The Rest Is Classified takes you into the mysterious world of spies and espionage. Hosted by former CIA analyst now turned spy novelist, David McCloskey, and ve...
7. The Real Godfather: The Assassination that Shook Syria (Ep 2)
Did the assassination of Rafic Hariri lay the foundations for the ultimate downfall of the Assad regime? And was the Syrian dictator always destined for evil, or was evil thrust upon him?
Rafic Hariri is looking over his shoulder, anxious for his future, with Bashar al-Assad hellbent on his removal from power. He steps up his security detail and coordinates convoluted exit strategies, but his efforts are ultimately in vain. So, what was the long-term impact of the assassination of the Lebanese president for the Syrian dictator? Listen as David and Gordon tell the story of the gruesome killing of President Hariri and the parallels between Assad and the ill-fated mafiosi, Michael Corleone.
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Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @triclassified
Assistant Producer: Becki Hills
Producer: Callum Hill
Senior Producer: Dom Johnson
Exec Producer: Tony Pastor
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41:40
6. The Real Godfather: Assad’s Syrian Mafia (Ep 1)
How did Bashar al-Assad become one of the Middle East’s most feared dictators? What role did Hezbollah play in the assassination of the Lebanese Prime Minister in 2005? And how did Assad’s rise to ultimate power mirror the ascent of Michael Corleone in the Godfather?
As the new millennium dawned, Bashar al-Assad prepared to step into his father’s shoes as the next authoritarian president of Syria. While he enjoyed a smooth ascension to the top job, trouble was brewing over the border in Lebanon as the Lebanese Prime Minister sought to escape the debilitating control of its Syrian master. What follows is a story straight out of the Godfather canon with a mafiosi state fighting for ultimate power and a network of spies working to neutralise opposing gangs.
Listen as Gordon Corera and David McCloskey discuss the Syrian plot to assassinate the Lebanese Prime Minister at the turn of the 21st century.
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Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @triclassified
Assistant Producer: Becki Hills
Producer: Callum Hill
Senior Producer: Dom Johnson
Exec Producer: Tony Pastor
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46:05
5. CIA vs the Taliban: Bin Laden's Trojan Horse (Ep 2)
Mazar i-Sharif has fallen without much of a fight. The Taliban's grip on Afghanistan is looking all the more shaky. It seems as if the American policy to work with the warlords is paying dividends. Enemy fighters are surrendering to them. But is it all too rosy? In the centre of Mazar i-Sharif, the Americans take 400 Al-Qaeda captives to Qala-i-Jangi, the Fort of War. They believe they have surrendered. But all is not as it seems...
Listen as David McCloskey and Gordon Corera discuss the first CIA teams in Afghanistan in the days after 9/11.
Further Reading:
First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11 by Toby Harnden - buy it here.
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Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @triclassified
Editor: Vasco Andrade
Assistant Producer: Becki Hills
Producer: Callum Hill
Senior Producer: Dom Johnson
Exec Producer: Tony Pastor
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42:33
4. The Rise and Fall of Assad's Mafia Spy State
What will western and Syrian spy services be focusing on following the fall of Bashar al-Assad? Is Russia and Iran’s withdrawal from Syria similar to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan? Were the security services predicting that the Assad regime would collapse so quickly?
Join David McCloskey and Gordon Corera as they answer all these questions and more in this emergency episode of The Rest Is Classified.
For further reading, check out David and Gordon’s recommended profiles below:
Razan Saffour - @RazanSpeaks
Aaron Zelin - @azelin
Leila Al-Shami - @LeilaShami
Charles Lister - @Charles_Lister
Synaps Network - @SynapsNetwork
Kim Ghattas - @KimGhattas
Emma Beals - @ejbeals
Steve Heydemann - @SHeydemann
Rim Turkmani - @Rim_Turkmani
Lina Ghoutouk - @linaagho
Sednaya Missing - @sednayamissing
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It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee!
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @triclassified
Assistant Producer: Becki Hills
Producer: Callum Hill
Senior Producer: Dom Johnson
Exec Producer: Tony Pastor
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39:29
3. CIA vs the Taliban: Behind Enemy Lines (Ep 1)
America knew Al-Qaeda were behind the 9/11 attacks before the day was out. They knew they were being sheltered by the Taliban in Afghanistan and so the CIA went after them. Small teams were dropped behind enemy lines with bags of cash and very little else, instructed to link up with Afghan warlords like Abdul Rashid Dostum. It proved to be a devastating combination as they began to sweep through Afghanistan.
Listen as Gordon Corera and David McCloskey discuss the first CIA teams first in Afghanistan after 9/11.
Further Reading:
First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11 by Toby Harnden - buy it here.
Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ www.nordvpn.com/restisclassified
It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee!
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @triclassified
Editor: Vasco Andrade
Producer: Callum Hill
Senior Producer: Dom Johnson
Exec Producer: Tony Pastor
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Rest Is Classified takes you into the mysterious world of spies and espionage. Hosted by former CIA analyst now turned spy novelist, David McCloskey, and veteran security correspondent, Gordon Corera, they’ve experienced this field first-hand. It’s a world of shadows, shrouded in secrecy, but it affects every one of us. It’s time to bring it into the light.
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