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What Was MI6’s Greatest Mole Doing in Iran?

The Rest Is Classified

39,062 views

A KGB officer who has secretly gone over to work for MI6 in revolutionary Iran. But will MI6 be able to get him out of the country when things go wrong?

Listen as David and Gordon are joined by renowned author and journalist, Ben Macintyre, to discuss his latest book: Redwood.

Buy Ben’s book here: https://coles-books.co.uk/redwood-by-...

0:00 Redwood’s double life in revolutionary Iran
1:39 Ad: HP
2:42 What Redwood revealed to MI6
4:21 The Soviet plot to take over Iran
9:30 The strain of living a double life
13:05 MI6 plans Redwood’s escape
17:16 Redwood reaches breaking point
22:22 The escape from Iran
25:50 Why Redwood’s intelligence mattered after his escape
29:47 The decision to tell Iran
33:39 A secret meeting in Islamabad
35:21 The bloody crackdown on Iran’s communists
39:20 The moral cost of the operation
43:32 How the operation shaped Iran’s regime
47:10 Redwood’s life after defection
49:09 Ben Macintyre’s book and the Club bonus

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20 Comments

@BERENCEV 2 weeks ago

“Mi-6 is not a democracy, boss says it’s should be done and it is going to be done.”

Beautiful quote I’m going to write down for future references. Cheers guys and Ben, see you in Australia soon 😊

@mattedgar5255 2 weeks ago

Just downloaded Ben McIntyre’s new book Redwood from audible. Perfect timing guys 👍

@jeffsamiei 2 weeks ago

As an Iranian who has suffered immensely under the Ayatollah's brutal regime, it is painful and bitterly annoying to find out that a miserable Moskal’s erectile dysfunction played a major role in solidifying the Ayatollah's grip on power and sealing the fate of millions of Iranians, forcing them to live in a tyrannical theocracy for almost half a century!

@Halldor.Thormar 2 weeks ago

Good pod, interesting story. I'll be sure to check out the book

@spenserkao2709 2 weeks ago

I envisage a favourite channel in the long term!

@IfWinterComes 2 weeks ago

So interesting - both the human element and the collateral consequences. Great work guys.

@phiddelgrieson5477 2 weeks ago

great show

@jeffersonclark7 2 weeks ago

Too damn funny and the best of stories .. I follow I think

@francoisrichardsmith6595 2 weeks ago

The alias Redwood...that was a great cliffhanger!

@nosa8894 2 weeks ago

My best discourse so far. Brilliant!

@maryj5593 2 weeks ago

Thank you and your team. That was, as usual immersive.

@thomas_fx_foto 2 weeks ago

Great story of sculduggery in the dark of night!

@bsmithhammer 2 weeks ago

It was great to see Ben join you guys for this series. At some point, you should have him back to discuss the events surrounding his book, "The Siege."

@Wacoal34d 11 days ago (edited)

Ben Macintyre is a great guest, possibly your best. Good to see the hosts agape at this guy's stories.

@smiler1977 2 weeks ago

An episode on the Roger Hollis Mi5 affair would be appreciated. Thanks

@KP-yq8id 2 weeks ago

A video about Viktor Bout! The world is clamoring for it.
I was shocked to see he has a YT channel and even had John Kiriakou on recently! The world needs to be reminded who this man is

@Jchasser 9 days ago

Do extraordinary rendition and Gitmo those are interesting legal cases. And I don’t think it’s a clean cut as people make it out to be.

@a.m.Kamali 2 weeks ago

You say the suppression on Toudeh party was the point turned the Islamic regime to what it is now. This is not completely correct. By the time they took on Toudeh regime, it was for two years that they took on other dissident groups, lots of executions, etc. what happened with Toudeh party was the completion of what the regime turned into. Toudeh was actually supporting the regime, maybe waiting for the right moment to stage a coup. So for them the shock was why the regime arresting them while they, at least on the face of it, are supporting the regime.