This week, Chris and Matt break down the uneasy truce reached between India and Pakistan after weeks of escalating violence, with the Trump administration stepping in late to help broker a ceasefire and avert a possible nuclear crisis. Then, former NSA and CIA director Gen. Michael Hayden issues a stark warning about the dangers of personal loyalty tests in national security—raising concerns about competence, dissent, and decision-making at the highest levels. Finally, the guys examine President Trump’s controversial plan to accept a former Qatari royal jet as a temporary Air Force One, weighing the security, ethical, and logistical risks of putting the president aboard a previously foreign-owned aircraft.



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"From missiles to ceasefire: how India and Pakistan pulled back from the brink" by Shah Meer Baloch & Hannah Ellis-Petersen | The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/12/how-india-and-pakistan-conflict-turned-from-brink-of-war-to-ceasefire-in-days



"As Truce Seems to Hold, India and Pakistan Both Claim Victory" by Anupreeta Das, Salman Masood & Hari Kumar | The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/11/world/asia/india-pakistan-kashmir-ceasefire.html



"Vance called Indian prime minister to encourage ceasefire talks after receiving alarming intelligence, sources say" by Alayna Treene | CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/10/politics/vance-modi-india-pakistan-intelligence



"When It Comes to National Security, Loyalty Tests Should Have No Place" by Gen. Michael Hayden | The Cipher Brief: https://www.thecipherbrief.com/column_article/when-it-comes-to-national-security-loyalty-tests-should-have-no-place



"Trump administration poised to accept 'palace in the sky' as a gift for Trump from Qatar" by Jonathan Karl & Katherine Faulders | ABC News: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-administration-poised-accept-palace-sky-gift-trump/story?id=121680511



"Corruption and a Security Catastrophe in Plane Sight" by Garrett Graff | Doomsday Scenario on Substack: https://www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/corruption-and-a-security-catastrophe-in-plane-sight-c5cd67a113caf678



"Turning Qatar’s Gifted 747 Into Air Force One Will Be Anything But Free" by Howard Altman & Tyler Rogoway | The War Zone: https://www.twz.com/air/turning-qatars-gifted-747-into-air-force-one-will-be-anything-but-free

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Secrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode examines the very topics that real intelligence officers and analysts consider on a daily basis through the lens of global events and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and journalists.