The Rest Is Classified

Latest Episodes:

128. Al Qaeda’s Deadliest Plot: CIA vs Pakistan (Ep 3) Feb 16, 2026

Show notes

The “Special Relationship” is under strain as MI5 and the CIA butt heads over how to stop an Al Qaeda cell in East London from committing the next 9/11. With the Americans visiting Pakistan and making risky unauthorised decisions, will the intelligence alliance survive?

Listen as David and Gordon take us to Islamabad in the latest episode of their series on the Liquid Bomb Plot, and try to understand why a lone agent acted so impulsively.

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Video Editor: Joe Pettit

Social Producer: Emma Jackson

Assistant Producer: Alfie Rowe

Producer: Becki Hills

Head of History: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

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127. Was Epstein A Russian Spy? Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

Was convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein working undercover for the Kremlin? Did Putin recruit Epstein to harvest kompromat on his enemies? And what does this mean for global security going forward?

Listen as David McCloskey spoke LIVE to former CIA officer and foreign policy, intelligence, and national security expert John Sipher to discuss the ongoing intelligence developments coming out of the Epstein Files.

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Listen to John Sipher's Mission Implausibe.

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Social Producer: Emma Jackson

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Head of History: Dom Johnson

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126. Al Qaeda’s Deadliest Plot: The Terror Attack That Never Happened (Ep 2) Feb 11, 2026

Show notes

MI5 have discovered a bomb making factory in East London, but how do they stop the Al Qaeda plotters from carrying out their terrifying plans?

In the second episode of their series on the Liquid Bomb Plot, David and Gordon share the inside story of how MI5 surveilled the extremist cell and “legally” broke into the bomb factory.

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Video Editor: Joe Pettit

Social Producer: Emma Jackson

Assistant Producer: Alfie Rowe

Producer: Becki Hills

Head of History: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

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125. Al Qaeda’s Deadliest Plot: How MI5 Stopped Another 9/11 (Ep 1) Feb 09, 2026

Show notes

In the aftermath of 9/11, while the world was still reeling from the deadliest terror attack on US soil, Al Qaeda were plotting an airline attack with ever graver consequences. This is the story of the Liquid Bomb Plot.

Listen as David and Gordon delve into the story of how MI5 foiled the plans of an extremist cell in East London.

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Social Producer: Emma Jackson

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Producer: Becki Hills

Head of History: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

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124. Kim Philby: Britain’s Most Notorious Traitor (Ep 4) Feb 04, 2026

Show notes

A Russian agent is trying to defect to Britain, but there’s only one person in his way: Kim Philby. Will the communist double agent at the heart of MI6 sell his comrade down the river to save himself, or spare his life at the risk of giving the game away?

As David and Gordon reach the end of their first foray into the infamous life and career of Kim Philby, they ask: can you ever feel sympathy for a traitor?

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Video Editor: James Clayden

Social Producer: Emma Jackson

Producer: Becki Hills

Head of History: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

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123. Kim Philby: Communist Double Agent In London (Ep 3) Feb 02, 2026

Show notes

Kim Philby’s moment in the sun has finally arrived: he has been recruited by MI6 and asked to join the anti-communist division. With access to intelligence beyond his wildest dreams, this is Philby’s chance to show the Russians what he’s made of.

Listen as David and Gordon continue their story on the rise of Kim Philby from war correspondent to one of the most important men in British intelligence.

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Video Editor: James Clayden

Social Producer: Emma Jackson

Producer: Becki Hills

Head of History: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

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122. Kim Philby: An Assassin In Spain (Ep 2) Jan 28, 2026

Show notes

Kim Philby has been recruited by the communists to spy on the growing fascist movement across Europe, but he can’t seem to penetrate the intelligence services. So, like all men with access to an old boys’ network in 20th century Britain, he asks a friend for a job.

In this episode, David and Gordon chart Philby’s rise as a war correspondent for The Times in London; eventually finding himself in Spain on the eve of war with the unenviable task of trying to assassinate General Franco.

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Social Producer: Emma Jackson

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Head of History: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

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121. Kim Philby: Stalin’s Mole Inside MI6 (Ep 1) Jan 26, 2026

Show notes

Kim Philby has gone down in history as Britain’s most notorious double agent: spying for Stalin while running the MI6 counter-intelligence operation against him. But how did a quiet public school boy go on to change the course of the Cold War?

Listen as David and Gordon begin their four-part series on the rise of Kim Philby, from the son of an anti-colonial eccentric in India to one of the most powerful, and dangerous, men in Britain.

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Just go to ⁠⁠therestisclassified.com⁠ or join on Apple Podcasts.

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Get a 10% discount on business PCs, printers and accessories using the code TRIC10. Visit https://HP.com/CLASSIFIED for more information. T&C's apply.

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Social Producer: Emma Jackson

Producer: Becki Hills

Head of History: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

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The Persian (Extract) Jan 24, 2026

Show notes

To coincide with the release of David's latest novel, The Persian, we have the book’s first chapter in audiobook form for you to enjoy.

Mixing suspense with strikingly cinematic action, David McCloskey takes readers deep into the shadow war between Iran and Israel.

The Persian by David McCloskey, is OUT NOW in the UK.

Pre-order a signed edition ⁠via this link.⁠

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What happens when a spy is forced to reckon with the consequences of his deception?

Kamran Esfahani, a Persian Jewish dentist from Stockholm, dreams of starting afresh in California. To finance his new life, he agrees to spy for Mossad in Iran, working with a clandestine unit tasked with sowing chaos and sabotage inside the country. When he’s captured by Iranian security forces, Kamran is compelled to confess his experiences as a spy, in a testimonial dealing not only with the security of nations, but also with revenge, deceit, and the power of love and forgiveness in a world of lies.

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Email: classified@goalhanger.com

Twitter: ⁠@triclassified⁠

Social Producer: Emma Jackson

Producer: Becki Hills

Head of History: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

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120. Greenland Intelligence Scoop: Trump, Xi, and Putin's Battle for the Arctic Jan 23, 2026

Show notes

Why is Trump backing down on his plans to seize Greenland? Are the Russian's already spying in the Arctic? And should we be fearing Chinese influence in the icy north?

In this emergency podcast, David and Gordon delve into the intelligence story regarding Greenland and ask why Trump's forcefulness may be distracting us from the plans of China and Russia.

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Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠therestisclassified.com⁠⁠⁠ or join on Apple Podcasts.

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Email: ⁠⁠therestisclassified@goalhanger.com⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@restisclassified⁠

Social Producer: Emma Jackson

Assistant Producer: Alfie Rowe

Producer: Becki Hills