Author Archives: porkinspolicyreview

Porkins Great Game episode 14 Is Kazakhstan in Trouble?

July 8, 2016 – 1:27 pm

On this episode Christoph and I turn our attention to Kazakhstan and the June 5th mass shooting. We examine the attack itself, breaking down what happened and the governments swift response. We explore the socioeconomic problems facing western Kazakhstan and how this may have played a decisive role is spurring on these attacks. We discuss the recent land protests across the Central Asian nation, and give a historical overview of Aktobe, including the role of western Kazakhstan in propping up the ruling regime.

Next we move on to the recent killing of Taliban leader Mullah Mansoor. Less than a year after his rise to power Mansoor was killed by a US drone strike in yet another blow to the peace process. Christoph and I explain the precedent set by the US in not only targeting the top Taliban leader, but also having the strike take place in the spiritual and operational city of Quetta. We consider Pakistan’s strong condemnation of the US for breaking its commitment to forging a lasting peace between Kabul and the Taliban. We examine Mansoor’s frequent travel to Dubai, Bahrain, and Iran, as well as his Pakistani passport. Christoph explains the reasons behind Mansoor’s frequent travel to Iran. We also touch on the increasing violence in Northern Afghanistan which is slowly getting the attention of the US and Russia.

Lastly, we discuss the recent row between Germany and Turkey over Germany’s parliamentary recognition of the Armenian genocide. We review the litany of harsh remarks from Erdogan and his government against Germany. Christoph gives us his perspective from within Germany as to how this is playing out there. He also discusses the satirical video put out by Jan Bohmermann about Erdogan and how this plays into the tense relationship between Turkey and Germany.

We finish off with our “weird terrorism” segment by looking at several interesting stories: the CIA-Pentagon fight over supporting Al Nusra; the release of Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard, an update on Alparslan Celik.

Christoph and I together announce the start of our Patreon campaign. For anyone interested in supporting the podcast and helping it to expand you can now donate on an episode-by-episode basis through Patreon. To find out more please visit us here.

Download PGG ep 14

 

Show Notes:
Porkins Great Game Patreon

Aktobe shootings:

Kazakhstan: Aktobe Violence Wrongfoots Authorities

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE0fQyotVJQ

Kazakh leader says Aktobe attacks orchestrated from abroad

Kazakhstan guard base attackers heard ‘holy war’ broadcast from Syria: minister

Exclusive: Suspect in Kazakh shooting posted Islamic State-linked video

Hate-filled extremism from beyond our borders will not divide Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan Official Blames Mafia for Suicide Bombing

Killing of Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour:

Porkins Great Game ep. 9 The Death of Mullah Omar

U.S. Strike on Taliban Leader Is Seen as a Message to Pakistan

Frequent traveller Mullah Mansour used Pakistan airports

Death Showcases Afghan Taliban Leader’s Iran Connection

Pakistan Considers Canceling U.S. F-16 Deal, Buying From Jordan

U.S. military sees Afghan talks with new Taliban leader unlikely

Mansour in Iran for medical treatment (German)

Afghan Government Secretly Fosters Taliban Splinter Groups

Fighting in northern Afghanistan:
Majlis Podcast: Confusion, Fighting In Northern Afghanistan

Armenian Genocide row between Turkey and Germany:

Erdogan’s Attempt to Suppress German Satire Has the Opposite Effect

Böhmermann affair

Bundestag passes Armenia ‘genocide’ resolution unanimously, Turkey recalls ambassador

Germany summons Turkish envoy in row over Erdogan comments

Turkey blocking German official’s visit to Incirlik base: Germany

German minister says will visit Turkey base after Ankara criticism

Pentagon vs. CIA:

CIA and Pentagon Bicker While Russia Wipes Out U.S.-Backed Rebels

Lavrov: West asking Moscow not to bomb positions of al-Nusra, the al-Qaeda branch in Syria

Jaysh al Fath coalition launches new offensive in Aleppo province

Islamist rebels seize village near Aleppo, 73 killed: monitor

Syria insurgents launch assault against government forces near Aleppo: monitors

51 U.S. Diplomats Urge Strikes Against Assad in Syria

Speaking Nonsense to Power: Misadventures in Dissent Over Syria

Jonathan Pollard:
American spy for Israel released after 30-year sentence “still a threat to US”

Update Celik:

Investigation into alleged killer of Russian jet pilot reopened in Turkey

Alleged killer of Russian jet pilot released from prison in Turkey

Turkey’s Erdoğan says ‘sorry’ over downed Russian jet

 

Music:

Donna Summer – “Dim All The Lights”

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The CIA and Hollywood episode 12 American Ultra

July 3, 2016 – 2:09 pm

Adam from Themes and Memes is our guest to talk about the 2015 action comedy American Ultra.  We start by trying to define this film, which is an intense mixture of cartoonish ultra violence, CIA covert operations, romance, comedy and horror, looking at the dissociating nature of this blend.  The intentions of screenwriter Max Landis and the director Nima Nourizadeh are discussed and we ask whether they were reaching out to the CIA or trying to flatter them by making MKULTRA seem cool to stoners and young people.  We go on to look at the prominence of female and often maternal characters in modern spy fiction, particular in CIA-assisted productions and ask what difference this makes to how these films and TV shows portray the CIA as a whole, not just MKULTRA and similar experiments.

We also examined a bizarre weed-based marketing campaign for the film at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con and ask whether like the Pentagon and NASA, the CIA now sees Comic-Con as a key networking and recruitment opportunity.  The conversation rounds of discussing the director Nima Nourizadeh’s father Ali Reza, who bears all the hallmarks of being a CIA asset (complete with mysterious name changes and working for Voice of America).  The presence of footage of Langley and the prominent use of the CIA logo suggests that at the least the CIA were aware of American Ultra and approved use of these for the film, so we ask whether they were involved in the making of the film and if so, why.

Download The CIA and Hollywood ep 12

Show Notes:

American Ultra

Activating American Ultra (making of)

American Ultra offering free pot at Comic-Con

Spooky London: how Britain’s spy agencies are using new and unexpected methods to recruit the next generation

Centre for Iranian and Arab Studies – Companies House

Wikileaks cables – IRAN WATCHER CONTACT TARGETED BY IRANIAN REGIME

Iranians unite in grief at service for Shah’s son

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The CIA and Hollywood episode 11 The Men Who Stare at Goats

June 26, 2016 – 4:30 pm

Jay Dyer joins us for this episode where we analyse the 2009 comedy The Men Who Stare at Goats, loosely based on Jon Ronson’s book of the same name. It tells the story of a journalist who is inducted into the world of psychic soldiers during the Iraq war. The movie goes on to explain some of the history behind the First Earth Battalion, an experimental Pentagon unit devoted to developing a new generation of super soldier informed by the hippy and New Age movements. We examine what the film leaves out, especially in the form of MKULTRA and similar CIA projects and experiments with similar aims, and ask whether the purpose was not to ask ‘How could love and peace help win wars?’ but to weaponise New Age philosophy and the New Age movement.

The Men Who Stare at Goats is the final movie in the George Clooney/Grant Heslov series before they took the full plunge and made Argo with the help of the CIA. We look at whether Goats – Heslov’s directorial debut – was the final step in their long-term overture to the CIA. The fact that Goats reduces the CIA’s involvement in such projects to a single scene, and was distributed by none other than Overture Films are strong hints towards this. We also map out the evidence and implications of state sponsorship of the entire Goats project, from Ronson’s original book and documentary series through to the Hollywood version. The use of technical advisors who were part of these Pentagon units back in the 70s/80s and who were ‘reactivated’ to help fight the War on Terror implies that at least the DOD, if not the CIA, were in favour of this film. We round off by pondering the plausibility of the remote viewing phenomenon.

Download The CIA and Hollywood ep 11

Vimeo Version

Show Notes:

The Men Who Stare at Goats (book)

Crazy Rulers of the World (documentary series)

The Men Who Stare at Goats (film)

First Earth Battalion Field Manual

Jim Channon’s website (archived)

Goats Declassified: The real men of the First Earth Battalion

Project Hollywood

Pearse Redmond Patreon

Tom Secker Patreon

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The Opperman Report – The Writer With No Hands: Pearse Redmond & Tom Secker

June 26, 2016 – 4:19 pm

 

Tom Secker and I recently sat down to talk with Ed Opperman all about Matt Alford’s new book The Writer With No Hands.  The book deals with the bizarre “death” of Hollywood screenwriter Gary Devore and his mysterious links to the CIA.  We also talk about the second season of The CIA and Hollywood, and some recent Jeffrey Epstein developments.

 

Show Notes:

The Writer With No Hands

Spy Culture book review

Traxx (film)

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The CIA and Hollywood episode 10 Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

June 19, 2016 – 3:03 pm

Aaron Franz joins us to discuss the 2002 biopic Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, which tells the story of game show producer and host Chuck Barris. Barris claims that while becoming a TV star he was recruited by and worked for the CIA as an assassin, killing a total of 33 people. In this episode we analyse this claim, which has been dismissed by the Agency as a ludicrous fantasy. We examine Barris’ true life history, focusing in on his marriage to Lyn Levy – the daughter of one of the founders of CBS – and his incredibly selfish relationship with their daughter Della. None of this appears in the film so taking this into account we consider whether Barris was a CIA assassin, a psychopathic fabricator or an emotionally warped narcissist (or all of these things rolled into one). If Barris truly was a CIA agent then what was his job? Was he an assassin, or did they employ him to ‘slay the audience’ by developing the prototypes for reality TV?

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is also notable for being George Clooney’s directorial debut, and a production that languished in development hell for years before he became involved and began pulling strings to ensure the film got made. We consider whether the movie was one of Clooney’s attempts to gain the attention and approval of the CIA, and whether he too thought that Barris’ TV career was the real mission for the Agency. We examine Clooney’s self-appointed role as Chuck’s ‘defence lawyer’, his obsession with goats and why he employed theatrical visual tricks throughout the production. We round off comparing Confessions of a Dangerous Mind to The Recruit, as both films show The Farm (the CIA’s semi-secret agent training facility) and portray the protagonist being inducted and initiated into that covert world.

Download The CIA and Hollywood ep 10
Vimeo Version

Show Notes:

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (film)

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (book)

The Real Chuck Barris

Chuck Barris: Is is True?

Broadcast Pioneers: Leon Levy

William Paley Obituary

Della Barris

Lynne Levy Equestrians

Chuck Barris ‘My Life on the Edge’

The Drexel Interview: Chuck Barris

Support us on Patreon

Pearse Redmond Patreon

Tom Secker Patreon

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The Ochelli Effect: Epstein, Orlando, and much more

June 17, 2016 – 4:55 pm

ochelli porkins

I had the great pleasure of once again joining the one and only Chuck Ochelli on his fine radio program The Ochelli Effect.  This time around we discussed the recent mass shooting in Orlando and each of us offered up our thoughts and analysis on the massacre.  Chuck and I also went into great detail about the ever bizarre (and underreported) Jeffrey Epstein case.  I tell Chuck about some new research that has come my way relating to the case, as well as those moving in Epstein’s circles, and some of the “expose” books that are due out soon.  We  inevitably do some good old fashioned Trump bashing.  Chuck and I ask the question: Why the hell is no one reporting on Trump’s close personal connection to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein?  We also briefly talk about the new season of The CIA and Hollywood.

Download episode

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The CIA and Hollywood episode 9 Good Night and Good Luck

June 12, 2016 – 12:53 pm

We welcome Ed Opperman to the series and discuss the 2005 docudrama Good Night, and Good Luck which retells the story of the 1954 confrontation between senator Joe McCarthy and television journalist Ed Murrow of CBS. McCarthy was pursuing Communists within the State Department and other government agencies and innocent people were getting caught in the crossfire, creating a climate of suspicion, mistrust and hostility. Murrow used his prime time series See It Now to attack McCarthy and the culture and mentality of McCarthyism, showing the senator to be a hypocrite who persecuted his targets.

This is the story that is told in Good Night, and Good Luck, a film born out of the creative relationship between George Clooney and Grant Heslov. In this episode we take a sideways look at the historical events and ask why Clooney and Heslov chose to lionise not just Murrow but the whole See it Now/CBS crew. We try to persuade Ed of an alternative interpretation of events, with Murrow not quite being the heroic counter-establishment figure he is in the film and CBS being a rotten media organisation with deep ties to the CIA. We then explore how almost everyone involved in Good Night, and Good Luck had either already made a film with CIA assistance, or went on to do so. We round off talking about Clooney’s bizarre Las Vegas connection, E Michael Burke, George Steinbrenner and (inevitably) Donald Trump.

Download The CIA and Hollywood ep 9

Vimeo Version

Show Notes:

Good Night, and Good Luck

Making of Featurette

Edward R. Murrow: “A Report on Senator Joseph R. McCarthy”

Good Night, and Good Luck and Bad History (part 1)

Good Night, and Good Luck and Bad History (part 2)

The CIA and the Media (Carl Bernstein)

ClandesTime 034 – The Hollywood Ten

When the CIA used CBS to stop a TV Show from Being Made

E Michael Burke

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PPR Bonus Stephen Singular on updated edition of Legacy of Deception

June 10, 2016 – 1:53 pm

Today on the show we have a special treat – – instead of a regular episode the listeners will get a special sneak preview of our brand new bonus material.  To kick off the the launch of our Patreon campaign we spoke with Stephen Singular all about the brand new updated edition of Legacy of Deception. Stephen explains why he has updated the book and some of the new pieces of information he has included.  From Christopher Darden’s admissions that EDTA was grounds for a mistrial, to evidence that the murder of Nicole Simpson and Ronald Goldman may have been drug related, this is a jam-packed conversation not worth missing.  Stephen and I also discuss the importance of getting this information out the the public,  and why true investigative journalism matters now more than ever.

Download PPR Bonus episode

For all those interested in supporting the work that I do,  please go and visit Patreon and consider becoming a subscriber to the podcast.  Here is a breakdown of what you will get for a small donation:

$1 a month – special on air thank you,  and be listed in the video credits

$3 a month – question of your choosing answered on air, or special on air thank you and be listed in the video credits

$5 a month – access to bonus podcast, a question of your choosing answered on air, special on air thank you and be listed in the video credits

The bonus podcasts will be everything from interviews and investigative reports to more personal ones involving me and my life.  Every little bit helps,  so if you can,  please consider donating.  For those who would prefer to make a one-time donation,  you can always click on the donate button on the upper left hand side of the website.

Show Notes:
Legacy of Deception Kindle edition

Legacy of Deception Smash Words edition

My Patreon page

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The CIA and Hollywood episode 8 The Quiet American

June 5, 2016 – 12:50 pm

In this first episode of the new season Pearse and I discuss the 1958 spy drama The Quiet American, adapted from the novel by Graham Greene.  We focus in on the role of Air Force and CIA officer Ed Lansdale’s relationship with the film-maker Joseph Mankiewicz, and how the CIA were involved in assisting Mankiewicz the first major American movie to be filmed in Vietnam.  Mankiewicz met Lansdale in Vietnam while doing research for the movie and, apparently unaware that Lansdale is one of the inspirations for the Pyle character in the original book, befriended him.  Lansdale later reviewed the script and wrote to Mankiewicz encouraging the changes he had made to the storyline and characters.

Another angle is Graham Greene’s transition from an MI6 agent in World War 2 to an anti-establishment author who was spied by the FBI for supposed Communist affiliations.  We look at how his original novel of The Quiet American was an excellent critique of post-WW2 American imperialism, secret warfare and so-called ‘humanitarian interventions’, which was butchered in the Hollywood version.  In particular the character of Pyle is turned from a bookish, virginal ‘war nerd’ into the charming all-American version played by real-life war hero Audie Murphy.  Likewise, while the original book has Fowler’s worst suspicions about Pyle being proven right (Pyle is sponsoring terrorism), the film changes this so Fowler is fooled by the Communists into betraying Pyle.

We round off this episode by briefly discussing the far superior (and not state-sponsored) 2002 film version directed by Philip Noyce and starring Michael Caine and Brendan Fraser.  This version is not only better written, acted and directed but is also, crucially, a faithful adaptation of the original book.

Download The CIA and Hollywood ep 8

Vimeo Version

 

Show Notes:

The Quiet American (book)

The Quiet American (1958 film)

The Quiet American (2002 film)

Edward Lansdale’s Cold War by Jonathan Nashel

Lansdale’s letter to Mankiewicz

Edward Lansdale

Operation Northwoods document collection

Graham Greene’s FBI File

The Dangerous Edge – Graham Greene documentary

Michael Redgrave MI5 file

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The CIA and Hollywood Season 2 Link Chart

June 5, 2016 – 12:45 pm

The-CIA-and-Hollywood-linkchart-2

 

From SpyCulture:

We will begin releasing season 2 of The CIA and Hollywood this weekend, and to give you a taste of what’s to come we have produced a linkchart combining data and connections from both season 1 and the forthcoming season 2.  New additions include The Rock, Angelina Jolie and former Sony executive Amy Pascal, along with self-confessed (though officially denied) CIA agent Chuck Barris.  Much of this season’s material links up with the people and organisations we discussed in season one, including the two production companies Participant Media and Relativity Media.

As with the previous linkchart, embedded in the pdf are links to various resources – interviews, documents, making of featurettes and other sources of information for those who want to know more about the relationship between the CIA and Hollywood, and of course where Pearse and I get the information we use.  The 8 films we examine in this second season are: The Quiet American (1958), Good Night, and Good Luck (2005), Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), Men who Stare at Goats (2009), American Ultra (2015), Race to Witch Mountain (2009), Zero Dark Thirty (2012) and Salt (2010).

The linkchart is available as a high-resolution PNG file or as an even higher-resolution PDF, which has the source links embedded within it.

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