Today I would like to highlight the work of friend and for me, the GOAT of intelligence reporting for the past few decades, Jeff Stein. His bio reads like a who’s who of intel-related national security issues and with publications you’re all familiar with, to include his own blog here on Substack, carried over from his long career in Journalism. Spy-Talk is one of only a handful of recommendations on TAT and to say that I am honored that TAT is one of Jeff’s recommendations on his blog, would be an understatement.

Although Jeff' himself has been out for a few weeks, due to a serious surgery, he’s on the mend and is back now. His esteemed guest contributors have been keeping up the highest standards with guest posts, for which we’re all grateful. Forgive a moment to offer Jeff a short, but heartfelt “welcome back” to this post as he eases back into his work chair.

There are several reasons that I have chosen to highlight Jeff, his work and his colleagues’ but, at the top of that list is my intense focus on dispelling the absolute nonsense so commonly disseminated by the conspiracy theory crowd and their favorite media sites the past few years. As with TAT, Jeff’s mission is to shine a bright, truthful light, onto current and critical issues of US national security.

As you’ll likely hear me say, ad nauseum, “a well and accurately informed citizenry is a ‘must-have’ in order for our democracy to survive.” Our most prominent founders insisted on this. Jeff and colleagues provide truth and have the experience and expertise to know what is, isn’t true, or as the intel community most often says, what is “high or low probability.” Jeff is joined by a cadre of top-tier, guest authors/ contributors on his site as well. All have either high-level journalism, intelligence experience and sometimes both. If something is happening regarding US intelligence activities, these are the folks who will paint the most credible picture for you, if the information is not classified.

An important fact that I sadly must “say out loud” these days is that Jeff and colleagues are expressly non-partisan. They simply report, analyze and simplify so that they can support our founders’ insistence on an educated public, from an intelligence perspective. In other words, if it’s on Spy-Talk, you can trust it.

Here’s a short visual of some of Spy-Talk’s recent posts:

The Curious Fate of Citizen Snowden’s Archive

A 'vast' trove of NSA files remains, with some stuff so sensitive even journalists with access don't want to report it, a SpyTalk investigation finds

JEFFERSON MORLEY

21 HR AGO

Bad Spy, Bad

How a half-hearted Czech spy managed to penetrate the CIA, join a DC swingers club, play his bosses and the FBI and get home a free man

MARK STOUT

SEP 29

Diplomatic Security Agents Lauded for Kabul Heroism

Agents helped rescue 1,400 civilians and scuttled secret docs as Taliban closed in

C. TATUM

SEP 27

Biden Swap Freed Drug Trafficker on Special Ops Kill List

Bashir Noorzai was targeted for Taliban support

ELAINE SHANNON

SEP 23

Biden’s Afghan Ending Is Better than Critics Say

A CIA Veteran of Saigon's Debacle Says Biden Is Playing a Bad Hand Better than Should Be Expected, Certainly Better than Ford and Vietnam.

FRANK SNEPP

SEP 19

Mexican Dragnet Exposes Cartel Impunity

AMLO acts to hold the military accountable but top officials are still spared

ELAINE SHANNON

SEP 1

Brussels, the Den of Spies

The home of the EU and NATO remains an open playground for Chinese and Russian operatives.

MATT BRAZIL

AUG 27

If you prefer podcasts to reading, Jeff and Co. offer them as well. You’ll be able to listen to elite level expertise discussing the most pressing intelligence related issues of the day. Here are a couple of those podcasts that discuss what we see in news reporting but are curious as to the validity of those news articles:

Recruiting Russians and the Challenge of Ukraine Neo-Nazis

The FBI is trolling the Russian embassy, while Moscow beats the Ukraine Nazis theme

JEFF STEIN

APR 4

Spy Wars Over Ukraine

Tracking Russia's moves there and here is a big challenge for US intelligence

JEFF STEIN

FEB 7

Disconcerting Developments

Listen now | FBI Evasions on Jan. 6 and Exploring the Creepy Metaverse

JAN 28

I certainly hope that this short introduction to Spy-Talk helps to put it onto your “must follow” list. Its subscription rate is ridiculously low and one of the best bargains you will find, this or any other year. Like Spy-Talk, I will also be including a cadre of guest writers in the future, that deal with national security issues from a different perspective, and that includes expertise from Jeff’s world. All-in-all, we’re all better off when voters discuss truth, which I define as; “all known facts, objectively put into context, by the well and honestly informed.” This is precisely what our founders decreed. Who am I to argue with the brilliance and integrity of the likes of, Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Madison and so many others?

All my best for your Tuesday, October 4, 2022.

Paul

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