AFIO Podcast

In this episode retired CIA Officer and author, Stephen Mercado, shares insights from his book Japanese Spy Gear and Special Weapons: How Noborito's Scientists and Technicians Served in the Second World War and the Cold War. After World War I, Japan created the Noborito Research Institute-a secretive hub of scientists and technicians tasked with advancing both overt and covert warfare.

Interview date Monday, 03 November 2025. Interviewer and Host AFIO President James Hughes.

In this episode Alexander Rose, PhD, renowned author and historian, shares insights from his book Phantom Fleet: The Hunt for Nazi Submarine U-505 and World War II’s Most Daring Heist. The book draws on long-classified encrypted documents and intercepted German transmissions to reveal how an owlish egghead and a glory-seeking buccaneer teamed up to score the richest prize on the high seas during WWII.

Interview date Tuesday, 14 October 2025. Interviewer and Host AFIO President James Hughes. 

Author and journalist Bruce Henderson discusses his book Midnight Flyboys: The American Bomber Crews and Allied Secret Agents Who Aided the French Resistance in World War II. The untold story of a top-secret operation in the run-up to D-Day in which American flyers and Allied spies carried out some of the most daring cloak-and-dagger operations of World War II. 

Interview of Thursday, 2 October 2025. Host and Interviewer: AFIO President, James Hughes.

Author, producer, and photographer Barry Broman on his new novel: The Spy from Sukhumvit Road. The former Marine, CIA Clandestine Service Officer, Station Chief, and Diplomat, discusses this captivating historical novel with AFIO President James Hughes. His latest historical novel continues the story from Broman’s first novel, "The Spy from Place Saint-Sulpice." Protagonist CIA Case Officer Richard “Rick” Blayne returns to Thailand to help support an anti-communist insurgency in Cambodia.

Interview of Tuesday, 5 August 2025. Host and Interviewer: James Hughes, AFIO President. 

Mark M. Lowenthal PhD, Former Dep Asst SecState for Intelligence, discusses his new book, "Vigilance Is Not Enough: A History of United States Intelligence" [Yale Univ Press, May 2025] with AFIO President James Hughes. The interview runs 23 minutes and includes several Q&As.

Interview of Tuesday, 15 July 2025. Hosted by AFIO President James Hughes. 

Sheetal Patel, Former Assistant Director for CIA’s Transnational and Technology Mission Center discusses Counterintelligence and Technology challenges facing the U.S. with AFIO board member, Fran Moore, Former CIA Senior Executive in Intelligence Analysis and Counterintelligence. 

Interview of Monday, 14 July 2025. Interviewer: Fran Moore, Former CIA Senior Executive in Intelligence Analysis and Counterintelligence. Host: James Hughes, AFIO President. 

David Robarge PhD, CIA Chief Historian, on "The History of U.S. Intelligence 1975-2025" with AFIO President, James Hughes. He joined CIA in 1989 and worked as an analyst in the Directorate of Intelligence. After earning a PhD in American History from Columbia, teaching at Columbia and working for banker David Rockefeller and at the Gannett Center for Media Studies at Columbia, he moved to CIA's History Staff in 1996 and was appointed chief historian in June 2005. 

Interview of Friday, 27 June 2025. Hosted by AFIO President, James Hughes. 

Mike Mears, former CIA Chief of HR, discusses "Intelligence Community Reform" with AFIO president, James Hughes. The questions discussed are: "Why can't we ever seem to get IC reform right?" "What is the meaning of 'the culture of a work environment'?" "Why are bad bosses so important?" Types of reformers: 1) people that want procedural reform; 2) people we urge we get back to mission or change our priorities; 3) those who want to revamp hiring and recruitment; 4) the analytical reformers or oversight reformers saying we just need to strengthen oversight; 5) the policy people who say we just have clarify our authorities and change certain policies; 6) the modernization people and AI enthusiasts who say embracing technological change will shorten the tech cycles and fix the culture; and 7) the structural people who go to the org chart and shift the boxes around thinking that's going to fix things. How to engender loyalty, trust, and great performance from a team. How to identify the limitations and strengths of the human mind and create a dynamic and innovative workplace.

Interview of Tuesday, 24 June 2025. Hosted by AFIO President James Hughes. 

David Robarge PhD, CIA Chief Historian, on "The Soldier-Statesman in the Secret World: George C. Marshall and Intelligence in War and Peace" George C. Marshall is best known as the Allies’ “organizer of victory” during World War II and steward of the namesake economic recovery program in postwar Western Europe. Far less well-known is Marshall’s extensive engagement with the world of intelligence during those years. In his Army leadership role in World War II, his diplomatic mission to China right after the war and his service as head of the State and Defense Departments, he grappled with difficult issues concerning intelligence capabilities and authorities, security matters and political and bureaucratic conflicts that persist today in the U.S. intelligence community. How he approached them can provide insights for current intelligence leaders and practitioners as they confront those historically enduring problems. 

Interview of Monday, 28 April 2025. Host and Interviewer: James Hughes, AFIO President. 

AFIO Now presents a special episode with Norman Roule, former National Intelligence Manager, ODNI; former Division Chief, CIA Operations Officer, Chief of Station.

In this AFIO Special Edition episode Norm Roule and Jim Hughes discuss recent attacks by US and Israel on Iran. Questions covered: Imagine the Supreme Leader is meeting with his inner security circle. What are their priorities at this moment? Are they achievable? And what weapons of the regime still have at its disposal? If things were starting to come apart in Iran, what are some of the highlights that we should look for? What are some of the indicators? What does a 12 day war mean for the region? What are senior regional leaders saying both publicly and privately? Are other Gulf countries - Qatar, the Emirates, the Saudis, the Omanis, the Kuwaitis, the Gulf Cooperation Council - pleased with the attacks? They now can raise the issue that the Chinese are selling ammonium percolate to the Iranians, which the Iranians are giving to the Houthis and the Houthi. And then using against everyone in the region and the world's economy itself. Does the Iranian nuclear enrichment program still exist in any form? Will the IAEA be allowed in or does it become a bargaining chip in long, drawn out negotiations? What does a diminished Iran mean for the region? There's been a lot of talk about realignment. Is that likely to happen and what can Iran try to do to counter that?

Interview of Monday, 1 July 2025. Interviewed by AFIO President, James Hughes.