Podcast Nuggets Episode 5

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After a long break, we're at it again. Three podcast nuggets to spoil the ears and mind. Recent news as a starter. The renowned company Crypto AG that turned out to be a CIA & BND subsidiary. Next stop, a talk about how you make it possible for U.S. spooks to operate in Moscow, and finally the former CIA chief of station Moscow about handling their top Russian spy. Almost three hours of fascinating spy mania. Get your headphones, listen very carefully... and watch your back!

NPR - Uncovering The CIA's Operation To Steal State Secrets. Washington Post reporter Greg Miller was one of the investigative journalists who uncovered the truth about the highly respected Swiss company Crypto AG, once world leader of encryption equipment with customers in more than 120 countries. CIA documents revealed that Crypto AG was joint-purchased by the CIA and BND, the West-German Federal Intelligence, as early as 1970. It was the start of the largest ever worldwide compromise of secure communications for many decades. See also my previous posts Crypto AG Fallout and Crypto AG Alternatives.

SPYCAST - Moscow Rules with Jonna Mendez. The story of CIA operations officer Tony Mendez (the real Argo) and his wife Jonna, both experts in disguise who were ground-breaking experts in developing techniques that enables American spies to operate under the noses of the almighty KGB’s countersurveillance. Cloak is the vital part of cloak and dagger. Tony sadly past away in 2019. The book is also a tribute to his work. I recently bought the book The Moscow Rules, and I can highly recommended.

SPYCAST- Conversation with David Rolph. This Former CIA Chief of Moscow station was one of the case officers that handled Adolf Tolkachev, probably the most valuable CIA assets ever in the Soviet Union. The CIA had to operate and have meetings with Tolkachev, despite overwhelming KGB surveillance. If you liked this podcast and want to know more about Tolkachev, you definitely have to read the book The Billion Dollar Spy from David Hoffman (see my book review).  There's More about Tolkachev on this blog.