S9 Ep59: The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century with Tim Weiner

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tim Weiner joins Matt to
discuss The Mission, his new history of the CIA in the 21st
century. They explore the agency’s quiet successes and moral
failings, from dismantling the AQ Khan network to abetting
torture and losing its way in Iraq. Weiner recounts how the CIA
reoriented after the 2016 Russian election interference, played a
key role in supporting Ukraine, and tried to hold the line under
Trump. Their conversation spans secret wars, agency leadership,
and whether America’s intelligence services can still defend
democracy when democracy itself is under threat.

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More about The Mission:
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-mission-tim-weiner


Order The Mission from Bookshop.org:
https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-mission-the-cia-in-the-21st-century-tim-weiner/22062129


Follow Tim on Bluesky:
https://bsky.app/profile/tim-weiner.bsky.social

Please share this episode using these links

Audio: https://pod.fo/e/2fa57b
YouTube: https://youtu.be/pFMaXhPcNO8

Reviews of The Mission

"The Mission by Tim Weiner review – unmasking the CIA" by John
Simpson | The Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/jul/10/the-mission-by-tim-weiner-review-unmasking-the-cia


"The Mission" by Publishers Weekly:
https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780063270183

"Mission Madness" by Loch K. Johnson | Spytalk:
https://www.spytalk.co/p/mission-madness

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Secrets and Spies is produced by F & P LTD.
Music by Andrew R. Bird
Photos by Harper Collins, Jessica Doyle & CIA

Secrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence,
covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a
way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris
Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode examines the very
topics that real intelligence officers and analysts consider on a
daily basis through the lens of global events and geopolitics,
featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and
journalists.