John Kiriakou's Dead Drop
John Kiriakou & Alan Katz
Join ex-CIA officer John Kiriakou on a very personal deep dive into what makes a spy tick. One of the most famous spies in the whole world, John - a spy with a conscience - ratted out the CIA's torture program after the war on terror and spent 23 months in federal prison for it. As John explains, no spy is ever an "ex-spy". Why is that so? Listen to the podcast and you'll understand why. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 30, 2026 • 35min
S1E21 End Of Times
He recounts clashing with an inexperienced, power-hungry boss and the corruption and favoritism that warped operations. He outlines a shocking scandal involving an officer's crimes and classified files. Family obligations and a tragic loss force a rethink of a lifelong career. A civilian job offer triggers a dramatic confrontation and a bold exit, while hints suggest the past may not stay buried.
28 snips
Mar 23, 2026 • 54min
S1E20 Changes
A return from a Pakistan mission and the choice to take a domestic assignment to be closer to family. Tense clashes with a paper‑pushing supervisor and the fallout from her five‑report quota. Behind‑the‑scenes looks at briefings, counterintelligence work, and the hunt for high‑value Al‑Qaeda figures. Personal life shifts, long hours, and a decision to fight back against bureaucratic pressure.
17 snips
Mar 16, 2026 • 26min
S1E19 Torture
A deep look at how legal wordplay and memos reshaped U.S. interrogation policy. A clear rundown of the Convention Against Torture, related U.S. laws, and the ten enhanced techniques. Detailed accounts of medical oversight, jurisdictional loopholes, and how political backing enabled waterboarding. A chronological recounting of when systematic harsh interrogations began and how they were implemented.
14 snips
Mar 9, 2026 • 32min
S1E18 Cross Currents
A former CIA officer recounts renditions, secret detentions, and tense interrogations. He reflects on a moment of violence that haunted him and the fallout of refusing harsher interrogation training. Stories include sting operations, mistaken raids with heartfelt apologies, and uncovered phone records that raised big questions about missed follow-ups.
11 snips
Mar 2, 2026 • 28min
S1E17 Zain
A gripping recounting of bringing a wounded detainee into a chaotic Pakistani hospital. Vivid details of sleepless nights, bedside conversations, and unexpected poetry discovered in a captor's diary. Tense moments around security decisions, medical urgency, and a sudden nighttime transfer that changes everything.
Feb 23, 2026 • 44min
S1E16 Captured
A tense manhunt for a high-value Al Qaeda figure unfolds across Pakistan with cramped intel and shifting sightings. Improvised tech and analyst mapping narrow dozens of locations to a few critical sites. Night raids, chaotic gunfire, and a wounded capture lead to emergency hospital care and intense round-the-clock guarding.
10 snips
Feb 16, 2026 • 37min
S1E15 The Hunt Begins
A spy lands in Pakistan and searches for the perfect safe house while navigating tense local intelligence partnerships. He builds a cramped counterterrorism team, plans late‑night raids, and equips operatives for frontline arrests. A tip hints that a top Al Qaeda figure may be hiding nearby, kicking off a high-stakes hunt.
9 snips
Feb 13, 2026 • 13min
Mini Episode 5 Betrayal
A deep dive into Aldrich Ames' betrayal and the staggering damage he inflicted on clandestine operations. Listeners hear how greed, alcohol, debt, and personal failings drove a spy to sell secrets. The story follows career missteps, how mole-hunt fatigue allowed him to hide, and the surveillance mistakes that finally led to capture.
15 snips
Feb 9, 2026 • 28min
S1E14 Game On
A 9/11-era counterterrorism narrative tracing CIA plans to ring Afghanistan and capture Osama bin Laden alive. Stories about early surveillance, missed timing on arming drones, and long-standing CIA–FBI rivalry. Personal stakes as a CIA officer pushes to join Pakistan operations and crafts propaganda and religious outreach strategies.
7 snips
Feb 2, 2026 • 24min
S1E13 Hostages
A tense custody battle turns into a personal manhunt as a father uses surveillance and spycraft to locate his missing children. A daring extraction from a church and a standoff with local police raise the stakes. Workplace memos and training trips segue into urgent intelligence briefings about a looming terrorist threat that soon becomes horrifyingly real.
