SPYCRAFT 101 - Justin Black

Latest Episodes:

80. The President, The Prosecutor, and The Spy with Justin Webster Jan 23, 2023

Show notes

Today Justin speaks with with journalist and documentary filmmaker Justin Webster. Justin was a business reporter in the 90s before the release of his debut film on soccer team FC Barcelona in 2004. Since then, he's directed several more award-winning documentaries. Today he's here to discuss a six part series he created on the life and death of Alberto Nisman, a federal prosecutor in Argentina who was found dead at home in January, 2015. Nisman died hours before he was scheduled to testify on a 1994 antisemitic terrorist attack in Buenos Aires that killed dozens and wounded hundreds more, implicating Argentinian President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner in covering up supposed Iranian involvement.
Connect with Justin:
jwproductions.tv
Twitter: @Justin_JWP
Nisman: The President, The Prosecutor, and The Spy is currently available on Netflix. You can watch it here.
https://www.netflix.com/title/80197991
Connect with Spycraft 101:
Check out Justin's latest release, Covert Arms, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: spycraft-101.myshopify.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

Support the show

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

79. An NSA Spy Unknown for Decades with John Whiteside Jan 16, 2023

Show notes

Today Justin sits down with author and retired FBI special agent John Whiteside III. Since leaving the FBI after working 30 years of Cold War counterintelligence cases, John has worked as a private investigator and as a government consultant. Today, John discusses one of the highest profile cases of his career: the discovery and arrest of Robert Steven Lipka. Lipka was an Army solider assigned to the NSA who spent the mid 60s passing classified documents to the Soviet government. His acts of espionage weren't uncovered until 1992. when an investigative tip surfaced from a completely unexpected source, leading John and his fellow investigators into a lenghty investigation until they finally put Lipka under arrest.
Connect with John:
johnwhitesidebooks.com
Check out John's book, Fool's Mate, here.
https://www.amazon.com/Fools-Mate-Espionage-National-Security/dp/1493597051
Connect with Spycraft 101:
Check out Justin's latest release, Covert Arms, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: spycraft-101.myshopify.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

Clandestine Laboratories
Your new favorite fragrance is here. I'm partial to Novochoc.
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78. The Spy Who Divided the CIA with Howard Blum Jan 09, 2023

Show notes

This week, Justin brings on journalist and author Howard Blum. Howard studied at Stanford University where he received both his bachelor's and master's degree and has worked as a reporter for the New York Times where he was nominated twice for the Pulitzer Prize. More recently, he was a contributing editor for Vanity Fair. He's also the author of several best selling non-fiction books, several of which have been optioned for films.
Today, Howard tells the story of the mysterious death of a senior agency employee, which might not have been a death at all. The employee was hunting a mole during the Cold War, but his quest notoriously divided the CIA into two factions--those who believed him, and those who thought he was a victim of a complex web of disinformation woven by his KGB source.
Connect with Howard:
howardblum.com
Twitter: @HowardBlum
Check out Howard's book, The Spy Who Knew Too Much, here.
https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/0063054213#:~:text=Tennent%20%E2%80%9CPete%E2%80%9D%20Bagley%20was%20once,himself%20to%20be%20the%20mole.

Connect with Spycraft 101:
Check out Justin's latest release, Covert Arms, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: spycraft-101.myshopify.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

Support the show

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

77. Answering More of Your Espionage Questions Jan 02, 2023

Show notes

This week, Justin answers questions you've submitted via Instagram. He dives into the deaths of Spanish espionage agents in Iraq and covers the story an American revolutionary. Tune in to hear about the weapons real spies carry every day, how Hollywood adapts real espionage events, and more. Keep a look out on Instagram for your next chance to submit your biggest questions about clandestine work.
Connect with Spycraft 101:
Check out Justin's latest release, Covert Arms, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: spycraft-101.myshopify.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

Support the show

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

76. Death and the Dangers of Clandestine Work Dec 26, 2022

Show notes

In this solo episode, Justin dives into some of the most intriguing and suspicious deaths related to espionage in the last 80 years. While the USA and the USSR never saw combat with each other during the Cold War, their clandestine operations resulted in many casualties and fatalities over the years. Apparent suicides, murders without explanation, and plane crashes abound. Some of these deaths appear straightforward, but become suspicious when an informed eye takes a closer look.
Connect with Spycraft 101:
Check out Justin's latest release, Covert Arms, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: spycraft-101.myshopify.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

15-Minute Cold War
Use your forces to attack opponents and defend yourself in this new card game.
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75. An International CIA Pilot with Lee Gossett Dec 19, 2022

Show notes

This week, Justin has his first repeat guest. Lee Gossett is back to talk CIA missions. Lee first joined us for episode 13. In his last episode, Lee and Justin dove into Lee's time as a smoker jumper and the years he spent working for Air America in the Secret War in Laos, and this time Lee is sharing stories of his time flying all over the world for the CIA after Air America went under. From Laos to El Salvador, Columbia, Honduras, and more, Lee has seen it all and lived to tell the tale.
Check out Lee's first interview in episode 13 here.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1780478/9032468
Connect with Lee:
Check out his book, Smoke Jumper to Global Pilot: a True Odyssey, here. Available soon on Kindle.
https://www.amazon.com/Smokejumper-Global-Pilot-True-Odyssey/dp/0578614715
Connect with Spycraft 101:
Check out Justin's latest release, Covert Arms, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: spycraft-101.myshopify.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

Support the show

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

74. The Most Dangerous Year on Earth with Brian Morra Dec 12, 2022

Show notes

This week, Justin chats with author and Air Force intelligence veteran Brian Morra. Brian was an intelligence officer in the US Air Force and Air Force Reserve for 15 years before shifting his focus to the aerospace and defense industry, where he spent many years managing intelligence programs. Brian finally retired as a senior Vice President at the end of 2016 and began writing his debut novel. Today, we focus on a pivotal event that took place 1983, what some historians call the most dangerous year on Earth. This a little-known Soviet fiasco brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. Brian's book, The Able Archers, covers this event and his real experience as a young intelligence officer dealing with its repercussions in real time.
Connect with Brian:
brianjmorra.com
Read a free sample of Brian's book, The Able Archers, here.
https://the-able-archers.subscribemenow.com/
Buy the book here.
https://www.amazon.com/Able-Archers-Brian-J-Morra/dp/1646635647
Connect with Spycraft 101:
Check out Justin's latest release, Covert Arms, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: spycraft-101.myshopify.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

Support the show

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

73. The Truth about Snowden with Anonymous Dec 05, 2022

Show notes

Today Justin sits down with anonymous source known as Sarah.
Sarah is veteran member of the special operations and intelligence community, having served as an NCO with the US Air Force for more than 10 years. She has also worked as an Arabic linguist, spending much of her time in the Middle East and Africa. She is a reputable source Justin knows personally, and has requested anonymity in the episode due to privacy concerns.
For the first time, we'll really dive in to 21st century intelligence and espionage from the realities of the Snowden case to the threat of Chinese hegemony.
For more information, check out Unrestricted Warfare, the literature mentioned in this episode, here.

https://Unrestricted-Warfare.subscribemenow.com
Connect with Spycraft 101:
Check out Justin's latest release, Covert Arms, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: spycraft-101.myshopify.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

Support the show

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

72. An Activist Escaping Panama with Kimberly Muse Nov 28, 2022

Show notes

This week, Justin speaks with Kimberly Muse, daughter of Kurt Muse. Kim grew up in Panama, where her father was became the leader of a group of activists in protesting against General Manuel Noriega via radio transmissions. Their work caught the attention of the CIA, and they even received support from the agency for their efforts.
In spring of 1989, Kurt was suddenly arrested at Panama City Airport as he was returning from a trip to the United States. His family and cohorts fled to the US, but Kurt was imprisoned at Carcel Modelo for nine months until a tactical Delta Force mission, Operation Acid Gambit, came to the rescue. Kurt later wrote a best selling memoir of his activism and rescue.
Connect with Kim:
IG: @k9odin_the_mal
Read a free sample of Kurts's book, Six Minutes to Freedom, here.
https://six-minutes.subscribemenow.com/
Buy the book here.
https://www.amazon.com/Six-Minutes-Freedom-Kurt-Muse/dp/0806528044
Connect with Spycraft 101:
Check out Justin's latest release, Covert Arms, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: spycraft-101.myshopify.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

Support the show

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

71. Tracking Down an Iraqi Bioweapons Expert with Stephen Monteiro Nov 21, 2022

Show notes

This week Justin sits down with former police officer, Navy officer, and US Secret Service special agent Stephen Monteiro. Steve spent 20 years in the Secret Service, where he was a member of the Presidential Protective Division at the Clinton White House, among other assignments.
After retiring from federal service and continuing on as a contractor, Steve was tasked with a mysterious case that would become a year's long journey to track down and retrieve a Iraqi microbiologist and anthrax expert Thamer Abdul Rahman Imran. Thamer was skittish, having been burned by the US once before, and located in one of the most dangerous places in the world, but his knowledge had the potential to help prevent future biological weapons attacks on the United States.
Connect with Steve:
stephenphillipmonteiro.com
Twitter: @StevePMonteiro
Read the first chapter of Steve's book, The Gray Bird of Baghdad, here.
https://gray-bird.subscribemenow.com/
Buy the book here.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09NPTNWXP/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
Connect with Spycraft 101:
Check out Justin's latest release, Covert Arms, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: spycraft-101.myshopify.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

Support the show

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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