Welcome to the launch of Covert Contact: The Blogs of War Podcast. In episode 1 I am looking at the notion of intelligence failures and why they're often more complicated than they seem - or not failures at all.  I'm also taking a look at  the new biography of Murad Storm, the towering red-haired Danish agent who infiltrated al Qaeda. Agent Storm: My Life Inside al Qaeda and the CIA is a fascinating read that raises many questions about our ability to infiltrate radical Islamic groups. And then a discussion about the darker side of eDiplomacy. Do we really want world leaders trolling each other on Twitter? I close out the show with "Five to Follow" - a short roundup of the national security, intelligence, diplomacy, and tech experts that make Twitter so interesting.

This Week's Five to Follow

@NubaReports - Nuba Reports is a team of Sudanese journalists covering the current conflict in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan.

@PhillipSmyth - Researcher at U of Maryland's LCCD-Focus on #Lebanon, #Syria, #Iraq, ME Christians, Shia, Hizballah. I specialize in Shia militias & write #HizballahCavalcade

@Priestic1 - Andy is a policy consultant and strategist in the areas of irregular warfare and homeland security.

@flwaustralia - Future Land Warfare explores the future of land combat and Australia's strategic environment.

@IntlSpyMuseum - The International Spy Museum opened in DC in 2002. It features the largest collection of international espionage artifacts ever placed on public display.