The Rest Is Classified
Enter the secretive world of spies, espionage, and covert operations.
Hosted by former CIA analyst turned spy novelist, David McCloskey, and veteran security correspondent, Gordon Corera, this podcast unravels real-life spy stories, intelligence secrets, and the hidden power struggles shaping global events.
From Cold War espionage to modern-day intelligence agencies like the CIA, MI6, and Mossad, explore the world of double agents, classified missions, and the shadowy figures who operate in them. Whether you're a true crime addict, a thriller fan, or fascinated by spy stories, this is the show for you.
- Update frequency
- every 3 days
- Average duration
- 43 minutes
- Episodes
- 87
- Years Active
- 2024 - 2025
64. Terror Strikes London: The Al-Qaeda Mastermind (Ep 3)
He left a video for his daughter before he vanished to Pakistan. A quiet farewell, wrapped in the language of faith and finality. What no one knew was that in the mountains near the Afghan border, he…
00:34:51 |
Sun 13 Jul 2025
63. Terror Strikes London: What did MI5 know? (Ep 2)
Fifteen months before the London bombings, MI5 had seen them. They had names, photographs, and addresses. Two of the men who would carry out the 7/7 attacks had already appeared in surveillance. And …
00:34:04 |
Tue 08 Jul 2025
62. Terror Strikes London: 7/7 (Ep 1)
London woke up to joy and celebration on 7 July 2005. The city had just won the 2012 Olympics. It was a glorious summer. There were parties in the streets. But, by 9am, everything had changed.
Thr…
00:39:06 |
Sun 06 Jul 2025
61. The Truth About UFOs: Whistleblowers, Warplanes, and Worlds Unknown (Ep 4)
For years, the term UFO conjured images of tin foil hats and elaborate cover-ups. But with recent official reports from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence detailing hundreds of UAP s…
00:41:12 |
Tue 01 Jul 2025
60. The Truth About UFOs: The CIA's Alien Obsession (Ep 3)
In 1955, a United States Senator claimed he saw a "greenish-yellow ball rising rapidly" over the Soviet Union. Was it a Soviet secret weapon, an extraterrestrial visitation, or something else entirel…
00:32:37 |
Sun 29 Jun 2025
59. The Truth About UFOs: Alien Sightings (Ep 2)
In the mid-1970s, new, more outlandish claims about the Roswell incident began to surface: not one, but multiple crash sites, military recovery of alien bodies, and secret autopsies. What do these re…
00:36:09 |
Tue 24 Jun 2025
58. The Truth About UFOs: The Roswell Incident (Ep 1)
The date was July 8th, 1947. The Roswell Daily Record boldly announced: "RAAF Recovers Flying Saucer." How did this headline ignite a global obsession with UFOs, and why has the official narrative sh…
00:33:51 |
Sun 22 Jun 2025
57. Why Israel Attacked Iran
The ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel may have escalated last Friday when Israel launched predawn strikes on its regional enemy, but tensions have been brewing for years.
In 2020, the Isra…
01:46:07 |
Wed 18 Jun 2025
56. Bin Laden vs the CIA: Death in Pakistan (Ep 6)
His poetry celebrated a cosmic struggle of violence and glory, but his end was far from a medieval power play. Why did Osama bin Laden spend his final years in a secluded compound in Pakistan, attemp…
01:03:04 |
Mon 16 Jun 2025
55. Bin Laden vs the CIA: The Hunt for the World's Most Wanted (Ep 5)
A decade after 9/11, Osama bin Laden remained at large, a constant "running sore" for the US government. But how did a fleeting glimpse of a tall guy with a beard and the interrogation of a high-valu…
00:56:46 |
Sun 15 Jun 2025
54. Bin Laden vs the CIA: 9/11 (Ep 4)
On a clear September morning, the American homeland was shattered, revealing a vulnerability unforeseen for nearly two centuries. But, how did Osama bin Laden, soon to become the world's most wanted …
00:42:56 |
Tue 10 Jun 2025
53. Bin Laden vs the CIA: The Great Escape (Ep 3)
"The walls of oppression and humiliation cannot be demolished except in a rain of bullets." These chilling words from Osama bin Laden's 1996 fatwa declared war on the United States. How did this Saud…
00:59:15 |
Sun 08 Jun 2025
52. Bin Laden vs the CIA: Declaring Jihad (Ep 2)
How did a Saudi millionaire, seemingly more interested in a simple life than luxury, become the architect of a global terrorist organization? What personal and geopolitical forces converged to transf…
00:53:15 |
Tue 03 Jun 2025
51. Bin Laden vs the CIA: The Origins of Al-Qaeda (Ep 1)
What kind of man was Osama bin Laden before he became the world's most wanted terrorist? How did his early life and radical beliefs shape the figure who would one day challenge the West? And what rol…
00:55:52 |
Sun 01 Jun 2025
50. The Man Who Tried To Kill The KGB: On the Run from Russia (Ep 2)
He risked everything to expose the KGB's darkest secrets, but Vasily Mitrokhin had two non-negotiable demands: his family's safety and his archive's publication. How did MI6 navigate these unpreceden…
00:44:46 |
Tue 27 May 2025
49. The Man Who Tried To Kill The KGB: A Traitor in the Kremlin (Ep 1)
The Cold War may have ended, but the hunt for dangerous secrets never truly stops. What happens when a disillusioned KGB archivist decides to betray his masters? How did he manage to steal masses of …
00:45:48 |
Sun 25 May 2025
48. The Leak That Changed The World: Death of Privacy (Ep 6)
Do we have any privacy in the modern era? Why did Snowden do the things he did? Was he successful? And what is the closest Gordon Corera ever came to being a spy?
Listen as David McCloskey and Gor…
00:53:07 |
Tue 20 May 2025
47. The Leak That Changed The World: Spying on the World (Ep 5)
Stories continue to flood out of the Snowden leaks and it's not just American doing the spying. How were the British 'Mastering the Internet'? Should we be surprised that America are spying on their …
00:38:38 |
Sun 18 May 2025
46. The Leak That Changed The World: Snowden On The Run (Ep 4)
The world has met Edward Snowden and now he fears repercussions. How will he escape Hong Kong? Where will he go? And will any nation be willing to risk the fury of the USA and help him?
Listen as …
00:37:39 |
Tue 13 May 2025
45. The Leak That Changed The World: America Exposed (Ep 3)
With Snowden now in possession of 1,500,000 secret American files, how can he get them in the public eye? Which journalists will he choose to help him? And why does he choose to hole himself up in a …
00:44:28 |
Mon 12 May 2025
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