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-spy

Save 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

The Operative

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.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

News

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

After Hotel Rwanda, Part 2: The Backstory

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

After Hotel Rwanda, Part 1: The Trap

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, were 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

Introducing: After Hotel Rwanda

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

Introducing: Alphabet Boys

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.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Operative

Download our free app to listen on your phone