logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2025
42m 56s

54. Bin Laden vs the CIA: 9/11 (Ep 4)

Goalhanger
About this episode
On a clear September morning, the American homeland was shattered, revealing a vulnerability unforeseen for nearly two centuries. But, how did Osama bin Laden, soon to become the world's most wanted terrorist, orchestrate the largest mass murder in American history? What was the "chatter" among Al Qaeda members that something was imminent, and why couldn't t ... Show More
Up next
Today
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 active measures campaign has been and whether the aftermath ha ... Show More
1h 6m
Mar 9
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 2016 US presidential election, David and Gordon return to the ... Show More
47m 17s
Mar 7
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 militias to sow dissent in Iran. Listen as David and Clarissa discuss ... Show More
38m 54s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2025
The 9/11 Files: The CIA’s Secret Mission Gone Wrong | Ep 1
A former FBI agent who was embedded in the CIA’s Bin Laden unit, Mark Rossini, claims the CIA was fully aware that the 9/11 hijackers were in the United States planning an attack. Rather than inform the FBI, the CIA tried to recruit two of the hijackers for a “false-flag” operati ... Show More
26m 30s
Oct 2025
The 9/11 Files: From Tragedy to Tyranny | Ep 5
Kristen Breitweiser—a 9/11 widow turned activist—and John Kiriakou—the CIA whistleblower who exposed the government’s secret torture program- reveal how the 9/11 Commission helped Bush win reelection, expanded government spying, and gave the CIA cover for brutal torture—all while ... Show More
35m 30s
Jun 2025
Was Pearl Harbor an inside job?
On 7 December 1941, Japan attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbor. It’s one of the most notorious surprise attacks in history, but how much of a surprise actually was it? Did President Franklin Roosevelt know that the attack was coming and even encourage it as a means of prope ... Show More
36m 22s
Oct 2025
The 9/11 Files: From Cover-up to Conspiracy | Ep 4
From the mysterious collapse of Tower 7 to reports of explosive residue in the rubble, the official 9/11 story leaves more questions than answers. Why did some reporters announce attacks before they happened? How did foreign governments know more than U.S. intelligence? And who p ... Show More
30m 36s
Aug 2025
Mossad, Terrifying CIA Technology, Blackwater & The Most Secret CIA Unit | John Kiriakou
John Kiriakou served 15 years in the CIA as a Case Officer and as CIA's Head of Counterterrorism Operations in Pakistan where he lead the raid that captured Abu Zubaydah. After his CIA career, he blew the whistle on the CIA's Enhanced Interrogation Program.John’s Links:Substack: ... Show More
4h 18m
Oct 2025
The 9/11 Files: They Could Have Stopped It | Ep 3
Michael Scheuer, former head of the CIA’s Bin Laden unit, reveals how the Bush and Clinton administrations repeatedly failed to act on Al-Qaeda. Despite multiple clear warnings, they slashed counterterrorism funding and called off numerous chances to take out Bin Laden—decisions ... Show More
23m 18s
Mar 2024
Fatal Neutrality: Lumumba, the CIA, and the Cold War
In 1960, the Congo gained independence from Belgium. Patrice Lumumba was elected prime minister and Joseph Kasavubu president. Within a year, Lumumba was deposed and assassinated. This week on Deconstructed, executive editor of Foreign Affairs and author Stuart Reid joins Ryan Gr ... Show More
46m 10s
Apr 2025
Rep. Curt Weldon: It’s Time to Finally Tell the Truth About 9-11
After twenty years in congress, Curt Weldon was about to become chairman of the House Armed Services Committee when he publicly questioned the accuracy of the 9-11 report. In retaliation, the Bush administration sent federal agents to his daughter’s house and ended his political ... Show More
1h 30m
Feb 2025
True Spies Classic: Blinking Red | CIA
In this True Spies Classic, CIA analyst Gina Bennett shows Vanessa Kirby the origins of America's most infamous enemy. Throughout the 1990s, Osama bin Laden launched a series of attacks on American interests at home and abroad. Operating in the man's world of counter-terrorism, G ... Show More
50m 28s