58: CIA Operations: Real or Conspiracy?

Insomniacs: The Podcast

Welcome back from the summer break! For the second episode of season 2, we're diving into something we know you love: conspiracy theories. Inspired by some of our favorite episodes from Season 1, we’re tackling a new angle on a familiar theme: the shadowy world of CIA cover-ups.

But this time, there’s a twist! Instead of focusing on just one conspiracy, we’re going to explore a handful of supposed CIA operations and let you guess whether they’re real or just wild conspiracies. From mind control experiments to eavesdropping housecats and secret propaganda campaigns, we’ll delve into:

• Project MK-Ultra: A covert CIA program that allegedly tested drugs and other methods for mind control on unsuspecting U.S. citizens.
• Operation Northwoods: A proposal to stage terrorist attacks on American soil and blame Cuba, all to justify a military invasion.
• Operation Acoustic Kitty: The CIA's bizarre attempt to turn a cat into a spying device.
• Operation Mockingbird: A secret effort to influence media narratives and promote U.S. propaganda at home and abroad.

Throughout the episode, we'll present each operation in detail, and you'll have to decide: CIA fact or conspiracy fiction? We’ll reveal the truth at the end. So, get ready to challenge your knowledge and question what you thought you knew about the world's most infamous intelligence agency!
Sources:

https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/06760269

https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/news/20010430/northwoods.pdf

https://unredacted.com/2010/03/05/document-friday-acoustic-kitty/

https://www.history.com/news/cia-spy-cat-espionage-fail

https://www.cia.gov/resources/csi/studies-in-intelligence/archives/vol-38-no-5/origins-of-the-congress-for-cultural-freedom-1949-1950/

https://daily.jstor.org/was-modern-art-really-a-cia-psy-op/

https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/hearings/ciasuseofjournal00unit.pdf

To Stay Up To Date On Future Episodes:
Instagram: InsomniacsThePodcast
Facebook: Insomniacs: The Podcast Discussion Group
Tik Tok: Insomniacs.Pod