In this episode, we talk to Vitaly Fedchenko on nuclear security.

Vitaly Fedchenko is a Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Weapons of Mass Destruction Programme. He has worked at SIPRI since 2005 and has 20 years of experience in nuclear security research and nuclear security assistance program implementation. He received a Master’s degree in nuclear materials protection, control and accounting in 2002. Between 2005 and 2015 Vitaly consulted for and helped implement Swedish government’s nuclear security assistance programs. Vitaly has been focusing on a discipline contributing to nuclear security, called nuclear forensics, since 2006 and is a member of the Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group (ITWG). Since 2009 Vitaly has been a contributor to the work of the IAEA Division of Nuclear Security in drafting regulatory documents on nuclear forensics and nuclear security, developing and delivering training courses on nuclear forensics, and contributing to advisory missions. Vitaly is an author of multiple publications on nuclear forensics, including the book The New Nuclear Forensics: Analysis of Nuclear Materials for Security Purposes [https://www.sipri.org/publications/2015/sipri-monographs/new-nuclear-forensics](Oxford University Press: Oxford, 2015). 

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EncyclopediaGeopolitica

How to Steal a Nuke

In this episode, we speak to Anne Devaud, global head of product security at one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical firms, about the threats posed by pharmacrime gangs. She has spent the last 25 years in both the private sector, and in France’s customs enforcement agency combating crimes such as smuggling and counterfeiting. Anne holds a Masters in political science from the Institute Etudes Politique in Bordeaux, and a degree in crisis management from France’s national security and justice college.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EncyclopediaGeopolitica

How to Get Rich Selling Fake Drugs Online

Today, we discuss money laundering in the modern and everchanging world. Yaya is an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security where his research focuses on crypto, blockchain, and central bank digital currencies. Earlier in his career, he spent seven years as both an economic and counterterrorism analyst in the CIA, where he regularly briefed federal law enforcement, U.S. military personnel, and White House-level policy makers—including President George W. Bush whom he personally briefed on terrorism threats. In 2009, he spent three months in Afghanistan providing analytic support to senior military officials. After leaving government service, Yaya worked for a small consulting firm on a global financial asset recovery investigation of a kleptocratic regime. Later, he joined the think tank world and as Director of Analysis at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Center on Sanctions and Illicit Finance, Yaya led research on sanctions evasion and terrorist financing threats.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EncyclopediaGeopolitica

How to Launder Money

On this episode, we discuss combat reporting, warzones, and how to survive them with Rosie Garthwaite. Rosie is an executive producer at BBC World Service's Investigations Unit, and is currently based in London making documentaries and interactives about the Middle East and North Africa. She founded Mediadante, producing the Emmy-nominated, “The Workers Cup”, that premiered on the opening night of Sundance 2017. In 2023 she exec produced “Under Poisoned Skies” that helped secure a pledge to reduce gas flaring emissions from the Iraqi government and won the RTS for best international documentary of the year. The International Emmy-award winning film “Escaping ISIS” she developed was referenced by the UK Prime Minister in a key speech and shown to the U.S. Congress. Prior to this, in 2003 Rosie joined the first English-language newspaper in post-invasion Baghdad, The Baghdad Bulletin, living amongst Iraqis far away from the Green zone. While in Basra freelancing for Reuters, The Times and the BBC she exposed the first British torture case, the death of Baha Moussa while he was in the custody of the British army. In 2006, Rosie joined Al Jazeera preparing for the launch of its English language channel and helping to set up the Baghdad bureau - even evacuating it one day after several colleagues were kidnapped. She is a former British army officer and author of the award-winning book How to Avoid Being Killed in a War Zone, published by Bloomsbury in 2011.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EncyclopediaGeopolitica

How to Avoid Being Killed in a Warzone

In this episode, we discuss the security of deep-sea internet cables with Dr. Bruce Jones. Bruce Jones is a senior fellow with the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution; he also works with the Center for East Asia Policy Studies, and is a consulting professor at the Freeman Spogli Institute at Stanford University. His current research focus is on U.S. strategy, international order, and great power relations. His most recent books on the topic are “To Rule the Waves: How Control of the World’s Oceans Shapes the Fate of the Superpowers [https://www.brookings.edu/books/to-rule-the-waves-how-control-of-the-worlds-oceans-determines-the-fate-of-the-superpowers/]” (Scribner, 2021); “The Marshall Plan and the Shaping of American Strategy [https://www.brookings.edu/book/the-marshall-plan-and-the-shaping-of-american-strategy/],” (Brookings Institution Press, 2017); and “Still Ours to Lead: America, Rising Powers, and the Tension between Rivalry and Restraint [https://www.brookings.edu/book/still-ours-to-lead-2/]” (Brookings Institution Press, 2014). Dr Jones has extensive experience and expertise on intervention and crisis management. He served in the United Nations’ operation in Kosovo, and was special assistant to the U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process. He was also a senior advisor to Kofi Annan on U.N. reform and served as deputy research director to the U.N.’s High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, as well as lead scholar for the International Task Force on Global Public Goods. Dr Jones holds a doctorate from the London School of Economics, and he was the Hamburg fellow in conflict prevention at Stanford University.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EncyclopediaGeopolitica

How to Break the Internet

On this episode, we speak to former CIA operative Marc Polymeropoulos on how to recruit a spy. Marc retired from the Senior Intelligence Service ranks in 2019 after serving for 26 years in the Intelligence Community in operational field and leadership assignments. He is an expert in counterterrorism, covert action, and human intelligence collection. Marc is one of the IC's most highly decorated field officers and has honed a unique leadership style based on decision making under pressure, inclusivity, camaraderie, and competition. His book "Clarity in Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the CIA" was published in June 2021 by Harper Collins.  Marc is a sought after speaker, and travels the world providing leadership guidance to both public and private sector clients. He also is an intelligence and foreign policy contributor for MSNBC and appears frequently on “Morning Joe,” and also is a non resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.  Most recently, Marc served as the technical advisor for the movie “Equalizer 3” starring Denzel Washington.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EncyclopediaGeopolitica

How to Recruit a Spy

In our next episode, we interview Dr. Neil Bradbury on poisons and their uses. Dr Bradbury is a graduate of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and the University of Wales School of Medicine, with degrees in Biochemistry and Medical Biochemistry. Although he grew up in the UK, he now lives and works in Illinois, USA, where he’s a scientist, teacher and writer. His first book “A Taste for Poison” will appeal to true-crime fans, sciencey types, and history buffs. He has spoken at national and international meetings to present his research, and authored numerous scientific manuscripts and book chapters.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EncyclopediaGeopolitica

How to Poison Your Enemies

In the first episode of our second season, we interview Mick Ryan on how to invade a country. Mick Ryan is a retired major general in the Australian Army. A graduate of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and the U.S. Marine Corps University Command and Staff College and School of Advanced Warfighting. He has commanded at platoon, squadron, regiment, task force, and brigade level. General Ryan was made a member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his leadership of Australia’s first reconstruction task force in Afghanistan. He completed his 35-year career with the Australian Army and transitioned to the Army Reserve in 2022. He is an adjunct fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC and a non-resident fellow at the Lowy Institute. He is also the author of War Transformed, released in 2022, and White Sun War, released in 2023, with a book on Ukraine coming in 2024.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EncyclopediaGeopolitica

How to Invade a Country

In the Season 1 finale, we discuss the threats posed to journalists around the world with Dr Mark Grant. Dr Grant is the head of high risk, safety and security at Sky News, and has operated in high-risk environments around the world for nearly 2 decades and has supported and directly managed security for the BBC and CNN. Mark holds a doctorate in security risk management, with a focus on journalism security. His thesis, "Reporting Safety; An assessment of risk management practices employed by news organisations operating in areas of conflict 2009 - 2019, is the first study of its kind, allowing news organisations to learn from the most pivotal decade for journalism, in modern times. Mark is also the co-founder and Non-Executive Director of MiRiskMedia, an app-based solution to ensure news and other organisations have direct access to vetted, qualified and experienced safety and security consultants, with the aim to create consistency of advisors across the industry.

How to Kill a Journalist

In the penultimate installment of the first season of the podcast, we discuss the threats to global shipping posed by piracy, state actors, and other dangers with two members of the Encyclopedia Geopolitica team. Cormac Mc Garry is an Associate Director at the specialist risk consultancy Control Risks, where he heads up their maritime security intelligence and analysis services. Most of his work involves helping shipping companies and others in the maritime community be prepared for security issues they may face from piracy and armed robbery at sea to drug smuggling, war and terrorism. He previously worked in the National Maritime College of Ireland as a research project  manager and has also worked across the spectrum of risk management consulting, having worked in East and West Africa before being currently based in France. Anthony Clay is a former US Navy Surface Warfare Officer, serving all over the world, with specialties in security and operations. He is currently serving in a civilian role as a  strategic planner for the DoD.

How to Hijack a Ship

From the team at Encyclopedia Geopolitica, “How to get on a Watchlist” is a podcast about dangerous acts, organizations, and people. In each episode, we sit down with leading experts to discuss the risks they pose, and how to stop them. From assassinations and airliner shootdowns, through to kidnappings and coups, we’ll examine each of these threats through the lenses of both the dangerous actors behind them, and the agencies around the world seeking to stop them.

In the interest of operational security and public safety, certain tactical details will be omitted from these discussions, however the cases and threats which we discuss are very real.

Lewis Sage-Passant

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