Podcasts about afio

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. 

Author Alexander Rose PhD discusses his book, "Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring" with AFIO President, James Hughes.  "Fascinating…. tells how the work of the spies proved to be the tipping point in the summer of 1778, helping Washington begin breaking the stalemate with the British…. [and] brings to light their crucial help in winning American independence."—Dallas Morning News "After working on Washington, I knew there was a story to tell about his reliance on spies during the Revolutionary War. But I believed the story could never be told because the evidence did not exist. Well, I was wrong, and Alexander Rose tells this important story with style and wit."—Joseph Ellis, author of His Excellency: George Washington "Making brilliant use of documentary sources, Rose gives us intrigue, crossed signals, derring-do, and a priceless slice of 18th century life…Rose unfolds the story of a Long Island-based spy ring of idealists and misfits who kept George Washington informed of what was going on in enemy-occupied New York."         —Richard Brookhiser, author of Founding Father: Rediscovering George Washington Interview of Friday, 29 March 2025. Interviewer and Host: AFIO President, James Hughes. 

Leon Carroll Jr, co-author (with Mark Harmon) on "Ghosts of Panama: A Strongman Out of Control, A Murdered Marine, and the Special Agents Caught in the Middle of an Invasion." The warm relationship in 1989 between US and Gen. Manuel Noriega has eroded dangerously. President George Bush declares Noriega a drug trafficker and a rigger of elections causing intimidation on streets for U.S. personnel. The nation becomes a powder keg. Naval Investigative Service (NIS) Special Agent Rick Yell has worked the job in Panama since 1986, and lives there with wife Annya and a child. Yell develops an intelligence source with access to the Noriega regime turning into spy-versus-spy with secret meetings and hidden documents. A source has info on an imprisoned CIA asset and helps track Noriega's movements. The reports shape the decisions made in Washington D.C., CIA headquarters, and the Pentagon. The powder keg is lit on December 16, 1989, when a young U.S. Marine is gunned down at a checkpoint in Panama City. This is the rest of that story. Interview of Friday, 28 March 2025. Interviewer and Host: AFIO President James Hughes.

Mike Mears, former CIA Chief of HR, on his book Certainty: How Great Bosses Can Change Minds and Drive Innovation. Discover how great leaders draw out the best of human nature. That our Stone Age brains are hardwired for survival and programmed to fear the unknown, yet the work world demands constant innovation. The enemy of better leadership is uncertainty deeply buried in the minds of your workforce. Mears urges greater understanding of human nature. Work with it rather than push against it. He draws on neuroscience and psychology -- plus compelling stories from his Agency career -- to provide practical leadership advice, including: Science-backed explanations of how our brains think and how our primitive brains are colliding with the demands of the modern workplace; New feedback, change management, and delegation tools to build an environment of certainty rather than of fear; Fresh insights to overcome innate change resistance in yourself and others; and Time-saving ideas to empower yourself while empowering your employees. These steps engender loyalty, trust, and great performance from a team. You learn to identify the limitations and strengths of the human mind and create a dynamic and innovative workplace.   Interview of Thursday, 20 March 2025. Interviewed by: AFIO President, James Hughes. 

Joseph Finder, author and Russian Studies expert discusses his novel, "The Oligarch's Daughter." It is a breakneck thriller that marries the dynastic opulence of Succession with the tense and disorienting spycraft of The Americans. Interview of Tuesday, 13 March 2025. Interviewer and Host: AFIO President James Hughes. 

Nicholas Reynolds PhD discussing his 2022 book "Need to Know: World War II and the Rise of American Intelligence" with AFIO President, James Hughes.  Interview of Tuesday, 4 March 2025. Interviewer and Host: AFIO President James Hughes.

Douglas Waller, Historian, Author, and Foreign Correspondent, discusses his new book "The Determined Spy: The Turbulent Life and Times of CIA Pioneer Frank Wisner" with AFIO President, James Hughes. Frank Wisner was one of the most powerful men in 1950s Washington, though few knew it. Reporting directly to senior U.S. officials--his work largely hidden from Congress and the public--Wisner masterminded some of the CIA's most controversial operations in the early years of the Cold War, commanding thousands of clandestine agents around the world. Interview of Monday, 31 March 2025. Host: James Hughes, AFIO President. 

Leon Carroll Jr, co-author (with Mark Harmon) on "Ghosts of Honolulu: A Japanese Spy, A Japanese American Spy Hunter, and the Untold Story of Pearl Harbor" A U.S. naval counterintelligence officer working to safeguard Pearl Harbor; a Japanese spy ordered to Hawaii to gather information on the American fleet. On December 7, 1941, their hidden stories are exposed by a morning of bloodshed that would change the world forever. Scrutinizing long-buried historical documents, NCIS star Mark Harmon and co-author Leon Carroll, a former NCIS Special Agent, have brought forth a true-life NCIS story of deception, discovery, and danger. Interview of Thursday, 6 February 2025. Host: James Hughes, AFIO President 

Author, Joby Warrick discusses his 2020 book "RED LINE on The Unraveling of Syria and America's Race to Destroy the Most Dangerous Arsenal in the World" with AFIO President, James Hughes.  Interview of Monday, 27 January 2025. Host: James Hughes, AFIO President 

OPEN HEAVENSMATALA LE LAGI MO LE ASO LUA 11 MATI  2025(tusia e Pastor EA Adeboye)Manatu Autu: E manatu mai Iesu (Jesus cares)Tauloto -Tusi Paia–1 Peteru 5:7  “Ia tu‘uina atu ‘iā te ia mea uma tou te popole ai, auā o lo‘o manatu mai o ia ‘iā te ‘outou.”Faitauga – Tusi Paia – 1 Tupu 17:1-16E manatu mamafa mai le Atua I lana fanau. I le 2 Tupu 4:1-7, ua tatou faitau ai i le fafine ua oti lana tane, o se tasi o atalii o le perofeta, ma ua ia tuua se aitalafu tele. Ina ua sau le tagata sa aitalafu ai e avatu lana fanau e fai ma ana pologa pe a lē totogiina le aitalafu, na ia tagi atu ia Elisaia, o lē na faatonu o ia e alu e faanoi mai ni ipu le susua se tele ma sasaa iai sina suauu mai le fagu laitiiti na totoe I lona fale. Na afio mai le Atua e saunia mea silisili, ma ua mafai ona ia totogiina lana aitalafu ma ola manuia mo aso o totoe o lona olaga. I le Ioane 6:5-13, na fafagaina e Iesu le 5000 o tagata e lē faitaulia ai fafine ma tamaiti i se meaai a se tamaitiiti. Na ia faaalia lona manatu mai, i le faateleina lea o le meaai a le tamaitiiti ina ia fafagaina ai le motu o tagata ma na iai ni toega o meaai i ato e sefulumalelua. O nei mau ma tala e tele,  ua faaalia ai le manatu mai o Iesu. E manatu mamafa foi Iesu mo tatou, e le gata i o tatou mana'oga ae na te silafia lelei le vaivai o tatou tino, ma e naunau Iesu, ia tatou ‘ausia le malosi o le tino auā le galuega ua ia valaauina ai tatou. I tausaga ua tuanai, e iai le aso sa ou feagai ai ma tagata mai le 8 i le taeao e o'o atu i le 6 i le po, ma sa ou mauaina sina mea'ai utiuti, ae lei auai atu i le matou aoga Tusi Pa'ia. Ina ua ou foi mai I le ofisa, o loo fa'atali atu tagata e fia vaai ia te a'u. Na ou tatalo mo tagata e tau i le 10.30 i lena po, ae fai mai toe toa sefulu o loo faatali pea. E o'o atu i lena taimi o le po ua matua gapelu lo'u tino ma ua ou matuā lelava. Na ou fesili i le Atua po o lea sa'u mea a fai, a ua ia tali mai e faapea: ‘E te le tau tula'i e tatalo mo i latou, ae nofo  i lalo, pa'i atu i o latou ulu ona tuu lea e ō. E latou mauaina a latou vavega'.  Sa faate'ia a'u i lea tala ma ou faapea atu: “Le Atua e, o lona uiga e mafai ona ou talanoa atu i lau Afio a o ou nofo i lalo?” A ua ia tali mai sa ia savalia le fogaele'ele o se tagata ola, ma e malamalama lelei i le tulaga lēlavā. E silafia e Iesu le vaivai o tatou tino, ma e manatu loloto mai iai tatou (Salamo 103: 14). O ia o le tatou ositaulaga sili, ua o'otia lona finagalo i o tatou vaivaiga o le tino aua sa ia feagai ma fa'afitauli o loo tatou iai nei(Eperu 4:15). I le tatou tusi faitau o le aso, ua tatou iloa le manatu o le Atua mo lana perofeta a'o feagai ma le oge, na te lei tu'ulafoa'i ia te ia i se taimi.Le ‘au pele, tu'u atoa lou fa'atuatua i le Atua. E manatu tele mai o ia ia te oe ma e na te lē tuulafoa'i ia te oe.  Tatalo: Faafetai Iesu, mo lau tausiga alofa, i le suafa o Iesu, Amene. 

James M. Scott, co-author with Jack Carr, of "Targeted: Beirut: The 1983 Marine Barracks Bombing and the Untold Story of the War on Terror." A behind-the-scenes account of a mission and a fight that changed America. It was the event that ushered in the War on Terror. And it shows the pitfalls of American hubris, overreach, and irresponsible military intervention. Paints the entire picture of mind-boggling events before, during, and after the Beirut Bombing, from ancient history to present day. The authors tell the story through voices of Marines, Sailors, and Soldiers who endured the two-year “peacekeeping” operation. We also experience the tragedy through the president, generals, and policymakers back in Washington. Another sad chapter in the Middle East's centuries old internecine struggle among its inhabitants and the price America pays for problematic policies despite history and seemingly dismissed lessons owing as much to hubris and breathtaking naivete. Interview of Thursday, 12 December 2024. Host: James Hughes, AFIO President. 

Michael "Mickey" Bergman, the CEO of Global Reach and the Vice President and Executive Director of the Richardson Center for Global Engagement. He is also the author (with Ellis Henican) of "In the Shadows: True Stories of High-Stakes Negotiations to Free Americans Captured Abroad." Bergman is responsible for the negotiations that brought many high-profile prisoners home, including Brittney Griner, Danny Fenster, Otto Warmbier, and Trevor Reed. In the Shadows details his never-before-told stories inside the secret negotiations to free Americans from some of the world's most repressive countries, including North Korea, Russia, Hamas, and more. Interview of Thursday, 26 November 2024. Host: AFIO President James Hughes, a former senior CIA Operations Officer. 

Author, Jesse Fink talks with AFIO President, James Hughes about his new book, "The Eagle in the Mirror: The Greatest Spy Story Never Told" on Charles Howard "Dick" Ellis, MI6's Top Agent in America During World War II. In search of war hero, master spy, and alleged traitor Charles Howard "Dick" Ellis. Interview of Tuesday, 1 Oct 2024. Host: AFIO President James Hughes, a former senior CIA Operations Officer.

Patrick K. O'Donnell, military historian and author, on his new book "The Unvanquished: The Untold Story of Lincoln's Special Forces, the Manhunt for Mosby's Rangers, and the Shadow War That Forged America's Special Operations" released 7 May 2024.  Interview of Tuesday, 3 September 2024. Host: James Hughes. 

OPEN HEAVENSMATALA LE LAGI MO LE ASO TOFI 2 IANUARI  2025(tusia e Pastor EA Adeboye) Manatu Autu: Tatalo mo le 2025 (Prayers for 2025) Tauloto -Tusi Paia– Kenese 12:2 “Ou te faia oe ma nu‘u tele, ‘ou te fa‘amanuia fo‘i ‘iā te oe, ‘ou te matuā fa‘amamaluina lou igoa; e manuia fo‘i oe.” Faitauga – Tusi Paia – Isaia 35:1-10TataloFaafetai le Alii e mo faamanuiaga, o lesona, ma le olaga na matou ui ai I le 2024. Faafetai mo lou faamaoni ia te a'u I le lā tausaga atoa. Tamā, I lenei tausaga fou, ou te manaomia lau taitaiga ma le poto e sili atu muamua. Faamolemole fesoasoani mai ia te au ia ou faia faaiuga tonu ma le sa'o i lenei tausaga atoa. Tamā, ou te matuā fia latalata ia te oe i lenei tausaga. Faamolemole ia faatupuina le fia ai ma le fia inu ia te oe I totonu o lo'u loto ia sili atu muamua, I le suafa o Iesu. Tamā, faamolemole ia fai a'u ma ipu e tauleleia ma fesoasoani mai ia te a'u ina ia ou galue mo oe i lenei tausaga e sili atu muamua e manumaloina agaga mo lou malō. Tamā, ou te lē fia auai I ni galuega e leai ni fua i lenei tausaga. Faamolemole ia e faamanuia I galuega a o'u lima. Tamā, faamolemole ia fesoasoani mai ina ia ou tuputupu a'e i le Agaga, i lagona, i le tamaoaiga ma so'o se vaega o lo'u olaga i lenei tausaga fou, i le suafa o Iesu. Tamā, faamolemole puipui a'u, ma lo'u aiga, ma ē pele ia te a'u i lenei tausaga atoa. Aua nei faatagaina ni mea e matou te afaina ai, I le suafa o Iesu. Tamā, faamolemole ia faaleaogāina soo se fuafuaga a le fili e faasagatau mai ia te a'u ma lo'u aiga i lenei tausaga. O au'upega uma e faia e tau mai, e lē manuia, I le suafa o Iesu. Tamā, faamolemole ia e faaumatia lē na te ‘aina mea mo a'u. Aua nei faatagaina le fili e gaoi mai ia te a'u ma ē pele ia te a'u, I le suafa o Iesu. Tamā, faamolemole fesoasoani mai ma o'u tuaoi ina ia matou nonofo i le filemu ma le tamaoaiga i lenei tausaga atoa. Tamā, faamolemole ia avea lenei tausaga ma tausaga e tali ai a'u tatalo. Ia avea uma o'u manaoga ou te ole atu ai ma tautinoga mo oe, I le suafa o Iesu. Afio mai oe Agaga Paia e taimua i mea uma ou te iai i lenei tausaga atoa. Ia e fa‘amanuia mai le ALI‘I ia te a'u, ma ‘ia e tausi ‘iā te a'u; ‘ia fa‘amalamalamaina ou fofoga le ALI‘I e i luga ‘iā te a'u, ma alofa mai ‘iā te a'u; ‘ia fa‘asaga mai ou fofoga le ALI‘I e ‘iā te a'u ma tu‘uina mai ‘iā te a'u le manuia, i le suafa o Iesu e tatalo atu ai, Amene. 

Joseph Keogh PhD, former CIA Science & Technology Executive and Disguise Expert, discusses his new book "Creating Mission Impact: Essential Tradecraft for Innovators at CIA and Beyond" co-authored with Joe Ball and Greg Moore.  Interviewed: Thursday, 24 October 2024. Host: James Hughes. Interviewer: Christopher J. Parker.

Author Barry Werth discusses his book, Prisoner of Lies: Jack Downey's Cold War with AFIO President, Jim Hughes. They discuss the remarkable true story of the longest-held prisoner of war in American history, John Downey, Jr., a CIA officer captured in China during the Korean War and imprisoned for twenty-one years. The interview runs 28 minutes with several Q&As. Interview of Thursday, 1 Aug 2024. Host and Interviewer: AFIO President James Hughes.

Barry Broman, author, producer, photographer, former Marine, CIA Clandestine Service Officer, Station Chief, and Diplomat discusses his career with AFIO President, James Hughes. Broman details his experience as a Marine fighting in Vietnam, joining the CIA, serving as Chief of Station, and supervising an international paramilitary project in support of the Cambodian resistance to Vietnamese invaders. Tune in today to listen to Barry Broman and James Hughes discuss the fascinating people he met, places he has been, and his visits to little-known and rarely seen places like the Naga Hills on the India-Burma border.  Interviewed on: Thursday, 11 July 2024. Host and Interviewer: AFIO President James Hughes, a former senior CIA Operations Officer.

OPEN HEAVENSMATALA LE LAGI MO LE ASO GAFUA 18 NOVEMA 2024(tusia e Pastor EA Adeboye) Manatu Autu: Pe a afio mai le Atua  (When God moves) Tauloto -Tusi Paia–Mataio 9:35“Ua fa‘ata‘amilo Iesu i ‘a‘ai uma ma faoa ‘a‘ai, ‘ua a‘oa‘o i o latou sunako ma tala‘i le tala lelei o le mālō, ‘ua ia fa‘amālōlō fo‘i i ma‘i uma ma ma‘i tigā uma o le nu‘u.”‭‭Faitauga – Tusi Paia –Mataio 9:35-36A afio mai le Atua, e na te tufa atu vavega I le ala. A e faitau i le Tusi Paia, e te iloa ai le tele taimi na tupu ai lea tulaga. Mo se faataitaiga, I le Kenese 18, a'o afio atu I Sotoma, sa ia tu i le ala i le faleie o Aperaamo e faia se vavega mo ia. E faapena foi I le Luka 7:11-15, na afio atu Iesu i le taulaga o Naina ma ia vaaia se tagata ua maliu o loo agai atu e tanu. Na ia pa'i atu i le fata o iai le maliu, ma na vave ona toetu mai lea tagata mai le oti. Fai mai le Salamo 97:3 e muamua le afi i luma o le Atua. I nisi faaupuga, e iai le afi e muamua e faafeao ia te ia. O lona uiga o soo se taimi e afio mai ai, e muamua le afi ia te ia, e tafiesea soo se mea leaga, ma saunia le ala mo Lē o lona suafa o le ‘Afi e Maamaai'. Tusa pe lē o oe o loo afio mai iai le Atua, ao ui ane o ia i lou fale, o soo se mea leaga i lou fale o le a pa'i iai o ia. Afai o lē o loo ui ane ia te oe o le Atua Matautia, e lē toe iai se ma'i, tigā, faanoanoaga, mativa po'o soo se mea leaga e toe totoe. Le au pele e, o le tulaga lelei lea o le iai o tuaoi kerisiano, aua e asiasi iai le Atua mai lea taimi I lea taimi. A afio mai o ia e asiasi iai latou, ona o loo e latalata atu iai, e tatau foi ona maua sau vavega. O le mea lea e tatau ai ona e faia se galuega ia faaolaina ou tuaoi, ma so'o se tasi e te mafuta iai I Le tele o taimi. Fai mai le Tusi Paia o le amiotonu e viia ai le nuu (Faataoto 14:34), o lona uiga afai o siomia oe e tagata amiotonu, e tele taimi e afio mai ai le Atua i le faapotopotoga o lo'o e iai ia faamautinoaina e faamanuiaina pea oe, ona o ia, faapea foi ma le faapotopotoga atoa. Ia maitau mai, o le ‘Afi e maamaai' e inoino i le agasala. O lona uiga a afio mai, o soo se mea e iai le agasala e faaumatia. O le tulaga lea e tatau ona e alu ese ma le agasala aua e te lē fia avea ma se tagata e aafia I le ‘Afi e ma'ama'ai' a'o afio mai o ia I lou siomaga. Le au pele e, faamautinoa o loo e ola ma soifua I se olaga faapaiaina ma ia siomia oe e fanau moni a le Atua, a afio mai o ia I so'o se taimi i lou siomaga, e te maua se vavega. TataloTamā, faamolemole afio mai oe I lou siomaga I le asō Ina ia ou maua se vavega, I le suafa o Iesu, Amene. 

MG Charles Cleveland, US Army (Ret) and former Director of Operations and Military Deputy Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, discusses his long and fascinating career in the intelligence community with former senior officer of NGA and ODNI, Jennifer Daniel.  Interview: Monday, 1 July 2024. Host: James Hughes. Interviewer: Jennifer Daniel. 

Lillian Wang, TV & Film Writer, Lawyer, Former CIA Clandestine Service Officer, discusses her impressive career trajectory with AFIO President Jim Hughes. After immigrating to the U.S. at a young age, she mastered the language and customs and excelled in school.  Lillian joined the CIA and trained as a Clandestine Services officer, serving many years here and abroad, resigning for family reasons and obtaining a law degree. She then shifted to a career in TV and Movies as a writer and subject matter expert on CIA, the IC, espionage, and spying to bring accuracy to productions for which she has been hired. She gives career advice, explains some of her CIA training, and describes her satisfaction with working in the agency.  Interview: Thursday, 20 June 2024. Hosted by AFIO President Jim Hughes. 

Author, former NSA, and CIA officer Alma Katsu discusses her upcoming book series The Spy Who Vanished - a realistic look at where intelligence agencies are in the 21st century.  Interview: Monday, 17 June 2024. Host and Interviewer: AFIO President James Hughes. 

RADM Peg Klein speaks with AFIO board member Everette Jordan about her exceptional career at the NSA, the US Cyber Command, and the US Navy.  Interview: Tuesday, 28 May 2024. Hosted by AFIO President James Hughes, Interviewed by Everette Jordan.

 Dr Vince Houghton and Eric Driggs discuss their new book: Covert City: The Cold War and the Making of Miami (PublicAffairs Books, Apr 2024) with AFIO President James Hughes. The history of how the entire city of Miami was constructed in the image of the US-Cuba rivalry. From the Bay of Pigs invasion to the death of Fidel Castro. They discuss secret operations, corruption, crime, and a city teeming with spies and why Miami was as crucial to winning the Cold War as Washington, D.C., or Moscow. Interview: Monday, 20 May 2024. Hosted by James Hughes, AFIO President. 

OSINT Defense Intelligence Senior Leader Dennis Eger and Director of Army OSINT Office Shawn Nilius discuss the Army Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) Strategy. The Army defines OSINT as a foundational intelligence discipline that plays a central role in the support of operations. Interviewed by Jennifer Daniel, former senior officer of NGA and ODNI, and hosted by AFIO President James Hughes.  Interview of Monday, 29 Apr 2024 

Former US Air Force Intelligence Officer and senior aerospace executive Brian J. Morra discusses his semi-fiction book "The Righteous Arrows" with AFIO President James Hughes. The book highlights the stubbornly persistent rivalry between the US and Russia in a story of international espionage and war.  Interview: Monday, 15 Apr 2024. Interviewed by James Hughes 

Former CIA Chief of Disguise, Jonna Mendez, discusses her latest book, "In True Face: A Woman's Life in the CIA, Unmasked" with Linda Millis, former CIA, NSA, and ODNI. A courageous story of being a female spy at the height of the Cold War. She began her CIA career as a "contract wife" performing secretarial duties for the Agency. Yet Mendez had a talent for espionage and soon took on more significant roles at the Agency. She parlayed her interest in photography into an operational role overseas. She lived undercover and served tours of duty all over the globe, rising first to become an international spy and ultimately to Chief of Disguise at CIA's Office of Technical Service.  Interview: Wednesday, 27 March 2024. Interviewed by Linda Millis and Hosted by AFIO President James Hughes. 

Author and historian Alexander Rose discusses his latest book "The Lion And The Fox: Two Rival Spies and the Secret Plot to Build a Confederate Navy." In 1861, soon after the outbreak of the Civil War, two secret agents — one a Confederate, the other his Union rival — were dispatched to neutral Britain, each entrusted with a vital mission. This is the untold tale of two implacable foes and their twilight struggle for the highest stakes involving the lucrative Cotton trade. Interview: Tuesday, 13 February 2024. Host and Interviewer: AFIO President James Hughes, a former senior CIA Operations Officer and Former NSA Associate Deputy Director of Operations.

James Roth, author and former CIA Officer, on The Dead Drop: Espionage is a Dangerous Game for Amateurs, explores themes of duplicity and betrayal. The novel captures the human tension of real-world espionage with a memorable cast of characters. Former CIA Officer James Lawler wrote of the book: "...a riveting tale of spies, youthful idealism, and adult betrayal, which accelerates to a thrilling climax worthy of a major motion picture." Interview on Friday, 9 February 2024. Host and Interviewer is AFIO President James Hughes, a former senior CIA Operations Officer and Former NSA Associate Deputy Director of Operations. The interview runs 22 minutes and includes several Q&As.

In this episode, James Stejskal, Author, Military Historian, Conflict Archaeologist, former CIA, and Special Forces, discusses his book "Dead Hand" on what happens after Russia has won the war in Ukraine and is eyeing the Baltics. As the world stands on the precipice of war, a legendary CIA Officer rushes to meet a spy deep in the Kremlin, on an operation where failure could mean nuclear Armageddon. Recorded 12 December 2023. Interviewer and host: AFIO President James Hughes, a former senior CIA Operations Officer and Former NSA Associate Deputy Director of Operations.

In this episode, Ronald Drabkin, author of Beverly Hills Spy: The Double-Agent War Hero Who Helped Japan Attack Pearl Harbor, discusses the story of the WWI hero who became a fixture of high society in Golden Age Hollywood while acting as a double agent for the Japanese Empire as it prepared to attack Pearl Harbor. Recorded 01 Feb 2024. Host and Interviewer: James Hughes, AFIO President and former senior CIA Operations Officer.   

In this new episode, Jennifer Ewbank discusses her position as the Deputy Director of CIA for Digital Innovation and her responsibility for accelerating the development and integration of digital and cyber capabilities across all of CIA's mission areas as well as building the digital acumen of the CIA workforce through training and education. Ms Ewbank retired from her CIA post shortly after this interview. Recorded 3 Jan 2024. Host: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. Interviewer: Paul Hollingsworth PhD, former senior CIA Executive in Analysis and Operations and AFIO Board member.

In this episode, BBC National Security Correspondent Gordon Corera discusses his book "Operation Columba - The Secret Pigeon Service: The Untold Story of World War II Resistance in Europe." The book reveals the fascinating, untold story of how British intelligence secretly used homing pigeons as part of a clandestine espionage operation to gather information, communicate, and coordinate with members of the Resistance to defeat the Nazis in occupied Europe during World War II. Recorded 1 Dec 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this new episode, award-winning journalist and New York Times-bestselling author Liza Mundy discusses her newest book "The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA."  Recorded 10 Nov 2023. Host: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. Interviewer: Linda Millis, former Senior CIA, NSA, and ODNI Executive, current Assistant Professor at Marymount University and AFIO Board member.

In this episode, former senior CIA operations officer and Naval Commander Chip Beck discusses his book "Final Days of Heroes: How a CIA Agent and his Cambodian Allies Fought, Defied, and Resisted the Khmer Rouge." Recorded 19 Oct 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this episode, Brian Morra - Former US Air Force Intelligence Officer and senior aerospace executive - discusses his book "The Able Archers," which is a work of fiction based on the 1983 Soviet nuclear war crisis wherein Soviet leaders were convinced that the U.S. was preparing to launch a surprise nuclear attack on the USSR under the cover of a NATO exercise titled “Able Archer.” Recorded 17 Oct 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this episode, Stuart A. Reid - Executive Editor of Foreign Affairs - discusses his new book "The Lumumba Plot: The Secret History of the CIA and a Cold War Assassination." Recorded 2 Oct 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this episode, Dr. John A. Gentry - former Senior CIA Analyst and current Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University - discusses his recent book "Strategic Warning Intelligence: History, Challenges, and Prospects." Dr. Gentry explains the 'paradox of warning' and what needs to done in the U.S. to revive and re-establish a healthy warning system. Recorded 28 Sept 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

OPEN HEAVENSMATALA LE LAGI MO LE ASO GAFUA 19 FEPUARI 2024 Manatu Autu: Matua saili (Diligently seeking).  Tauloto – Ieremia 29:13 “E sā‘ili mai ‘outou ‘iā te a‘u, tou te maua fo‘i, pe a ‘outou sā‘ili mai ‘iā te a‘u ma ‘outou loto ‘atoa...” Faitauga - Tusi Paia: Salamo 63:1-8 Upu FolafolaFai mai le Eperu 11:6 e tauia e le Atua I latou e matua saili ia te ia. E na te tauia na o I latou e faia mea lelei ma faia i le lelei atoatoa, o lona uiga o lenei fuaitau o lo'o faapea mai, e finagalo le Atua I ona tagata e matua saili ia te ia. O le mafuaaga lea na faatonu ai e le Atua ia Tavita ia matua saili ia te ia, ma o le a le tali a Tavita? Na fai atu lo‘u loto ‘iā te oe i lau na e fetalai mai, “‘Ia ‘outou sā‘ili‘ili mai ‘iā te a‘u; le ALI‘I e, ‘ou te sā‘ili‘ili atu i lau afio, Salamo 27:8 Fai mai Tavita, ‘Le Atua e, afai ete faatonu a'u ia ou saili atu ia te oe, ou te saili ia te oe, e fai mai lou loto ou te saili ia te oe'. O le aso, o lo'o finagalo le Atua e te saili atu ia te ia. O le a lau tali i ai? E te saili i le Atua i le suesue i le Tusi Paia ma le tatalo. E ui e toatele tagata e latou te faia e pei o isi galuega, ao i latou e matua saili, e sili atu suesuega latou te fai. E latou te suesue i le Tusi Paia mo le tele o itula, e matua saili i se mataupu seia malamalama i le finagalo o le Atua i lea mataupu. Ua latou manatu o le tatalo e le o se galuega, o le vaega masani o le olaga. O so'o se taimi e te vaai ai iai latou, e tatalo aua e fai mai le 1 Tesalonia5:17 e tatalo e le aunoa. A tatalo, e le na o le faaaogaina o upu, e sasa'a atu o latou loto i le Atua ma le naunautaiga ‘Le Alii e, ou te fia iloa atili lau Afio'. E tele itula e na o le mafuta ma talanoa loloto ma le Atua.  Le au pele, saili i le Atua i aso uma seia e moe, e o'o i le taimi o e moe. Fai mai Solomona, e o'o i le taimi e moe ai o loo ala lona loto ma faalogo I Lana pele o loo fai mai e sau. (Pese a Solomona 5:2). Na fai mai Tavita i le Salamo 63:6-8 e mafaufau i le Atua i lona moega i le po, e o'o i lona loto e mulimuli i le Atua. O faamatalaga nei e atagia ai le alofa moni i le Atua. Ae faapefea oe ma lou Atua o lē e pele ia te oe? E iai le taui o le matua saili i le Atua. Le au pele e, ave ou aso e saili ai i le Alii ma ia na o ia. Saili ia te ia a'o e tausami, ia taulai ou naunautaiga uma ia te ia. Afai e matua saili ia te ia, e tatala mai lona finagalo ia te oe i ni auala e leiloa e le tele o kerisiano. E iai mataupu ua faailoa mai e le Atua ia te au i le Agaga e le mafai ona ou faailoa faalauaitele aua e ono le malamalama iai i latou e lē saili i le Atua. Fai sau faaiuga e matua saili i le Atua e amata atu nei, i le suafa o Iesu, Amene.

*AFIO Special Edition episodes offer intelligence expertise and assessments of breaking news* In this inaugural AFIO Special Edition episode, former CIA Division Chief and National Intelligence Manager for ODNI Norman Roule discusses the aerial system attack at a military base in Jordan near the Syrian border last week that killed 3 service members. Recorded 31 Jan 2024. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this episode, Michael V. Hayden, General USAF (Ret), Former Director of NSA and CIA, and first Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence (PDDNI), discusses the biggest challenges he faced in the senior positions he held in the U.S. Intelligence Community. He also offers advice to those considering careers in intelligence. Recorded 31 July 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this episode, prize winning author and journalist Jimmy Burns discusses his latest book "A Faithful Spy: The Life and Times of an MI6 and MI5 Officer" which unveils the exceptional intelligence career of Walter Bell. Recorded 14 Nov 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this episode, David Bickford - former UK Under Secretary of State and MI5 & MI6 Legal Director - discusses his spy thriller "Katya," which takes inspiration from his career in Britain's premier intelligence agencies. Bickford also provides advice to those considering a career in the intelligence services. Recorded 20 July 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In the second of a 2-part series for AFIO Now, award-winning journalist/author, James Bamford discusses his latest book, "Spyfail: Foreign Spies, Moles, Saboteurs, and the Collapse of America's Counterintelligence."  Bamford describes foreign operations against the U.S. and our allies and gives an overview of the expansion of Chinese listening posts in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Cuba. Recorded 19 July 2023. Host: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. Interviewer: John Quattrocki, AFIO Treasurer and former Senior FBI Officer. 

In the second of a two-part series, former CIA Operations Officer and Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Michael Vickers discusses his new memoir, "By All Means Available: Memoirs of a Life in Intelligence, Special Operations, and Strategy." Recorded 29 Jun 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

Peter Levenda, a native of the Bronx, New York City, has an MA in Religious Studies and has published over 20 books, mostly in the area of hermeticism and the occult, and a trilogy of books concerning Nazism and postwar Nazism, as well as a book on China trade. He is most known for Unholy Alliance, which has a foreword by Norman Mailer and which has been translated into a dozen foreign languages, and Sinister Forces: A Grimoire of American Political Witchcraft. He has also published his study of the Asian alchemical influences in the work of Thomas Vaughan, and the influence of Lovecraft on the work of Kenneth Grant. This is a warm November welcome to Season 10 Episode 11 of Thoth-Hermes Podcast. Today's show brings us into conversation with American writer Peter Levenda. Peter has authored a range of titles on histories of American occultism, Nazi occultism, and the dynamics of conspiracy theory. After successfully pursuing an international business career Information Technology, Peter attained an MA in Religious Studies and Asian Studies. Peter is a member of the American Academy of Religion, several societies, and a member of AFIO (the Association of Former Intelligence Officers). Peter is careful to distinguish his expertise as around the context and content of conspiracy, rather than their promulgator. Repeatedly in the interview, he stresses the importance of listeners self-educating on the factors that make populations generally- and occultists specifically- vulnerable to conspiracy content. Peter also clearly notes that he is a “left-leaning” political “independent” capable of engaging with a variety of worldviews. Peter also offers the Adorno “Fascism Scale” as a resource for study. Peter shares formative childhood experiences- rejecting his childhood Catholicism, while retaining the seed of mysticism. A fearful encounter on a mountain in 1963 cemented his personal conviction on the presence of More. High school found Peter conducting seances, reading Crowley and the Tao Te Ching. All of this is reported with a combination of good humor and lasting reverence. A selection of Peter Levenda's published books Rudolf and Peter explore his writing, some of it based around his premise that “America is a haunted house” of unceded territory carrying the displaced and disregarded practices of the First Nations people. Additionally, the influence of encroaching European settlers' own occult traditions and folkways. Turning to the West at large, Peter and Rudolf distinguish between the “traditionalist” and “surrealist” edges of esotericism; one edge flirting with the Authoritarian Right and the other edge liable to persecution from the former. Peter describes the use of “fiction” as parallel to Surrealism in the ability to analogize “truths” that cannot be proven as “non-fiction”, in the midst of grey area on both. Peter suggests this wisdom is present in many Holy Books. Peter identifies “magic” as situated in a space between Science and Religion, with the Shadow of conspiracy theory. A comprehensive take-down of conspiracy mindedness in the contemporary United States follows, including: “longstanding” inadequacy of news media, a population demotivated to learn context for theories, and the dearth of “tik-tok enlightenment”. Peter further names related internal difficulties within occult groups, including sections of the contemporary Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO) and the leadership of the late James Wasserman; the New York-based Wasserman and L...

In this episode, former CIA Operations Officer, lawyer, and novelist I.S. Berry discusses her latest novel, "The Peacock and the Sparrow", a spy thriller that takes place against the backdrop of the Arab Spring. Recorded 5 July 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer. 

In this special episode, CIA Museum Director and Curator Robert Byer gives a sneak peek at the newly renovated and expanded CIA Museum. Byer reveals some of the new artifacts and describes a few of the unusual collections. This special tour also Includes a first look (by many) of the remarkable model used to brief President Biden on the al-Zawahiri mission. Recorded 12 Jun 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer.