Generous praise from ret. Col. (and former deputy assistant secretary of defense) Joe Collins for @seandnaylor.bsky.social (and, by extension, @jackmurphyrgr.bsky.social) and our work on @thehighside.bsky.social. Read it at TheHighSide.substack.com and consider becoming a paid subscriber like Joe.

The latest in our very irregular feature, "The Back Brief," in which @jackmurphyrgr.bsky.social reviews some of the latest national security-themed books, including controversial releases about how drug trafficking has corrupted Delta Force, and the CIA's successes and failures in the 21st Century.

Another happy paid subscriber, plus a shout-out to @theteamhouse.bsky.social's Eyes On podcast. (Our @jackmurphyrgr.bsky.social also runs The Team House.) The story to which our new paid subscriber was responding: thehighside.substack.com/p/the-unit-t... about the CIA's elite all-Afghan humint cell.

"Definitely worth the price tag for subscription," Nigel says about our new story by @jackmurphyrgr.bsky.social + @seandnaylor.bsky.social: thehighside.substack.com/p/the-unit-t... on a CIA all-Afghan humint cell that tried to recruit a jihadi who was present when @wsj.com's Daniel Pearl was killed.

Great shout-out for @jackmurphyrgr.bsky.social's and my story in @thehighside.bsky.social about the CIA's all-Afghan humint unit that tried to recruit one of Daniel Pearl's killers: "a fascinating report ... You'll want to read to the end." The story is here: thehighside.substack.com/p/the-unit-t...

What readers are saying about "The Unit That Didn’t Exist: How the CIA’s elite Afghan spies tried to recruit one of Daniel Pearl’s killers" thehighside.substack.com/p/the-unit-t..., our latest by @jackmurphyrgr.bsky.social and @seandnaylor.bsky.social (thread 1/3):

Great story.

Read this.

New from @jackmurphyrgr.bsky.social and @seandnaylor.bsky.social - The Unit That Didn’t Exist open.substack.com/pub/thehighs...

Soft launching our @theteamhouse.bsky.social newsletter which will be in conjunction with @thehighside.bsky.social bringing a weekly round up of our podcasts and activities. Sign up: teamhousepodcast.kit.com/join

Subscribe to my substack where we write national security focused investigative journalism about special operations and the intelligence community. Just two guys and a dream, no outside funding, no billionaire telling us what to write. thehighside.substack.com

Should be a fun summer, but no vacation this year. Lots of @theteamhouse.bsky.social podcasts, several cool articles for @thehighside.bsky.social, turning in the final copy of my novel to the publisher, and tech advising on a Vietnam war film (possible on camera role too).

Some new updates to this story I first published in late 2022. thehighside.substack.com/p/the-cia-di...

1865. Or whatever. Tell me again history doesn't matter

Sorry, this wasn't clear. It was written by Sean.

Check it out. I can say that in the aftermath of this there are many unanswered questions. The Cuban-American community (and some in the intel community) are freaked out to say the least.

Our latest from @jackmurphyrgr.bsky.social and @seandnaylor.bsky.social: thehighside.substack.com/p/comedown

And in case you missed it, here's the story we published yesterday afternoon to which (I think) Linda was responding: thehighside.substack.com/p/army-speci...

Another happy paid subscriber to @thehighside.bsky.social, the national security reporting site I run with @jackmurphyrgr.bsky.social. Thank YOU, Linda!

Something we didn't anticipate was that the Trump administration would give the phrase "the high side" so much publicity so soon. Thanks guys! From your friends at The High Side, @seandnaylor.bsky.social and @jackmurphyrgr.bsky.social

I'm one of the fortunate few w/a direct perspective on this issue. This article is the most in-depth and accurate account to date about what it's like to exp AHI w/daily attacks & harassment, and overcoming the skepticism of the people you trust & turn to for help.

Phenomenal writing to the point I was getting sweaty palms and couldn't sit still remembering and reliving my own experiences that mimic what the agents went through. Break-ins, social theater & bad actors, complicit authorities, attempts on my life, identity theft, bank fraud...

@seandnaylor.bsky.social and I discussing our recent article about Havana Syndrome which can be found here: thehighside.substack.com/p/lambs-to-t...

“After a 6 week review we are officially cancelling 83% of the programs at USAID,” Marco Rubio wrote on Monday. (trib.al/nBk143S) Now, the staff has been directed to shred and burn classified documents—an illegal move under the Federal Records Act.

Breaking news: The Trump administration will immediately lift its pause on military and intelligence support for Ukraine after Kyiv’s endorsement of a U.S. ceasefire proposal, according to a joint statement by Ukraine and the United States.

I am actually insulted that I did not receive my own Executive Order and instead had to rely upon the NY Post and now this tweet, which does not frame as well. 🤣

🔥🔥🔥🔥 @seannaylor.bsky.social and @jackmurphyrgr.bsky.social with some extraordinary details on the original Embassy Havana team, and what they hav gone thru. Hope the FBI takes a new look at what is very compelling evidence of likely Cuban and Russian surveillance in conus.

New from @jackmurphyrgr.bsky.social and @seandnaylor.bsky.social: the untold story of the intimidation campaign targeting Havana Syndrome victims on U.S. soil. Spy-vs-spy tactics more typical of Moscow or Havana, but in the DC 'burbs and downtown Philadelphia thehighside.substack.com/p/lambs-to-t...

Burglaries, surveillance, state-actor-level phone hacking. Havana Syndrome victims returned to the USA, only to be targeted again in an intimidation campaign that the FBI and CIA seemed to have little interest in solving. By @jackmurphyrgr.bsky.social and me thehighside.substack.com/p/lambs-to-t...

Standby for the two years in the making Havana Syndrome deep dive coming out tomorrow.

For those new to The High Side, @jackmurphyrgr.bsky.social and @seandnaylor.bsky.social publish a mix of long-form investigative work, like our series about SF and CIA legend Willie Merkerson, and shorter pieces, such as this groundbreaking report: thehighside.substack.com/p/gaza-hosta... 1/2

A small drop in an ocean of suck, but for the past few weeks friends have let me know that my book (Divided Armies), along w/ related articles + briefings, was removed from DoD reading lists & curricula for being "too woke" Now JFQ has literally "unpublished" its review & any mention of the book ⬇️

What the Air Force two-star (now retired and reduced in rank to one-star) who was one of Ernst’s ethically dubious paramours was up to is wild. Affairs and sexting not just with Ernst but at least one other congressperson, and also relationships with an enlisted servicemember and a DOD civilian.

"From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an iron curtain has descended across the Continent." Winston Churchill, "Iron Curtain" speech made on this day in 1946 youtu.be/X2FM3_h33Tg?...

US cuts off intelligence sharing with Ukraine https://www.ft.com/content/c58fccea-00c4-4fad-bc0a-0185b7415579

SOCOM definitely complied in advance on this one. thehighside.substack.com/p/delta-forc...

new this morning from @andrewperez.bsky.social and me www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...

Why this matters: 1. While NSA doesn't have to stand down, many service members working *at* NSA work for their individual services, addressing their intelligence priorities. The national mission broadly benefits from this. These members likely must stand down. 1/ therecord.media/hegseth-orde...

Mark Kelly: “This is a gift to Putin … this makes us look weak. it’s not normal behavior”

Kelly: “Our European allies are looking at this and thinking, what just happened? What happened to the United States of America that used to be the leader of the free world?”

This would really be the moment for some BigLaw gestures of solidarity with Covington & Burling, no? If a vengeful president can strip security clearances from any lawyer he sees as assisting the opposition, can any national security lawyers afford to remain outside his orbit?

They said print was dead. So far my sales on We Defy have been one third digital and two thirds print copies. Very happy with the response to the book, thank you everyone who read it. Got a military thriller in the works next. www.amazon.com/We-Defy-Chap...