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Alex Dekker looks back on his path from conventional infantry in Ramadi to 5th Special Forces Group, combat in Afghanistan, the Special Forces Combat Diver course, the fight against ISIS, and his final decade in a more specialized Army special operations unit. We also discuss his transition out of the military and how his experiences in Special Forces, intelligence, archaeology, and the Middle East shaped his debut novel, Desert Heist. Grab Alex's book here: https://a.co/d/00h03vHa Find Alex here: https://www.alexdekkerofficial.com/ Today's Sponsors: VAER Watches ⬇️ https://www.vaerwatches.com/theteamhouse  get a free watch roll with your purchase. 20% for active duty, veteran, leo, & first responders  GhostBed ⬇️ https://www.ghostbed.com/house FOR 10% off!  BaerSkin Tactical ⬇️ Text 'HOUSE' to 39612 to get a free rain jacket when you purchase 2 hoodies! Mars Men⬇️ For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off for life plus Free Shipping AND 3 Free Gifts at Men Go To Mars dot com. That’s MenGoToMars.com for 50% Off AND 3 Free Gifts when you checkout. For ad free video and audio and access to live streams... Subscribe to our Patreon! ⬇️ https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse ___________________________________________________ GRAB JACK'S NEW BOOK "THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN"  ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/803651/the-most-dangerous-man-by-jack-murphy/paperback/ Subscribe to the new EYES ON podcast here:⬇️ https://www.youtube.com/@EyesOnGeopoliticsPod/featured "Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio" 00:00 – Start 00:53 – Alex Dekker’s Interest in Archaeology 02:17 – Growing Up as an Army Brat 03:43 – His Father’s Career in Military Intelligence 04:00 – Why Special Operations Was Always the Goal 05:29 – Starting Out in the Conventional Army 06:39 – Deploying to Ramadi With 1st Infantry Division 07:20 – Seeing Special Forces in Iraq for the First Time 08:52 – What Conventional Infantry Life Was Really Like 10:32 – Leaving the Army & Going Back to College 11:00 – Returning on an 18X Contract 12:48 – Passing SFAS & Starting the Q Course 13:58 – Learning Arabic for 5th Special Forces Group 14:41 – Joining a Combat Dive Team 16:28 – Deploying to Afghanistan Six Weeks After Arriving 17:00 – His First Special Forces Deployment 18:16 – The Taliban Ambush That Nearly Killed Him 20:34 – Taking Over After the Team Was Wounded 22:53 – Fighting Through the Ambush With Shrapnel in His Leg 24:44 – Recovering & Returning to Afghanistan With a Cane 26:54 – Preparing for Combat Diver School After Being Wounded 29:06 – Inside the Special Forces Combat Diver Course 31:13 – Drown Proofing & Learning Not to Panic Underwater 32:26 – The 5th Group Guys Watching Everyone Else Deploy Somewhere Nice 33:41 – Sitting in Kuwait as the ISIS War Begins 35:30 – The Early U.S. Response to ISIS in Iraq 36:53 – Training While Waiting for the Mission to Expand 38:28 – Returning Home & Preparing for the Next Deployment 39:10 – Becoming an 18 Fox Intelligence Sergeant 41:15 – Targeting, Intelligence & Building the Battlefield Picture 43:04 – Working the Syria Problem as an 18 Fox 44:41 – Training Partner Forces Against ISIS 46:17 – Why ISIS Struggled Against Professional Forces 48:48 – What Special Forces Is Actually Designed to Do 50:15 – Looking for the Next Step Beyond 5th Group 52:03 – Moving Into a More Specialized Army Special Operations Unit 53:13 – What He Can Say About the Final Decade of His Career 54:48 – Retiring From the Secret Side of the Military 56:39 – The Honor Foundation & Transitioning Special Operators 57:34 – Why Networking Matters More Than Blind Job Applications 59:28 – Meeting His Wife, a Former CIA Operations Officer 1:00:09 – Leaving Two Secretive Careers Behind 1:01:52 – Why Intelligence Officers Struggle With Transition Too 1:03:34 – Writing Desert Heist in Three Months 1:05:32 – Finding a Literary Agent 1:08:00 – Combining Indiana Jones, Special Forces & Real History 1:09:22 – Building Characters From Real ODA Personalities 1:11:06 – Why Veterans Sometimes Miss the Chaos 1:13:03 – The Lost City at the Center of Desert Heist 1:14:28 – Green Berets, Russian Mercenaries & the Bigger Conspiracy 1:16:21 – Turning Desert Heist Into a Series 1:17:25 – What to Expect From the Next Nate Wilde Book 1:19:07 – Where to Find Alex & Desert Heist 1:20:21 – Jack & Alex Compare the Fiction Publishing Process 1:22:27 – Planning Storylines Several Books in Advance 1:23:31 – What Comes Next for Both Series 1:24:07 – Keeping Survival & Combat Realistic in Fiction 1:25:23 – Closing Thoughts   Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.

We break down Israel’s deadlocked election and coalition fight, what a possible change in government could mean for Iran policy, and the growing counterintelligence concerns around foreign influence, personnel cuts, and recent Iran-linked activity in Europe. We also discuss whether America has lost the initiative in the Middle East, the debate over restrictive rules of engagement during the War on Terror, and what lessons the U.S. military should actually take from 20 years of war. VAER Watches ⬇️ https://www.vaerwatches.com/theteamhouse  get a free watch roll with your purchase. 20% for active duty, veteran, leo, & first responders  Support the show on Patreon:⬇️ https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse Jack's news outlet:⬇️ https://thehighside.substack.com/ Find Jon Hackett here:⬇️ Jon's Twitter: https://x.com/jonathanhackett Jon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackett Jon's books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0C5L659N5?ccs_id=e11a2062-f8d3-498e-bfd7-7d2f3869caf6 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackett Twitter: https://x.com/jonathanhackett Find Marc P here: https://x.com/Mpolymer Find Andy Milburn here:  Twitter ⬇️ https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fandymilburn8 LinkedIn ⬇️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmilburn2023 Substack ⬇️ https://amilburn.substack.com/ Andy’s book ⬇️ https://www.amazon.com/When-Tempest-Gathers-Mogadishu-Operations 00:00 – Start 00:58 – Israel’s Election Ends in a Deadlock 02:18 – How Israel’s Coalition System Works 03:27 – Could Israel Be Headed for Another Election? 04:16 – Arab Parties Suddenly Hold Major Bargaining Power 05:03 – What Arab Israelis Actually Want From the Government 06:19 – Israel’s Basic Law & the Question of Equality 07:16 – Can Either Side Build a 61-Seat Coalition? 08:48 – What Would an Eisenkot Government Actually Change? 09:37 – Netanyahu vs. Eisenkot on Iran 10:08 – Jared Kushner’s Role in Middle East Policy 11:04 – Inside the U.S. Security Relationship With the Palestinians 12:06 – Netanyahu’s Relationship With Kushner 12:42 – U.S. Military Officers & Foreign Influence Concerns 14:06 – How Does This Happen Without Counterintelligence Scrutiny? 14:27 – Strava, Wearables & Modern OPSEC Failures 17:33 – What Happens When FBI Counterintelligence Teams Get Cut? 18:04 – Offensive vs. Defensive Counterintelligence 19:14 – How Technology Has Changed Counterintelligence Operations 20:32 – Cutting Personnel With a Machete Instead of a Scalpel 21:30 – Losing Mandarin Speakers Inside the Government 22:41 – Iranian-Americans & the Failure to Use Native Expertise 24:14 – Why the U.S. Struggles to Identify Real Regional Experts 24:45 – The Books Intelligence Analysts Should Actually Be Reading 26:44 – What a New Iran Analyst Should Learn First 27:18 – Why Analysts Need to Read the Other Side’s Literature 29:02 – The Ugly American & Understanding Foreign Cultures 30:00 – The RAF Fairford Plot Returns to the News 30:21 – Suspects Go on Trial in the UK 31:16 – The Wider Network Behind the Fairford Case 32:04 – Iran-Linked Operations Across Europe 32:28 – Did a New IRGC Handler Rush the Operation? 33:36 – How the UK Network Was Structured 34:18 – Has Iran Lost Too Many Experienced Intelligence Officers? 34:59 – Sometimes Just Breaching the Base Is the Victory 35:24 – What World War I German Sabotage Can Teach Us 35:57 – Immigration, Brain Drain & America’s Talent Problem 37:05 – Why the U.S. Should Keep Iranian Scientists Here 37:43 – Operation Paperclip & Recruiting Enemy Talent 38:38 – Has America Lost the Initiative in the Middle East? 39:02 – The USS Abraham Lincoln as a Symbol of Strategic Failure 39:31 – “Escalate to Deescalate” & the Failure of Policy 40:14 – The New York Times on Special Operations Podcasts 40:58 – Why The Team House Avoids the Culture-War Trap 41:52 – Did America Lose Because We “Didn’t Take the Gloves Off”? 43:00 – When Rules of Engagement Really Were Too Restrictive 44:04 – The Eight-Hour Targeting Soak 45:01 – From Extremely Loose ROE to Extremely Restrictive ROE 45:50 – Why Different Battlefields Needed Different Rules 47:05 – When a Missed Drone Strike Reset the Entire Targeting Cycle 47:34 – “Restrike Authorized” 48:04 – Why Rules of Engagement Changed During the War 48:29 – McChrystal, F3EAD & the SOCOM Targeting Model 49:00 – Jessica Lynch & Early Iraq War Training Failures 50:36 – Army vs. Marine Corps Marksmanship Training 55:47 – Are We Learning the Right Lessons From 20 Years of War? 57:13 – Jack’s Upcoming High Side Story on Sudan 58:18 – Jonathan’s Next Writing Project 59:15 – Sanctions, Pistachios, Carpets & Iranian Saffron 1:00:35 – Is “Spanish Saffron” Actually Iranian? 1:01:26 – Syrian Aleppo Pepper & Sanctions Workarounds 1:02:12 – American Insurgent & the December 1 Deadline 1:03:14 – Closing Thoughts Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.

original airdate 11-3-23 Pete Blaber looks back on his path from the Ranger Regiment to Delta Force, including operations in Panama, Colombia, Somalia, Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and the leadership lessons he carried from each. We also dig into his reconstruction of the Pat Tillman friendly-fire incident, the command failures that set the conditions for it, and why accountability and common-sense leadership matter so much in combat. VAER Watches ⬇️ https://www.vaerwatches.com/theteamhouse  get a free watch roll with your purchase. 20% for active duty, veteran, leo, & first responders  Support the show on Patreon:⬇️ https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse Jack's news outlet:⬇️ https://thehighside.substack.com/ Find Jon Hackett here:⬇️ Jon's Twitter: https://x.com/jonathanhackett Jon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackett Jon's books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0C5L659N5?ccs_id=e11a2062-f8d3-498e-bfd7-7d2f3869caf6 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackett Twitter: https://x.com/jonathanhackett Find Marc P here: https://x.com/Mpolymer Find Andy Milburn here:  Twitter ⬇️ https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fandymilburn8 LinkedIn ⬇️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmilburn2023 Substack ⬇️ https://amilburn.substack.com/ Andy’s book ⬇️ https://www.amazon.com/When-Tempest-Gathers-Mogadishu-Operations 00:00 – Start 01:09 – Growing Up Outside Chicago 02:48 – Cross Country, Endurance & Learning to Push Through Pain 05:45 – Desert One Inspires Him to Join the Military 07:07 – Trying to Figure Out How to Get Into the Army 08:38 – “I Want to Join Delta Force” 09:04 – OCS & Becoming an Infantry Officer 10:16 – The Fastest Route to Ranger Regiment 10:36 – First Assignment in Korea 11:56 – Joining 2nd Ranger Battalion 12:22 – The Ranger Battalion Commander Who Shaped His Leadership 13:28 – What a Healthy Command Climate Looks Like 15:12 – “The Best Welfare for the Troops Is Getting Them Home” 16:09 – Learning to Stay Calm on the Radio 17:52 – Company Command in the 7th Infantry Division 18:14 – Invading Panama 19:48 – The Friendly Firefight That Changed His Thinking 22:15 – Realizing They Had Been Shooting at Another U.S. Unit 25:21 – Learning Leadership as a Young Lieutenant 27:18 – The Sergeant Major Who Taught Him “Don’t Be in a Hurry to Die” 29:31 – Learning From Bad Leaders 31:07 – Preparing for Delta Selection 32:45 – Passing Selection & Joining the Unit 34:10 – Delta Force in the Early 1990s 35:54 – Counternarcotics Becomes a Major Mission 36:35 – Hunting Pablo Escobar in Colombia 38:17 – Building Teams Around Skills & Personality 39:08 – Learning How to Find People Who Don’t Want to Be Found 40:36 – From Colombia to Mogadishu 41:16 – Why He Distrusted Helicopter-Centric Assaults 42:24 – Black Hawks vs. Little Birds 43:16 – The Low-Visibility Approach He Wanted in Somalia 46:10 – The Hunt for Pablo Escobar 48:27 – How Colombian Forces Ultimately Found Escobar 49:25 – Arriving in Mogadishu After the Battle 49:53 – Searching for Mike Durant 52:00 – What Happened After Black Hawk Down 53:52 – Personality Conflicts & Interoperability Problems 57:51 – Somalia Becomes the Final Nail on Helicopter Assaults 58:48 – How Somalia Changed CQB & Special Operations 1:00:21 – Taking the Fight to the Enemy Instead of Sitting Still 1:02:20 – Bosnia: The “Living Laboratory” for Human Hunting 1:04:58 – Learning Low-Visibility Operations in Bosnia 1:07:11 – Humor, Creativity & Problem Solving in Combat 1:10:01 – Brainstorming Unconventional Ways to Stop a Target 1:19:52 – Transitioning From Career Stories to Common Sense Leadership Matters 1:20:41 – Why Pete Wrote the New Book 1:21:00 – Commanding Delta in Iraq 1:22:34 – Four Operators Wounded on a Baghdad Target 1:27:22 – A Ranger Asks Pete for Help 1:37:15 – Getting Access to the Pat Tillman Investigation 1:40:00 – Discovering the Pattern of Toxic Leadership 1:42:50 – Reconstructing the Pat Tillman Mission 1:43:15 – The Terrain Where Tillman Was Killed 1:45:02 – Why Pete Considered the Area Extremely Dangerous 1:50:00 – The Sync Matrix & Pressure From Higher Headquarters 1:59:59 – The Order to Split the Platoon 2:00:32 – The Platoon Leader Explains Why the Order Makes No Sense 2:02:06 – How Splitting the Platoon Broke Up Organic Teams 2:04:05 – Sending Troops Out Without Reliable Communications 2:09:57 – Why Rangers Are a “National Treasure” 2:14:49 – Who Pat Tillman Really Was as a Soldier 2:16:25 – How Toxic Leadership Set the Conditions for Disaster 2:16:54 – Reconstructing the Day Tillman Was Killed 2:17:29 – Entering the Canyon 2:18:49 – Serial 2 Struggles Through the Terrain 2:26:41 – Crossfire Begins Raining Into the Canyon 2:28:45 – Tillman Moves Into Position on the Spur 2:29:57 – Tillman Takes Fire From the South 2:31:30 – The Position That Became the Most Dangerous Place on the Battlefield 2:35:25 – Serial 2 Opens Fire Toward Tillman’s Position 2:35:42 – Pat Tillman Is Killed 2:36:03 – Why the Rangers Couldn’t Hear Him Yelling 2:38:08 – Could They Actually See Tillman’s Position? 2:40:02 – How the Investigation Judged the Rangers 2:43:40 – Why Pete Believes the Shooters Were Put in an Impossible Situation 2:45:19 – Accountability for Senior Leaders 2:47:04 – “The Cover-Up Was Worse Than the Incident” 2:47:51 – The Decision Not to Tell Kevin Tillman the Truth 2:49:57 – What Leadership Should Have Told the Tillman Family 2:53:54 – What Happened to the Senior Officers? 2:55:14 – Promotions Instead of Accountability 2:56:05 – Why Pat Tillman Was Revered by His Platoon 2:57:40 – Are Senior Officers Protected From Consequences? 3:02:09 – Audience Questions 3:05:44 – Lost Platoons & Conventional Wisdom 3:08:08 – Were Delta Snipers Involved in Escobar’s Death? 3:09:27 – Where Advanced Force Operations Came From 3:13:16 – Other Innovations From the Special Operations Community 3:19:58 – Military Working Dogs & the Evolution of the Program 3:21:49 – How Intelligence Support to Operators Has Evolved 3:22:40 – Could Pack Mules Still Have a Place in Modern Warfare? 3:24:11 – Closing Thoughts 3:24:30 – Pete’s Books & Leadership Trilogy 3:25:43 – Where to Find Pete’s Maps, Photos & Firefight Reconstruction Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.

We break down the mounting signs of another U.S.-Israel confrontation with Iran, including embassy drawdowns, renewed strike planning, Houthi attacks, and the growing vulnerability of Gulf infrastructure. We also discuss Israel’s elections, the war in Ukraine, Russia’s continuing losses, and the controversy over Starlink and Starshield being restricted while Russian attacks continue. VAER Watches ⬇️ https://www.vaerwatches.com/theteamhouse  get a free watch roll with your purchase. 20% for active duty, veteran, leo, & first responders  Support the show on Patreon:⬇️ https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse Jack's news outlet:⬇️ https://thehighside.substack.com/ Find Jon Hackett here:⬇️ Jon's Twitter: https://x.com/jonathanhackett Jon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackett Jon's books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0C5L659N5?ccs_id=e11a2062-f8d3-498e-bfd7-7d2f3869caf6 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackett Twitter: https://x.com/jonathanhackett Find Marc P here: https://x.com/Mpolymer Find Andy Milburn here:  Twitter ⬇️ https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fandymilburn8 LinkedIn ⬇️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmilburn2023 Substack ⬇️ https://amilburn.substack.com/ Andy’s book ⬇️ https://www.amazon.com/When-Tempest-Gathers-Mogadishu-Operations 00:00 – Start 00:30 – U.S. & Israel Prepare Options for New Iran Strikes 01:16 – Embassy Evacuations Across the Gulf 02:18 – Houthis Keep Hitting Saudi Arabia 02:49 – What Open-Source Intelligence Is Showing 04:26 – Ordered Departure From Saudi Arabia 06:42 – International Air Defense Help for the Saudis 07:18 – U.S. & Israeli Strike Planning Accelerates 08:33 – Why Hitting Iran’s Energy Infrastructure Could Backfire 09:15 – Can the U.S. Reach Iran’s Deep Nuclear Facilities? 10:20 – Deadly Attack in Jordan 10:45 – Why the Jordan Attack Is Such a Big Deal 12:13 – Could Iran Be Connected to the Jordan Attack? 13:06 – What Embassy Drawdowns Mean for Intelligence Collection 14:09 – Ordered Departure vs. Restricted Staffing 15:30 – The Signals Pointing Toward Another Escalation 16:04 – Iran Using the Houthis to Keep Pressure on the Region 17:08 – IRGC Moving Operations Into Civilian Infrastructure 18:08 – Why a “Three-Day War” With Iran Is Probably Fantasy 19:49 – Iran’s Remaining Missile & Drone Arsenal 21:52 – Hormuz, Mines & Attacks on Gulf Infrastructure 23:23 – Houthis, Iraqi Militias & Cyberattacks 24:24 – Is the U.S. Security Guarantee in the Gulf Disappearing? 25:58 – Gulf States May Start Looking to China & Russia 27:55 – Why Chinese Weapons Are Becoming More Attractive 28:34 – China Supplying Both Sides of the Conflict 30:07 – Could Economic Pressure Work Better Than Airstrikes? 32:14 – What a New U.S. Air Campaign Against Iran Might Look Like 34:00 – Has Iran Successfully Changed America’s War Aims? 36:13 – Could the U.S. Refocus on Iran’s Nuclear Program? 37:51 – Israeli Elections & the Timing of a Strike on Iran 39:20 – Israel’s Political Shift to the Right 40:33 – Support for a Two-State Solution Collapses 42:05 – Ultra-Orthodox Israelis & the IDF Draft Fight 43:50 – Israel Appears Ready for Another Iran Strike 45:27 – What an Eisenkot Government Could Mean 47:43 – Ukraine, Russia & the Starlink Controversy 48:30 – Zelensky Signals Openness to Freezing the Front Line 50:06 – The Debate Over Ukrainian Elections During Wartime 51:18 – Russia Talks Peace While Bombing Ukraine 53:52 – Moscow’s Demands Haven’t Changed 54:44 – Why Ukraine’s Refinery Strikes Matter 56:09 – Starlink & Starshield Restricted During Russian Attacks 57:22 – Is Washington Pressuring Zelensky More Than Putin? 58:17 – Can Russia Sustain These Casualty Rates? 59:05 – Russia Losing 1,200–1,500 Troops a Day 1:01:00 – Why Russia Still Has Room to Keep Fighting 1:01:58 – How Much Power Should SpaceX Have Over a War? 1:03:59 – Can Shareholders or Courts Restrain SpaceX? 1:05:18 – “Terms of Service” as a Wartime Excuse 1:06:11 – Russia Providing Targeting Data to Iran 1:06:55 – “Russia Is Our Adversary” 1:08:13 – Closing Thoughts Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.

Steven Woelk recounts his service aboard the USS Pueblo, its 1968 capture by North Korea, and the brutal 11 months he and his shipmates spent as prisoners. We also discuss the crew’s resistance inside captivity, the injuries and abuse he endured, their eventual release, and why he wrote Pig Fat Soup to keep the Pueblo story from being forgotten. Get Steve's book here: https://a.co/d/0j4rcW1x Today's Sponsors: VAER Watches ⬇️ https://www.vaerwatches.com/theteamhouse  get a free watch roll with your purchase. 20% for active duty, veteran, leo, & first responders  GhostBed ⬇️ https://www.ghostbed.com/house FOR 10% off!  Blue Chew ⬇️ https://bluechew.com/ Get 1 month free when you buy 2 of BlueChew Gold with code "HOUSECALL" Ultra Pouches ⬇️ Don’t sleep on @ultrapouches. New customers get 15% Off with code HOUSE at https://takeultra.com/  #ultrapouches #ad   For ad free video and audio and access to live streams...JOIN OUR PATREON!  https://www.patreon.com/c/TheTeamHouse To help support the show and for all bonus content including: -live shows and asking guest questions  -ad free audio and video -early access to shows -Access to ALL bonus segments with our guests Subscribe to our Patreon! ⬇️ https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse ___________________________________________________ GRAB JACK'S NEW BOOK "THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN"  ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/803651/the-most-dangerous-man-by-jack-murphy/paperback/ Subscribe to the new EYES ON podcast here:⬇️ https://www.youtube.com/@EyesOnGeopoliticsPod/featured Jack Murphy's book "We Defy: The Lost Chapters of Special Forces History" ⬇️ https://www.amazon.com/We-Defy-Chapters-Special-History-ebook/dp/B0DCGC1N1N/ Or make a one time donation at: ⬇️ https://ko-fi.com/theteamhouse Social Media: ⬇️ The Team House Instagram: https://instagram.com/the.team.house?utm_medium=copy_link The Team House Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheTeamHousePod Jack’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/jackmcmurph?utm_medium=copy_link Jack’s Twitter:  https://twitter.com/jackmurphyrgr?s=21 Team House Discord: ⬇️ https://discord.gg/wHFHYM6 "Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio" 00:00 – Start 01:01 – Stephen Joins the Navy 01:50 – Assigned to the USS Pueblo 03:02 – The Pueblo’s Intelligence Mission 04:09 – The Blue House Raid & the Road to the Pueblo Crisis 06:36 – USS Liberty & the Vulnerability of Spy Ships 08:00 – How Poorly Armed Was the Pueblo? 09:09 – The North Koreans Close In 10:52 – General Quarters 11:34 – Trying to Destroy Classified Material 13:03 – Why the Pueblo Couldn’t Destroy Its Secrets Fast Enough 14:42 – North Korea Opens Fire 17:11 – Stephen Is Hit by a 57mm Round 19:01 – Losing His Friend During the Attack 20:15 – North Korean Forces Board the Pueblo 21:47 – Being Taken Off the Ship 24:37 – The Crew Enters North Korean Captivity 26:04 – Wounds Become Severely Infected 27:02 – Surgery Without Anesthesia 31:04 – Transferred to a North Korean Hospital 32:18 – The North Korean Doctor Who Treated Him 35:35 – Forced Propaganda & Confessions 36:46 – Commander Bucher Refuses to Sign 38:05 – Life Inside the POW Camp 40:16 – How the Crew Resisted Their Captors 42:23 – Giving North Korea the Middle Finger 43:47 – The North Koreans Discover What It Means 44:42 – “Hell Week” Begins 47:23 – The Worst Beatings of His Captivity 47:41 – Did North Korea Try to Brainwash the Crew? 48:49 – Leadership Inside the Prison Camp 50:54 – Planning an Escape From Pyongyang 53:38 – Was U.S. Intelligence Watching the Prisoners? 54:47 – Signs That Release Might Be Coming 56:21 – Crossing the Bridge of No Return 57:31 – Fear of Returning Home to Face the Navy 58:42 – 11 Months in North Korean Captivity 58:57 – The Negotiations That Finally Freed the Crew 1:01:34 – Returning to the United States 1:04:00 – Telling His Father What Happened in North Korea 1:05:30 – The NSA Debriefing 1:06:42 – Leaving the Navy 1:08:05 – Building a Life After the Pueblo 1:08:31 – Why Stephen Wrote Pig Fat Soup 1:10:47 – Why the Pueblo Story Has Been Forgotten 1:12:04 – The Meaning Behind “Pig Fat Soup” 1:13:41 – Losing 55 Pounds in Captivity 1:14:00 – Life Today & Helping Other Veterans 1:16:57 – The Painting of the Pueblo Attack 1:19:14 – Final Thoughts Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.

John Kiriakou is a former CIA officer who worked as both an analyst and operations officer, serving on the Iraq portfolio, in Greece, and in Pakistan, where he helped lead the capture of Abu Zubaydah. He later became a prominent whistleblower on the CIA’s post-9/11 torture program, was prosecuted under the Espionage Act, served time in federal prison, and has since worked as an author, commentator, and lecturer. VAER Watches ⬇️ https://www.vaerwatches.com/theteamhouse  get a free watch roll with your purchase. 20% off for active duty, veteran, leo, & first responders  For ad free episdoes subscribe to our Patreon! ⬇️  https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse 00:00 – Start 01:01 – John Kiriakou’s Upbringing & Greek-American Family 06:29 – Studying Middle Eastern Affairs & an Early Interest in Espionage 09:15 – The CIA Officer Posing as His College Professor 12:29 – Joining the CIA as an Analyst 14:53 – Briefing President George H.W. Bush During the Gulf War 16:58 – Working the Gulf War From CIA Headquarters 20:06 – Life After the Gulf War & Getting Burned Out on Iraq 22:30 – Writing a National Intelligence Estimate on Saddam Hussein 22:53 – Deciding to Leave Analysis for Operations 25:06 – Going Through CIA Operational Training 28:37 – Weapons, Explosives & Recruiting Spies 29:45 – Arriving in Athens as a CIA Case Officer 33:46 – Walk-Ins, Probes & Embassy Security 37:52 – CIA Disguises & Fooling the U.S. Ambassador 42:40 – The Terrorist Group 17 November 45:12 – The Assassination of British Defense Attaché Stephen Saunders 48:38 – 17 November Names Kiriakou in Its Manifesto 51:26 – Who Was Really Behind 17 November? 55:09 – How the Group Was Finally Unmasked 1:01:24 – Interrogating Carlos the Jackal 1:03:32 – 9/11 Changes Everything 1:04:44 – Watching the Second Plane Hit From CIA Headquarters 1:07:41 – Volunteering for the War on Terror 1:08:34 – Pakistan After 9/11: “The Wild West” 1:11:38 – Pakistan, the Taliban & the War Next Door 1:14:02 – The Two Faces of Pakistani Intelligence 1:15:51 – Capturing Abu Zubaydah 1:16:42 – Inside the CIA’s Torture Program 1:18:09 – Why Kiriakou Refused Torture Training 1:18:43 – Going Public About CIA Torture 1:21:17 – John Brennan Reopens the Case Against Him 1:21:40 – Charged Under the Espionage Act 1:22:34 – Facing 45 Years & Taking the Plea Deal 1:23:08 – Why John Brennan Wanted Him Prosecuted 1:23:32 – Obama’s Crackdown on National Security Leaks 1:25:57 – Heading to Federal Prison 1:26:24 – The Prison Assignment That Wasn’t What the Judge Ordered 1:29:21 – Learning How to Survive Federal Prison 1:31:30 – Becoming the Prisonhouse Appeal Writer 1:32:36 – Race, Gangs & the Social Structure of Prison 1:36:47 – How the Mafia Ran Prison Rackets 1:43:10 – Using CIA Tradecraft Behind Bars 1:46:18 – A Prisoner Puts a Contract on Kiriakou 1:48:19 – Getting Out of Prison & Starting Over 1:50:05 – Anger at the System & the People Who Were Never Prosecuted 1:53:13 – Where Is the Line Between Interrogation & Torture? 1:57:26 – Waterboarding, War Crimes & the Torture Debate 1:59:11 – Why Did the U.S. Invade Iraq? 2:02:03 – The WMD Intelligence Fight Inside Washington 2:04:00 – Did Overthrowing Saddam Hand Iraq to Iran? 2:05:45 – Why Kiriakou Went to Work for Sputnik 2:06:48 – Criticizing Russia While Working for Russian Media 2:12:50 – Life After Sputnik & What He’s Doing Now 2:15:43 – CIA Declassified & Digging Through Old Intelligence Files 2:18:16 – MKUltra & CIA History 2:18:25 – Audience Questions 2:29:47 – Would He Blow the Whistle Again? 2:42:48 – Public Trust, the CIA & Government Accountability 2:51:38 – Why John Brennan Avoided More Scrutiny 3:01:22 – Would a Presidential Pardon Restore His Pension? 3:02:18 – How Close Trump Came to Pardoning Him 3:04:52 – Thoughts on Trump Returning to Office 3:06:23 – How American Politics Has Flipped 3:07:36 – Final Thoughts Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.

We break down the reported throttling of Starlink in Ukraine, the Trump administration’s shifting Russia policy, and whether U.S. decisions are now putting Ukrainians and Americans on the ground at greater risk. We also discuss Europe’s ability to operate without U.S. support, the danger of a new escalation with Iran, and growing unrest over Israeli settler violence in the West Bank. VAER Watches ⬇️ https://www.vaerwatches.com/theteamhouse  get a free watch roll with your purchase. 20% for active duty, veteran, leo, & first responders  Support the show on Patreon:⬇️ https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse Jack's news outlet:⬇️ https://thehighside.substack.com/ Find Jon Hackett here:⬇️ Jon's Twitter: https://x.com/jonathanhackett Jon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackett Jon's books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0C5L659N5?ccs_id=e11a2062-f8d3-498e-bfd7-7d2f3869caf6 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackett Twitter: https://x.com/jonathanhackett Check out Mick's new podcast here:⬇️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/at/podcast/pub-and-porch-applied-stoicism/id1836955475 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1k3QPmkAMwnGJxMLDwUSSd?si=n6piIu8XRcag1Z0K43A3bQ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCd0Hq6QFk8CoTu5j-VU0Ong  Find Mick Mulroy here:  Fogbow ⬇️ https://fogbow.com/ Lobo Institute ⬇️ https://www.loboinstitute.org/ Twitter ⬇️ https://x.com/mickmulroy?s=21&t=-Ze3F_Ix2vlJ18KFvORTCA LinkedIn ⬇️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-patrick-mulroy-31198b52/ Whitefish security summit ⬇️ https://whitefishsecuritysummit.com Find Marc P here: https://x.com/Mpolymer Find Andy Milburn here:  Twitter ⬇️ https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fandymilburn8 LinkedIn ⬇️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmilburn2023 Substack ⬇️ https://amilburn.substack.com/ Andy’s book ⬇️ https://www.amazon.com/When-Tempest-Gathers-Mogadishu-Operations 00:00 – Start 00:21 – Did the U.S. Throttle Starlink in Ukraine? 01:07 – Russia’s Massive Strike on Kyiv 02:37 – Has Trump Shifted U.S. Policy Toward Russia? 03:54 – The Diesel Deal & the White House’s Russia Strategy 05:03 – Did U.S. Policy Put Americans in Kyiv at Risk? 06:33 – Starlink vs. Starshield Explained 08:50 – Why Diesel Prices Are Driving U.S. Policy 09:46 – Did the U.S. Stop Warning Ukraine About Russian Strikes? 10:50 – “I’ve Never Seen Anything Like This” 12:02 – The Loophole in the Russia Sanctions Law 13:03 – Was the Lindsey Graham Bill Just Political Theater? 14:01 – “Russia Is Not Our Friend” 14:17 – Conservatives Begin Breaking With Trump on Russia 15:09 – Calls to Investigate Trump’s Russia Ties 15:57 – Corruption, Kushner, Witkoff & Russia Business Deals 17:43 – Why Former Generals Stay Quiet 18:37 – The Intelligence-Sharing Decision That Crossed a Line 20:32 – Do Retired Generals Have a Duty to Speak Out? 21:25 – Can Europe Defend Itself Without the United States? 23:47 – NATO, Nuclear Deterrence & European Rearmament 26:13 – Can Europe Replace Starlink? 27:38 – The Risk of Europe Becoming Dependent on Chinese Satellites 28:53 – How the Iran War Boxed Washington Into a Corner 29:58 – Are U.S. Forces Preparing to Escalate Against Iran? 31:54 – The Risk of an Iran–U.S. Miscalculation 33:45 – How Deterrence Can Become a Threat 34:30 – Could Iran Preempt a U.S. Strike? 35:15 – Reports of a “Symbolic” Strike Proposal 36:04 – Iran’s Information War Aimed at U.S. Voters 37:05 – Why Nobody Can Predict What Happens Next 37:55 – “There Are No Straight Lines in Nature” 39:04 – Israeli Settler Violence & the West Bank 40:28 – When Does Settler Violence Become Terrorism? 41:24 – Israel’s Election & the Political Fallout 42:14 – What Do the Polls Say in Israel? 43:11 – Could Senior U.S. Officials Still Serve Under This Administration? 44:23 – When “They” Becomes “We” Inside Government 45:05 – Rebuilding American Credibility 45:44 – What to Watch Over the Next Week 47:10 – Closing Thoughts Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.

Krishna Thapa looks back on his journey from growing up in Nepal and earning a place in the Gurkhas to passing SAS selection and serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other operations around the world. We also discuss mountain warfare, the culture of the SAS, the loss of fellow operators, and how meditation and the “Warrior Monk” mindset helped shape his life after military service. Today's Sponsors: VAER Watches ⬇️ https://www.vaerwatches.com/theteamhouse  get a free watch roll with your purchase. 20% for active duty, veteran, leo, & first responders  GhostBed ⬇️ https://www.ghostbed.com/house FOR 10% off!  PrizePicks ⬇️ Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/TEAMHOUSE and use code TEAMHOUSE and get $150 if you win your first $5 lineup!  For ad free video and audio and access to live streams...JOIN OUR PATREON!  https://www.patreon.com/c/TheTeamHouse To help support the show and for all bonus content including: -live shows and asking guest questions  -ad free audio and video -early access to shows -Access to ALL bonus segments with our guests Subscribe to our Patreon! ⬇️ https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse ___________________________________________________ GRAB JACK'S NEW BOOK "THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN"  ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/803651/the-most-dangerous-man-by-jack-murphy/paperback/ Subscribe to the new EYES ON podcast here:⬇️ https://www.youtube.com/@EyesOnGeopoliticsPod/featured Jack Murphy's book "We Defy: The Lost Chapters of Special Forces History" ⬇️ https://www.amazon.com/We-Defy-Chapters-Special-History-ebook/dp/B0DCGC1N1N/ Or make a one time donation at: ⬇️ https://ko-fi.com/theteamhouse Social Media: ⬇️ The Team House Instagram: https://instagram.com/the.team.house?utm_medium=copy_link The Team House Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheTeamHousePod Jack’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/jackmcmurph?utm_medium=copy_link Jack’s Twitter:  https://twitter.com/jackmurphyrgr?s=21 Team House Discord: ⬇️ https://discord.gg/wHFHYM6 "Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio" 00:00 – Start 01:04 – Growing Up in Nepal & the Gurkha Bloodline 04:56 – His Grandfather, World War II & the Kukri 07:21 – The Kukri: Tool, Symbol & Weapon 08:07 – Being Born Into a Gurkha Family Legacy 10:37 – The History of the Gurkhas 13:03 – Attempting Gurkha Selection at 17 14:10 – The Brutal Doko Race 16:14 – Growing Up in the Himalayas & Preparing for Selection 17:50 – Failing Gurkha Selection the First Time 18:36 – Coming Back & Making It on His Second Attempt 19:55 – Gurkha Basic Training & Learning English 21:39 – British Officers & the Gurkha Command Structure 24:22 – Joining 1st Royal Gurkha Rifles 25:09 – Life Inside a Gurkha Battalion 27:27 – Years of Training, Courses & Preparing for War 28:41 – Jungle Warfare in Brunei 29:32 – How the SAS Suddenly Entered the Picture 31:07 – The First Gurkha Trial for SAS Selection 33:41 – Arriving at SAS Selection With 375 Candidates 37:05 – The Mental Pressure of SAS Selection 38:33 – Only Two Gurkhas Make It Through 40:10 – Adapting to SAS Culture 43:16 – Jungle Selection in Brunei 46:08 – Joining SAS Mountain Troop 48:00 – Learning Mountaineering From Scratch 49:36 – Why Mountain Warfare Is So Difficult 52:08 – Nepalese Operators in the SBS 52:40 – Mentoring Fellow Nepalese Special Operators 54:12 – The Culture Shock of Joining the SAS 56:56 – Deployments With the SAS 58:03 – Going to War in Iraq 59:16 – The Missions That Stayed With Him 1:00:44 – Using Mountain Warfare Skills in Afghanistan 1:02:02 – Becoming Chief of Mountain & Winter Warfare 1:03:29 – Teaching Special Forces Around the World 1:05:01 – His Final Assignment in UK Special Forces 1:05:40 – Gurkhas, British Citizenship & Life After Service 1:07:09 – Planning for Retirement 1:08:06 – Meditation as a Secret Weapon During War 1:09:58 – Leaving the Military & Starting Over 1:10:33 – How the “Warrior Monk” Began 1:12:00 – Teaching People How to Fight and How to Heal 1:13:50 – Working With Veterans, PTSD & Civilians 1:14:37 – Warrior Monk Mindset 1:15:08 – Closing Thoughts Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.

original air date 3|1|24 presented by VAER Watches  go to--> https://www.vaerwatches.com/theteamhouse and get a free watch roll with your purchase & 20% off for activde duty, veteran, leo's & first responders. Phil Campion takes us from a brutal childhood and conventional infantry service in Northern Ireland through SAS selection, counterterrorism work, operations in the Balkans, and the Sierra Leone hostage rescue. We also discuss his post-military years in private security, the personal cost of that lifestyle, his transition into media, and the launch of Forces Radio. Support our show here: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheTeamHouse 00:00 – Start 01:18 – Phil Campion’s Childhood & Early Life 03:32 – Growing Up in a Children’s Home 04:20 – Joining the Army & Finally Feeling Safe 06:05 – How Phil Ended Up in the Infantry 08:35 – Joining the Royal Hampshire Regiment 10:16 – British Army Basic Training 14:33 – Arriving at His First Unit 16:01 – Phil’s First “Operation” as a Soldier 17:27 – Meeting Princess Diana 19:12 – Deploying to Northern Ireland 19:46 – Understanding the Troubles From Both Sides 22:29 – Counterinsurgency & Patrolling Northern Ireland 25:19 – Fighting, Military Jail & a Troubled Young Soldier 27:43 – Why Phil Wanted Special Forces 29:36 – What the British Army Was Actually Doing in Northern Ireland 31:11 – Deciding to Attempt SAS Selection 32:06 – Going Around His Chain of Command 34:18 – “You Should Try Special Forces Selection” 36:40 – The SAS Hills Phase 37:51 – Jungle Selection in Brunei 42:14 – SERE, Escape & Interrogation Training 44:07 – Parachute Training & Nearly Killing Himself 48:00 – SAS Counterterrorism Training 48:15 – Passing Selection 50:16 – Joining D Squadron 52:17 – Life as the New Guy in the SAS 56:08 – Hunting War Criminals in the Balkans 57:35 – The Stansted Hijacking 59:19 – Preparing to Storm the Aircraft 1:02:25 – More Stories From the Hijacking 1:05:27 – The Sierra Leone Hostage Crisis Begins 1:07:12 – Two SAS Soldiers Killed Before the Mission 1:08:49 – D Squadron Gets the Call 1:09:52 – Deploying Into Sierra Leone 1:11:02 – How the Royal Irish Soldiers Were Taken Hostage 1:14:25 – When the Rescue Mission Became Necessary 1:16:02 – Intelligence & Planning the Assault 1:17:05 – Three Plans to Rescue the Hostages 1:18:01 – The Crazy Helicopter Assault Plan 1:20:33 – Launching the Mission 1:21:12 – The SAS Hits the Village 1:22:06 – Surprise, Firepower & Securing the Hostages 1:28:50 – Weapons, Mortars & SAS Firepower 1:30:31 – Why Phil Left the SAS 1:31:02 – Losing a Close Friend 1:32:46 – Leaving the Army Days Before 9/11 1:34:45 – Entering the Private Military Contracting World 1:35:34 – The Early Afghanistan Contracting Boom 1:36:43 – When the Contractor Lifestyle Caught Up With Him 1:37:21 – Drinking, Violence & an Attempted Murder Charge 1:38:54 – Gaza, West Africa & Anti-Piracy Work 1:41:47 – Becoming a Civilian After Years at War 1:42:19 – Prison, Losing Everything & Starting Over 1:43:31 – Breaking Into Television & News Media 1:44:18 – Reporting From Syria 1:47:37 – How the Media Uses Veterans 1:49:20 – Taking Back Control of His Own Story 1:50:39 – Building Forces Radio 1:53:03 – Launching the Forces Radio Podcasts 1:58:31 – Audience Questions 2:00:06 – Phil’s Favorite SAS Story From World War II 2:01:04 – Secret Surveillance in Northern Ireland 2:02:58 – How Conventional Troops Learned Covert Surveillance 2:04:34 – Closing Thoughts Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.

We break down the escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, the growing pressure on Riyadh’s air defenses, and whether the U.S. could be pulled into a new campaign in Yemen. We also discuss Trump’s Russian diesel deal, Iran’s use of Moscow as a diplomatic channel, and the deeper political dysfunction and public apathy shaping American decision-making. VAER Watches ⬇️ https://www.vaerwatches.com/theteamhouse  get a free watch roll with your purchase. 20% for active duty, veteran, leo, & first responders  Support the show on Patreon:⬇️ https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse Jack's news outlet:⬇️ https://thehighside.substack.com/ Find Jon Hackett here:⬇️ Jon's Twitter: https://x.com/jonathanhackett Jon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackett Jon's books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0C5L659N5?ccs_id=e11a2062-f8d3-498e-bfd7-7d2f3869caf6 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackett Twitter: https://x.com/jonathanhackett Find Andy Milburn here:  Twitter ⬇️ https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fandymilburn8 LinkedIn ⬇️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmilburn2023 Substack ⬇️ https://amilburn.substack.com/ Andy’s book ⬇️ https://www.amazon.com/When-Tempest-Gathers-Mogadishu-Operations 00:00 – Start 00:19 – Houthis Strike Saudi Airports 01:20 – Deadly Ballistic Missile Attack on Riyadh Airport 03:30 – Houthis Warn Airlines Away From Saudi Airspace 04:40 – Is Saudi Arabia Running Low on Air Defense Interceptors? 06:30 – Should the U.S. Strike Houthi Missile Launchers? 07:30 – An American Killed in the Airport Attack 09:19 – Saudi-Backed Ground Offensive in Yemen 11:13 – Jack Joins the Conversation 11:32 – Is Iran Opening a Second Front Through the Houthis? 13:44 – What a New U.S. Air Campaign in Yemen Could Look Like 14:46 – Could the U.S. Put Ground Troops Into Yemen? 16:51 – Could Saudi Forces Handle the Ground War? 19:48 – Would Another Air Campaign Against the Houthis Work? 22:15 – The Real Goal: Protecting Saudi Arabia 23:31 – Bab al-Mandab, Houthi Missiles & the Ground Offensive 25:37 – Trump’s Russian Diesel Deal 27:09 – Why Ukraine Has Little Reason to Stop Striking Russia 28:10 – Russia, Iran & the Contradictions in U.S. Policy 31:07 – Diesel Prices, Midterms & the Russia Deal 34:18 – Havana Syndrome & a New Russia Investigation 36:55 – Iran Sends Negotiating Terms Through Putin 38:18 – Is the American Political System Becoming Permanently Gridlocked? 39:47 – Why Andy Thinks the U.S. Is Different From European Democracies 44:31 – Apathy, Doomerism & Losing Faith in Institutions 47:02 – What Could Actually Trigger a Systemic Crisis? 48:42 – Politics, Fandom & Escapism 49:49 – Why Americans Talk Sports More Than Geopolitics 53:26 – Why So Many Americans Have Checked Out of Politics 55:06 – Would Higher Voter Turnout Actually Change Anything? 56:15 – The Slow Erosion of American Institutions 57:55 – Politics as Entertainment 59:01 – Money in Politics & Endless Campaign Seasons 1:00:17 – Andy Signs Off 1:01:15 – AUSA, Drones & the Defense Industry 1:02:33 – Chinese Honeypots at AUSA 1:04:10 – Closing Thoughts Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.

Naveed Jamali tells the story of how he went from a family business in New York to working with the FBI as a double agent against Russian military intelligence before eventually becoming a Naval Intelligence officer. We also discuss how the Russians recruit assets, the psychological toll of undercover work, encounters with suspected Chinese intelligence, and why counterintelligence still matters today. Today's Sponsors: VAER Watches ⬇️ https://www.vaerwatches.com/theteamhouse  get a free watch roll with your purchase. 20% for active duty, veteran, leo, & first responders  GhostBed ⬇️ https://www.ghostbed.com/house FOR 10% off!  Quince⬇️ go to: https://www.quince.com/house for free shipping and 365 day returns  Housecall Pro ⬇️ Ready to save time and win more jobs? For a limited time only, our listeners get 50% OFF base plans for their first 3 months at https://HousecallPro.com/HOUSE For ad free video and audio and access to live streams...JOIN OUR PATREON!  https://www.patreon.com/c/TheTeamHouse To help support the show and for all bonus content including: -live shows and asking guest questions  -ad free audio and video -early access to shows -Access to ALL bonus segments with our guests Subscribe to our Patreon! ⬇️ https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse ___________________________________________________ GRAB JACK'S NEW BOOK "THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN"  ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/803651/the-most-dangerous-man-by-jack-murphy/paperback/ Subscribe to the new EYES ON podcast here:⬇️ https://www.youtube.com/@EyesOnGeopoliticsPod/featured Jack Murphy's book "We Defy: The Lost Chapters of Special Forces History" ⬇️ https://www.amazon.com/We-Defy-Chapters-Special-History-ebook/dp/B0DCGC1N1N/ Or make a one time donation at: ⬇️ https://ko-fi.com/theteamhouse Social Media: ⬇️ The Team House Instagram: https://instagram.com/the.team.house?utm_medium=copy_link The Team House Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheTeamHousePod Jack’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/jackmcmurph?utm_medium=copy_link Jack’s Twitter:  https://twitter.com/jackmurphyrgr?s=21 Team House Discord: ⬇️ https://discord.gg/wHFHYM6 "Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio" 00:00 – Start 05:24 – How a Future Navy Intel Officer Became an FBI Asset 08:18 – Growing Up Around New York’s Espionage World 10:22 – Why New York Is a Hub for Foreign Intelligence 13:18 – How His Parents Became Involved With the FBI 14:25 – A KGB Officer Walks Into the Family Business 18:04 – Russian Surveillance & Sending a Message 19:15 – Meeting Oleg, the GRU Officer 20:15 – Why the Russians Wanted Open-Source Military Material 22:02 – Robert Hanssen & Rebuilding Russia’s Spy Network 23:40 – Russia’s Long-Term Plan to Cultivate an American Asset 26:32 – 9/11 & Wanting to Join Naval Intelligence 28:21 – Pitching Himself to the FBI 30:24 – Using Counterintelligence Work to Get Into the Navy 34:39 – Designing His Own Double-Agent Operation 36:28 – “Does Oleg Have a Gun?” 39:04 – The Psychological Toll of Living Undercover 39:52 – MICE: Why People Become Spies 44:43 – Convincing the Russians He Was Motivated by Money & Ego 48:30 – Taking the Relationship With Oleg to the Next Level 51:06 – Moving the Spy Meetings Out of the Office 52:28 – When Russia Started Tasking Him for Intelligence 53:31 – Walking Into Northrop Grumman for the FBI 55:03 – How Dangerous Was the Operation? 57:05 – Russian Intimidation After the Operation 59:03 – A Suspicious Encounter With Russia Today 1:02:04 – A Russian Approach Targeting a National Security Journalist 1:06:06 – Intelligence Agencies & the Press 1:09:29 – Influencers, Propaganda & Russian Money 1:12:22 – Being Surveilled by Suspected Chinese Intelligence 1:15:29 – A Surveillance Vehicle Outside His Home 1:17:06 – Why Chinese Intelligence Was Interested in Him 1:19:05 – The Counterintelligence Threat From China 1:23:28 – Showing Oleg a Sensitive Government Database 1:25:08 – The Russian Thumb Drive That Nearly Blew Everything Up 1:26:20 – The FBI Turns on Him 1:27:13 – Setting the Final Trap for Oleg 1:31:24 – The Arrest Plan Goes Sideways 1:37:48 – Finally Learning How Big the Operation Really Was 1:40:27 – How the Operation Disrupted Russian Intelligence Collection 1:41:27 – What Happened to Oleg 1:44:22 – The FBI Helps Him Become a Naval Intelligence Officer 1:46:24 – Telling the Spy Story Inside a SCIF 1:48:25 – How a Chance Encounter Led to How to Catch a Russian Spy 1:50:39 – Balancing a Media Career With Naval Intelligence 1:53:20 – The Mental Cost of Undercover Work 1:56:42 – When the Stress Finally Caught Up With Him 1:58:22 – Life After Intelligence & Journalism 2:00:17 – Flying the B-2, B-1 & B-52 2:02:42 – Why Deterrence Still Matters 2:05:18 – Flying on America’s Doomsday Plane 2:07:32 – Knowing When It’s Time to Pass the Torch 2:10:38 – Closing Thoughts Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.

We break down the return of airline hijacking concerns, suspected covert activity around RAF Fairford, drone threats, and a mysterious pneumonic plague death at a Russian research facility. We also dig into the John Chapman/SEAL Team Six controversy, the politics of valor awards, the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, and how American policy reshaped Iran’s influence across the region. VAER Watches ⬇️ https://www.vaerwatches.com/theteamhouse  get a free watch roll with your purchase. 20% for active duty, veteran, leo, & first responders  Support the show on Patreon:⬇️ https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse Jack's news outlet:⬇️ https://thehighside.substack.com/ Find Jon Hackett here:⬇️ Jon's Twitter: https://x.com/jonathanhackett Jon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackett Jon's books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0C5L659N5?ccs_id=e11a2062-f8d3-498e-bfd7-7d2f3869caf6 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackett Jon's article we referenced in the show: https://smallwarsjournal.com/2025/03/04/covert-action-in-irregular-wars/ 00:00 – Start 02:12 – Eyes on Pastrami & Opening Banter 02:38 – The Return of Aircraft Hijackings 03:32 – Insider Threats & Pilot Security 05:11 – Copycat Attacks, Radicalization & AI 07:05 – Airline Security After 9/11 08:12 – Lone Wolf or Sponsored Hijacking Plot? 08:52 – What’s Really Happening Around RAF Fairford? 10:06 – How British Counterintelligence Handles Suspected Cells 11:25 – B-1 Bombers Evacuated From RAF Fairford 12:05 – Why Drone Swarms Are So Hard to Stop 13:28 – What the Fairford Threat Says About NATO 14:17 – Is America About to Heavily Regulate Drones? 16:36 – America’s Drone Startup Boom 17:39 – Why U.S. Drone Innovation Is Falling Behind 20:05 – “Escalate to De-escalate” & the Failure of Policy 22:38 – A Pneumonic Plague Death at a Russian Research Facility 24:01 – Russia’s History of Biological Weapons Programs 25:14 – Novichok, Polonium & State Assassinations 27:19 – AI, Microfluidics & the Future of Biological Warfare 29:55 – The John Chapman / SEAL Team Six Controversy 32:15 – Why Is the Chapman Story Coming Back Now? 33:03 – Sorting Through the Roberts Ridge Claims 34:25 – Does John Chapman Deserve the Medal of Honor? 35:56 – The Legal Implications of Challenging the Award 37:08 – The Optics of Attacking a Fallen Medal of Honor Recipient 40:59 – Who Financed the Upcoming Documentary? 42:29 – The Bigger Problem With GWOT Valor Awards 43:56 – The Politics Behind Medal of Honor Awards 45:26 – Revisiting the U.S. Withdrawal From Iraq 45:46 – What Were U.S. Troops Still Doing in Iraq? 46:50 – From Counter-ISIS to Containing Iran 48:20 – Did the Iraq War Make Iran Stronger? 49:43 – The Untold Intelligence War in Syria 50:16 – Timber Sycamore & the CIA’s Syria Program 52:00 – What the Episode Covered 52:23 – Why Sykes-Picot Still Shapes the Middle East 53:30 – SAS Operations in Northern Ireland Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.

We break down the attempted hijacking of Flydubai Flight 1073, the warning signs investigators may have missed, and whether the attack was connected to Iran or a lone-wolf extremist. We also discuss suspected IRGC-linked plots in the UK, the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, what that means for the Kurds and Iranian influence, and whether the latest troop and carrier movements signal a new round of escalation in the Middle East. VAER Watches ⬇️ https://www.vaerwatches.com/theteamhouse  get a free watch roll with your purchase. 20% for active duty, veteran, leo, & first responders  Support the show on Patreon:⬇️ https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse Jack's news outlet:⬇️ https://thehighside.substack.com/ Find Jon Hackett here:⬇️ Jon's Twitter: https://x.com/jonathanhackett Jon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackett Jon's books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0C5L659N5?ccs_id=e11a2062-f8d3-498e-bfd7-7d2f3869caf6 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackett Twitter: https://x.com/jonathanhackett Check out Mick's new podcast here:⬇️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/at/podcast/pub-and-porch-applied-stoicism/id1836955475 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1k3QPmkAMwnGJxMLDwUSSd?si=n6piIu8XRcag1Z0K43A3bQ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCd0Hq6QFk8CoTu5j-VU0Ong  Find Mick Mulroy here:  Fogbow ⬇️ https://fogbow.com/ Lobo Institute ⬇️ https://www.loboinstitute.org/ Twitter ⬇️ https://x.com/mickmulroy?s=21&t=-Ze3F_Ix2vlJ18KFvORTCA LinkedIn ⬇️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-patrick-mulroy-31198b52/ Whitefish security summit ⬇️ https://whitefishsecuritysummit.com Find Marc P here: https://x.com/Mpolymer Find Andy Milburn here:  Twitter ⬇️ https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fandymilburn8 LinkedIn ⬇️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmilburn2023 Substack ⬇️ https://amilburn.substack.com/ Andy’s book ⬇️ https://www.amazon.com/When-Tempest-Gathers-Mogadishu-Operations 00:00 – Start 00:02 – Flydubai Flight 1073 Hijacking Attempt 01:29 – How Close the Flight Came to Disaster 04:40 – The Intelligence Failures Before the Attack 06:17 – Aviation’s Worst-Case Insider Threat 07:51 – How Flydubai Missed the Warning Signs 09:46 – Was Iran Behind the Attack? 13:18 – Israel Says It Wasn’t Iran 14:26 – The Lone-Wolf Terrorism Problem 17:37 – Suspected Iran-Linked Plot in Manchester 20:29 – Is the IRGC Getting Sloppier? 22:12 – What Would Iran-Backed Attacks Mean for Britain? 24:43 – Iran’s History of Covert Attacks in the UK 26:57 – How Iran Uses Proxies and Simple Attacks 28:54 – Why Is the UK Such a Major Target? 31:15 – The U.S. Finally Pulls Out of Iraq 33:58 – Was Iraq Worth It? 35:09 – What the Withdrawal Gives Iran 37:41 – Are the Kurds the Biggest Losers? 38:59 – Why Not Leave a Small U.S. Force Behind? 41:26 – Did America Throw Away Its Position in Iraq? 44:19 – Decades of U.S. Blunders in Iraq 47:18 – What U.S. Forces Still Remain in Iraq? 49:16 – Did America Learn Anything From the Iraq War? 50:21 – Do Troops Need to Understand the Bigger Mission? 52:08 – Explaining the War to the People Fighting It 55:49 – Gold Star Families & the Cost of Endless War 57:26 – 9,000 More U.S. Troops Head to CENTCOM 58:16 – Is the U.S. Preparing to Escalate Against Iran? 58:56 – Could There Be U.S. Ground Operations? 1:00:34 – Three Carriers in the Middle East & the China Problem 1:01:24 – What the Camp David Meeting Could Mean 1:02:36 – Will the U.S. Strike the Houthis for Saudi Arabia? 1:04:05 – Closing Thoughts VAER Watches ⬇️ https://www.vaerwatches.com/theteamhouse  get a free watch roll with your purchase. 20% for active duty, veteran, leo, & first responders Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.

Julia Curlee looks back on a career that took her from DIA and CIA deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan to briefing senior White House officials and serving on the National Security Council. We also discuss her transition while serving at CIA, briefing Mike Pence, the politicization of intelligence, the purges that pushed her out of government, and the consequences she believes that has had for U.S. national security.               Find Julia here: https://www.lawfaremedia.org/contributors/jcurlee Today's Sponsors: VAER Watches ⬇️ https://www.vaerwatches.com/theteamhouse  get a free watch roll with your purchase. 20% for active duty, veteran, leo, & first responders  GhostBed ⬇️ https://www.ghostbed.com/house FOR 10% off!  Blue Chew ⬇️ https://bluechew.com/ Get 1 month free when you buy 2 of BlueChew Gold with code "HOUSECALL" Cash App ⬇️ Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/in49dyw5 #CashAppPartner  Terms apply. Bitcoin services by Block, Inc. See the Bitcoin disclosures at cash.app/legal/podcast. For ad free video and audio and access to live streams...JOIN OUR PATREON!  https://www.patreon.com/c/TheTeamHouse To help support the show and for all bonus content including: -live shows and asking guest questions  -ad free audio and video -early access to shows -Access to ALL bonus segments with our guests Subscribe to our Patreon! ⬇️ https://www.patreon.com/TheTeamHouse ___________________________________________________ GRAB JACK'S NEW BOOK "THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN"  ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/803651/the-most-dangerous-man-by-jack-murphy/paperback/ Subscribe to the new EYES ON podcast here:⬇️ https://www.youtube.com/@EyesOnGeopoliticsPod/featured Jack Murphy's book "We Defy: The Lost Chapters of Special Forces History" ⬇️ https://www.amazon.com/We-Defy-Chapters-Special-History-ebook/dp/B0DCGC1N1N/ Or make a one time donation at: ⬇️ https://ko-fi.com/theteamhouse Social Media: ⬇️ The Team House Instagram: https://instagram.com/the.team.house?utm_medium=copy_link The Team House Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheTeamHousePod Jack’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/jackmcmurph?utm_medium=copy_link Jack’s Twitter:  https://twitter.com/jackmurphyrgr?s=21 Team House Discord: ⬇️ https://discord.gg/wHFHYM6 "Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio" 00:00 – Start 01:09 – Growing Up in Hawaii & Wanting to Join the CIA 04:45 – 9/11, Iraq & Getting Hired by DIA 07:39 – Embedded With a Hostage Rescue Task Force in Baghdad 10:20 – Kidnapping Networks & Funding the Iraqi Insurgency 13:09 – Kirkuk, Zarqawi & High-Value Targeting 17:30 – When Intelligence Gets Politicized 20:04 – Telling Senior Officers the Iraq War Was Going Badly 21:06 – Getting Recruited Into the CIA 24:44 – CIA Analyst Training & Returning to Iraq 26:35 – The Sadr Uprising & Fighting in Sadr City 32:54 – The Rise of ISIS & an Intelligence Failure 36:58 – Afghanistan & Briefing General Petraeus 41:08 – Tension Between CIA Assessments & the Military 43:49 – Coming Out as Trans While Serving at CIA 49:13 – Fearing She Could Lose Her Career 52:25 – Becoming the First Person to Successfully Transition at CIA 58:51 – Volunteering to Brief the First Trump White House 1:04:55 – What the Presidential Daily Brief Actually Is 1:07:45 – Briefing H.R. McMaster, Trump & Mike Pence 1:11:55 – Moving to the National Security Council 1:16:16 – Why China Is the Generational Challenge 1:18:23 – Trump’s First Term vs. His Second 1:20:26 – Becoming Acting Senior Director for Intelligence 1:20:41 – 160 Career Staffers Fired in the Opening Days 1:22:06 – The Laura Loomer Purge 1:24:29 – Why the NSC Was Gutted 1:26:27 – Returning to CIA After Being Fired From the White House 1:28:13 – Leaving the Intelligence Community & Joining Lawfare 1:31:32 – How Politicization of Intelligence Affected the Iran War 1:37:45 – John Ratcliffe, CIA Leadership & the Loss of Expertise 1:39:04 – Intelligence, Election Security & Political Pressure 1:41:21 – Concerns Over CIA Involvement in Lethal Operations 1:43:21 – Life After CIA & Writing for Lawfare 1:47:00 – Why Julia Decided to Speak Publicly Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.

original air date 5/13/22 presented by VAER Watches  go to--> https://www.vaerwatches.com/theteamhouse and get a free watch roll with your purchase & 20% off for activde duty, veteran, leo's & first responders. Ric Prado is a former CIA operations officer who spent more than two decades working in some of the agency’s most demanding assignments, including counterterrorism, paramilitary operations, and overseas intelligence missions. He later chronicled his career in Black Ops: The Life of a CIA Shadow Warrior, offering a rare look at the covert side of U.S. national security. Grab Ric's book here: "Black Ops: The Life of a CIA Shadow Warrior" https://www.amazon.com/Black-Ops-Life-Shadow-Warrior/dp/1250271843 Support our show here: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheTeamHouse 00:00 – Start 01:19 – Escaping Castro’s Cuba as a Child 08:00 – Joining the Air Force & Becoming a Pararescueman 11:33 – Ric’s First Exposure to the CIA 15:00 – Undercover With the Contras in Honduras 23:16 – CIA Sabotage Missions Against the Sandinistas 26:31 – A Covert Mission Goes Wrong 35:23 – Running the Southern Front & the Iran-Contra Scandal 40:13 – Becoming a CIA Operations Officer 51:15 – Fighting Terrorists in the Philippines 57:35 – Ric Addresses the CIA Hitman Allegations 1:05:06 – The Original Bin Laden Task Force & North Korea Operations 1:18:08 – Building a CIA Intelligence Capability in Africa 1:22:17 – Inside CIA’s Counterterrorism Center on 9/11 1:31:55 – Building a New Post-9/11 Covert Operations Team 1:58:16 – Blackwater, Intelligence Operations & Life After the CIA 2:18:48 – How to Join the CIA & Advice for Future Officers Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.