The NDS Show - An Intelligence Community Podcast covering Geospatial Intelligence, Open Source Intelligence OSINT, Human Intelligence HUMINT, Military & National Security The Return of CIA Spycraft? Iran, Russia, China & the New Intelligence War
Mar 6, 2026
Douglas London, a 34-year CIA clandestine service veteran and author of The Recruiter, shares sharp recollections from overseas tradecraft. He discusses how post-9/11 counterterror shifts reshaped espionage. He explores Iran's gray-zone tactics and why decapitation may fail. He also covers Russia and China as rising intelligence challenges and offers practical HUMINT and recruitment perspectives.
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Recruiting Requires Soul Catching
- Douglas London argues recruiting agents requires long-term relationship building, not quick transactional pitches.
- He describes 'soul catching' — becoming a trusted confidant through shared interests and serendipitous contacts like riding bikes together.
War on Terror Changed CIA's Focus
- London says 9/11 shifted CIA priorities from foreign intelligence collection to counterterrorism and covert action, costing tradecraft and personnel development.
- He notes the Counterterrorist Center grew larger than the Directorate of Operations, diverting officers to war zones and behind-wall collection.
Use Public Declassified Appeals To Recruit Targets
- Use declassified, targeted messaging to reach potential assets publicly when covert influence is harder due to the internet.
- London praises tailored videos in Russian, Mandarin, and Farsi that appeal to specific motivations like patriotism or fear of purges.
