logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2019
33m 44s

The Counterspy

Foreign Policy
About this episode

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-spy


Save 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.

Up next
Dec 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 
39m 31s
Jun 2022
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 g ... Show More
35m 3s
Jun 2022
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.co ... Show More
27m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2021
Introducing: I Spy
We're excited to introduce you to I Spy, a production of Foreign Policy. Each week on I Spy, a former intelligence operative from somewhere around the world tells the story of a single mission. They've featured guests from the CIA, Mossad, MI5, the KGB, and more. The host is thre ... Show More
28m 54s
Aug 2019
The Queen of Cuba
On February 24, 1996, Cuban fighter jets shot down two small planes operated by Brothers to the Rescue, an organization in Florida that tried to spot refugees fleeing Cuba in boats. A strange chain of events preceded the shoot-down, and people in the intelligence business turned ... Show More
59 m
Sep 2020
Inside the CIA: How the Intelligence Agency Help Shape History
Author Chris Whipple pulls back the curtain on the CIA and its often secretive directors in his new book, "The Spymasters: How the CIA Directors Shape History and the Future," published by Scribner an imprint of Simon & Schuster a division of ViacomCBS. Having spoken to almost ev ... Show More
30m 1s
May 2024
Espionage
Two young CIA agents were flown to northern China in 1952, part of a bizarre Cold War operation to overthrow Mao Zedong. The plane crashed. The two Americans were arrested, and jailed for 20 years. We fast forward to today and turn the tables: How does China spy on the US now? Wh ... Show More
34m 52s
Apr 2023
I spy
In this special edition of ‘The Foreign Desk’, we speak to former spies from different intelligence services serving in different eras. We’ll find out how to recruit assets, disrupt communications, adopt false identities and, if necessary, get out in a hurry. And we’ll learn how ... Show More
46m 33s
Mar 2024
CLASSIC: Agent 355: Washington's Secret Spy
Spies aren't just relegated to the Cold War and James Bond -- in fact, spycraft played a crucial role in the Revolutionary War. One of the government's most effective spies was so accomplished that, even in the modern day, their identity remains a mystery. Join the guys as they u ... Show More
45 m
Oct 2021
A Troubling C.I.A. Admission
The C.I.A. sent a short but explosive message last week to all of its stations and bases around the world.The cable, which said dozens of sources had been arrested, killed or turned against the United States, highlights the struggle the agency is having as it works to recruit spi ... Show More
23m 34s