Moldova Accuses Russians of Spying

The Moscow Times ^ | February 21, 2005. | AP

[Lukasz]

CHISINAU, Moldova -- Moldova's secret service said Sunday that 21 Russians expelled or detained by police this month had traveled to Moldova to spy on the president and other politicians ahead of March 6 general elections.

The Russians had been falsely posing as human rights activists, consultants and political observers, said a statement from the Intelligence and Security Service.

Five Russians were expelled on Feb. 11 for meddling in the electoral process. On Friday, 20 foreigners, including 16 Russians, were detained on suspicion of illegally working for a Moldovan political party, the authorities said.

The statement accused them of "fabricating documents to show that Moldovan authorities were preparing to persecute the opposition, carrying out surveillance of Communist candidates ... creating networks specialized in corrupting and bribing" electoral officials.

"This cannot be considered political consultancy," it said.

The statement did not specify that the Russians had been sent by any organization.

[Lukasz]

They have in Moldova not only Russian spies but also Russian troops which don’t want to go to home.

[Lukasz]

Eastern European ping list

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FRmail me to be added or removed from this Eastern European ping list ping list.

[cardinal4]

In other news, the sky is blue..

[Free and Armed]

heh, Molva

[gov_bean_ counter]

Old habits die hard.

[Patriot623]

"President" Putin is definitley up to something. Remember 1999 when the former Russian president "Resigned" Im beginning to think Putin planned that, and everything going on since.

[Howlin]

It appears to me that Putin is putting that "old gang" back together.

[Lukasz]

But there is no other countries which expelled Russian spies recently, at least as I know.

[cardinal4]

It appears to me that Putin is putting that "old gang" back together.

FSD, KGB, whats the difference?

[Lukasz]

Some people saying that he will change constitution after his cadency. When he establish parliamentary system, he may become PM and de facto keep the power.

[sourcery]

...Accuses Russians of Spying

And in other News, they also accuse BJ Clinton of sexual misconduct, Teddy Kennedy of abusing alcohol, and water of being wet.

[Lukasz]

I read that more and more high Russian officials and important figures in their monopoles are former Putin’s friends from KGB.

[Lukasz]

Accusations it is one thing but there is nothing about expelled Russian spies in other countries…

[happyathome]

Agree, but he's had mixed results. He has succeeded in centralizing power in Russia and taking the rich oligarchs down a peg, but he's failing with respect to Chechnya, Ukraine, and (because of those two) relations with the EU. He may represent a "tactic" whose time has passed.

[Lukasz]

But he actually winning "good relations" with Iran and Syria.

[Grzegorz 246]

Putin was just "chosen" by Yeltsin. Putin let him and all his family keep the money they stole. Media in Russia are generally state controlled, so Putin will probably in the same way "choose" the next president.

[anonymoussierra]

ping

[Lukasz]

I read that in Moldova they have more free media than in Russia or Ukraine before Yushchenko became new president. (source: gazeta.pl)

[happyathome]

True, but those very items hurt him with the US and EU (though not with China). Course getting in bed with Iran is a bit like holding a tiger by the tail.

[Lukasz]

Putin just don’t want Iran to be the next Iraq or Afghanistan. In the west he have larger and larger EU and in Asia more and more countries friendly to US with American military bases.

[Cicero]

After watching Russian agents poison the leading political candidates you can hardly blame the Moldovans for wanting to get these guys out of there before they find mysterious poisons in their soup.

Putin wants to rebuild Greater Russia, but getting all his neighbors mad at him is not the smartest way to do it. If he had just left them alone they would have fallen naturally into Russia's economic orbit.

[Lukasz]

Funny thing is that when Moldovan communist won last elections, they were very pro-Russian (they even wanted to join to Russian-Belarusian union) but because of Putin’s hardcore stand in Transdniestr conflict they are practically enemies now. I read that they changed political program and actually they are just simple socialists and want to join EU! Putin lost this game too…

Moldovan communist party supporters: great photo :-)

[Joe Boucher]

And the shcok is?
I mean Russia spies on every one they think they can get something on or find how to make a buck off of.

[GarySpFc]

After watching Russian agents poison the leading political candidates you can hardly blame the Moldovans for wanting to get these guys out of there before they find mysterious poisons in their soup.

And what evidence do you have that Russian agents poisoned the leading political candidates? Also, I thought Yushchenko was the only one reported poisoned?

[MeekOneGOP]

bump!

[Cicero]

Do we know anything for sure? No. But Yushchenko was pretty definitely poisoned at the bidding of the Russians--and there was evidently a second poison plot against him that missed.

I have heard nothing further about the mysterious carbon monoxide leak that killed the Prime Minister of Georgia a short while ago, plus the suicide a little later of one of his aides. But it sure seems suspicious to me.

Now this. I have nothing against Russia. I think we would be natural allies at this point. But Putin is behaving like a fool, driving away potential friends with his clumsy tricks.

[GarySpFc]

Do we know anything for sure? No. But Yushchenko was pretty definitely poisoned at the bidding of the Russians--and there was evidently a second poison plot against him that missed.

I have heard nothing further about the mysterious carbon monoxide leak that killed the Prime Minister of Georgia a short while ago, plus the suicide a little later of one of his aides. But it sure seems suspicious to me.

In other words you in all of your brilliance are just GUESSING, and do not have one iota of EVIDENCE. I have spent time in covert operations, and can tell you most of the time things are not like they seem.

[PhilDragoo]