Target Usa Podcast By Wtop

Alexander Goldfarb was close friends with Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian intelligence officer, who was poisoned to death in London in 2006. Two Russian intelligence operatives were behind it. But after the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, another former Russian spy, and his daughter Yulia in March of this year, Russian government-linked media outlets began accusing Goldfarb of killing his friend. Then things turned bizarre. He got a visit from the FBI and his friend’s father began accusing him of killing Litvinenko. Now Goldfarb and Marina Litvinenko, the widow of Alexander Litvinenko, have decided to take action. We have exclusive details on this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Many of Russia's neighbors are concerned about its revanchist intentions. They are worried about the mixed and confusing messages coming from Russia. On one hand, Kremlin officials say they support the independence and free will of neighboring countries, as long as that free will doesn't lead to an alliance with the EU. That's part of the problem going on in Moldova. Foreign Minister Tudor Ulianovschi was in Washington on June 25 to along with Prime Minister Pavel Filip. Ulianovschi talked about the situation while visiting with Target USA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On June 20, 2018, Russia’s state run news outlet, Interfax, reported that the government had issued its seventh Red notice seeking the arrest of hedge fund manager Bill Browder. Browder, founder and CEO of Hermitage Capital Management, joined Target USA to talk about the intensified efforts to capture him and, in his words, eventually… kill him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The 2018 NATO Summit is coming up in July in Brussels. Three of the top agenda items are improving the speed of decision making, refining the readiness of NATO forces and enhancing the mobility of NATO forces. Russia is the main reason for this urgency. Three top officials from the EU spoke to Target USA about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

James Clapper spent more than 50 years in the U.S. intelligence community. His last posting was director of national intelligence, serving under President Barack Obama. He’s written a book about his career called “Facts and Fears.” He spoke with Target USA, and candidly discussed “the truth about Russia’s role in the presidential election,” the Osama bin Laden raid, the Benghazi attack, and the Edward Snowden leaks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On Aug. 9, 2017, CBS correspondent Steve Dorsey broke the story that U.S. diplomats in Havana had been sickened by a mysterious illness, the cause of which no one could put their finger on. At the time no one had any answers about what happened. Doctors determined they were likely suffering from some kind of ultrasonic device. But since then other possibilities have arisen. Chris Simmons, a retired supervisory counterintelligence officer from the Defense Intelligence Agency with deep experience related to Cuba, has a theory and supporting evidence that makes perfect sense and is very plausible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The U.S. continues grappling with the effects of the Russian government’s meddling before, during and after the 2016 presidential election. The Kremlin’s main goal of creating a climate of distrust and chaos was largely successful. And in the process, U.S. officials, experts and average citizens are pointing fingers — blaming each other for allowing it to happen. Lithuania, which has had a long and difficult history in Russia’s shadow and has been victimized by Russia’s “alternative” views of truth for many years, has some advice for U.S. officials. Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius visited Washington on May 16 to meet with U.S. officials and counseled against trying to compromise with Russia because, he said, that would be a sign of weakness to the Kremlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Two-and-a-half years ago, Suzanne Kelly, one of the top intelligence reporters in the U.S., took a leap. She started an online national security, intelligence publication to offer news consumers in-depth news, analysis and well-qualified experts on those topics. What she got in return far exceeded that. “Our biggest accomplishment to date has been that we very quickly became 'must read' material within the IC (Intelligence Community),” Kelly said. “We're read within the FBI, ODNI, White House and Pentagon. What has surprised me a little bit is how large of a loyal audience we've been able to grow outside of the IC and national security apparatus.” In fact, Microsoft and McDonald’s are among the global private sector companies that depend on The Cipher Brief. Kelly joined us on Target USA to discuss the venture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The United States and Pakistan have had a steady relationship for 70 years. But in that period, the affiliation has been beset by ups and downs, including the Osama bin Laden saga. Now, yet another “misunderstanding,” as characterized on this episode by Aizaz Chaudhry, Pakistan’s ambassador to the U.S., threatens to derail this critical relationship. And interestingly enough, new information related to the bin Laden story surfaces in this podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The U.S. and North Korea are moving ahead with plans for President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to meet. But what happens after the meeting? Is there enough trust between the two to facilitate a nuclear deal? It’s a big question, especially considering the U.S. has just pulled out of a similar deal with Iran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the previous episode, retired U.S. spy John Sipher told Target USA that Russia possibly has as many as 225 spies inside the U.S. -- even after 60 were kicked out in March. Bitterly complaining about it, Russia's ambassador grumbled that no U.S. officials would meet with him. One congressman tells us why. And we hear why the U.S. gets the short end of the stick when it comes to tit-for-tat expulsions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Russia has more spies in the U.S. than it did during the Cold War. The man who knows all about Russian espionage joins Target USA to break down exactly what the spies are doing and how many are likely at work inside the U.S. during this very tense and dangerous time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the wake of the poisoning of a former Russian double agent in the United Kingdom, Hermitage Capital Management CEO Bill Browder tells Target USA, "The Russians are doing everything they can try to get me, to try to kill me, to try to stop me, to try to intimidate me." Browder, the architect of the Magnitsky Act, says "there are probably 250 people working full time inside the Russian government at any given moment trying to destroy my life." Browder says he's the number one enemy of the Russian government and, specifically, Russian President Vladimir Putin. All the details are available on this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A new and bitter schism between Russia and the west over the poisoning of a former double agent has opened up, and it could have lethal consequences. On this episode, British Prime Minister Theresa May, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, and former weapons inspector Dr. David Kay put the potentially deadly situation into context. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Terrorism is shifting into a new phase. U.S. Department of State Counterterrorism Coordinator Nathan Sales says terrorists are getting smarter -- using previous attacks as blueprints. But with the Islamic State group waning, al-Qaida- and Iran-backed terrorism are in resurgent trajectories. Sales says military efforts to fight terrorism are going to wind down, and sophisticated law enforcement and advanced screening measures are going to take precedence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode, we hear the survival stories from the day in 1993 when "the earth shook" and thick black smoke filled New York's iconic World Trade Center. Six people died and more than a thousand were injured during an attack that many believe set the stage for an even more disastrous attack in 2001. Survivors' audio was provided by the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What's Russian President Vladimir Putin’s motivation for interfering in U.S. elections? U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., a senior member of the Senate foreign relations committee, tells Target USA that Putin is, perhaps, the richest man in the world and corruption is his business model. And that, according to Cardin, is driving his obsession to sow seeds of chaos in the U. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Former House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers tells Target USA that in the 1960s Russian intelligence used leaflets and pamphlets to try to interfere in U.S. affairs. But in 2016, the internet, bots, trolls and Americans' anger toward each other made it a lot easier. And in 2018, Rogers says, we should prepare for an even more advanced attack that’s based on the same simple principle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Having served as a four-star Air Force General and as director of the National Security Agency and the CIA , very few people know more about how Russia's new Cold War-like behavior will impact the U.S. Former CIA director Mike Hayden shares deep insight with Target USA about what to expect in 2018 and beyond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Two things keep David Pekoske, head of the Transportation Security Administration, awake at night. Worrying about the 60,000-plus men and women on the front lines of the TSA is one. The other, Pekoske says, is "people that we don’t know about " -- meaning terrorists and other criminals who pose a threat to aviation and other modes of transportation security. He talks exclusively to Target USA about those issues, how terrorists are changing their tactics to more effectively attack airplanes, and how the TSA is dealing with the threat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.