The Swingers - Karl and Hana Koecher (Jonna Mendez)
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- čas přidán 9. 04. 2015
- Karl and Hana Koecher came to the West as defectors, but in reality he was a Czech intelligence officer and KGB spy, and his wife Hana was a courier for Czech intelligence. Karl became a translator for the CIA and used his top secret clearance to steal documents. Together they used the swinging lifestyle of the 1970s to gain intimate access to useful people and gather other valuable information-one swingers’ club that they belonged to had at least 10 CIA staff in the membership.
Jonna Mendez, former CIA chief of disguise and recipient of the CIA’s Intelligence Commendation Medal, will reveal the Koecher’s extramarital espionage exploits.
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In the arrogance of youth, I would have ignored this old lady. But after listening to her recounting this very fascinating tale , she now strikes me as a very formidable and deadly mind wrapped in grandmotherly wholesomeness as her daily disguise. Enjoyed this thoroughly
So cool!
I've had similar experiences, when I judged a book by its cover... boy was I wrong. Funny now, but not so much then! Lol!
moko baby- interesting & im sure a nice person but everything she says can be gleaned from news paper clippings, you as well as others are hearing these clippings as the spoken word. theres really nothing new here
Yeah me too but I have heard her on what she did for the Cia and it's very very interesting. This chic here used disguises to illude kgb agents
She’s the Queen.
Every old woman was young once.
I absolutely adore this woman. She is an excellent storyteller. I can't get enough of her content.
No wonder she did the work she did
I love her delivery, her cadence and her storytelling ability.
I first saw Mrs. Mendez in a Wired CZcams video, where she mentioned the rarely-used “L pills.” She briefly stated that she only knew of one operative who actually used it. Thank you for posting this, so that I/we could hear the whole story!
So tragic...
Ww2 resistance fighters trained in Britain were rumoured to have been given them regularly.
She once said that she knew two were issued. The second guy was arrested in his car but the pen with the pill inside was in his office at the time. He was interrogated then executed.
@@Davey-Boyd Exactly right.
@@sabre22b NO , they were not , nor did any ask for them , they were very brave !
Jonna Mendez is an excellent speaker and is filled with interesting stories, which, oh yes, just happen to be true. Thank you, Mrs. Mendez.
Amazing true stories. Thank you for your brave service by you and your genius husband Tony. 🇺🇲 🇺🇦
Yes. He was her boss for many years before they hooked up. Tony died of complications of Parkinson's disease. She has stated that his personality portrayed in the movie was not who he was before the onset of Parkinson's. Before that, Jonna said he was a very outgoing man. RIP Tony.
Of all the spy stuff on U-Tube from the CIA this has been most enjoyable to listen too. This Jonna lady has a wealth of information.
Love listening to you, Jonna. Here i am, doing my make-up, preparing to go to office and listening to your spy stories 😊
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
You should’ve used your makeup as a disguise to confuse the heck out of your boss and co-workers. LOL
Whatever you do, don't let Jonna do your make up or others may not recognize you!
I know. We lead such mundane lives by comparison. That’s quite a last name, Marilyn. Would be as hard to guess as Rumplestiltskin.
I had the pleasure of meeting them both a few years before Tony died. My father died of Parkinson’s and I could tell Tony had from watching him speak for five minutes. He and Jonna needed a fast ride to the airport (90 miles away) so I offered to drive them in my company car, equipped with lights and siren). They were absolutely delightful and charming.
Neat!
This is THE most underrated channel I have ever found.
Jonna Mendez is a fascinating woman and excellent speaker. I am sure there will be a movie about her life!
I wish I was in this room. Jonna Mendez is just wonderful!
Nicole Hood we have family up that way, time to plan a visit into DC’s Spy Museum 😜
She is so interesting.
Prince ikr!!
I am Czech and I thank you for your work. Communism was a terrible era that threw us all back to the stone age. We pay for that idiotic regime every day till today.
@Evan Hodge Oh, such a horrible thing :( It´s like glorifying nazis,... the SAME thing.
@@blbkyne you've just exposed yourself with that Nazi sympathiser comment. Heydrich was your unelected boss. Sicko
@@miles-thesleeper-monroe8466 I don´t sympathise with nazis, I hate them, I really don´t understand where did you get this bullshit, anyways, have a great day. Sicko.
@@blbkyne US left would be considered very right in Europe - in places which were never communist. But European left is considered communist in America because they fought communism like in your country. They equate that with today’s European left.
@ Evan hodge
BLM and glorifying communism? Do you even understand what communism is, or you’re just parroting other uninformed people?
The theme song is top notch. I catch references not just to (obviously) John Barry, but to Lalo Schiffrin's Mission Impossible theme and even the Get Smart theme. Very smartly and humorously done. Cheers!
Thoroughly enjoyed this. Thankyou
Excellent presentation.
Really enjoyed this presentation 👍👍
I’m rewatching all the episodes
Thank you!
This video is 8 years old. In regards to if Karl Koecher and Hana are still alive, aged 89, Karl and his wife 79 live in the Czech Republic.
This kgb guy is the classic stereotype.. Love jonna's stories. 🙏
A great insight. Thanks.
Chief of disguise keeps sounding to me like Chief of the Skies, which almost creates an impression of Jonna Mendez which approaches being as awesome and cool as she actually is in reality!
this is fire!!!
what a great speaker Jonna is,more please when you can.Thanks Bill in Ireland
Awesome topic very educational and it reminds me of my basic and advance tradecraft courses
Jonna Mendez is my hero!
The scary thing is that a man from an enemy state was given such a high level clearance knowing that no real background check could be done on him. CIA was suspicious of Karl by 1976 and let him go in 1977--hence losing his access to intel, but he was still passing intel to SOVIETS within the US in 1982, as was his wife, who had become quite dumpy and not attractive by 1984 at the time of her arrest. Presumably, their intel was from pillow talk.
When I saw the title I thought that “swingers “ was a term of art among spies, like “moles” or “sparrows” or “Moscow rules”
No. Spies are notorious for sexuality deviance. In fact, it's the only way you can be trusted. They have to have blackmail on you. This blackmail usually comes in the form of super duper crepy pornos.
YeH, I was trying to rationalize it too
Same here! I thought it was a synonym for double agent.
Must be a great to listen to a real heroes who have served and given a lot for his or her country. If your in those circles and have a meal Mrs Mendez would definitely be a great after dinner speaker
At 1:21 there is a discussion of Dubcek, and the gentleman implies Dubcek did not survive the Prague Spring. Dubcek did not die until 1992.
the patience to devote years to infiltrating their objective is unbelievable.
I am surprised the CIA security would let employees be in swinger clubs. What could possibly go wrong? With so many government employees Washington DC is a weird place.
Back then there was no way to track people. Even these days, government workers in some areas have to waive a lot of freedom from surveillance, because the government is not good at finding stuff out unless it's delivered to them in a nice box.
I don’t think they asked for permission, you know.
If a swinger club ever becomes a viable source of critical information, you can bet that CIA operatives will be all up in there fishing for information. Just because it’s taboo, it doesn’t mean CIA is above taking advantage of it. In Karl’s case, he went there to blackmail people and get information for the enemy.
I am not surprised they were in that group .have you met many they swing in different circles than just vanilla
Ahahah
Poor Ogorodnik, thank you for telling about him.
watching this in 2021. Finding out at 38:56 that Rudi Guiliani was prosecutor in the case is interesting. Would like to know Ms Mendez thoughts on former prosecutor Giuliani in the light of current events in 2021.
🌲🌝☘️
You’re seeing the public efflorescence of a strategic argument between two factions of the establishment.
My mom kind of complained that Jonna almost always talked about Trigon. I too think she could use some variety in her stories, but at the same time, I don't think she has a lot of choices.
Thank God America had INCREDIBLE , BRILLIANT, COURAGEOUS , CREATIVE strong woman as Jonna Mendez on our side against evils of communism!🙏🙏🙏❤❤❤😎🍸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Go on and cripple yourself in the darwinian distopy of neoliberal capitalism. The masses become even more stupid by such an anti- intellectual society.
Why did the USA allow them Kochers back in our country? Allowing him to become a professor and easily reactivated? Makes no sense...
This just breaks your heart about the spy at the end
But I guess he was facing prison or death penalty idk. So glad older lady got released. ❤. Thanks so much. Some people are reposting good videos like these but with a new cover photo and opening. Easily done like Dr. RAMANI.
Start at 6:25
Under rated comment
Amazing to listen to these stories. Minor observation re: the video.... does anyone else think the English translations for Kryuchkov sounds like the actor Robert Vaughn (Man from Uncle, Hustle)?
After watching MFU so many times I thought the same! 😊
Great telling of what seems like an exciting story!
I am Czech and never heard of Köcher (or Koecher) until today. (So I was sceptical when Jonna said they received a hero's welcome - after all she also later admited that their story was not well known in Cechoslovakia) Anyway... the story led me to a Czech documentary about the story called "RINO - a story of a spy" - have no idea if it's any good or if you can find it with english subs, just want to point it out.
Also I don't understand when Jonna said that KGB didn't use women and din't expect the CIA to use women then... what about Hana Köcher? What did Jonna mean they didn't use women?
Máte pravdu.
Re-read what you said - she said the KGB didn't use women so expected the CIA to not use women when in fact they did 1😊
The KGB had a policy that discouraged the use of female officers. Though they did rarely use female agents. Because the KGB had deemed women unfit for officer roles they assumed that the CIA had come to similar conclusions. There’s an interesting section on this in Gordevskey’s book “KGB”
@27:28 You were wrong. SCI stands for Sensitive Compartmented Information. I was a little surprised when I heard you say that.
I love her whole outfit, very well accessorized
Is Jonna Mendez, Tony's wife from the Argo operation?!
yes
Nairuulagch yes but I don’t think she was his actual wife during the ‘Argo’ operation. Later on she became his wife.
Saw Argo last night. It became so *Real* to me just how insane and brave the idea Tony had was. Seeing it as “live” was very very mind opening. Tony (and Jonna) are 🇺🇸 USA heroes.
The Ambassador took care of them for a month or two. Talk about putting your life on the line. So a lot went on before the escape. The cia and Americans were mad Canadians got credit. So they told the ny times many years later, about the American involvement, against normal practice. Great to discuss your involvement, quite another to seek to collect all the praise by making a Hollywood movie. Typical Americans.
Joined wwii for the last 15 minutes and ONLY when they became directly affected. Then make war movies with them as the heroes of it all.
@@ecampbell5837 The US entered the war to clean up and seize an empire, not to win a war.
The way you've phrased your complaint smacks of prodigious levels of naivete.
very great dear mam
🌍🌎🌎🌏🌎
1:22:30 "If Dubcek had lived..." But he did! He was ousted from power, but still got a job for the Soviet installed government (Ambassador?) and he was alive quite a few years after 1968. He was not, like the Chilean leader president Allende, killed by the new regime.
Curious to know how you were recruited
Jonna always seems bored by batteries. John Methlie, who she mentions at the end of the Q&A, received the CIA Trailblazer Award and his citation for that refers to him as working on "Power Source Technologies", which sounds slightly sexier. Not much, but slightly. He also worked with NASA on batteries for satellites and advised on the life extension programme for the Hubble telescope.
Listening to the questions?
I am sure some were operatives trying to get hindsight of how
the agency disseminates information.
Clandestine operations are ongoing and information is gold.
Cool
how did they fire him without alerting him? They must of had some reason....
at 1:19:43 he is talking about Operation Able Archer.
It's quite a pity the dedicated doesn't mean what it used to mean. Thank you!
Yes
I need advice
WTF!No checks on them to have them hired!!!This country is a joke.
That’s true, your country is a complete joke.
"I Recognize most of you immediately.... "
" YOU GUYS ARE AWFUL SPIES ALL OF YOU!!!!!"
This lady is fab xxx
Most of the sleepers are now embedded in Academia .that's why your young have lost the plot
Also: Trump.
@@canadiangemstones7636 Trump is a sleeper?
Squad!!!
I wonder what she would have to say about the activities of the CIA and the FBI in recent years.
They have gone rogue in my opinion.
Yes, completely corrupt with no shame or sense of working for the people.
So true. Scary.
What do you mean they "have" gone rogue? They didn't just go rogue in recent years. They've always been involved in illegal activities from their inception! Do you believe the CIA were one, if not, the biggest supplier of cocaine into the USA at one time in the 80s? Do you really think that's fake? Or how about the agreements between some members of Mexican cartels and the FBI that allow these cartel members to transport, distribute and sell drugs in return for information on their rival cartel members. Think this is fake, too? Just look it up and this has come out in court when they tried prosecuting certain members when they were extradited to the US for trial and even though they were high ranking members that should've easily been sentenced to life, they receive 5 or less years. Documents are public.
I'd argue that they are slightly more controlled today, I say that because they were definitely more rogue in the 60s - COINTELRO, Operation CHAOS. MKUltra, Cuba, Lumumba, and maybe even MLK if you want to go there.
Commenting on the discussion:
1:15:19 lady with a Russian accent mentioned Koechers arrival to the US vs. Dubcek's government. Dubcek took over in January 1968, got overthrown in August. By then the Koechers were already for a while in the US.
1:17:49 to pretend to be anti-Jewish was not too wise. Anti-Communist maybe, but anti-Jewish when the Jews had in the Communist world troubles?
1:18:56 the description of Ms.Mendez is hilarious. They had to register with the US Embassy in Vienna, ask to emigrate to the US. An OK had to received from the States. No one just boards a plane, lands, and says I want to live in the US.
1:20:40 Karel (not Karl which is the German transcription of the name) is a member of the Prague Jewish Community (his mother was Jewish which makes him Jewish according to the Jewish law, the halakha) and can be seen once in a while eating in their restaurant. With a ghost writer he wrote a book on his US spy experiences "Český krtek v CIA" (The Czech mole in the CIA). - see www.martinus.sk/?uItem=214877
It’s a good ruse to attract irrational, hateful bigots. There’s plenty of them. Their hate can be manipulated.
🙏👌
Starts at 6:25. 😏 Your Welcome 🙏🏼
My welcome what?
Thank you
Yep, Earnest always talks too much. His replacement is a breath of fresh air.
That guy is so self important. His addition at the end was ridiculous too. No one cares who you knew. Clueless.
Hope all is well .05/18/2021
Estimados miembros de la junta directiva del Museo Internacional del Espionaje: Me encantan los libros de Christine Fehan sobre series de sombras, fantasmas y vampiros, así como los libros de juegos, principalmente por el valor educativo que he obtenido de ellos. Ella es una autora maravillosa que ha encontrado una manera clandestina de educar a las personas interesadas en sus investigaciones sobre diversos temas. Realmente quiero leer polvo de espías y otros libros, sin embargo, sería maravilloso si pudieran alentar a los escritores que actualmente pueden hablar sobre sus experiencias a encontrar una manera de ser más clandestinos en los títulos para poder sentarme en una tienda en público y no que todos sepan que estoy interesado en libros sobre este tema. incluso si digo que tengo que leerlo para una clase de historia o algo así, si tengo demasiados que dicen el nombre espía... pensaría que las transacciones con tarjeta de crédito y simplemente que la gente vea mi interés no es la imagen que quiero tener. Por muy sexy que sea ser un espía, si no lo soy, no quiero ser el objetivo de todos los demás espías a nivel internacional.... de todos modos, gracias por todo tu arduo trabajo en la vida y por nuestro país.
Her talk begins at 6:30
There is an alternative narrative that it was Kalugin who was the real betrayer of Triton, and also of Koecher
Mrs was probably a freak to, just to clever and clean
the last time that Koecher was in public was on a Czech late night show (Uvolnete se prosim) in 2007
ale príliš veľa tam toho nepovedal..
Later, he was in DVTV with Drtinová.
How can anyone believe a word from someone who lies for a living?
Right Peter. Simon?
The biggest pleasure is to know that people like Koecher etc. have witnessed that the project that they have been working for collapsed and doesn’t exist any more. Thank God!
I understood that there is a goring cow, milking cow and mos cow….
Shows a ridiculous picture of FBI and CIA - how on earth is something like that possible? And I suppose it still does happen... Jonna Mendez is quite some woman.
They were participants? They've been corrupt for years.
Ms. Mendez is a RIVETING speaker. 🏆
So apparently the CIA is all too happy to go after a sitting US President, but they couldn't find the rats in their midst. What do we pay these people for?
The FBI is supposed to do domestic counter intelligence investigations - it’s not the CIA’s job and they have no authority to file charges.
The CIA’s job is to investigate foreign intelligence interventions - like the Trump campaign coordinating advertising with the FSB Facebook black propaganda.
So Khanyisa causes a tiny issue because of her excitement to see you Adine! But really wonderful how this HERD who are mostly unrelated but have bonded so well to come to the “rescue “ of our lil pink one who they think she is in danger! 🥰❤️👌
183 comments from the employees at the CIA . Glowing comments.
We expect everybody else to speak English? GOD DAMN RIGHT !
High level intelligence and political figures involved with debauchery, drugs and illicit sex? It's never stopped...
🙏🌻🌻🌼🥦👌
Such an interesting story. They were quite the hot couple.
Who'll lay money on Teddy K being the Senator?
Thank you Jonah and Tony both. I believe now Tony is expired I'm sorry J
I like Jonna but there are discrepancies. If you listen to Martha talk about what happened, she wasn't in jail for 3 days, she was released after hours not days. Also she says people aren't sure if Trigon died straight away or later on. She also says the Moscow Rules (written by Jonna) has lots of mistakes in it.
So she was basically a sparrow and he- a raven?
Foulest,meanest,most murderous.....
ISN’T THAT THE JOB DESCRIPTION?
I thought she said Ames was the 1 who out the Russian General
1:15:04 Alarm bells ringing, anyone?
Hello! Fellow Torontonian!
Aunt Jonna, no! At least in Russia proper the Komsomol was mandatory. Party membership was not! Should have been a huge red flag.
Who was the US Senator? That is the million dollar question.
He was a dissident in CSSR to expose idiocies of the government, but then he decided USA was even more idiotic.
Perhaps the same batteries are used in the Chinese teapots gifted to diplomats?
"She is a regular appeared..."
The real Joanna Mendez is in the crowd! 13:43
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Jonna is a human face on an organisation that has carried out some wicked and shameful acts
In Israel new immigrants are not allowed in Intelligence services, exceptions however occur.
Fascinating. Got a question. The bald headed guy in the 3rd row looks like a double agent. Can the museum staff get back to me on this?