The Team House

Steven Woelk recounts his service aboard the USS Pueblo, its 1968 capture by North Korea, and the brutal 11 months he and his shipmates spent as prisoners. We also discuss the crew’s resistance inside captivity, the injuries and abuse he endured, their eventual release, and why he wrote Pig Fat Soup to keep the Pueblo story from being forgotten.

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"Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio"
00:00 – Start
01:01 – Stephen Joins the Navy
01:50 – Assigned to the USS Pueblo
03:02 – The Pueblo’s Intelligence Mission
04:09 – The Blue House Raid & the Road to the Pueblo Crisis
06:36 – USS Liberty & the Vulnerability of Spy Ships
08:00 – How Poorly Armed Was the Pueblo?
09:09 – The North Koreans Close In
10:52 – General Quarters
11:34 – Trying to Destroy Classified Material
13:03 – Why the Pueblo Couldn’t Destroy Its Secrets Fast Enough
14:42 – North Korea Opens Fire
17:11 – Stephen Is Hit by a 57mm Round
19:01 – Losing His Friend During the Attack
20:15 – North Korean Forces Board the Pueblo
21:47 – Being Taken Off the Ship
24:37 – The Crew Enters North Korean Captivity
26:04 – Wounds Become Severely Infected
27:02 – Surgery Without Anesthesia
31:04 – Transferred to a North Korean Hospital
32:18 – The North Korean Doctor Who Treated Him
35:35 – Forced Propaganda & Confessions
36:46 – Commander Bucher Refuses to Sign
38:05 – Life Inside the POW Camp
40:16 – How the Crew Resisted Their Captors
42:23 – Giving North Korea the Middle Finger
43:47 – The North Koreans Discover What It Means
44:42 – “Hell Week” Begins
47:23 – The Worst Beatings of His Captivity
47:41 – Did North Korea Try to Brainwash the Crew?
48:49 – Leadership Inside the Prison Camp
50:54 – Planning an Escape From Pyongyang
53:38 – Was U.S. Intelligence Watching the Prisoners?
54:47 – Signs That Release Might Be Coming
56:21 – Crossing the Bridge of No Return
57:31 – Fear of Returning Home to Face the Navy
58:42 – 11 Months in North Korean Captivity
58:57 – The Negotiations That Finally Freed the Crew
1:01:34 – Returning to the United States
1:04:00 – Telling His Father What Happened in North Korea
1:05:30 – The NSA Debriefing
1:06:42 – Leaving the Navy
1:08:05 – Building a Life After the Pueblo
1:08:31 – Why Stephen Wrote Pig Fat Soup
1:10:47 – Why the Pueblo Story Has Been Forgotten
1:12:04 – The Meaning Behind “Pig Fat Soup”
1:13:41 – Losing 55 Pounds in Captivity
1:14:00 – Life Today & Helping Other Veterans
1:16:57 – The Painting of the Pueblo Attack
1:19:14 – Final Thoughts

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John Kiriakou is a former CIA officer who worked as both an analyst and operations officer, serving on the Iraq portfolio, in Greece, and in Pakistan, where he helped lead the capture of Abu Zubaydah. He later became a prominent whistleblower on the CIA’s post-9/11 torture program, was prosecuted under the Espionage Act, served time in federal prison, and has since worked as an author, commentator, and lecturer.

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00:00 – Start
01:01 – John Kiriakou’s Upbringing & Greek-American Family
06:29 – Studying Middle Eastern Affairs & an Early Interest in Espionage
09:15 – The CIA Officer Posing as His College Professor
12:29 – Joining the CIA as an Analyst
14:53 – Briefing President George H.W. Bush During the Gulf War
16:58 – Working the Gulf War From CIA Headquarters
20:06 – Life After the Gulf War & Getting Burned Out on Iraq
22:30 – Writing a National Intelligence Estimate on Saddam Hussein
22:53 – Deciding to Leave Analysis for Operations
25:06 – Going Through CIA Operational Training
28:37 – Weapons, Explosives & Recruiting Spies
29:45 – Arriving in Athens as a CIA Case Officer
33:46 – Walk-Ins, Probes & Embassy Security
37:52 – CIA Disguises & Fooling the U.S. Ambassador
42:40 – The Terrorist Group 17 November
45:12 – The Assassination of British Defense Attaché Stephen Saunders
48:38 – 17 November Names Kiriakou in Its Manifesto
51:26 – Who Was Really Behind 17 November?
55:09 – How the Group Was Finally Unmasked
1:01:24 – Interrogating Carlos the Jackal
1:03:32 – 9/11 Changes Everything
1:04:44 – Watching the Second Plane Hit From CIA Headquarters
1:07:41 – Volunteering for the War on Terror
1:08:34 – Pakistan After 9/11: “The Wild West”
1:11:38 – Pakistan, the Taliban & the War Next Door
1:14:02 – The Two Faces of Pakistani Intelligence
1:15:51 – Capturing Abu Zubaydah
1:16:42 – Inside the CIA’s Torture Program
1:18:09 – Why Kiriakou Refused Torture Training
1:18:43 – Going Public About CIA Torture
1:21:17 – John Brennan Reopens the Case Against Him
1:21:40 – Charged Under the Espionage Act
1:22:34 – Facing 45 Years & Taking the Plea Deal
1:23:08 – Why John Brennan Wanted Him Prosecuted
1:23:32 – Obama’s Crackdown on National Security Leaks
1:25:57 – Heading to Federal Prison
1:26:24 – The Prison Assignment That Wasn’t What the Judge Ordered
1:29:21 – Learning How to Survive Federal Prison
1:31:30 – Becoming the Prisonhouse Appeal Writer
1:32:36 – Race, Gangs & the Social Structure of Prison
1:36:47 – How the Mafia Ran Prison Rackets
1:43:10 – Using CIA Tradecraft Behind Bars
1:46:18 – A Prisoner Puts a Contract on Kiriakou
1:48:19 – Getting Out of Prison & Starting Over
1:50:05 – Anger at the System & the People Who Were Never Prosecuted
1:53:13 – Where Is the Line Between Interrogation & Torture?
1:57:26 – Waterboarding, War Crimes & the Torture Debate
1:59:11 – Why Did the U.S. Invade Iraq?
2:02:03 – The WMD Intelligence Fight Inside Washington
2:04:00 – Did Overthrowing Saddam Hand Iraq to Iran?
2:05:45 – Why Kiriakou Went to Work for Sputnik
2:06:48 – Criticizing Russia While Working for Russian Media
2:12:50 – Life After Sputnik & What He’s Doing Now
2:15:43 – CIA Declassified & Digging Through Old Intelligence Files
2:18:16 – MKUltra & CIA History
2:18:25 – Audience Questions
2:29:47 – Would He Blow the Whistle Again?
2:42:48 – Public Trust, the CIA & Government Accountability
2:51:38 – Why John Brennan Avoided More Scrutiny
3:01:22 – Would a Presidential Pardon Restore His Pension?
3:02:18 – How Close Trump Came to Pardoning Him
3:04:52 – Thoughts on Trump Returning to Office
3:06:23 – How American Politics Has Flipped
3:07:36 – Final Thoughts

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We break down the reported throttling of Starlink in Ukraine, the Trump administration’s shifting Russia policy, and whether U.S. decisions are now putting Ukrainians and Americans on the ground at greater risk. We also discuss Europe’s ability to operate without U.S. support, the danger of a new escalation with Iran, and growing unrest over Israeli settler violence in the West Bank.
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Andy’s book ⬇️
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00:00 – Start
00:21 – Did the U.S. Throttle Starlink in Ukraine?
01:07 – Russia’s Massive Strike on Kyiv
02:37 – Has Trump Shifted U.S. Policy Toward Russia?
03:54 – The Diesel Deal & the White House’s Russia Strategy
05:03 – Did U.S. Policy Put Americans in Kyiv at Risk?
06:33 – Starlink vs. Starshield Explained
08:50 – Why Diesel Prices Are Driving U.S. Policy
09:46 – Did the U.S. Stop Warning Ukraine About Russian Strikes?
10:50 – “I’ve Never Seen Anything Like This”
12:02 – The Loophole in the Russia Sanctions Law
13:03 – Was the Lindsey Graham Bill Just Political Theater?
14:01 – “Russia Is Not Our Friend”
14:17 – Conservatives Begin Breaking With Trump on Russia
15:09 – Calls to Investigate Trump’s Russia Ties
15:57 – Corruption, Kushner, Witkoff & Russia Business Deals
17:43 – Why Former Generals Stay Quiet
18:37 – The Intelligence-Sharing Decision That Crossed a Line
20:32 – Do Retired Generals Have a Duty to Speak Out?
21:25 – Can Europe Defend Itself Without the United States?
23:47 – NATO, Nuclear Deterrence & European Rearmament
26:13 – Can Europe Replace Starlink?
27:38 – The Risk of Europe Becoming Dependent on Chinese Satellites
28:53 – How the Iran War Boxed Washington Into a Corner
29:58 – Are U.S. Forces Preparing to Escalate Against Iran?
31:54 – The Risk of an Iran–U.S. Miscalculation
33:45 – How Deterrence Can Become a Threat
34:30 – Could Iran Preempt a U.S. Strike?
35:15 – Reports of a “Symbolic” Strike Proposal
36:04 – Iran’s Information War Aimed at U.S. Voters
37:05 – Why Nobody Can Predict What Happens Next
37:55 – “There Are No Straight Lines in Nature”
39:04 – Israeli Settler Violence & the West Bank
40:28 – When Does Settler Violence Become Terrorism?
41:24 – Israel’s Election & the Political Fallout
42:14 – What Do the Polls Say in Israel?
43:11 – Could Senior U.S. Officials Still Serve Under This Administration?
44:23 – When “They” Becomes “We” Inside Government
45:05 – Rebuilding American Credibility
45:44 – What to Watch Over the Next Week
47:10 – Closing Thoughts

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Krishna Thapa looks back on his journey from growing up in Nepal and earning a place in the Gurkhas to passing SAS selection and serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other operations around the world. We also discuss mountain warfare, the culture of the SAS, the loss of fellow operators, and how meditation and the “Warrior Monk” mindset helped shape his life after military service.
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Subscribe to our Patreon! ⬇️
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___________________________________________________
GRAB JACK'S NEW BOOK "THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN" 
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/803651/the-most-dangerous-man-by-jack-murphy/paperback/
Subscribe to the new EYES ON podcast here:⬇️
https://www.youtube.com/@EyesOnGeopoliticsPod/featured
Jack Murphy's book "We Defy: The Lost Chapters of Special Forces History" ⬇️
https://www.amazon.com/We-Defy-Chapters-Special-History-ebook/dp/B0DCGC1N1N/
Or make a one time donation at: ⬇️
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Social Media: ⬇️
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Jack’s Twitter:
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Team House Discord: ⬇️
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"Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio"
00:00 – Start
01:04 – Growing Up in Nepal & the Gurkha Bloodline
04:56 – His Grandfather, World War II & the Kukri
07:21 – The Kukri: Tool, Symbol & Weapon
08:07 – Being Born Into a Gurkha Family Legacy
10:37 – The History of the Gurkhas
13:03 – Attempting Gurkha Selection at 17
14:10 – The Brutal Doko Race
16:14 – Growing Up in the Himalayas & Preparing for Selection
17:50 – Failing Gurkha Selection the First Time
18:36 – Coming Back & Making It on His Second Attempt
19:55 – Gurkha Basic Training & Learning English
21:39 – British Officers & the Gurkha Command Structure
24:22 – Joining 1st Royal Gurkha Rifles
25:09 – Life Inside a Gurkha Battalion
27:27 – Years of Training, Courses & Preparing for War
28:41 – Jungle Warfare in Brunei
29:32 – How the SAS Suddenly Entered the Picture
31:07 – The First Gurkha Trial for SAS Selection
33:41 – Arriving at SAS Selection With 375 Candidates
37:05 – The Mental Pressure of SAS Selection
38:33 – Only Two Gurkhas Make It Through
40:10 – Adapting to SAS Culture
43:16 – Jungle Selection in Brunei
46:08 – Joining SAS Mountain Troop
48:00 – Learning Mountaineering From Scratch
49:36 – Why Mountain Warfare Is So Difficult
52:08 – Nepalese Operators in the SBS
52:40 – Mentoring Fellow Nepalese Special Operators
54:12 – The Culture Shock of Joining the SAS
56:56 – Deployments With the SAS
58:03 – Going to War in Iraq
59:16 – The Missions That Stayed With Him
1:00:44 – Using Mountain Warfare Skills in Afghanistan
1:02:02 – Becoming Chief of Mountain & Winter Warfare
1:03:29 – Teaching Special Forces Around the World
1:05:01 – His Final Assignment in UK Special Forces
1:05:40 – Gurkhas, British Citizenship & Life After Service
1:07:09 – Planning for Retirement
1:08:06 – Meditation as a Secret Weapon During War
1:09:58 – Leaving the Military & Starting Over
1:10:33 – How the “Warrior Monk” Began
1:12:00 – Teaching People How to Fight and How to Heal
1:13:50 – Working With Veterans, PTSD & Civilians
1:14:37 – Warrior Monk Mindset
1:15:08 – Closing Thoughts

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original air date 3|1|24

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Phil Campion takes us from a brutal childhood and conventional infantry service in Northern Ireland through SAS selection, counterterrorism work, operations in the Balkans, and the Sierra Leone hostage rescue. We also discuss his post-military years in private security, the personal cost of that lifestyle, his transition into media, and the launch of Forces Radio.

Support our show here:
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00:00 – Start
01:18 – Phil Campion’s Childhood & Early Life
03:32 – Growing Up in a Children’s Home
04:20 – Joining the Army & Finally Feeling Safe
06:05 – How Phil Ended Up in the Infantry
08:35 – Joining the Royal Hampshire Regiment
10:16 – British Army Basic Training
14:33 – Arriving at His First Unit
16:01 – Phil’s First “Operation” as a Soldier
17:27 – Meeting Princess Diana
19:12 – Deploying to Northern Ireland
19:46 – Understanding the Troubles From Both Sides
22:29 – Counterinsurgency & Patrolling Northern Ireland
25:19 – Fighting, Military Jail & a Troubled Young Soldier
27:43 – Why Phil Wanted Special Forces
29:36 – What the British Army Was Actually Doing in Northern Ireland
31:11 – Deciding to Attempt SAS Selection
32:06 – Going Around His Chain of Command
34:18 – “You Should Try Special Forces Selection”
36:40 – The SAS Hills Phase
37:51 – Jungle Selection in Brunei
42:14 – SERE, Escape & Interrogation Training
44:07 – Parachute Training & Nearly Killing Himself
48:00 – SAS Counterterrorism Training
48:15 – Passing Selection
50:16 – Joining D Squadron
52:17 – Life as the New Guy in the SAS
56:08 – Hunting War Criminals in the Balkans
57:35 – The Stansted Hijacking
59:19 – Preparing to Storm the Aircraft
1:02:25 – More Stories From the Hijacking
1:05:27 – The Sierra Leone Hostage Crisis Begins
1:07:12 – Two SAS Soldiers Killed Before the Mission
1:08:49 – D Squadron Gets the Call
1:09:52 – Deploying Into Sierra Leone
1:11:02 – How the Royal Irish Soldiers Were Taken Hostage
1:14:25 – When the Rescue Mission Became Necessary
1:16:02 – Intelligence & Planning the Assault
1:17:05 – Three Plans to Rescue the Hostages
1:18:01 – The Crazy Helicopter Assault Plan
1:20:33 – Launching the Mission
1:21:12 – The SAS Hits the Village
1:22:06 – Surprise, Firepower & Securing the Hostages
1:28:50 – Weapons, Mortars & SAS Firepower
1:30:31 – Why Phil Left the SAS
1:31:02 – Losing a Close Friend
1:32:46 – Leaving the Army Days Before 9/11
1:34:45 – Entering the Private Military Contracting World
1:35:34 – The Early Afghanistan Contracting Boom
1:36:43 – When the Contractor Lifestyle Caught Up With Him
1:37:21 – Drinking, Violence & an Attempted Murder Charge
1:38:54 – Gaza, West Africa & Anti-Piracy Work
1:41:47 – Becoming a Civilian After Years at War
1:42:19 – Prison, Losing Everything & Starting Over
1:43:31 – Breaking Into Television & News Media
1:44:18 – Reporting From Syria
1:47:37 – How the Media Uses Veterans
1:49:20 – Taking Back Control of His Own Story
1:50:39 – Building Forces Radio
1:53:03 – Launching the Forces Radio Podcasts
1:58:31 – Audience Questions
2:00:06 – Phil’s Favorite SAS Story From World War II
2:01:04 – Secret Surveillance in Northern Ireland
2:02:58 – How Conventional Troops Learned Covert Surveillance
2:04:34 – Closing Thoughts

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