Inside the Secret World of the Five Eyes: A Conversation with Richard Kerbaj

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Award-winning documentary producer and investigative journalist Richard Kerbaj joins Dr. David Oakley at the University of South Florida to discuss the intricate history of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance. Kerbaj, renowned for his BAFTA-winning documentary My Son, the Jihadi and his recent television work on Litvinenko, provides a deep dive into his latest book, The Secret History of the Five Eyes: The Untold Story of the International Spy Network. Over six years of research and more than 100 interviews—including conversations with two British and two Australian Prime Ministers—shaped his gripping narrative on the intelligence-sharing pact between the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

From the clandestine origins of the alliance in World War II to the Cold War’s shifting espionage landscape and the challenges of modern counterterrorism, Kerbaj brings to life the untold stories of intelligence officers, political tensions, and the delicate balance of secrecy and trust among allied nations. The discussion highlights the real-world stakes of intelligence cooperation, from tracking down terrorist threats like Jihadi John to exposing historical tensions between Five Eyes members. Tune in for an eye-opening exploration of international espionage, the challenges of intelligence ethics, and the evolution of one of the world’s most powerful yet enigmatic security partnerships.

🔎 Listen now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to uncover the secret world of global intelligence.

At the Boundary from the Global and National Security Institute at the University of South Florida, features global and national security issues we’ve found to be insightful, intriguing, fascinating, maybe controversial, but overall just worth talking about.

A "boundary" is a place, either literal or figurative, where two forces exist in close proximity to each other. Sometimes that boundary is in a state of harmony. More often than not, that boundary has a bit of chaos baked in. The Global and National Security Institute will live on the boundary of security policy and technology and that's where this podcast will focus.

The mission of GNSI is to provide actionable solutions to 21st-century security challenges for decision-makers at the local, state, national and global levels. We hope you enjoy At the Boundary.

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