AFIO Podcast

In this timely episode, Shelby Pierson - the Election Threats Executive for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) - discusses the threats to America's elections and the actions taken by the Intelligence Community (IC) to assess, warn, and counter those threats. Mrs. Pierson, who is considered the first "U.S. Election Security Czar," also highlights the IC's efforts to bolster public confidence in fair elections and support the peaceful transfer of power. Recorded 15 Oct 2020.  Interviewer: James Bruce PhD, AFIO board member and former CIA Senior Analyst. Host: James Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

Former CIA Division Chief and National Intelligence Manager for ODNI, Norman Roule discusses the state of Iran today and how current and future administrations need to approach the regime. Recorded 11 Mar 2021.  Host: James Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer.

Former CIA Operations Officer and Arabist Sam Wyman discusses the lingering and devastating post-invasion consequences of the 2003 removal of Saddam Hussein and the geopolitical risks that American businesses still face in Iraq today.  Mr. Wyman also addresses the Iraqi intelligence services and the longterm outlook for the country. Recorded 5 Mar 2021.  Host: James Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer.

Dr. Edward Mienie, Associate Professor at the University of North Georgia, discusses intelligence education at the high school and university levels and provides insights to students on the various careers available throughout the U.S. Intelligence Community.  Dr. Mienie also provides information on his Strategic & Security Studies program at the UNG. Recorded 9 Apr 2021.  Interviewer: Renée Priess, former CIA Officer. Host: James Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this episode, former FBI special agent Ralph Hope discusses the release of his new book "The Grey Men: Pursuing the Stasi into the Present." Mr. Hope  analyzes the German code of secrecy that has protected members of the Stasi in the thirty years since the fall of the Berlin Wall - allowing many to maintain their influence, hide evidence, and live relatively unpunished in the newly reunited Germany and abroad. He also discusses the danger that comes from any political or social group that insists on a single point of view, refuses to allow free speech, demands control of words and expressions, and seeks to alter history.  Recorded 16 Apr 2021.  Host: James Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer.

Carmen Medina, former CIA Deputy Director of Intelligence and coauthor of "Rebels at Work: A Handbook for Leading Change from Within" (O'Reilly, 2014), discusses how she came to be recruited by CIA, the role of her education, and leaning into the male-dominated CIA culture to make her voice heard. We hear her perspective on power and how she pioneered new ways of operating in a vast organization. Recorded 19 Feb 2021.  Interviewer: David Priess, PhD, former CIA Analyst, PDB Briefer, and author. Host: James Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this episode, CIA Historian Dr. David Robarge discusses the complexities of counterintelligence, moles, penetrations, double agents, deep cover, and the world of James Angleton. He also provides a quick survey of the extent of foreign and domestic espionage. The interview closes with tips on how scholars, researchers, students, and curious members of the public may use CIA online resources to learn more about intelligence and CIA history, including many assessments of recent events. Recorded 16 Oct 2020.  Host: James Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer.

In this episode, Caryn Wagner discusses her experience serving as Undersecretary, Office of Intelligence and Analysis, at the Department of Homeland Security. Discussion topics include the complexities of domestic terrorism, Fusion Centers, and intelligence sharing. Recorded 29 Jan 2021.  Host: James Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer.

Steve Vogel, a veteran journalist who reported for The Washington Post for more than two decades, discusses his 2019 book, "Betrayal in Berlin: The True Story of the Cold War's Most Audacious Espionage Operation." Vogel explains the state of US-Soviet relations in 1950s - particularly reflected in the divided city of Berlin -  and describes CIA's plan to construct a clandestine tunnel into East Berlin to tap into critical Soviet telecommunication lines. The plan known in the U.S. as "Operation Gold," was aided by our UK intelligence allies, which called it "Operation Stopwatch." Vogel illuminates the difficulties, risks of exposure, betrayals, and benefits gained from the audacious and ultimately successful covert operation. Recorded 28 Jan 2021. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this second AFIO Now episode featuring Dr. Houghton - Director of the National Cryptologic Museum - he discusses his 2019 book, "The Nuclear Spies: America's Atomic Intelligence Operation Against Hitler and Stalin," which includes insights into the Alsos Mission, Gen Leslie Groves, Werner Heisenberg, Enrico Fermi, and other scientists who worked on atomic weapons. The interview also discusses the escape of that technology into Soviet or German hands and our misplaced national sense of superiority and invincibility. Recorded 30 Dec 2020. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer.