Overheard

Overheard

Overheard is the Foreign Policy Research Institute's new podcast series exploring the national security implications of intelligence activities, irregular warfare, and political warfare. Join Philip Wasielewski, director of FPRI’s Center for the Study of Intelligence and Nontraditional Warfare, as he discusses the past, present, and future of these activities with intelligence, military, and political practitioners to discover what is new at the intersection between the craft of intelligence and the military and political arts. New episodes are available each month on Apple podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. To be the first to know about new episodes, please subscribe to our mailing list and follow us on Twitter @FPRI.

Episodes

Russian Political Warfare Operations in the Balkans

June 24, 2025 • 37 mins

The western Balkans, including Bosnia and Kosovo, were the scene of some of the bloodiest warfare and atrocities in Europe post-World War Two until Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Approximately twenty-five years after the last of the fighting in the region, tensions still simmer and some predict that the region could see a renewal of violence. Whereas the previous Balkan Wars were the result of the breakup of the former Yugoslavi...

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Where and Why to Spy?

April 3, 2025 • 44 mins

How does the Intelligence Community focus its collection and analysis? Retired CIA officers Norman Roule and Yong Suk Lee discuss how intelligence collection among America's 18 separate intelligence agencies is planned and coordinated and how that collection is analyzed and presented to policymakers. Join in to learn how the intelligence collection process works and the role of policymakers from two former senior CIA officials ...

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Local Forces and Counterinsurgency Campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq

February 21, 2025 • 41 mins
In this edition of Overheard, Phil Wasielewski talks to Dr. Arturo Munoz and Dr. Diane Zorri about the academic papers they presented at last year's FPRI-sponsored conference on Lessons Learned from post-9/11 Irregular Wars. The three will discuss how America used or improperly used local police and militia forces in counterinsurgency campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq and now to do better in the future. 

Related reading: 

Iraq’s Unfi...
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Russian Political Warfare and the Georgian and Moldovan Elections

December 6, 2024 • 37 mins
In this episode, Phil Wasielewski follows up on the recent Overheard podcast Russia's Other War in Europe to examine just how Russia worked to manipulate voting and voter sentiments this past October in the former Soviet Republics of Georgia and Moldova. Joining in are FPRI Senior Fellow Batu Kutelia and retired senior State Department official and Moldova expert William Hill who will examine Moscow's tactics from voter intimidatio...
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The Espionage Act versus the First Amendment

October 14, 2024 • 51 mins
Was the June 2024 conviction of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange for violating the Espionage Act a victory for national security or a defeat for freedom of the press? What are the rights but also the responsibilities that journalists and media organizations have with regards to publishing classified information? CNN journalist Jill Dougherty, FPRI Senior Fellow George Croner, and national security legal expert Jim Petrila join Over...
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Russia's Other War in Europe

August 19, 2024 • 46 mins
The Overheard podcast discusses Russian political warfare operations and objectives in Georgia and Moldova with the people who are fighting back against Moscow's efforts. Join Philip Wasielewski as he discusses Russia's covert war in its former Soviet space with Batu Kutelia, David Sikharulidze, Valeriu Pasa, and Sergehi Ostaf as they tell in their own words what Russian political warfare is doing to their countries' sovereignty an...
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Lessons Learned from the Intelligence Reform Act of 2004

July 16, 2024 • 45 mins
On the 20th anniversary year of the legislation creating the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Phil Wasielewski discusses with former acting Director of Central Intelligence John McLaughlin and former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Sue Gordon the effects of this law and what impact it has had on the Intelligence Community. 
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An American Irregular Warfare Success Story: OSS Detachment 101 in Burma During WWII

June 14, 2024 • 37 mins
Phil Wasielewski and US Army Special Operations Command historian Troy Sacquety explore how the Office of Strategic Services waged a little known but strategically impactful irregular war against the Japanese army in Burma with the help of local guerrilla fighters and how lessons learned from this campaign can be applied today.

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Irregular Warfare in Afghanistan

May 1, 2024 • 24 mins
This week Phil Wasielewski is joined by retired Special Forces colonel Hy Rothstein to discuss irregular warfare in Afghanistan, lessons learned, and lessons that still need to be learned. 
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The American Way of Irregular Warfare: An Interview with LTG (Ret) Charles T. Cleveland

April 3, 2024 • 48 mins
Join host Philip Wasielewski for a discussion with General Cleveland on lessons learned in irregular warfare operations during his career in Special Forces. 

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Political Warfare Toolbox: Russia

March 21, 2024 • 29 mins
Thomas Kent, former president and CEO of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, joins host Philip Wasielewski to discuss Russian nontraditional warfare operations against the West. 
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Political Warfare Toolbox: Iran

February 2, 2024 • 30 mins
FPRI Senior Fellow Chris Bolan joins host Philip Wasielewski to discuss Iranian nontraditional warfare operations against the US interests in the Middle East.
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Political Warfare Toolbox: China

December 18, 2023 • 37 mins
Political warfare, which FPRI defines as the overt or covert employment of elements of national power including cyber, economic, financial, informational, paramilitary, and political statecraft tools, short of declared war, against a hostile state or non-state actor to achieve political goals, was the essence of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States from 1947-1991. Today, some say another Cold War using politi...
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Surprise Attack: Understanding the Challenges of Intelligence Analysis

October 30, 2023 • 36 mins
The horrors of Hamas’ terrorist attack against Israel on October 7, 2023 are compounded by the shock that Israel’s vaunted intelligence services were seemingly caught unawares after decades of exceptional performance. In this two-part series, the Overheard podcast addresses the challenges of predicting and preventing surprise attacks from the perspectives of intelligence collection, analysis, and interaction with policy makers.

In ...
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Surprise Attack: Understanding the Challenges of Intelligence Collection

October 23, 2023 • 23 mins
The horrors of Hamas' terrorist attack against Israel on October 7, 2023 are compounded by the shock that Israel's vaunted intelligence services were seemingly caught unawares after decades of exceptional performance. In this two-part series, the Overheard podcast addresses the challenges of predicting and preventing surprise attacks from the perspectives of intelligence collection, analysis, and interaction with policy makers.

In ...
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What Is FISA Section 702? Understanding a Critical National Security Tool

October 16, 2023 • 36 mins
On the inaugural episode of the Overheard podcast, Philip Wasielewski is joined by George Croner and Kristi Scott to discuss the history, implementation and strategic importance of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Section 702. Their conversation also touches on controversies surrounding the act, and implications for national security if Congress fails to renew it at the end of this year.

Related Reading: Key US Inte...
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