In this episode, in discussion with host Dr Sam Blaxland, Dr Luca Trenta uncovers states’ use of covert action, with a spotlight on the US Governments involvement in state-sponsored assassinations. Spanning the time period from the Cold War through to contemporary times, Dr Trenta unearths the intricate dimensions of these clandestine operations.

Dr Luca Trenta is an Associate Professor in International Relations at Swansea University. Luca moved to the UK in 2009 to study a Master’s in International Studies at Durham University, followed by a PhD, that led him to a chance encounter to cook dinner for former US President Jimmy Carter. Dr Luca Trenta’s research centres around two main areas: the degree of state secrecy and state-sponsored assassinations. This research relies heavily on history and international relations scholarship on norms. It evaluates the US government’s degree of involvement in state-sponsored assassinations and the way in which these were debated, decided upon, and justified over the last 70 years.