S9 Ep49: Espresso Martini | India and Pakistan Pull Back, A Warning on Loyalty Over Expertise, and Trump’s Flying Palace

This week, Chris and Matt break down the uneasy truce reached
between India and Pakistan after weeks of escalating violence,
with the Trump administration stepping in late to help broker a
ceasefire and avert a possible nuclear crisis. Then, former NSA
and CIA director Gen. Michael Hayden issues a stark warning about
the dangers of personal loyalty tests in national
security—raising concerns about competence, dissent, and
decision-making at the highest levels. Finally, the guys examine
President Trump’s controversial plan to accept a former Qatari
royal jet as a temporary Air Force One, weighing the security,
ethical, and logistical risks of putting the president aboard a
previously foreign-owned aircraft.

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Articles discussed in today’s episode

"From missiles to ceasefire: how India and Pakistan pulled back
from the brink" by Shah Meer Baloch & Hannah Ellis-Petersen |
The Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/12/how-india-and-pakistan-conflict-turned-from-brink-of-war-to-ceasefire-in-days


"As Truce Seems to Hold, India and Pakistan Both Claim Victory"
by Anupreeta Das, Salman Masood & Hari Kumar | The New York
Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/11/world/asia/india-pakistan-kashmir-ceasefire.html


"Vance called Indian prime minister to encourage ceasefire talks
after receiving alarming intelligence, sources say" by Alayna
Treene | CNN:
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/10/politics/vance-modi-india-pakistan-intelligence


"When It Comes to National Security, Loyalty Tests Should Have No
Place" by Gen. Michael Hayden | The Cipher Brief:
https://www.thecipherbrief.com/column_article/when-it-comes-to-national-security-loyalty-tests-should-have-no-place


"Trump administration poised to accept 'palace in the sky' as a
gift for Trump from Qatar" by Jonathan Karl & Katherine
Faulders | ABC News:
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-administration-poised-accept-palace-sky-gift-trump/story?id=121680511


"Corruption and a Security Catastrophe in Plane Sight" by Garrett
Graff | Doomsday Scenario on Substack:
https://www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/corruption-and-a-security-catastrophe-in-plane-sight-c5cd67a113caf678


"Turning Qatar’s Gifted 747 Into Air Force One Will Be Anything
But Free" by Howard Altman & Tyler Rogoway | The War Zone:
https://www.twz.com/air/turning-qatars-gifted-747-into-air-force-one-will-be-anything-but-free


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Secrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence,
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