GRP 177-The Recruiter: My Conversation With Douglas London A 34 Year Veteran of The CIA
Global Recon
John Hendricks
4.8 • 592 Ratings
🗓️ 5 April 2023
⏱️ 79 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
We hear from a former CIA officer, Douglas London, who spent over 30 years working for the organization. London's growing up in the Bronx, gave him the street smarts necessary for specific roles in the government. We learn about the rigorous training pipeline for case officers and how the agency shifted focus after 9/11. London provides fascinating insights into the internal workings of the CIA, the sacrifices made by its officers, and the challenges and adversities they face in their work. We discussed the importance of Open Source Intelligence Techniques (OSINT). This podcast offers a glimpse into the world of intelligence and espionage, making it a must-listen for anyone interested in national security and the role of covert operations in America's foreign policy.
Main Takeaways
- Growing up in the Bronx
- Joining the Marine Corps
- Becoming a CIA Officer
- OSINT
- Havana Syndrome
- China
- Russia
Get your copy of Douglas London's book:
Follow Douglas on Twitter
@douglaslondon5
This episode is sponsored by 4 Patriots, a survival food company. You can visit www.4patriots.com and use the code RECON for 10% off
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Music provided by Caspian:
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Just inside the main entrance of CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, is a white marble wall |
| 0:07.0 | with a collection of stars etched into the stone. It is the most sacred space on our compound. |
| 0:17.0 | Each star memorializes a life lost in the line of duty, a sacrifice to our nation. |
| 0:26.6 | The inscription above the stars read, in honor of those members of the Central Intelligence |
| 0:31.6 | Agency who gave their lives in the service of their country. |
| 0:35.6 | The Book of Honor, on display in front of the memorial wall, contains the names of CIA officers |
| 0:40.8 | who died in service. |
| 0:42.7 | Each is written next to a gold leaf star. |
| 0:45.8 | To protect intelligence sources and methods, some of the names must remain classified even |
| 0:50.0 | in death. |
| 0:51.6 | Once a year, though, every name, even even those unlisted, is read out loud in recognition |
| 0:56.0 | at CIA's annual memorial ceremony. CIA officers are administered the oath of office in front |
| 1:01.6 | the memorial wall on their first day. The wall not only reminds these new officers of the inherent |
| 1:06.3 | risks of our work, but it inspires them to continue to carry CIA's mission forward in honor of those who came before them. |
| 1:18.1 | Welcome to the Global Recon Podcast. I'm your host, John Hendricks. I have a special guest on with me for this podcast. His name is Douglas London. And he spent |
| 1:30.5 | over 30 years working for the CIA. And he also has a book out called the recruiter. Douglas, |
| 1:39.1 | how's it going? It's going well. How are you doing today? I'm well. So I didn't get through your entire book, but I did get through a chunk of it on the audio |
| 1:50.6 | version. And it's really fascinating book. |
| 1:55.1 | It's, in my opinion, is quite different from other CIA books. |
| 1:59.5 | So we'll get into that. |
| 2:01.3 | But let's start with where you're from and sort of what led you into the CIA. |
| 2:07.0 | Sure. |
... |
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