Recent Russian Intelligence Operations

[AdamG]

WASHINGTON – In what law enforcements officials portrayed as an extraordinary takedown of a Russian espionage network, the Justice Department on Monday announced charges against 11 people accused of living for years in the United States as part of a deep-cover program by S.V.R. -- one of the successors to the Soviet-era K.G.B.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/wo.../29spy.html?hp

Life imitates art. Art imitates life.
http://www.whoissalt.com/

[AdamG]

This gets better and better....

She's a "practiced deceiver." Those are the words prosecutors used to describe Anna Chapman, a red-headed 28-year-old accused of spying for Russia.

Chapman, a divorcee who appeared in a white T-shirt and designer jeans, stood before magistrate judge Ronald Ellis in a Manhattan federal court Monday evening along with four others arrested on charges of conspiring to act as "unregistered agents of a foreign government."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/...n6628621.shtml

Does anyone remember the Israeli spy network that was rolled up during the summer of 2001?

[AdamG]

LONDON — One of the Cold War's most famous defectors says Russia may have as many as 50 deep-cover couples spying inside the United States.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/can...ItOfPDM43WMWoA

Just 50???

On Monday in federal court in Manhattan, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Farbiarz called the allegations "the tip of the iceberg" of a conspiracy of Russia's intelligence service, the SVR, to collect inside U.S. information.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...062901120.html

[Lorraine]

Two thoughts:

1) Mann kann nie Wisson (you never know.)

2) I guess the annually required online "Need To Know" classes might be onto something.

[AdamG]

The funniest aspect of the careers of the 10 alleged Russian "agents" arrested in the US is how inept they were - and how apparently unsuccessful.

They have not even been charged with espionage, only with not registering as agents, or representatives, of a foreign government and with money laundering.

Some pretty humorous revelations here -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_...a/10446390.stm

[carl]

Does anyone have any idea if these people are important enough for the Russians to arrest various westerners in order to make a trade?