S9 Ep7: Espresso Martini | North Korean Troops to Ukraine, Sinwar’s End, Israel Rolls Up an Iranian Spy Ring, and Conspiracies Drive Threats to FEMA

Secrets and Spies - A Spy & Geopolitics Podcast

In this episode of Espresso Martini, Chris and Matt discuss the alarming news that North Korea is sending up to 12,000 troops to bolster Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They explore the implications of North Korea gaining combat experience and modern warfare training and whether these troops are likely to be anything more than cannon fodder for Putin’s war. Next, they unpack the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, mastermind of the October 7th attacks, killed by Israeli forces after a years-long manhunt. In a twist of fate, it was trainee soldiers who found him. While his final defiance is already being mythologized by supporters, Chris and Matt assess whether his death will weaken Hamas or bolster its extremist factions. They also explore the arrest of seven Israelis accused of spying for Iran and how these betrayals compromised national security. Finally, they examine growing threats against FEMA workers in North Carolina, driven by conspiracy theories that disrupted disaster relief efforts and underscore the real dangers of misinformation.
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Articles discussed in today’s episode
"North Korea 'sends 1,500 special forces with fake Russian IDs' to support Putin's war against Ukraine" by Deborah Haynes | Sky News
https://news.sky.com/story/north-korea-sends-1-500-special-forces-with-fake-russian-ids-to-support-putins-war-against-ukraine-13235751
"Yahya Sinwar’s final moments and the Israeli trainees who found him" by Julian Borger | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/18/yahya-sinwar-final-moments-israeli-infantry-tracked-him-down
"Seven Israelis arrested for spying for Iran, providing info on army bases" by Jacob Laznik & Eye Young | Jerusalem Post
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-825487
"Suspect arrested after reports of threats toward FEMA operations in North Carolina" by Andy Rose, Paradise Afshar, Ella Nilsen & Gabe Cohen | CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/14/us/fema-helene-north-carolina-reported-threats/index.html
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