Media & Appearances
Editorial and speaker topics include historical and contemporary analysis of intelligence, political violence, terrorism, propaganda, disinformation, informal diplomacy, secret elite networks, socio-political movements, and power structures.
Hänni has provided expert commentary and political analysis for international and Swiss media outlets, including Neue Zürcher Zeitung (Switzerland), SRF (Switzerland), The Guardian (UK), Middle East Eye (UK), ZDF (Germany), Cicero (Germany), SWR (Germany), Le Point (France), Sol (Portugal), Al Arabiya (Saudi Arabia), The Diplomat (USA), and CBS 60 Minutes (USA). Here is a select list of appearances.
BR Podcast // Tatort Geschichte
Germany (German)
Bruno Breguet: Im Rudel des Schakals (Part 1)
2023.10.13
On February 21, 1981, there is a devastating bomb attack on the American radio station Radio Free Europe – which provides information to people behind the Iron Curtain – at the edge of the English Garden in the heart of Munich. No one suspects at the time that this attack is being carried out by the world’s most wanted terrorist, Carlos the Jackal. Bruno Breguet, a Swiss citizen and member of the Carlos Group, plays an important role in the attack. Breguet’s incredible life story is told in a double episode with his biographer, historian Adrian Hänni.
Bruno Breguet: Der Spitzel des Erzfeinds (Part 2)
2023.10.20
While the trial of Bruno Breguet and his accomplice Magdalena Kopp begins in the Paris Palace of Justice, the Carlos group begins a series of bomb attacks at a nearby busy street with the demand to release their captive members. Adrian Hänni describes how the attack on Radio Free Europe in Munich will eventually catch up with Breguet.
Spyscape // True Spies Podcast
USA (English)
Dancing With Jackals, Part 1: The Idealist
2023.08
In June 1970, a young man is arrested at the Israeli port of Haifa. On his person, police officers discover pro-Palestine propaganda, a Super-8 video camera, and two kilograms of high explosive. His name is Bruno Breguet and his story only gets stranger from here. In this two-part True Spies story, intelligence historian Adrian Hänni joins Daisy Ridley to uncover the life of a little-known, but fascinating figure. In Part 1, you’ll follow Bruno’s journey from sleepy southern Switzerland to the frontlines of pro-Palestinian terror in the 1970s and the inner circle of one of the world’s most notorious terrorists, Carlos the Jackal.
Dancing With Jackals, Part 2: The Vanishing of Bruno Bréguet
2023.08
It’s the 1980s, and Bruno Breguet is one of international super-terrorist Carlos the Jackal’s most trusted operatives. But in a paranoid world of violence and subterfuge, what is loyalty really worth? In this two-part True Spies story, intelligence historian Adrian Hänni joins Daisy Ridley to uncover the life of a little-known, but fascinating figure. In Part 2, the strength of Breguet’s revolutionary ideals come up against the mercenary reality of the Jackal’s world – and is found wanting. Gunplay in Paris, a lavish semi-retirement in Syria and an unlikely new paymaster pave the road to a final, deadly riddle.
The Guardian
UK (English)
Revealed: the terrorist hired by the CIA to catch Carlos the Jackal
2023.04.09
Hänni speaks with the Guardian’s Jason Burke about Bruno Breguet and how the terrorist-turned-CIA agent contributed to the capture of his infamous boss, Carlos the Jackal.
Schweizer Monat
Switzerland (German)
Und ewig tobt der Informationskrieg
2023.02.01
Dossier: «Digitale Desinformation»
Ausgabe 1103 – Februar 2023
State disinformation campaigns are not a new phenomenon, including among Western actors. Hänni discusses the history of modern disinformation and its transformation in the digital age.
SRF: 10vor10
Switzerland (German)
Ungeklärte Todesfälle: Politisch motivierte Cold Cases
2022.06.27
Switzerland has repeatedly been the scene of politically motivated deaths and assassinations. Some of these criminal cases remain unsolved. In this series of five incidents, SRF reconstructs the crimes while Hänni provides historical context, showing why they are still a talking point today.
Süddeutsche Zeitung: Geschichte Daily (Podcast)
Germany (German)
Propaganda: Die CIA und die Banana-Wars
2022.05
Not only authoritarian states exploit propaganda. Hardly any story shows this as clearly as that of Guatemala and the CIA. On the SZ podcast “Geschichte Daily”, intelligence historian Adrian Hänni discusses CIA propaganda in the Cold War and specifically the disinformation campaign to undermine the democratic government of Guatemala in 1954.
NZZ
Switzerland (German)
Emil Bührle, der Waffenschieber
2021.06.05
Using archival documents, Hänni brings to light how Swiss industrialist Emil Bührle created a transnational network for his illegal weapons trade during the post-war period.
SRF: 10vor10
Switzerland (German)
US-Geheimdienst hörte Schweizer Delegation ab
2021.05.21
On 25 May 1946, Switzerland and the western allies – USA, Great Britain, France – concluded the Washington Agreement: Switzerland agrees to pay 250 Million Swiss franc as a contribution to the reconstruction of Europe. Through this watershed agreement, the neutral state overcame its temporary isolation and set the course for its integration into the Western post-war order.
Hänni reveals for the first time how the U.S. was able to intercept Swiss communications in order to gain insights into Switzerland’s negotiation goals and tactics during the three-month of negotiations in Washington. Meanwhile, in Switzerland, the president of the Social Democratic Party (SP), Hans Oprecht, supplied the U.S. Strategic Services Unit (SSU) with valuable information.
The Guardian
UK (English)
How cold war spymasters found arrogance of Carlos the Jackal too hot to handle
2020.09.06
Hänni speaks with the Guardian’s Jason Burke about new research on the relations between states and terrorists during the Cold War.
SRF: 10vor10
Switzerland (German)
Geheimdienstaffäre Cryptoleaks
2020.02.13
A joint investigation by SRF Rundschau (Switzerland), ZDF (Germany), and the Washington Post (USA) exposed a worldwide surveillance operation by secret services centered around Crypto AG, a Swiss company. Hänni was interviewed on the Cryptoleaks spy scandal and the activities of foreign intelligence services in Switzerland.
NZZ
Switzerland
2019.10.03
“Wie Frankreich zu seinem Geheimabkommen mit dem Terroristen Abu Nidal kam”. Article exposing for the first time the full story of how the French government cut a secret deal with the terrorist Abu Nidal Organization (ANO).
The Diplomat
USA
2018.10.30
"Why Does Pakistan’s Release of a Key Taliban Leader Matter?" Article on the peace negotiations between the United States and the Afghan Taliban.
NZZ
Switzerland
2017.03.10
"Das letzte Lager vor dem Gipfel: Zürich als Terrorismus-Hub" by Marcel Gyr. Interview on the role of Zurich and Geneva for the preparation of terrorist attacks.
CICERO
GERMANY
2017.03
“Die Gespenster des Toten Imams”. Article in the German monthly magazine Cicero on the case of Imam Musa Sadr or a four-decade feud that involves hijackings, kidnappings and an unresolved mystery.
Middle East Eye
UK
2017.02.06
"The case of Gaddafi's playboy son and the missing imam". The current fate of Hannibal Gaddafi has its origins in a four-decade feud that involves hijackings, kidnappings and an unresolved mystery. Article on the background of the December 2016 hijacking of Afriqiyah Airways 209.
Schweizer Monat: Studio Libero
Switzerland (German)
Adrian Hänni über den Kampf gegen Terrorismus (episode #11)
2021.06.04
Adrian Hänni talks about the aftermath of September 11, 2001, the role of intelligence services in the fight against terrorism, and the June 13, 2021 PMT vote in Switzerland.
Al Arabiya
Saudi Arabia (Arabic)
Austria reveals new Turkish spying operations on opponents of Erdogan
2020.09.25
Interview to Raghida Bahnam on Al Arabiya about Turkish espionage activities in Austria.
SRF: Club
Switzerland (German)
Was lernen wir aus Cryptoleaks?
2020.02.18
Studio panel guest in a 75-minute live discussion on the Cryptoleaks spy scandal, Swiss neutrality, and the activities of foreign intelligence services in Switzerland.
Germany (German)
Adrian Hänni über die Neutralitätspolitik der Schweiz
2020.02.18
Adrian Hänni talks with Kulturzeit about the implications of the “Crypto-Leaks” affair for Switzerland.
SRF: Tagesschau
Switzerland (German)
Nachrichtendienstchef spricht über russische Spione
2018.10.19
Interview on Russian spies in Switzerland and the Swiss intelligence service NDB.
Unchain Your Mind: Episode 22
Switzerland (German)
Unchain Your Mind mit Adrian Hänni – Desinformation im Wandel der Zeit
2023.02.03
Guest Adrian Hänni talks about disinformation and black propaganda.
SRF: 4x4 Podcast
Switzerland (German)
2022.11.04
SRF 4 News celebrates its 15th anniversary and looks back at a job advertisement of a special kind: 15 years ago, the head of the intelligence service was advertised. Adrian Hänni, historian and intelligence expert, puts the unusual ad in retrospective perspective. Starts at 16:53.
SRF: News Plus
Switzerland (German)
Szenen wie im Film – wie echte Spione Staaten ausspionieren
2022.10.26
A suspected Russian spy posed as a Brazilian researcher, and remained undetected for a year before being exposed in Norway. In the “News Plus” podcast, Adrian Hänni discusses this cinematic espionage case.
University of Newcastle
Australia (English)
Violence and Its Histories
2019
Hänni appears in an episode of the podcast series developed by the Center for Study of Violence (CSoV) at the University of Newcastle, Australia, to discuss his work with Dr. Elizabeth Roberts-Pedersen.
Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective
USA (English)
From Cold War to War on Terror
31 July 2018
Discussion about the historical context for today’s war on terror and the Cold War precedents that help explain where we’re at today.
History Talk podcasts are a production of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University.
Upcoming
- 3.6.2026 – Lecture at the Royal College of Art, London
- 11.-13.10.2026 – Society for Intelligence History (SIH) Annual Conference, King’s College, London
2026
- “Lethal Signaling: The Communicative Dimension of Targeted Killings”, Presentation held at the conference “Excessive State Power and State Killings in Democracies”, Hamburger Institut für Sozialforschung, 12.-13.3.2026.
- “Terrorist und CIA-Agent: Die unglaubliche Geschichte des Schweizers Bruno Breguet”, Webinar, Uni60+, 17.3.2026
- “Intelligence and Strategic Communication”, Speech at the seminar “Intelligence and Intelligence Studies in 2026: Challenges and Solutions”, Future Studies University of Turku (Finland), 5.5.2026.
2025
- “Nachkriegszeit”, Vorlesungsreihe, Volkshochschule Zürich, 9.1.-13.2.2025
- “Small Community, Big Hub: Intelligence in Switzerland Past and Present”, North-East Intelligence Community Centers for Academic Excellence, Annual Speaker Series, University of New Hampshire, 10.4.2025.
- “Crossroads: How Historical Lessons from Creative Activists Can Help Us Navigate Present Political Crossroads”, Talk at Creative Mornings Munich, Silberfabrik, 25.4.2025, https://creativemornings.com/
talks/how-historical-lessons- from-creative-activists-can- help-us-navigate-present- political-crossroads/1. - “Münchens Schwarzer September: Eine Kontextualisierung”, Vortrag im Haus der Geschichte, Bonn, 2.9.2025.
- “Espionage without Alliances? Rethinking Intelligence in Neutral States” (with Andrew Macpherson, Tony Ingesson and Omar Nagi), Presentation held at the International Association for Intelligence Education (IAFIE) Annual Conference, Madrid, 9.9.2025.
- “Terrorist und CIA-Agent: Die unglaubliche Geschichte des Tessiners Bruno Breguet”, Vortrag in der Biblioteca Popolare Ascona, 11.9.2025.
- “Counter-Terrorism across the Alps: The Hidden History of the Club des Cinq (1978-1992)”, Presentation held at the International Intelligence History Association (IIHA) Annual Conference, Tutzing (Germany), 27.9.2025.
- “Aufstieg und Fall ‘unserer’ Nachkriegsordnung”, Webinar, FernUni Schweiz, 2.10.2025.
- “Switzerland as a Hub for Russian Intelligence Operations against NATO and EU States”, Presentation held at the Zagreb Security Forum 2025, 11.10.2025.
- Gast beim “Kamingespräch” des Top Leadership Programs der Universität für Weiterbildung Krems, St. Pölten, 6.11.2025.
- “Spionage aus Sicht der Forschung”, Vortrag beim Bundesamt für Polizei (Fedpol), Bern, 10.11.2025.
- “Beyond Patterns: Der Kalte Krieg, Die Kalte-Kriegs-Forschung und ‘Hybride Kriegsführung'”, Referat am Workshop “How Does the Past Matter: Hybride Kriegsführung”, PRIF – Leibniz Institut für Friedens- und Konfliktforschung, Frankfurt, 3.-4.12.2025.
2024
- “‘Unsere’ Nachkriegsordnung”, Vortrag im Rahmen der Ringvorlesung “Europäische Friedensordnungen”, Volkshochschule Zürich, 6.2.2024.
- “Cold War Radio, Radio Free Europe, and the 1981 Munich Bombing”, Guest Lecture at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), 8.2.2024.
- “Geheimdienstdrehscheibe Schweiz”, Vortrag an der GV des Offiziersvereins Innerschwyz, Gersau, 16.3.2024.
- “It’s (Not) the Cold War Stupid: Der Nahostterrorismus und die Geheimdienste in Ost und West”, Vortrag im Rahmen der Ringvorlesung des Berliner Kollegs Kalter Krieg, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 25.6.2024
- “Solidarität, Bomben und Geheimdiplomatie: Die Schweiz und die palästinensische Befreiungsbewegung”, Vortrag an der GMS-Herbsttagung “Transnationale Gewalt – Der Konflikt im Nahen Osten”, Zürich, 9.11.2024
- “Spionage in der DACH-Region: Aktuelle Entwicklungen”, Vortrag auf dem 11. D-A-CH-Sicherheitsforum, Going (Österreich), 13.11.2024.
- Das innerste Auge (2020.11.00). Republik (German).
- Turkish Spy Networks Raise Europe’s Concern (2020.09.29). Asharq Al-Awsat (English).
- Interview on the poisoning of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny and Russian poison attacks (2020.08.27). Radio SRF 1 (German).
- Die Schweiz hörte mit: Neue Dimension im Fall Crypto (2020.06.24). SRF: Rundschau (German).
- Fakecheck: Woher kommt das Coronavirus (2020.05.01). SRF: 10vor10 (German).
- The Secret Clubs of Intelligence and Security Services: A Look behind the Scenes of Counter-terrorism Cooperation in Europe (2019.03.31). Offiziere.ch (English).
- Warum in der Schweiz so viel spioniert wird (2018.09.17). SRF: 10vor10 (German).
- 8 Millionen Dollar für die Ehefrau des gefürchteten Terroristen Abu Nidal (2017.11.14-15). NZZ (German).
- Brexit-Abstimmung: Das Referendum in der britischen Geschichte (2016.06.21). Journal 21 (German).