The Rest Is Classified
Enter the secretive world of spies, espionage, and covert operations. Hosted by former CIA analyst turned spy novelist, David McCloskey, and veteran security correspondent, Gordon Corera, this podcast unravels real-life spy stories, intelligence secrets, and the hidden power struggles shaping global events. From Cold War espionage to modern-day intelligence agencies like the CIA, MI6, and Mossad, explore the world of double agents, classified missions, and the shadowy figures who operate in them. Whether you're a true crime addict, a thriller fan, or fascinated by spy stories, this is the show for you.
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Recent Episodes
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David McCloskey and Gordon Carrera record live from Bletchley Park, exploring the origins of the US-UK intelligence partnership. In February 1941, four American codebreakers arrived at Bletchley Park on a secret wartime mission, bringing with them breakthroughs in Japanese cipher technology. This episode examines the fragile trust between American and British intelligence services, the parallel codebreaking efforts on both sides of the Atlantic, and the high stakes decision about whether Britain should reveal its crown jewel: the breakthrough against Germany's Enigma machine.
- Bletchley Park: Britain's Greatest Secret
- The American Black Chamber and Herbert Yardley
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This episode explores the Jonathan Pollard spy case, one of the most damaging espionage incidents in US-Israel relations. David McCluskey and Gordon Corera examine how a troubled Navy analyst managed to pass massive amounts of classified intelligence to Israel over 17 months, the mechanics of his espionage operation, his dramatic capture, and the decades-long political fallout that continues to shape US-Israel intelligence cooperation today.
- The Israeli Intelligence Unit Behind Pollard
- The Mechanics of Pollard's Espionage Operation
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This episode examines the complex intelligence relationship between the United States and Israel, exploring how two close allies navigate the practice of spying on each other. The hosts analyze recent controversies around Israeli surveillance of U.S. negotiators during Iran peace talks, trace the historical evolution of U.S.-Israel intelligence cooperation from the 1950s onward, and begin a deep dive into the infamous Jonathan Pollard espionage case from the 1980s. The discussion reveals how strategic interests, personal relationships, and institutional frameworks shape intelligence sharing and collection between allies, even when those activities create significant friction.
- The Modern U.S.-Israel Intelligence Relationship and Recent Tensions
- Historical Foundation: From Angleton to Ice Castle
178. The Plot to Destroy Russia’s Gas Empire (Ep 2)
Jul 22, 2026Summary Preview
This episode explores the audacious 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines by a small Ukrainian team. Journalist Bojan Pancevski reveals how civilian divers, working on a $250,000 budget, executed what may be one of the century's most significant acts of sabotage—destroying Russian-German energy infrastructure using a sailing yacht and basic diving equipment. The story unveils the operation's planning, the CIA's attempts to stop it, and the troubling implications for future infrastructure security.
- Ukrainian Intelligence and CIA Relationship
- The CIA's Non-Role and $50 Million Alternative
177. Who Blew Up the Nord Stream Pipeline? (Ep 1)
Jul 19, 2026Summary Preview
In September 2022, the Nord Stream pipelines carrying Russian gas to Europe exploded in the Baltic Sea in what became the greatest act of sabotage on civilian infrastructure in history. This episode explores the controversial origins of the Nord Stream project, revealing how Germany's 'change through trade' philosophy with Russia created dangerous energy dependencies. The investigation uncovers how a group of Ukrainian military and intelligence officers, operating more like a startup than a traditional covert operation, devised an audacious plan to strike at Russia's economic lifeline by destroying the pipelines that Putin relied upon for funding his war machine.
- The Explosion: A Historic Act of Sabotage
- Nord Stream: A Controversial Pipeline Built on 'Change Through Trade'
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In this episode, David McCloskey and Gordon Carrera conclude their two-part series on the 2001 Hainan Island incident, examining what happened after a U.S. EP-3 spy plane made an emergency landing on Chinese soil following a mid-air collision with a Chinese fighter jet. The episode explores the intense diplomatic crisis that followed, the interrogation of American crew members, the search for the missing Chinese pilot Wang Wei, and the delicate negotiations that ultimately resolved the situation. The hosts also discuss the troubling parallels with current incidents involving Russian and Chinese aircraft, raising concerns about how such crises might unfold today.
- Emergency Landing and Initial Captivity
- Diplomatic Crisis and Competing Narratives
175. How China Downed a US Spy Plane (Ep 1)
Jul 12, 2026Summary Preview
This episode examines the 2001 Hainan incident, when a Chinese fighter jet collided with a U.S. spy plane over the South China Sea, resulting in the death of a Chinese pilot and 24 American crew members becoming hostages. The hosts explore how this near-disaster emerged from routine interception operations and draw parallels to current tensions with both China and Russia, demonstrating how accidents can rapidly escalate into international crises.
- The Geopolitical Tinderbox of the South China Sea
- The EP-3 Spy Plane and Its Mission
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This episode concludes the investigation into Alexander Litvinenko's 2006 poisoning death in London, examining the years-long fight for justice led by his widow Marina, the eventual public inquiry that pointed to Putin's approval, and the weak UK government response that failed to deter further Russian assassinations on British soil.
- The British State's Resistance to a Public Inquiry
- The 2016 Public Inquiry and Its Findings
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This episode chronicles the unprecedented police investigation following Alexander Litvinenko's death from polonium-210 poisoning in London. Detectives follow a radioactive trail across the city, testing over 750 people and 40 sites, while navigating Russian obstruction during interviews with suspects Andrei Lugovoy and Dmitry Kovtun. The investigation reveals the suspects' carelessness with the deadly substance and culminates in murder charges that Russia refuses to honor, exposing the UK's weak diplomatic response.
- Understanding Polonium-210: The Murder Weapon
- Following the Radioactive Trail Across London
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In this gripping episode, Alexander Litvinenko lies dying in a London hospital after being poisoned on November 1st, 2006. Over three weeks, doctors struggle to identify what's killing him while he gives detailed testimony to police, pointing to Putin as ultimately responsible. The mystery is finally solved when polonium-210 is discovered, but too late to save him. He dies on November 23rd, leaving behind a powerful statement accusing Putin of barbarism and unworthiness of office.
- The Onset of Illness and Hospital Admission
- Medical Mystery and Police Investigation Begins
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This episode traces the final weeks of Alexander Litvinenko's life in October-November 2006, documenting three separate assassination attempts by Russian agents Andrei Lugovoy and Dmitry Kovtun. The episode reveals the increasingly inflammatory actions Litvinenko took against Putin, including publishing an article accusing Putin of pedophilia, while Russian assassins made repeated trips to London under the guise of business meetings. Despite warnings about a Russian hit list, Litvinenko ultimately consumed polonium-laced tea at the Millennium Hotel on November 1st, 2006, in what would prove to be a fatal encounter.
- Escalating Threats and Litvinenko's Growing Vulnerability
- First Assassination Attempt: The Business Meeting
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Alexander Litvinenko arrives in London as an exile in 2000, granted asylum in 2001. Over the next five years, he builds a life in the UK while becoming increasingly active in opposing Putin through writing, due diligence work, and alleged cooperation with MI6. His 2001 book 'Blowing Up Russia' makes explosive allegations that the FSB orchestrated apartment bombings to justify Putin's rise to power. By 2006, Litvinenko's multiple activities—including consulting for MI6, conducting due diligence on Russian oligarchs, and attempting to recruit agents—have created numerous motives for the Russian state to eliminate him. His relationship with Andrei Lugovoy, who appears to be an FSB agent, puts him in increasing danger.
- Life in London Exile and Financial Support from Berezovsky
- Becoming a Dissident: The Book 'Blowing Up Russia'
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The Rest Is Classified begins a dramatic new series examining the 2006 poisoning death of Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian FSB officer murdered in London with radioactive polonium. This first episode traces Litvinenko's journey from idealistic Soviet security officer to Putin critic and exile, exploring the dangerous intersection of Russian organized crime, state security services, and Vladimir Putin's rise to power. The story reveals how Britain became a battleground for Russian internal conflicts and foreshadows the state-sanctioned assassination that would shock the world.
- Who Was Alexander Litvinenko: Early Life and Career in Soviet Security
- Meeting the Oligarch: Litvinenko and Boris Berezovsky's Fateful Alliance
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David McCloskey and Gordon Carrera examine two major stories shaking the US intelligence community: a senior CIA officer arrested with $42 million in gold bars at his Virginia home, and the political turbulence surrounding Trump's appointments to lead US intelligence agencies. The episode explores how David Rush allegedly created a fake special access program to embezzle millions, raising serious questions about CIA vetting procedures, and analyzes the ongoing politicization concerns as Trump reshuffles intelligence leadership.
- The $42 Million Gold Bar Case: How a CIA Officer Got Caught
- Rush's Fabricated Background: A Serial Liar's Resume
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This episode examines the intelligence community's investigation into COVID-19's origins, focusing on the contentious debate between natural spillover and lab leak theories. As President Biden ordered a 90-day intelligence review, the assessment became increasingly politicized, with different agencies reaching conflicting conclusions and political figures using the findings to advance their agendas. The episode reveals how intelligence work intersected with partisan politics, making it nearly impossible to reach a definitive answer about whether the virus emerged naturally or escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
- Biden Orders Intelligence Review on COVID Origins
- Intelligence Community's Inconclusive Findings
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This episode launches a two-part series examining how the CIA and U.S. intelligence community investigated the origins of COVID-19. The hosts explore the early theories about whether the virus emerged naturally from the Wuhan wet market or leaked from a laboratory, the intense political pressures surrounding the investigation, and how scientific consensus initially dismissed lab leak theories as conspiracy thinking before the question became far more contentious.
- The Pandemic's First Days and Initial Outbreak
- Two Competing Theories Emerge: Natural vs Lab Origin
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In this special two-part investigation, the hosts explore one of the darkest conspiracy theories ever examined on the show: the claim that the CIA poisoned England goalkeeper Gordon Banks before a crucial 1970 World Cup match. Joined by journalist Gabriel Gatehouse, who investigated this theory for his podcast 'Foul Play,' they examine the motive, means, and opportunity for such an operation, including CIA involvement in Brazil, the agency's documented use of non-lethal toxins, and the extensive intelligence networks in 1970s Mexico. While no smoking gun emerges, the circumstantial evidence proves more compelling than initially expected, leading to a nuanced discussion about what intelligence agencies were capable of during this pre-oversight era.
- The Conspiracy Theory and Its Source
- CIA's Means: Non-Lethal Toxins and Salmonella
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This episode explores one of the most controversial conspiracy theories in football history: whether the CIA poisoned England's legendary goalkeeper Gordon Banks before the 1970 World Cup quarterfinal against West Germany. Journalist Gabriel Gatehouse, who created the podcast series 'Foul Play' investigating this claim, joins hosts David McCloskey and Gordon Corera to examine the motive, means, and opportunity behind this audacious allegation. The episode delves into the political context of 1970s Latin America, the Brazilian military dictatorship's obsession with winning the World Cup, and the CIA's documented history of using poisons in covert operations.
- The Conspiracy Theory: Gordon Banks and the 1970 World Cup
- Gordon Banks: Working Class Hero
163. Argo: Smuggled Out of Khomeini's Iran (Ep 4)
Jun 03, 2026Summary Preview
The Rest is Classified podcast presents the dramatic final chapter of the Argo rescue mission, detailing the tense escape of six American diplomats from Tehran's Mehrabad Airport on January 28, 1980. Hosts Gordon Carrera and David McCloskey walk through the nerve-wracking airport experience, the immediate aftermath of the successful exfiltration, and explore how this historic CIA-Canadian joint operation would be remembered differently over time, from Canada receiving full credit initially to the CIA's role being declassified in 1997 and eventually dramatized in the 2012 film Argo.
- The Early Morning Departure
- The First Checkpoint Challenge
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In this gripping episode, Tony Mendez and his partner Ed Johnson arrive in revolutionary Tehran to execute the audacious Hollywood cover story. Over a tense 72-hour period, they must transform six terrified American diplomats hiding with the Canadians into a convincing film crew. The episode chronicles the meticulous preparation, from forging documents and rehearsing cover identities to a final dress rehearsal before their high-stakes airport escape attempt.
- Arrival in Revolutionary Tehran
- Meeting the Houseguests and Pitching the Hollywood Cover