2, 2020Episode 6
The Bookseller

Naveed Jamali worked at his parents’ specialty book business, a little company that counted among its regular customers one very unusual client: a Russian spy. Jamali hatched a plan to nab the Russian that turned into a three-year odyssey, requiring him to work as an FBI informant and pose as a Russian asset.This season, there’s more I Spy with I Spy Plus. Get ad-free I Spy episodes and access to weekly bonus episodes right in your favorite podcast app, plus more exclusive espionage content. Subscribe to I Spy Plus today at foreignpolicy.com/ispy.Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spySave 15% on FP subscriptions. Visit https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and enter code ISPY at checkout to claim this offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 min
Jun 1, 2020
Hear More about 'The Widow Spy' with I Spy Plus

This season, there’s more I Spy with I Spy Plus. Get ad-free episodes and access to weekly bonus material right in your favorite podcast app. This week, a former CIA officer gives Amy Mackinnon a tour of Washington DC's most iconic spy sites. Listen to an excerpt of the episode and subscribe to I Spy Plus at foreignpolicy.com/ispy.

32 min
May 26, 2020Episode 5
The Widow Spy

Martha Peterson handled one of the most valuable Soviet spies of the Cold War, code-named TRIGON—until the KGB got wind of the operation. Peterson was a young undercover officer working at the American embassy in Moscow in the mid-70s. She was the first female operations officers assigned the Soviet Union for the CIA.This season, there’s more I Spy with I Spy Plus. Get ad-free I Spy episodes and access to weekly bonus episodes right in your favorite podcast app, plus more exclusive espionage content. Subscribe to I Spy Plus today at foreignpolicy.com/ispy.Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spySave 15% on FP subscriptions. Visit https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and enter code ISPY at checkout to claim this offer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 min
May 25, 2020
Hear More about 'The Whistleblower' with I Spy Plus

This season, there’s more I Spy with I Spy Plus. Get ad-free episodes and access to weekly bonus material right in your favorite podcast app. This week, Amy Mackinnon and Dan Ephron discuss 'The Whistleblower' with Irvin McCullough, the deputy director of legislation at the Government Accountability Project. Listen to this excerpt of the episode and subscribe to I Spy Plus at foreignpolicy.com/ispy.

26 min
May 19, 2020Episode 4
The Whistleblower

Thomas Drake joined the NSA in 2001 to help deal with the glut of data created by the huge rise of Internet use around the world. But he grew increasingly troubled by something else: the way the U.S. government was targeting its own citizens for surveillance after the attacks of September 11.This season, there’s more I Spy with I Spy Plus. Get ad-free I Spy episodes and access to weekly bonus episodes right in your favorite podcast app, plus more exclusive espionage content. Subscribe to I Spy Plus today at foreignpolicy.com/ispy.Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spySave 15% on FP subscriptions. Visit https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and enter code ISPY at checkout to claim this offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 min
May 15, 2020Episode 3
Hear More about 'The Chaperone' with I Spy Plus

This season, there’s more I Spy with I Spy Plus. Get ad-free episodes and access to weekly bonus material right in your favorite podcast app. This week, Dan Ephron and Amy Mackinnon discuss 'The Chaperone' with Joseph Augustyn, a CIA veteran who headed the agency's defector resettlement center. Listen to this excerpt of the episode and subscribe to I Spy Plus at foreignpolicy.com/ispy.

32 min
May 12, 2020Episode 3
The Chaperone

On this episode, CIA officer Milt Bearden helps a KGB defector make a new life in the United States. But the Russian, Vitaly Yurchenko, discovers America can be a strange and lonely place.This season, there’s more I Spy with I Spy Plus. Get ad-free I Spy episodes and access to weekly bonus episodes right in your favorite podcast app, plus more exclusive espionage content. Subscribe to I Spy Plus today at foreignpolicy.com/ispy.Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spySave 15% on FP subscriptions. Visit https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and enter code ISPY at checkout to claim this offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 min
May 5, 2020Episode 2
Hear More about 'The Targeter' with I Spy Plus

This season, there’s more I Spy with I Spy Plus. Get ad-free episodes and access to weekly bonus material right in your favorite podcast app. This week, Dan Ephron and Amy Mackinnon discuss 'The Targeter' with Joby Warrick, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS. Listen to this excerpt of the episode and subscribe to I Spy Plus at foreignpolicy.com/ispy.

29 min
May 5, 2020Episode 2
The Targeter

On this episode, CIA targeting officer Nada Bakos leads a two-year hunt for one of the most dangerous militants in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. This season, there’s more I Spy with I Spy Plus. Get ad-free I Spy episodes and access to weekly bonus episodes right in your favorite podcast app, plus more exclusive espionage content. Subscribe to I Spy Plus today at foreignpolicy.com/ispy.Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spySave 15% on FP subscriptions. Visit https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and enter code ISPY at checkout to claim this offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 min
Apr 29, 2020Episode 1
Hear More about 'The Survivor' with I Spy Plus

This season, there’s more I Spy with I Spy Plus. Get ad-free I Spy episodes and access to weekly bonus episodes right in your favorite podcast app, plus more exclusive espionage content. This week's episode, Amy Mackinnon and Dan Ephron discussing the making of the show and talk to Stephen R. Weissman about his book American Foreign Policy in the Congo, 1960-1964. Subscribe to I Spy Plus today at foreignpolicy.com/ispy.

37 min
Apr 28, 2020Episode 1
The Survivor

Welcome to Season 2 of I Spy. On this episode, CIA officer Richard Holm is sent to Congo in 1965 to organize local agents against an anti-government rebellion. But a fiery plane crash leaves him in hostile territory, fighting for his life. This season, there’s more I Spy with I Spy Plus. Get ad-free I Spy episodes and access to weekly bonus episodes right in your favorite podcast app, plus more exclusive espionage content. Subscribe to I Spy Plus today at foreignpolicy.com/ispy.Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spySave 15% on FP subscriptions. Visit https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and enter code ISPY at checkout to claim this offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2 min
Apr 23, 2020
I Spy, Season 2 - Coming April 28

Foreign Policy’s hit show returns Tuesday, April 28 with the first of eight new episodes. From a former CIA officer’s retelling of how he survived a plane crash in the Congo to the hunt for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq – tune in to hear more spies tell the stories of clandestine operations in their own words. And this season, there’s more I Spy with I Spy Plus. Get ad-free I Spy episodes and weekly bonus episodes right in your podcast feed, plus more exclusive espionage content. Subscribe to I Spy Plus today at foreignpolicy.com/ispy.Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spySave 15% on FP subscriptions. Visit https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and enter code ISPY at checkout to claim this offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

25 min
Dec 10, 2019Episode 6
The Jumper

A man jumps from a burning plane, exposing a covert U.S. operation and nearly bringing down the president. This week on I Spy, Eugene Hasenfus tells his story.Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spySave 15% on FP subscriptions. Visit https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and enter code ISPY at checkout to claim this offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

32 min
Dec 3, 2019Episode 5
The Art Dealer

Amaryllis Fox worked for a decade as an undercover agent at the CIA, cultivating arms merchants and preventing them from selling fissile material to terrorist groups. On this episode, she describes courting one particular dealer whose ties to terrorist groups in Indonesia and elsewhere raised alarm bells at Langley. Fox has changed some of the details of her story to avoid exposing the agency's assets and methods.Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spySave 15% on FP subscriptions. Visit https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and enter code ISPY at checkout to claim this offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

34 min
Nov 26, 2019Episode 4
The Counterspy

The CIA thought it had thoroughly penetrated Cuban intelligence, with scores of agents and informants in Havana, until one day a Cuban officer walked into the U.S. Embassy in Vienna and broke the news—the agents were actually double agents.James Olson was the CIA station chief in Vienna at the time. He would go on to serve as the agency’s head of counterintelligence. Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spySave 15% on FP subscriptions. Visit https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and enter code ISPY at checkout to claim this offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

34 min
Nov 19, 2019Episode 3
The Man With the Antidote

On this episode, the Israeli Mossad operative Mishka Ben-David is sent to the Jordanian capital of Amman to help assassinate Khaled Mashal, the political leader of the Palestinian Islamic group Hamas. But the mission doesn’t go quite as planned.Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spySave 15% on FP subscriptions. Visit https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and enter code ISPY at checkout to claim this offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

39 min
Nov 12, 2019Episode 2
The Sleeper Agent

On this episode, we talk to Albrecht Dittrich—aka Jack Barsky—who was born in East Germany, recruited by the KGB, and sent to the United States to influence U.S. policymaking. Barsky began his mission in 1978. He was one of hundreds of sleeper agents the Soviets planted in the United States over the years.Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spySave 15% on FP subscriptions. Visit https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and enter code ISPY at checkout to claim this offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

33 min
Nov 12, 2019Episode 1
The Master of Disguise

On this first episode of I Spy, CIA agent Jonna Mendez is sent to a capital city in Asia to help steal a top-secret encryption machine from a Soviet Embassy. Mendez’s job in the operation is to fashion disguises for the team. She would go on to become the chief of disguise at the CIA’s Office of Technical Service.Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spySave 15% on FP subscriptions. Visit https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and enter code ISPY at checkout to claim this offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2 min
Oct 3, 2019
Trailer: I Spy

Spies don’t talk—it’s the cardinal rule of the business. But on Foreign Policy’s podcast I Spy, we get them to open up. We hear from the operations people: the spies who steal secrets, kill adversaries, and turn agents into double agents. Each episode features one spy’s most thrilling story. Coming November 13.Check out I Spy's merch by going to https://store.dftba.com/collections/i-spySave 15% on FP subscriptions. Visit https://foreignpolicy.com/subscribe/ and enter code ISPY at checkout to claim this offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Listening context

Casual listening
Best for: commutes, long drives, evening listening, housework
Tone: cinematic, suspenseful, intimate, investigative

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