The Spy Who Rode with Warlords | Afghan Math | 2
Sep 22, 2026 · 37m
Summary
In this episode of The Spy Who, host Raza Jaffrey details the CIA's Team Alpha mission to liberate Mazar-i-Sharif from the Taliban. The narrative covers the chaotic entry into the city, the tense negotiations for Kunduz's surrender, and the subsequent betrayal where the Taliban handed over Al Qaeda fighters as a Trojan horse. The episode culminates in a violent uprising at the Kala-i-Jinji fortress, where CIA officer David Tyson survives a massacre while his colleague Mike Spann is killed, forcing Tyson to escape with a German news crew.
Topics discussed
Audible sponsorship and content warning
Dostum's radio prank on the Taliban
Pacific Life insurance advertisement
Episode introduction and mission context
White House situation room tensions
Team Alpha's journey in the 'Magic Bus'
Encounter with Mike Spann and Taliban retreat
Dostum's rivalry with Atta and Seeger's strategy
Triumphant entry into Mazar-i-Sharif
Prize Picks and Freestyle Libre advertisements
Negotiating the surrender of Kunduz
Mike Spann's Thanksgiving call to his family
Arrival of foreign fighters at Kalijangi Fort
Interrogations and the first grenade attack
Audible and American Scandal advertisements
The Al-Qaeda uprising and Mike Spann's death
Tyson's escape and call for help
Seeger realizes the Trojan Horse ruse
Credits and final Audible promotions
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