The Langley Files: CIA's Podcast

How well do you know the difference between the CIA and FBI? Who undertakes which national security missions, and where? Who has which critical authorities, and when? And how do both agencies work together to keep Americans and others around the world safe? Well, you’re in luck! On this special episode of The Langley Files, CIA Deputy Director David Cohen returns to unpack just that—and this time, he’s brought an interagency guest with him: FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. They’ll discuss the distinct but collaborative roles these two legendary organizations play in protecting the United States—and debunk a few myths and misconceptions with Dee and Walter along the way. So tune in, because the next time you see a CIA officer make an arrest on a TV show, or an FBI agent carry out a covert action in a movie, you’ll be able to tell the person next to you that the FBI and CIA’s second in command told you how it really works. LOOK INSIDE FILE 019: This isn’t the first time CIA Deputy Director David Cohen has stopped by The Langley Files to sort spy fact from fiction—listen to him unpack what’s real and simply “reel” in movies and TV shows about the CIA on Episode 6 of The Langley Files. FBI Deputy Director Abbate and CIA Deputy Director Cohen discussed the different career paths FBI and CIA offer to those ready to answer the call to protect the United States. Check out opportunities with CIA here, or across the Potomac with the FBI here. Want to learn more about the FBI, from within their own halls? Check out FBI’s podcast, “Inside the FBI,” here.

PART THREE: FINDING BIN LADEN. On May 2, 2011, officials with a “need to know” monitored the highly sensitive US operation against the most wanted terrorist in the world in real time. But for a CIA officer named Kevin watching that night, the mission against Al Qaeda’s seniormost leader had a uniquely personal resonance. Because as a young Navy officer working in the Pentagon, he had nearly died on September 11th, 2001. Sustaining extensive injuries in the attack, he was rushed to Walter Reed Medical Center, where doctors were unsure whether he would survive; later, in recovery, he would flatline twice. But his story was far from over. Because Kevin would overcome his injuries, join the CIA, and ultimately take his place on the CIA team tracking down the terrorist leader who oversaw the attacks: Usama Bin Laden. And on this special, three-part episode of The Langley Files, Kevin returns to CIA Headquarters to share his incredible journey.In this third and final part of FILE 018, Kevin's story comes full circle. As the clock ticks down to perhaps the most famous special forces mission in history, Kevin shares with you a one-of-a-kind, insider's look at the final chapter of the search for Bin Laden. Hear what it was like in one of the designated centers watching the operation unfold live, the unique role Kevin played in the aftermath of the raid--and about the first phone call he made upon learning its outcome, to a person he met on September 11th, 2001. It's the powerful conclusion to a part of this story that's never been told--until now.Look Inside FILE 018 – Part Three: Kevin discussed the extreme secrecy in which the mission against Usama Bin Laden was planned, but you can now see a replica of the model of Bin Laden’s Abbottabad compound that was used to prepare for the operation: Model of Abbottabad Compound - CIA. It stands today in the CIA Museum. US forces recovered an enormous amount of material from Bin Laden’s compound—and you can see much of it for yourself here, after public releases by the CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in the interest of transparency and to enhance public understanding. The materials were sent all the way from Abbottabad to the United States for analysis—and you now know the CIA officer who brought key portions of it back to Langley just days after the raid.

PART ONE: SURVIVING 9/11. On May 2, 2011, officials with a “need to know” monitored the highly sensitive US operation against the most wanted terrorist in the world in real time. But for a CIA officer named Kevin watching that night, the mission against Al Qaeda’s seniormost leader had a uniquely personal resonance. Because as a young Navy officer working in the Pentagon, he had nearly died on September 11th, 2001. Sustaining extensive injuries in the attack, he was rushed to Walter Reed Medical Center, where doctors were unsure whether he would survive; later, in recovery, he would flatline twice. But his story was far from over. Because Kevin would overcome his injuries, join the CIA, and ultimately take his place on the CIA team tracking down the terrorist leader who oversaw the attacks: Usama Bin Laden. And on this special, three-part episode of The Langley Files, Kevin returns to CIA Headquarters to share his incredible journey. In Part One, Kevin recounts his experiences on 9/11: the US Navy service that led to his posting at the Pentagon, his fight to survive amid the chaos of the attack, and how a stranger saved his life on that dark day. You may have heard of some of the people involved in the search for Usama Bin Laden, but you haven’t yet heard this part of the story—until now.Look Inside FILE 018:A memorial to those lost on September 11th, 2001 stands on the grounds of CIA’s Headquarters in Langley, VA: a steel column from World Trade Center Building Six that still carried the smell of smoke from that day over a decade later. You can read about that solemn tribute here. Kevin discussed following news of the United States’ response to the 9/11 attacks as he recovered from his injuries; CIA played a key role in that response, with a legendary CIA team “first in” on the ground in Afghanistan just 15 days after the attack. The helicopter that carried that team now sits at CIA Headquarters at Langley, Virginia, but you can see it here.Johnny Micheal Spann, a CIA paramilitary officer serving in that initial Agency response to the 9/11 attacks, was the first American killed in combat in Afghanistan. His last act was to warn a CIA colleague of imminent danger, helping that colleague get to safety. You can read about Johnny’s story and sacrifice here. A sign in Afghanistan honoring him still resides at the CIA Museum today.

PART TWO: CIA OPERATIONS. In Part One of this special two-part episode, George E. Hocker, Jr.—the trailblazing Black CIA operations officer who joined the Agency in the 1950s and ultimately rose to its seniormost ranks—shared with Dee and Walter the trials and triumphs of undergoing CIA operations, paramilitary, and survival training—and doing so as the only Black officer in his class. But George’s career with the Agency was just getting started—and only going to get more intense. In Part Two, you’ll hear about the CIA operations George led overseas—directly from this legendary CIA officer himself. Tune in to learn how George ended up on the wrong end of an AK-47 rifle, in the middle of a mystery that had beguiled the local CIA station for years, and tasked with getting a key Soviet officer sharing information with CIA to safety under cover of darkness. It’s a journey that’ll see George overcome discrimination and break down barriers at Langley, serve as a trusted advisor to not one but two Directors of Central Intelligence, and ultimately achieve a feat still considered a Cold War espionage first. Look Inside FILE 016:Want to dive deeper into today’s episode? Here's a look into more of Langley's (unclassified) files: Read more about George E. Hocker, Jr.’s remarkable career—and see photos from his time at CIA, including his original Agency job offer letter—here.Want to follow in George’s footsteps and become one of the CIA operations officers gathering intelligence across the globe to keep Americans and others around the world safe? Apply here. Interested in the other high-impact CIA Directorate of Operations jobs? Check out the Collection Management Officer, Targeting Officer, Staff Operations Officer, Directorate of Operations Language Officer positions.Does this episode’s trivia have you curious about the adventures of Mischief the Fox and Secret Squirrel? Check out this article.

As part of The Langley Files’ ongoing focus on tech at CIA, Dee and Walter sit down with CIA’s Deputy Director for Digital Innovation, Juliane Gallina, and CIA’s Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, Lakshmi Raman, to talk about the ones and zeros of spycraft in the 21st century, and how CIA is applying the latest in digital technology to help protect America from threats around the world.Want to dive deeper into today’s episode? Here's a look into more of Langley's (unclassified) files:CIA Names Juliane Gallina as Deputy Director for Digital Innovation For more about the trivia answer: Want to know a little more about Nathan Hale – American patriot, Army Ranger, spy? Check out this article. Read more about the Nathan Hale statue here. Do you think you have what it takes to join a team of world-class experts in digital innovation and artificial intelligence? Check out CIA’s career offerings here. In the private sector and have a tech idea to share with CIA? https://www.cia.gov/tech/

PART TWO: EXFILTRATION. In this conclusion to the two-part finale of The Langley Files Season Two, Dee and Walter follow the thread of the “Argo” operation to rescue six Americans stranded in post-1979 Iran to its final moments—because for CIA master of disguise Tony Mendez and the previously-unidentified second CIA officer who undertook this daring mission with him, getting into Iran was just the beginning. Once in Tehran, they’ll have to train six Americans with no background in clandestine operations to impersonate a film crew convincingly enough to get past revolutionary Iranian security forces at the border. An additional twist: they’ll have just one night to do it. Tune in to learn how, and hear about the conclusion of this legendary CIA operation from a perspective that’s never been public until now. Look Inside FILE 013Want to dive deeper into this two-part episode? Here's a look into more of Langley's (unclassified) files:For an overview of the ARGO operation, check out this story. Want to see some of the artifacts from ARGO operation for yourself? Watch The Debrief: Behind the Artifact - ARGO. For additional details on these unique ARGO artifacts, check out what the CIA Museum showcases on our website. Can you find the references to ‘Julio’? Now you know the identity of the previously unidentified second CIA officer who joined Tony Mendez on the Argo operation, chronicled here by Tony himself. The skills of the CIA officers who worked to exfiltrate those six Americans continue to live on in today’s CIA. Check out FILE 012 for an exclusive conversation with two currently serving CIA disguise specialists. Interested in the art of disguise? See a piece of CIA disguise history with this disguise kit. Curious about some of the occupations CIA has to offer? Check out our website CIA.gov for more information.

You might’ve seen spies use disguises in movies, but for real-life CIA officers, masks, wigs, makeup, and clothing are just the beginning. So what else do Agency officers need to transform themselves into someone else? How do they pull off such sleight of hand under pressure—and under surveillance? And most of all, who makes their disguises and how? On this episode of The Langley Files, Dee and Walter sit down with two of CIA’s disguise specialists to pull back the curtain on those questions and more. Tune in to learn some of the tricks of the disguise trade—and hear how they’ve made all the difference in real-world CIA operations. Look Inside FILE 012: Want to dive deeper into today’s episode? Here's a look into more of Langley's (unclassified) files:Want to read about the life—and surprising second career—of another CIA master of disguise? Check out this profile. CIA’s disguise technology has had an impact on more than national security—it has also benefitted the world of custom prosthetics. Read about that and other CIA contributions to modern technology. How does CIA test applicants to its disguise team? One way has been to ask them to sculpt an ear. See a piece of CIA disguise history with this disguise kit. Did the CIA really create a fake Hollywood production company to exfiltrate six State Department employees from Tehran? Watch The Debrief: Behind the Artifact - ARGO. For more information about ARGO, check out this story.Are you curious about some of the occupations CIA has to offer? Check out our website CIA.gov for more information.

How do CIA officers stay safe while traveling to some of the most dangerous places in the world? And how can you apply the CIA’s best practices to help stay safe during your own travels? On this episode of The Langley Files, a CIA security expert talks Dee and Walter through a notional trip abroad to reveal how he watches his back on the go—and shares how you can, too. Look Inside FILE 010:Want to dive deeper into today’s episode? Here's a look into more of Langley's (unclassified) files: Looking for a handy checklist of CIA’s travel safety tips? Check out the “Ask Molly” column on the topic .Going abroad? U.S. citizens can establish comms with their home base by registering with the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). Put CIA’s world knowledge to work for you—check out the CIA World Factbook’s travel facts before you go, for key information on everything from climate to local tipping practices.

In this episode of The Langley Files, Deputy Director of CIA for Analysis, Linda Weissgold, joins Dee and Walter to discuss what makes a good CIA analyst, the unusual working hours required to be the President's briefer, and the importance of the Agency's apolitical assessments. Along the way, she shares lessons from her decades-long career with CIA - and what it's like delivering bad news to the most powerful person on the planet.Look Inside FILE 008Want to dive deeper into today’s episode? Here's a look into Langley's (unclassified) files: Overview of CIA’s Directorate of Analysis and the analytic positions available at the Agency Is perhaps the most exclusive publication in the world still delivered on paper? Check out the evolution of the President’s Daily Brief (PDB) Curious about the women OSS members Linda mentioned? Read stories from the “Sisterhood of Spies” See the iconic words inside the final President’s Intelligence Checklist (PICL) ever produced by CIA Want to try your hand at searching out the answer to today’s trivia question? Head over to the CIA World Factbook—where that information, and much more, awaits.

Rogue operatives. Off the books programs. Hood-sliding CIA officers single-handedly saving the world. Is there any fact behind the spy fiction we see all the time? For this, The Langley Files’ season one finale, Dee and Walter sit down with none other than CIA Deputy Director David Cohen to break down recurring scenes in spy fiction—and reveal that, behind some of them, is a surprising degree of CIA truth. *Nothing in this podcast should be construed to be an endorsement by the CIA or the US Government of any particular company, product, or service.

On this episode of The Langley Files, CIA's Chief Historian joins Walter and Dee to talk about the Agency's cadre of in-house historians. They'll discuss how these officers' work studying the past supports CIA's mission in the present, what it's like going through the Agency's archives ... and how one of the fastest, highest-flying operational jet aircraft ever built ended up in the parking lot of CIA Headquarters. *Nothing in this podcast should be construed to be an endorsement by the CIA or the US Government of any particular company, product, or service.

2022 marks the Central Intelligence Agency's 75th Anniversary. On this episode, our hosts Dee and Walter talk with two Agency officers who are leading efforts to commemorate this milestone for the Agency. They will discuss the CIA's evolution over time, what events marked this year's celebration, and how CIA is learning from its past to best serve the American people.