Why should the CIA should spy on companies abroad?

NPR | By Tinbete Ermyas,

Mary Louise Kelly, Kai McNamee

Published October 14, 2026 at 4:27 PM EDT

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with David S. Cohen, former deputy director of the CIA, about his piece in Foreign Affairs entitled "The Case for Economic Espionage."

Tinbete Ermyas

Mary Louise Kelly

Mary Louise Kelly is a host of All Things Considered, NPR's flagship afternoon newsmagazine. She is also the host of NPR's national security podcast, Sources & Methods.

See stories by Mary Louise Kelly

Kai McNamee

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