Share

cover art for ‘I gave my life to the CIA. They betrayed me.’

The Story

‘I gave my life to the CIA. They betrayed me.’

On Sept 12, 2001, Blerim Skoro was approached by a man and a woman while he was in prison. They turned out to be CIA agents. That one meeting would change the course of his life and lead him on a journey across countries, inside terrorist groups, as he tried to make it home to his family.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Josie Ensor, US Correspondent, The Times and The Sunday Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Clips: Video filmed by Blerim Skoro, provided by ‘The Accidental Spy’, directed by Anthony Wonke.

Photo: John Beck for The Times.

Further reading: I gave my life to the CIA. They betrayed me

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

More episodes

View all episodes

  • The Government’s anti-corruption minister resigns

    26:10|
    Tulip Siddiq, Labour’s anti-corruption minister, has resigned after reporting by the Sunday Times revealed that she resided in a series of properties bought by associates of her aunt, the now deposed leader of Bangladesh, who’s accused of siphoning off billions from the country. The journalist who followed the story all the way to Dhaka speaks to The Story.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall Editor, The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips: Times Radio, Channel 4 News.Photo: Getty Images. Further reading: Tulip Siddiq’s flyers found in palace of deposed Bangladesh leaderGet in touch: thestory@thetimes.com
  • 'We’re praying for mercy here': Escaping the LA inferno

    25:20|
    As LA continues to battle its worst fires in history, the political blame game has started, with Donald Trump accusing California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, of caring more about fish than people. We’ll explain. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuests: Megan Agnew, senior features writer (US), The Times.Jamie Hartman, songwriter and producer based in Los Angeles, CAHosts: Luke Jones and Edith RousselotClips: NBC News, NewsNation, CBS News, ABC 10, KTLA 5, The Tonight Show Photo: Getty Images.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • Blake Lively v Justin Baldoni

    32:27|
    Having made a multi-million dollar film together, Hollywood stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are now trading muti-million dollar lawsuits over what did (or didn’t) happen on set and during the promotional tour for It Ends With Us. But what do court documents and private texts allege about Hollywood's dark arts? And like MeToo, could this be the start of another watershed moment triggered by Tinseltown?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuests: Keiran Southern, West Coast Correspondent (US), The Times.Andrew Billen, Features Writer, The Times. Host: Manveen Rana.Clips: It Ends With Us / Justin Baldoni / Sony / Columbia Pictures / Wayfarer Studios / Blake Lively, Entertainment Tonight, MsMojo, YouTube / @TheAmalaEkpunobi, YouTube / Megyn Kelly, The Hollywood Reporter, TikTok / @lovingsingle, YouTube / TED / Justin Baldoni, TikTok / justinbaldoni. Photo: Getty Images.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com.
  • The Sunday edition: The SAS murders and the conspiracy to cover them up - Part 2

    38:07|
    The Sunday Times’ investigative team, Insight, has combed through 6,000 top secret documents to piece together the story of multiple military and government cover ups into the murder of civilians during the Afghan conflict. Today, in part two, we hear about the methods used to stymie, block and obstruct the course of justice. This episode was originally published on 10 May 2024.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.co.uk/thestoryGuests: Jonathan Calvert, Insight investigative team editor, The Sunday TimesGeorge Arbuthnott, Insight investigative team deputy editor, The Sunday Times. Read the full Insight investigationHost: Manveen Rana.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk
  • The Saturday edition: The SAS murders and the conspiracy to cover them up - Part 1

    30:39|
    This week the Times revealed that ministers are considering bringing back a retired military chief to lead the armed forces amid concerns the likely frontrunner, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, has been tainted by an independent inquiry into alleged unlawful activity by UK Special Forces in Afghanistan. Government sources stress that Jenkins has supported the inquiry.Last year, The Sunday Times’ investigative team, Insight, combed through 6,000 top secret documents to piece together the story of multiple military and government cover ups into the murder of civilians during the Afghan conflict. Today, in part one, we hear about the senior special forces commander, codename N1466, who blew the whistle. This episode was originally published on 9 May 2024.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.co.uk/thestoryGuests:Jonathan Calvert, Insight investigative team editor, The Sunday Times, andGeorge Arbuthnott, Insight investigative team deputy editor, The Sunday Times. Read the full Insight investigationHost: Manveen Rana.Clips: Military.com.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk
  • Donald Trump’s imperial ambitions

    27:49|
    The US president-elect has sparked a series of diplomatic rows after saying he was willing to use military or economic force to take control of Greenland, the Panama Canal and Canada. How seriously should we take Donald Trump’s claims and where did they come from? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Josh Glancy, News Review Editor, The Sunday Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Clips: NBC News, Fox News, ABC News, Reuters/TV2, France Inter Radio. Photo: Getty Images Further listening: Why Donald Trump courted the wrestling worldGet in touch: thestory@thetimes.com
  • The journalist who exposed Britain’s grooming gangs

    37:35|
    Elon Musk has unleashed a huge political row in the UK over whether there should be a national inquiry into the gangs that groomed young girls for rape in a number of Britain's northern towns. But whilst the world's richest man accused the 'legacy media' of a cover-up, the scandal was actually exposed by Times journalist Andrew Norfolk. So how did he uncover the shocking story? And has enough been done to make sure it never happens again?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Andrew Norfolk, former Chief Investigations Reporter, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.comImage: The Times.
  • Is Elon Musk dictating the British political agenda?

    31:46|
    Scroll through his latest posts on X and Elon Musk has a laser focus on UK politics. His main targets? Keir Starmer and Jess Phillips MP and their response to the country’s grooming scandal. He’s also blowing hot and cold on Reform UK. So what influence is the world’s richest man having on British politics? And why is he doing it?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Aubrey Allegretti, Chief Political Correspondent, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips: Sky News, Times Radio, Parliament, BBC, France 24.Photo: Getty Images. Further listening: The political transformation of Elon MuskGet in touch: thestory@thetimes.com
  • The decline of dating apps, and what could replace them

    30:36|
    Official figures show that for the first time, people are leaving dating apps. So why the exodus? And could future apps - with AI and augmented reality - be any better at matchmaking?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.com/thestoryGuests:Hannah Skelley, Fashion Writer and Stylist, The Times. Dr Liesel Sharabi, Associate Professor of Human Communication and Director of the Relationships and Technology Lab at Arizona State University.Host: Luke Jones.Clips: TikTok / aidenheaney, TikTok / hopeyoufindyourdad, TikTok / gaelaitor, TikTok / zoecsheehan, TikTok / drcatpsych, TikTok / louisohno.Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com