The Team House

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
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"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

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original air date 5/13/22

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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

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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

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We break down the suspected plot near RAF Fairford, the growing use of criminal proxies for covert action, and what the incident could mean if investigators ultimately tie it to Iran. We also discuss the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, China’s role in sustaining Iran economically, pressure on Gulf allies, and whether Washington has lost sight of the nuclear issue.
Support the show on Patreon:⬇️
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Jack's news outlet:⬇️
https://thehighside.substack.com/
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Jon's Twitter:
https://x.com/jonathanhackett
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Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejonathanhackett
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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 
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LinkedIn ⬇️
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-patrick-mulroy-31198b52/
Whitefish security summit ⬇️
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Find Marc P here:
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Andy’s book ⬇️
https://www.amazon.com/When-Tempest-Gathers-Mogadishu-Operations
00:00 – Start
00:37 – Five Men Arrested Near RAF Fairford
02:17 – Was Iran Behind the Alleged Plot?
05:40 – How a Local Tip May Have Stopped the Attack
07:29 – IRGC Warnings About RAF Fairford
12:35 – What Was the Intended Target?
17:17 – How Iran Recruits Criminal Proxies for Covert Operations
21:07 – The Gig Economy of Espionage & Sabotage
23:56 – Iran, Hormuz & the Latest Ceasefire Maneuvering
28:01 – China Is the Key to Economic Pressure on Iran
32:48 – What Could the U.S. Offer China in Return?
39:20 – Why Washington Is Holding Back on Tougher China Sanctions
42:53 – Iran & the U.S. Settle Into a Dangerous Stalemate
47:37 – Can the U.S. Still Protect Its Gulf Allies?
50:01 – Iran’s Internal Crackdown & the Cost of the War
53:07 – What This War Is Teaching the U.S. About Cheap Weapons
55:13 – Has Washington Lost Sight of the Nuclear Issue?
59:18 – What to Watch Next in Iran, Yemen & the Gulf

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Kyle Vowinkel looks back on a 25-year FBI career that took him from counterintelligence and SWAT in Los Angeles to the Hostage Rescue Team, JSOC deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, and some of the Bureau’s most high-profile crisis operations. We also discuss HRT selection, the Boston Marathon bombing manhunt, the Alabama bunker hostage rescue, and the leadership lessons behind his new book, Shaping Chaos.
Find Kyle here: https://www.kylevowinkel.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-vowinkel
Grab Kyle's book here: https://www.kylevowinkel.com/book
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To help support the show and for all bonus content including:
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Subscribe to our Patreon! ⬇️
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___________________________________________________
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:
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The Team House Twitter:
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Jack’s Instagram:
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Jack’s Twitter:
 https://twitter.com/jackmurphyrgr?s=21
Team House Discord: ⬇️
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"Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio"
00:00 – Start
01:27 – Growing Up in San Diego & Wanting to Serve
05:38 – A Rebellious Kid Goes to West Point
07:55 – Discovering the FBI While at West Point
09:17 – Military Police, Korea & Guantanamo Bay
10:14 – Taking Back a Rioting Refugee Camp
13:17 – Learning to Lead While You’re Scared
14:35 – Leaving the Army & Applying to the FBI
18:41 – Counterintelligence & FBI SWAT in Los Angeles
21:38 – Manhunts for Cop Killers
23:31 – Working Security at the Golden Globes
26:07 – FBI SWAT Raids a Las Vegas Strip Club
28:34 – 9/11 & the FBI’s Immediate Response
30:18 – Training for FBI Hostage Rescue Team Selection
33:11 – Inside the Brutal HRT Selection Process
36:09 – Failing HRT Selection Because of His Ego
41:13 – Coming Back a Year Later & Making the Team
42:29 – The HRT New Operator Training Pipeline
45:34 – Marine Corps Scout Sniper School
47:20 – What Exactly Is the FBI Hostage Rescue Team?
50:20 – How HRT Began Working With JSOC
52:07 – The First Full FBI Embed With Task Force 275
56:17 – Going on Target in Mosul
59:03 – Capturing a Senior Al-Qaeda Leader in Tal Afar
1:05:23 – Operation Brass Balls in Ramadi
1:07:26 – HRT Operations in Afghanistan
1:09:21 – Raiding by Zodiac on the Euphrates
1:10:53 – A Deadly HRT Standoff in Puerto Rico
1:19:57 – Leaving HRT for the Crisis Negotiation Unit
1:25:56 – The Tension Between Negotiators & Tactical Teams
1:27:49 – Negotiating With Somali Pirates
1:32:56 – The Boston Marathon Bombing Manhunt
1:35:00 – Hundreds of Rounds Fired in Watertown
1:40:16 – Negotiating the Surrender of the Boston Bomber
1:47:58 – The Alabama “Bunker Boy” Hostage Crisis
1:55:07 – Discovering an IED Inside the Bunker’s Speaking Tube
2:00:40 – The Kidnapper Issues a Final Demand
2:03:42 – HRT Launches the Hostage Rescue
2:10:31 – Leaving Operations for FBI Leadership
2:14:28 – Shaping Chaos & Lessons From a 25-Year FBI Career

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We break down the escalating Houthi campaign against Saudi Arabia, the growing threat to shipping through the Bab al-Mandab, and whether the U.S. will intervene as Gulf air-defense stocks and regional confidence in Washington come under strain. We also look at Europe’s fears of further Russian escalation, North Korea exploiting America’s divided attention, and Ukraine’s massive drone and missile strike campaign inside Russia.
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
03:12 – Will the U.S. Strike the Houthis for Saudi Arabia?
06:34 – Houthis, Iran & the Bab al-Mandab
09:55 – Saudi Arabia’s Oil Routes Are Being Choked Off
17:01 – Why Saudi Arabia Can’t Defend Its Own Airspace
22:25 – Has the U.S. Lost Credibility in the Gulf?
29:24 – What Happens If Hormuz & Bab al-Mandab Are Both Shut?
33:00 – Will Washington Actually Strike the Houthis?
42:00 – Is There Any Military Solution to the Houthi Problem?
49:40 – Europe Prepares for Possible Russian Escalation
54:16 – Could Russia Test NATO With a Limited Attack?
59:09 – Should Europe Draw Hard Red Lines in Ukraine?
1:01:22 – North Korea Exploits America’s Divided Attention
1:05:25 – Ukraine Launches a Massive 1,000-Drone Strike Into Russia
1:10:27 – Closing Thoughts

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-team-house--5960890/support.