From CIA spymaster's real-life stories to the importance of human intelligence in AI era, this podcast delves into high-stakes covert meetings, diversity in CIA, leadership challenges, and secret missions like the CIA operation in Iran post-1979 revolution.
45:19
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
DDO's Role In Helping Ukraine Defend Itself
Tom personally coordinated major CIA support to Ukraine during Russia's full-scale invasion, focusing on intelligence sharing, training, and organizational support.
He describes it as a proud, ongoing effort that helped prevent Ukraine's collapse.
insights INSIGHT
Espionage Is A Team Effort
Espionage is a team sport: operations rely on targeters, collection managers, staff ops, and language officers behind each case officer.
Tom stresses multidisciplinary teams manage safety, questioning, and dissemination of collected HUMINT.
insights INSIGHT
HUMINT Captures Intent And Context
Human intelligence remains vital because intentions, mood, and decision context often exist only in people's minds and aren't captured by technical collection.
Tom warns that overheard words lack context; HUMINT prevents strategic surprise by revealing plans and intent.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
From glittering capitals to active warzones, CIA operations officers work across the world to uncover the information needed to keep Americans safe -- and ultimately, they’re all overseen by the Agency’s Deputy Director for Operations at CIA Headquarters. It’s a position traditionally shrouded in secrecy, but on this premiere of The Langley Files Season 3, Dee and Walter sit down with the CIA official who recently assumed that mantle, a veteran CIA operations officer who played a central role in CIA’s efforts to help Ukraine defend itself as Russia’s full-scale invasion commenced. In his first-ever public remarks, you’ll learn what CIA operations officers actually do, what the Agency is looking for in its next generation of them, and why human intelligence remains vital in the era of AI—all straight from the spymaster-in-chief of the world’s premiere foreign intelligence organization.
Look Inside FILE 014:
Want to dive deeper into today’s episode? Here's a look into more of Langley's (unclassified) files:
Want to become one of the CIA operations officers gathering intelligence across the globe to keep Americans and others around the world safe? Follow in Tom’s footsteps and apply here.
Read an overview of CIA’s Directorate of Operations, which conducts human intelligence (or HUMINT) operations and—as directed by the President—covert action, here.
*Nothing in this podcast should be construed to be an endorsement by the CIA or the US Government of any particular company, product, or service.*
The Langley Files: CIA's Podcast