Spies don’t talk—it’s the cardinal rule of the business. But on Foreign Policy’s podcast I Spy, we get them to open up. We hear from the operations people: the spies who steal secrets, kill adversaries, and turn agents into double agents. Each episode features one spy telling one dramatic story.
After Hotel Rwanda, Part 4: The Homecoming
As pressure on the Rwandan government mounts, Paul signs a pardon request, expressing some contrition and agreeing to refrain from political activities if he's released. But, back at home, he finds it difficult to honor the pledge.
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5/28/2024 • 33 minutes, 15 seconds
After Hotel Rwanda, Part 3: The Campaign
A Rwandan court convicts Paul Rusesabagina on terrorism charges and sentences him to 25 years in prison. As he comes to terms with the prospect of spending the rest of his life behind bars, a team of lawyers, negotiators, and advocates works up a strategy to win his release.
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5/21/2024 • 34 minutes, 48 seconds
After Hotel Rwanda, Part 2: The Backstory
Tensions between ethnic Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda began long before the 1994 genocide—a vestige of Belgian colonial rule in the country. On this episode, we trace the events leading up to the mass killing—and how they affected Paul and his wife.
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5/14/2024 • 28 minutes, 4 seconds
After Hotel Rwanda, Part 1: The Trap
An old friend persuades human rights activist Paul Rusesabagina to travel from his home in San Antonio, Texas, to Burundi for a speaking engagement. But the friend turns out to be collaborating with the Rwandan government and the journey is a trap.
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5/7/2024 • 29 minutes, 49 seconds
Introducing: After Hotel Rwanda
Hello I Spy listeners. We're back in your feed to introduce you to a remarkable new podcast made by the producers of I Spy called: After Hotel Rwanda. The show tells the story of Paul Rusesabagina, who in 2020 was lured from his home in San Antonio, Texas, to his former country of Rwanda, were he was tried on terrorism charges and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Rusesabagina had been a national hero in Rwanda for saving the lives of more than twelve hundred people during the 1994 genocide there. His story was told in the Hollywood movie Hotel Rwanda. Our four-part series describes how Rusesabagina went from hero to dissident in Rwanda—and how a team of supporters in Washington and elsewhere managed eventually to bring him home. You can hear an extended trailer in this feed right now—and all four episodes, also in this feed, starting May 7.
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4/24/2024 • 4 minutes, 52 seconds
The Negotiators is Back!
Hey there I Spy listeners. Here at Foreign Policy, we’re dropping season 3 of our podcast, The Negotiators. On each episode, one former diplomat or troubleshooter tells the story of one dramatic negotiation. If the tagline sounds familiar, that's by design. We think of The Negotiators as the sister show of I Spy.
We’re actually inserting the season 2 finale of The Negotiators into this feed because it’s especially I Spy like. It’s about a Texas rabbi who is taken hostage at his own synagogue—and ends up negotiating with his captor. Like the episodes of I Spy, this one is non-narrated. You'll hear our host, Jenn Williams, introduce the story, followed by nothing but rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker. The show is a collaboration between Doha Debates and Foreign Policy.
If you want to listen to season 3, find The Negotiators in your favorite podcast app. The first episode of the new season focuses on one of the most famous diplomatic negotiations ever: The Good Friday Agreement that ended decades of violence in Northern Ireland.
Meantime—we're working on more episodes of I Spy, so keep watching this space.
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9/28/2023 • 30 minutes, 38 seconds
Introducing: Alphabet Boys
This week, we’re sharing an episode of Alphabet Boys. Alphabet Boys takes you inside secret investigations that the FBI, DEA, CIA, and other alphabet agencies never wanted the public to know about. These cases are both dangerous and absurd … and they raise a troubling question: Are America’s top cops catching criminals -- or creating them? In this episode, you’ll hear real audio from an illegal arms deal and meet our central character, who, despite being arrested, claims he works for the CIA. But does he? Listen to Alphabet Boys at https://link.chtbl.com/ispyalphabetboys.
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6/29/2023 • 11 minutes, 45 seconds
Introducing: Conspiracyland, Season 4
Our friends at Yahoo News produce this seasonal show about conspiracies, real and imagined. We liked season 4 so much, we decided to share the first episode with our listeners.
