Intelligence Matters

In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with Ellen McCarthy, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR). As head of INR – the oldest all-source U.S. intelligence agency, and among the smallest, within the 17-member community – McCarthy leads a cadre of about 250 analysts at the State Department who provide assessments to the Secretary of State, relevant policymakers and the President. She explains how INR analysts arrive at their assessments of foreign leaders, including North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Russian president Vladimir Putin, and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and how their assessments can inform, but not influence, policymaking. This is the second installment of a continuing series on "Leadership of the IC," featuring currently-serving senior leadership within the U.S. intelligence community. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with Russ Travers, deputy director of the National Counterterrorism Center within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Travers offers an overview of enduring and evolving terrorism threats facing the U.S. from extremist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda as well as known state sponsors of terror Iran and Pakistan. He also outlines how technological shifts are compounding challenges of counterterrorism intelligence collection. This is the first installment of a continuing series on "Leadership of the IC," featuring currently-serving senior leadership within the U.S. intelligence community. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with Chris Krebs, Director of the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Krebs details the department's efforts to defend U.S. systems, elections and infrastructure from foreign adversaries' cyber incursions and influence operations. He explains the nature of strategic threats from Russia, China and others and how CISA is working to boost the resilience of the country's critical infrastructure. He also describes the agency's efforts to protect the 2020 presidential election from outside interference. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this bonus episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell holds a mock "situation room" dialogue with Ambassador Bill Burns, former deputy Secretary of State and President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Jim Miller, former Under Secretary is Defense for Policy and senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, on U.S. diplomatic, policy and military options for responding to Iran amid escalating tensions. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with Washington Post journalist and Beijing bureau chief Anna Fifield about her new book, "The Great Successor: The Divinely Perfect Destiny of Brilliant Comrade Kim Jong-Un." Morell and Fifield discuss her years of reporting from inside Pyongyang and her conversations with the North Korean leader's elusive inner circle. She describes how she obtained first-hand accounts of Kim's childhood and family relationships. Fifield also details some of Kim's early, formative experiences and the sometimes brutal ways he managed to consolidate and maintain power. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with former CIA analyst and targeting officer Nada Bakos about the post-9/11 hunt for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the low-level jihadist and eventual head of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, ISIS's predecessor organization. Morell and Bakos discuss the intense political pressure some analysts felt as they worked to identify links between Iraq and Al Qaeda in the immediate aftermath of the attacks. Bakos also describes how targeting officers employed tactical analysis in an effort to dismantle terror networks and the human intelligence that led to Zarqawi's demise. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell interviews Jonna Mendez, who spent nearly three decades at the CIA and was its Chief of Disguise until 1993. Mendez tells Morell about the fundamentals of disguise, deception and illusion, including what kinds of spies were the hardest to hide. Mendez also discusses her time with her husband, Tony Mendez, a celebrated CIA officer who was famously portrayed in the movie, "Argo." She explains why both of them have pushed for greater transparency into the lives and work of intelligence officers worldwide. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with Russia and foreign policy expert Angela Stent, who is director of the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies and a professor of government and foreign service at Georgetown University. Stent and Morell discuss Russia's primary global objectives today, and the centuries of history that have shaped its trajectory. Stent also traces President Vladimir Putin's rise to power, and offers an assessment of the qualities and strategies that underlie his political success. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell interviews Tamir Pardo, who served as Director of the Mossad, Israel's intelligence service, from 2011 to 2016. They discuss the Mossad's relationship with the CIA and current regional dynamics involving Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the possibility of arriving at a two-state solution. In a rare and wide-ranging interview, Pardo tells Morell about his career trajectory and pivotal moments during his tenure as director. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with David Sanger, national security correspondent for the New York Times and author of “The Perfect Weapon: War, Sabotage, and Fear in the Cyber Age.” Morell and Sanger discuss the technological and geopolitical challenges of the cyber domain, including forthcoming developments like 5G networks, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and expanding opportunities for offensive operations. Sanger also offers his perspective on covering the intelligence community and the Trump administration. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with Col. Chris Costa, executive director of the International Spy Museum, about the museum's reimagined exhibitions and upcoming reopening in a new location in Washington, DC. Costa explains how the museum obtained over 7,000 artifacts and uses them to tell a newly dimensional story of global spycraft. He covers the tactics, products and gadgetry of espionage, and tells Morell how the museum provides new insight into different facets of intelligence work. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this special edition of Intelligence Matters, which is marking its one-year anniversary since being relaunched by CBS News, host Michael Morell speaks with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about the top foreign policy challenges facing the United States. Morell and Pompeo discuss the post-caliphate capabilities of ISIS, the way forward in Afghanistan and Syria, the Trump administration's policy priorities in Iran, and its strategy for countering immediate threats from North Korea and long-term threats from China. Secretary Pompeo also makes a case for America's continued global engagement. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week's episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell interviews Chris Darby, President and CEO of In-Q-Tel (IQT), the strategic investment arm of the C.I.A. and the broader intelligence and national security community. Darby explains the history of IQT, how it identifies and vets the companies it chooses to invest in, and how its priorities have evolved since 9/11. Morell and Darby discuss the top technology challenges facing the intelligence community as well as the intensifying strategic competition with China. Darby explains why imagination and creativity play a central role in keeping the intelligence community agile and the country safe. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this bonus episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell leads a panel discussion with four top journalists and editors with decades of experience covering intelligence-related issues. Morell interviews NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell, Cipher Brief CEO and Publisher Suzanne Kelly, and the Washington Post’s National Security and Intelligence Columnist David Ignatius and National Security Editor Peter Finn about how the media balances accountability journalism with the need to protect national security. The event was sponsored by the Michael V. Hayden Center and the Schar School of Policy and Government. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with Jamie Metzl, a geopolitics expert, technology futurist and author of a new book called Hacking Darwin: Genetic Engineering and the Future of Humanity. Metzl and Morell discuss recent advances in reproductive technologies and genetic screening, as well as how their convergence with other technologies like artificial intelligence and big data processing could fundamentally change population health and growth. They also review the national security implications of certain advances in genetic engineering, including how societies worldwide may navigate the ethical questions raised by gene editing and embryo screening. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with former career CIA official Meroe Park, who served at the agency for nearly three decades in a variety of roles -- including analyst, executive assistant to former director George Tenet, chief of payroll and, most recently, chief operating officer. Park was also acting director when President Trump made his first visit to and speech at the CIA in January 2017. She recounts the last-minute preparations for his appearance and explains why the backlash to Trump's controversial speech missed part of the story of his visit. She also discusses the CIA's efforts to boost diversity and demonstrate effective internal leadership. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with Glenn Gerstell, the National Security Agency's top legal officer. They discuss the looming legal, ethical and societal implications of the digital revolution underway across the globe, as well as the challenges posed by the rapid development and adoption of new technologies. Gerstell explains how changes in the information landscape have prompted an evolution in the NSA's own approach to transparency. He also details the NSA's internal protocols for identifying surveillance targets and unmasking individuals whose communications are captured by incidental collection. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this bonus episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell leads a panel discussion with four former intelligence committee members in partnership with the Michael V. Hayden Center and the Schar School of Policy and Government. Former members of the congressional intelligence committees, including former Representatives Jane Harman (D-CA) and Mike Rogers (R-MI) and former Senators Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) and Bill Nelson (D-FL), weigh in on the role and practice of oversight, challenges that can arise, and how politicization can be a complicating factor for essential accountability work. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks about a growing crisis in American foreign policy with Eliot Cohen, Executive Vice Dean of Johns Hopkins University?s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and Robert E. Osgood Professor of Strategic Studies. Cohen, who also served as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's senior adviser, tells Morell the United States risks becoming 'erratically internationalist' by making inconsistent or incoherent choices about where it is engaged abroad. He argues President Trump represents a broad American disenchantment with the country's post-World War II role, and suggests other state and non-state actors will move to assert more control in their respective regions. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Intelligence Matters, former CIA director General (ret.) David Petraeus speaks with host Michael Morell about strategic leadership and the need to conceive, communicate, implement and refine 'big ideas.' Petraeus, who commanded coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, weighs in on the 'big ideas' that should shape some of the biggest challenges in U.S. foreign policy, including vis-à-vis China, Russia and North Korea. He also offers a five-part framework for confronting Islamic extremism, and shares insights about his time at the helm of the CIA. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.