In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with David McCloskey, a former CIA analyst and author of "Damascus Station," a fictional spy novel centered on the civil war in Syria. Morell and McCloskey discuss the history of the Syrian conflict and the United States' engagement there, including key inflection points and how policy decisions made during the Obama administration paved the way for realities on the ground today. McCloskey details his time as an analyst at the agency and decision to become an author. 
 To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: <a href="https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy">https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy</a> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Putin's Russia: Former Ambassador Michael McFaul

Former acting Director of the CIA Michael Morell speaks with top leaders of the U.S. intelligence community as they reflect on their life, career and the critical roles they play in shaping national security policies. As a central figure in the most significant U.S. counter-terror efforts of the past two decades and a former CIA intelligence analyst, Morell is uniquely skilled at taking industry leading knowledge to make connections that provide deep insight into complex security events – helping decode intelligence officials’ key priorities and providing perspectives on how to achieve national security objectives. Morell is the author of “The Great War of Our Time” and a vivid account of the Central Intelligence Agency, a life in secrets, and a war in the shadows.