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Artwork for John Kiriakou's Dead Drop

John Kiriakou's Dead Drop

John Kiriakou & Alan Katz
CIA
Abu Zubaydah
Espionage
Central Intelligence Agency
Sofia
Al Qaeda
Counterterrorism
Pakistan
Iraq
Saddam Hussein
Bulgaria
Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Soviet Union
Bahrain
George H.W. Bush
Aldrich Ames
Intelligence Operations
Kuwait
Greece
Hezbollah

Join ex-CIA officer John Kiriakou on a very personal deep dive into what makes a spy tick. One of the most famous spies in the whole world, John - a spy with a conscience - ratted out the CIA's torture program after the war on terror and spent 23 months in federal prison for it. As John explains, no spy is ever an "ex-spy". Why is that so? Listen to the podcast and you'll understand why.

Hosted o... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes36Founded8 months ago
Number of ListenersCategories
HistoryDocumentarySociety & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for John Kiriakou's Dead Drop

Latest Episodes

THE BLURB: In prison, nobody helps anybody. Except their friends. In this episode, John will introduce you to his circle of friends, some of whom remained his friend long after they all got out of prison. Relationships that would probably never have ... more

THE BLURB: One thing about prison, there are rules upon rules. Upon rules. In this episode, John realizes that he's going to have to live by his own rules in order to survive. Those rules will be entirely based on the rules John learned - and had to ... more

THE BLURB: In season one, we told the story of how CIA counter terrorism officer John Kiriakou chose to tell ABC journalist Jonathan Ross the truth - that the CIA had tortured and waterboarded detainees like Abu Zubaydah. The CIA went on the warpath ... more

THE BLURB: Having been a prisoner despite not deserving that fate, John is extremely interested in others similarly incarcerated. To that end, back before the 2024 election, we put together an episode of a podcast called "Prisoner Ex" where we told t... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Marty Gottesfeld
Activist connected to Anonymous, involved in CMU discussions
Unspecified in episode
Episode: S1E27 Prisoner Ex
Adonis Reynolds
Donnie Reynolds Jr.'s son
Family of Donnie Reynolds
Episode: S1E27 Prisoner Ex
Donald Ray Reynolds, Sr.
Donnie Reynolds Sr.
Reynolds family
Episode: S1E27 Prisoner Ex
Janice Reynolds
Donnie Reynolds Sr.'s wife
Reynolds family
Episode: S1E27 Prisoner Ex
Donnie Reynolds, Jr.
Donnie Reynolds Jr.
Individual prisoner
Episode: S1E27 Prisoner Ex
Barry Eisler
Espionage thriller author and former CIA DO
Self-published/author
Episode: S1E26 Did John Le Carre Invent The Modern Spy?
Alan Katz
Co-writer and producer of Dead Drop
Costart and Touchstone
Episode: S1E26 Did John Le Carre Invent The Modern Spy?
Glenn Carle
Former CIA officer, counter-terrorism operations veteran, national security and foreign policy expert
Former CIA, veteran intelligence professional
Episode: S1E23 Good Company, Bad Company
Fred Burton
Former State Department counterterrorism deputy chief and DSS agent
Episode: S1E4 Good Spies, Bad Endings

Host

John Kiriakou
Host of Dead Drop, former CIA officer, known for personal storytelling and forensic recollections of intelligence work.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 1.7k ratings
  • Fantastic.

    Absolutely love this series. John shines a light in to the shadows of the secret world of spy’s. Fascinating stories from behind the headlines. I’m totally hooked.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Kwendon
    United Kingdom24 days ago
  • Ads are sooo annoying

    Great show, very interesting, but it’s so irritating that the show is interrupted mid sentence, to play an advertisement!

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Mayfield@103
    Australia25 days ago
  • I’m hooked!

    Enjoying the series. However, in my opinion, in episode 23 Glenn Carle is trying to equivocate away his own participation in torture. Feeling it was wrong during its occurrence doesn’t assuage your guilt. His poor judgement is evident in his refusal to admit he was fooled into believing Trump was comprised by Russian Intelligence during the 2016 election.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    mikemontyjax
    United States25 days ago
  • Amazing podcast

    John is a uniquely compelling storyteller. He makes you understand everything that he talks about, and keeps you hooked.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Pedgy is Edgy
    United Statesa month ago
  • Dead drop

    John is a drop dead amazing story teller . Can’t recommend highly enough , thoroughly enjoyed

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Dr Salk
    United Statesa month ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Highly engaging storytelling and empathy from the host.
Very addictive and well-produced with strong historical context.
Listener feedback highlights credibility and compelling guests.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#16
United States/History
Apple Podcasts
#18
Canada/History
Apple Podcasts
#29
United Kingdom/History
Apple Podcasts
#34
Australia/History
Apple Podcasts
#60
Germany/History
Apple Podcasts
#121
Italy/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

S1E26 Did John Le Carre Invent The Modern Spy?
Q: May I ask both of you a question about that?
The guests discuss whether Le Carré's portrayal of spies and his character Smiley redefined the modern spy, highlighting the balance between realism and narrative craft as key to his influence.
S1E24 Moment Of Truth
Q: Have you seen waterboarding firsthand, and what was your experience?
Yes, I experienced waterboarding, found it to be a harrowing and inhumane process, and I later concluded it should not be used.
S1E24 Moment Of Truth
Q: So you did not go through the torture training, correct?
Correct, I did not go through the training and ultimately declined to participate in it.
S1E11 Have Human Spies Become Obsolete?
Q: Do you believe that there's still a role for human intelligence?
Eisler argues that while human intelligence may seem less relevant with advancements in technology, there is still a vital role it plays in understanding cultural nuances and human behavior.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About John Kiriakou's Dead Drop

What is John Kiriakou's Dead Drop about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A sharp, intimate look at intelligence work, ethics, and personal cost, anchored by a former CIA officer who often places human stories at the center of high-stakes history. Across episodes, listeners hear first-person narratives about counterterrorism, interrogations, and the moral ambiguities of policy decisions, with recurring threads on accountability, institutional politics, and the toll of secrecy on families and careers. The host blends candid confessions with historical context, offering a rare, morally nuanced perspective on espionage, loyalty, and the line between duty and conscience. Notable strengths include vivid on-the-ground storytelling, tackling controversial topics with nuance, and a consistently engaging delivery that inv... more

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Which podcasts are similar to John Kiriakou's Dead Drop?

These podcasts share a similar audience with John Kiriakou's Dead Drop:

1. DeProgram with Ted Rall and Jamarl Thomas
2. Julian Dorey Podcast
3. Julian Dorey Daily
4. Danny Jones Podcast
5. The Joe Rogan Experience

How many episodes of John Kiriakou's Dead Drop are there?

John Kiriakou's Dead Drop launched 8 months ago and published 36 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on John Kiriakou's Dead Drop?

Recent guests on John Kiriakou's Dead Drop include:

1. Marty Gottesfeld
2. Adonis Reynolds
3. Donald Ray Reynolds, Sr.
4. Janice Reynolds
5. Donnie Reynolds, Jr.
6. Barry Eisler
7. Alan Katz
8. Glenn Carle

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