Hello, everyone. We hope you are well. 

Matt and I are keen to get listener questions on future Espresso Martini Episodes.

So, if you have a question or topic you would like us to discus,s email us here: [email protected]

In your email, please include: 

Adverts are essential to keeping Secrets & Spies running. We have received feedback that there have been some repetitive adverts, and we have reached out to our online hosting service to see what can be done about that. We apologise for any irritation caused. 

We are now offering our new episodes advert-free on Patreon, so if you do want to get rid of adverts and are happy to directly support the show, please go to www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies And depending on which level you pick, you will get a coffee cup or set of coasters.

Thank you so much for your support.

Keep an eye out for our next Espresso Martini, which will drop on Saturday, 1st Feb.

Have a great weekend.

All the best

Chris & Matt

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Music by Andrew R. Bird

In this episode, we look at the horrific Southport murders that have sparked debates on mental health and the nature of terrorism, South Korea's plunge deeper into its worst political crisis in decades, and Trump’s new national security team scrambles to save ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon—while his rhetoric stirs fresh controversy. Plus, a Russian spy ship plays cat-and-mouse near UK waters, a daring Dutch gold heist stuns investigators, and why spy thrillers are making a big comeback in an age of distrust.

Listen ad-free on Patreon and directly support the show: http://www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies

"How red flags over Southport killer were repeatedly missed" by Sean Seddon & Ian Aikman | BBC News: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78w7nlwz9po

"South Korea’s Impeached Leader is Indicted on Insurrection Charges" by Choe Sang-Hun | The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/26/world/asia/south-korea-yoon-indicted-martial-law.html

"South Korea’s Leadership Crisis, Explained" by Choe Sang-Hun | The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/14/world/asia/south-korea-impeachment-yoon-explained.html

"Trump team avoids Middle East escalation in first weekend in office" by Barak Ravid | Axios: https://www.axios.com/2025/01/27/trump-middle-east-gaza-lebanon-israel-ceasefires

"UK warns Putin after Russian spy ship seen near British waters" by Becky Morton, Jonathan Beale & Damian Grammaticas | BBC News: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqjv7qgpw28o

"Thieves use explosives to steal gold 'masterpieces' from Dutch museum" by Ian Aikman | BBC News: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czxkpnnlpdvo

"'The baddies reflect the worries of today’: How TV spy thrillers are booming in an age of distrust" by Laura Martin | BBC News: https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20250124-why-tv-spy-thrillers-are-booming-right-now

https://salter.com/products/aspen-milk-frother-500w.html

https://pod.fo/e/27f01a

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Music by Andrew R. Bird

Chris and Matt break down Trump’s sweeping pardons for January 6th rioters, including violent offenders, and what it means for the rule of law and rising political violence in the US Then, the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime has Syria at a crossroads—will it descend into chaos or find a path to stability? Plus, they explore Marc Polymeropoulos’ insights on opportunities for the US in Syria, along with the roles of Iran, Russia, and Turkey. Finally, how the CIA and Ukrainian intelligence quietly forged one of America’s most valuable partnerships.

https://youtu.be/n3SCep-l9Y0

You can listen to our final episode of Extra Shot here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/extra-shot-video-120721511

"Trump pardons upend massive Jan. 6 prosecution by freeing rioters and dismissing cases" by Richer, Kunzelman & Khalil | AP News: https://apnews.com/article/capitol-riot-trump-pardons-jan-6-f6e23bcd84eaed672318c88f05286767

"Trump's imminent pardons will green-light another wave of far-right violence" by David Neiwert | The Spyhop: https://davidneiwert.substack.com/p/trumps-imminent-pardons-will-green

"Syria’s New Era & Its Opportunities for the US" by Marc Polymeropoulos | New Lines Magazine: https://newlinesmag.com/argument/syrias-new-era-and-its-opportunities-for-the-us/

"The Syria Fiasco As Seen From Moscow" by Sergei Melkonian | Carnegie Endowment Diwan: https://carnegieendowment.org/middle-east/diwan/2024/12/the-syria-fiasco-as-seen-from-moscow

"How the CIA and Ukrainian intelligence secretly forged a deep partnership" by Patrick Reevell | ABC News: https://abcnews.go.com/International/cia-helped-rebuild-ukraine-intelligence-russia-invasion/story?id=116909361

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Secrets and Spies is produced by Films & Podcasts LTD.

Music by Andrew R. Bird

On today’s episode, Matt is joined by another leading counterterrorism researcher, Aaron Zelin. Aaron has spent years studying the global jihadi movement, focusing on the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda. They explore the resurgence of the Islamic State following its territorial defeat in Iraq and Syria in 2017, and the evolving threat the group poses to the United States and other countries—from recent attacks in Iran, Russia, and New Orleans, and the organizational restructuring that’s made them rather resilient. Unpack these critical issues with one of the foremost experts in the field.

Read Aaron’s work for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/experts/aaron-y-zelin

Read Aaron’s Substack, Jihadology+: https://www.jihadologyplus.com

Read Aaron’s past work for Jihadology: https://jihadology.net

"A Globally Integrated Islamic State" by Aaron Zelin | War on the Rocks

"Remaining, Waiting for Expansion (Again): The Islamic State’s Operations in Iraq and Syria" by Aaron Zelin | The Hudson Institute

Follow Aaron on Twitter/X: https://x.com/azelin

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Secrets and Spies is produced by Films & Podcasts LTD.

Music by Andrew R. Bird

On this episode, we delve into the world of intelligence with Julian Fisher, a renowned intelligence specialist and author. We explore the covert yet powerful skills of influence and persuasion honed by intelligence officers to elicit cooperation from even the most hardened individuals. Discover how these techniques can be ethically adapted to achieve your personal and professional goals. Julian, the founder of Africa Integrity, a leading private intelligence company, and the face of the Channel 4 TV series 'Spies' in 2017, brings a unique perspective to this fascinating conversation.

Find out more about “Think Like A Spy” here: https://julesfisher.com/book/

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/JFcgWnwEiqc?si=HnPbNXW0Fs-dgO5c

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Secrets and Spies is produced by Films & Podcasts LTD.

Music by Andrew R. Bird

In this episode, Sam Liechtenstein from RANE (Risk Assistance Network + Exchange) joins us to dissect their annual geopolitical forecast. We discussed a range of pressing issues, including:

To find out more about RANE and its annual global forecast, please visit their website here: https://www.ranenetwork.com/

Support Secrets and Spies

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Connect with us on social media

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Secrets and Spies is produced by Films & Podcasts LTD.

Music by Andrew R. Bird

In this conversation, Chris and author Henry Hemming delve into the intricate world of espionage during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, focusing on the roles of spies, informants, and key figures like Frank Hegarty and Freddy Scappatici. They discuss the political landscape that led to Operation Banner, the evolution of the IRA, and the cultural stigma surrounding informers. The conversation also highlights the challenges faced by intelligence operations and the moral complexities involved in espionage.

Get a copy of “Four Shots In The Night” here: https://www.quercusbooks.co.uk/titles/henry-hemming/four-shots-in-the-night/9781529426786/

Find out more about Henry Hemming and his work here: https://henryhemming.com/

Check out our past interview with Henry about his book “Our Man In New York”: https://pod.fo/e/ca367

Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/OWmWkMq3hqM

Support Secrets and Spies

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Secrets and Spies is produced by Films & Podcasts LTD.

Music by Andrew R. Bird

Hi everyone, we wish you Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year. 

We also wanted to say a huge thank you to each of you for your support over 2024. We have more episodes to share over the Holidays, so please stay tuned.

In the meantime, we hope you have a wonderful holiday period, and we will catch you in 2025 for more.

Support Secrets and Spies

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Connect with us on social media

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Secrets and Spies is produced by Films & Podcasts LTD.

Music by Andrew R. Bird

In this episode, we’re joined by Florian Flade, an investigative journalist for Germany’s public broadcaster WDR based in Berlin. In this conversation, Florian discusses the activities of Russian research ships that are suspected of espionage. He explains how these ships, while officially labeled as academic vessels, are equipped with advanced technology for intelligence gathering, mainly focusing on critical underwater infrastructure. The conversation delves into the geopolitical implications of these activities, the Russian government's official stance, and the role of Chinese ships in potential sabotage operations.

Additionally, the discussion highlights the legal challenges in addressing maritime espionage and the difficulties in investigating incidents at sea. Florian also discusses NATO's evolving strategies in response to Russian spy ships, particularly in the context of the Baltic Sea. He highlights the increasing urgency and coordination among NATO members, the challenges of hybrid warfare, and the implications for defence spending in Germany.

The discussion also touches on public perceptions of security threats and the historical context of espionage activities, culminating in a personal account of encountering spy ships.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ojllHsImbNk

For more information on these suspected Russian Spy Ships, please check out the links below:

DW Documentary: “Putin’s Fleet”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br3K93-z6PI

DW News: “What are dozens of Russian ships doing in European waters?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f7Nujs1_yY

HI Sutton

http://www.hisutton.com/

Marine Traffic

https://www.marinetraffic.com/

Global Fishing Watch

https://globalfishingwatch.org/map/index

For more information and to connect with Florian please follow the links below:

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/florianflade.bsky.social

Twitter: https://x.com/FlorianFlade

Blog: https://ojihad.wordpress.com/

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Secrets and Spies is produced by Films & Podcasts LTD.

Music by Andrew R. Bird

After a despotic reign of over five decades, marked by 13 years of bloody civil war that killed over half a million people and displaced millions more, the al-Assad dynasty’s rule over Syria has come to a sudden, shocking end. In just under two weeks, rebel groups mounted an offensive that captured a string of major cities, culminating in the fall of Damascus with barely a shot being fired and Bashar al-Assad fleeing into exile in Moscow. It’s difficult to understate what a complete sea change these events are for Syria and the Middle East. Today, Phillip Smyth returns to help us make sense of how this all unfolded so quickly, so unexpectedly, and what it means for Iran and its proxies like Lebanese Hezbollah, who propped up the Assad regime and counted on Syria as a hub to exert their influence throughout the region.

Read Phillip’s work for West Point’s Combatting Terrorism Center: https://ctc.westpoint.edu/authors/phillip-smyth/

Read Phillip’s past work for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/experts/phillip-smyth

Follow Phillip on Twitter/X: https://x.com/PhillipSmyth

"The Backstory Behind the Fall of Aleppo" by Hassan Hassan and Michael Weiss | New Lines Magazine

"Jihadi ‘Counterterrorism:’ Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Versus the Islamic State" by Aaron Y. Zelin | CTC Sentinel

Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Backgrounder | Center for Strategic & International Studies

"Syrian rebels reveal year-long plot that brought down Assad regime" by William Christou | The Guardian

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Secrets and Spies is produced by Films & Podcasts LTD.

Music by Andrew R. Bird