Is a Top American Diplomat a Russian Agent?

The Interpreter Magazine ^ | 4 Nov. 2014 | John R. Schindler

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

Is a Top American Diplomat a Russian Agent?

John R. Schindler November 4, 2014

November 3, 2014 - Today the Ukrainian news website GORDON ran an interview with the Russian businessman and sometime politician Konstantin Borovoy. A harsh critic of Vladimir Putin — he recently said Russia’s president is “mentally unstable” while a year ago he pronounced the collapse of Putin’s corrupt dictatorship to be “inevitable” — Borovoy is something of a gadfly. A parliamentarian of independent views in the Yeltsin era, he served as an intermediary between Moscow and the rebels in the First Chechen War, and was assessed as “a respected and influential Duma deputy” by one savvy Western expert, in part due to his staunch opposition to the takeover of Russia by the “special services,” especially the Federal Security Service (FSB), during the Putin years.

Hence Borovoy’s statements are not to be rejected out of hand as the ravings of a madman. In the GORDON interview, he lambasts Ukraine’s government for having faith in the West as it faces protracted war at Putin’s hands: don’t put faith in NATO and the European Union, he warns Kyiv, “because they do not want a large-scale military conflict.” Borovoy explains that he has assembled experienced cadres of experts — unnamed “military and political experts” — who, like himself, hope to assist Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko as he stands up to Putin’s aggression.

One of the major obstacles, Borovoy asserts, is that Putin has secret friends in high places not just across Europe but inside NATO itself, Kremlin “agents of influence” who subvert Western defenses. In particular, he focuses on one well-placed figure — NATO’s deputy secretary general, who, he explains, previously was America’s ambassador in Moscow. Without naming him, this is unmistakably Sandy Vershbow, a career diplomat with a distinguished reputation, having served not only in Moscow from 2001 to 2005, but as the U.S. Ambassador to NATO from 1998 to 2001. Before being sent to Brussels again to serve as the Atlantic Alliance’s number-two civilian official, Vershbow was the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. When it comes to Alliance matters and Russian affairs, there are few American officials more experienced than Sandy Vershbow.

Of the ambassador’s tenure in Moscow, Borovoy has this to say:

He established an unprecedented intimacy with former top officials of the KGB and the current leaders of the Russian FSB. For some time his residence in Moscow called “the club of former KGB officers.” They say that this was one reason for his leaving Russia.

To call these charges explosive may be an understatement. I have no idea if they are true or just a scurrilous rumor. This is Russia, after all, where provocation is a way of life. Is this a nasty lie or something one of those connected “military and political experts” shared with Borovoy? I am personally acquainted with a couple cases in recent years when U.S. diplomats in Russia got themselves snared in FSB nets and into trouble, so anything is possible. Borovoy is a reasonably sober character and, more importantly, a sincere Putin opponent, which would make his motivation here difficult to discern if he seeks to malign a top NATO and American official.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Russian patriot? Yes.

Moral, ethical and non-fattening? Absolutely not. he is a brutal killer. But he WILL do whatever he can to promote what he sees as the long-term interests of Russia.

Obola? He fundamentally HATES what America is, was, and will be. He fundamentally wants to destroy America, and what he sees America is: a white, capitalistic, hard-working, free, Christian state.

So, who is the “patriot” ?

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

Russian patriot? Yes.

How do you reconcile these two things:

You write "he is a brutal killer."

Who does he brutally kill?

Russians.

Who does he loot from? Russians (and anybody else).

How do you reconcile the idea of Putin as a "patriot," and Putin as a murderer and looter of Russia?

Here is a good article from a Russian that talks about what Russia is actually like. You'd be hard pressed to find the patriotism with the "former" Communists and KGB who run that hell hole:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/3189416/posts

[wetphoenix]

Your link heads to a pretty much stupid fearmongering article. In reality Russia is a typical transitional lower middle class country balancing between leftism and free republic. It is not immune to ills typical to a societies like that which are at the same socioeconomic conditions which are for some reason never attracts that much negative attention.
The measures you are considering to address Russian ills, which I repeat quite typical for any society in similar conditions aren’t any helping to shift ballance of Russia to free republic (to say the least).

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

Your link heads to...

Thanks but no thanks Russkie. Not interested in the opinion of a Russkie propagandist who signed up in March to fool Freepers into believing his country actually has a "free republic" to teeter into. I'm going to believe the honest Russian giving his opinion, and not believe your baseless adhom against him. I do not understand why the Mods haven't wised up and zotted your sorry ass yet.

[wetphoenix]

I believe you aren’t qualified much to reasonably argue on the nature of certain political regimes based on your overall naivety.
You are clearly don’t understand what leftism is about and for that very reason you don’t understand the dangers of communism or even the ways it works making you a potential victim yourself.
People like you are figurally aiding Marxist takeover at home or sitting like willing sheep as it happens, yet you are pointing fingers and making obstacles to societies trying to get away from their old and your new ways. And you have a nerve to scream ‘Communists!’ at them.

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

People like you are figurally aiding Marxist takeover at home or sitting like willing sheep as it happens, yet you are pointing fingers and making obstacles to societies trying to get away from their old and your new ways. And you have a nerve to scream ‘Communists!’ at them

You have to admit, they make it pretty easy. But, thankfully, we have useful people like you who aren't *cough cough* aiding Marxism at your home/s.

[wetphoenix]

You are obviously paying too much attention to visual symbols to see any essence behind it.

As for ‘Novorossiya’ there wouldn’t been that red-brown orgy if not for Obamao’s meddling and his minions McCain and Nuland agitating Ukrainians to kill each other thwarting a vital Russian economic interests in process.

American taxpayer’s money at work once again. What for? I wonder which of Russian policies were in clash with vital US interests as far as a year ago?

What McCain mean when he says he want a regime change in Russia? Link his statements to a policies against Russian economy and you ‘ll see who really wants to reestablish an ‘Evil Empire’ following a leftist takeover.
It is like 1917 all over again.

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

As for ‘Novorossiya’ there wouldn’t been that red-brown orgy if not for Obamao’s meddling

Yes, all his meddling, the donuts handed out to Ukrainian protestors as Yanukovych and his Russian-trained thugs stripped people naked in the snow and beat them. We all know, like good slaves, they would have bowed down at the beating, but it took America bribing them to wake up. Thanks for your input, Vatnik. You should have included the Jewish Nazis too and their money. That is the working theory of your government as well through its agents in Ukraine:

"A video appeared on the web in which terrorists [Russian "separatists"], some of whom are people in the Orthodox cassocks, urge to fight against the “fascists, Nazi and Jewish-Banderovite troops” "

http://risu.org.ua/article_print.php?id=56901&name=religion_and_policy&_lang=en&

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

I should have quoted the whole thing. Reminds me of you and your drunken posts:

"It is a difficult time for the Holy Rus. The infidels are coming to our land, the Antichrist is coming. I want to say so that Russian men are not afraid and have become one in defense of the Holy Rus, because the enemy attacks the Orthodoxy, the only faith which is righteous for God," said the man in clerical vestments.

"This is a frontline of Slavyansk. Just a few kilometers away there are the Hitler and Jewish-Banderovite troops ... I would like to appeal to all of our fathers, brothers and sisters, all of Russian people. I encourage them to join the rows of all the defenders not only in Slavyansk, not just in south-east Ukraine, but throughout the whole Rus. For this is a religious war. In fact, it is the Vatican, schismatics, heretics and all traitors of Christ that attacked us for the Jewish-Banderovite money,” said one of the gunmen, Alex Dobychin.

That other Russian who escaped from your country was right. Looks like generations of alcohol and drug abuse has left lots of your average Commie thugs utterly deranged.

[wetphoenix]

~Yes, all his meddling, the donuts handed out to Ukrainian protestors as Yanukovych and his Russian-trained thugs stripped people naked in the snow and beat them.~

LOL. Hats off to McCain’s press corps. They are doing better job than RT.

BTW, I’m sure you were cheering at Arab Spring as well. Removing tyrants and so on.

[wetphoenix]

~ said one of the gunmen~

Quite a serious source to judge Russian politics after, isn’t it??

‘Former KGB’ Litvinenko, Borovoi, Dugin, ‘one of the gunmen’ - considering the sources you are considering typical Russians it is not surprising that Russia is a weird place for you.

Then you are quoting Russian moonbat leftists who hates their country and you say they are honest and you believe them (because they know what to tell to please a stereotype filled ignorants).

Yet, it is me who are ignorant and communist after all! Get some integrity, puny!

[Krosan]

Bush said these words in 2001. At the time oil prices were low and Putin was just installed by Yeltsin and hadn’t consolidated his power yet. It was a very different Putin than the one high on oil-money and eliminated all opposition.

[GOPJ]

Sandy Vershbow..

Interesting... could be true.

[GOPJ]

Sandy Vershbow..

Interesting... could be true.

[John S Mosby]

OK, fine. But you must know that there was available at that time.to Bushie the 2nd from the CIA on Putin and who he IS and was— a KGB thug. So, the comment had to have been a PR puff piece to “fake out” Putin (who wasn’t, quite obviously, all vodka aside).

This petropolitics approach to US sovereign interest is quite facile and has gotten the US into a whole lot of wasteful endeavours for the Prize. Foreign entanglements, as Washington would say.

This is what happens when you allow the backing of your sovereign currency with petroleum values which then fluctuates of on the international market, subject to the machinations of foreign powers. We have been here too many times before. Which is why the Left is funded by Islamists— as the islamists are running major aspects of the current administration, and also manipulated GW Bush (with the BS about “the religion of peace”).

One should not ignore the ramblings of the Holy Rus orthodoxy who have control of some large numbers of their own combatants. What a nightmare.

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

Then you are quoting Russian moonbat leftists who hates their country

I like how you continually push Russian politics in American terms, when you know very well that Russia itself is a moonbat country, where Communists and Orthodox Christian "Monarchists" are really the same group of people half the time, and where politics and news programs engage in a kind of eternal theater.

But, hating the Kremlin is a perfectly rational response for whoever gets to know it.

[AdmSmith]

It is well known that the Russkies have hired an army of internet trolls targeting major western websites.

12-hour shifts for two days with two days off. A blogger’s quota is 10 posts a day, 750 characters each, a commenter has to write 126 comments and two posts. A blogger has three accounts to manage. You have to distribute the 10 assignments between them. An assignment consists of a talking point, most often news, and a conclusion you should reach.

http://euromaidanpress.com/2014/11/02/the-sad-life-of-putins-troll-army/

[wetphoenix]

~I like how you continually push Russian politics in American terms~

Why not?

~Communists and Orthodox Christian “Monarchists” are really the same group of people~

For a person who are as ignorant in politics to say this crap it makes perfect sense to adjust to American terms (though not enough in your case) for comprehension.
I once again advise you to learn what communism is and how is in correlates to (any) religion or monarchy.
You might be surprised but won’t probably post nonsense any more.

It would also raise your awareness to recognize and counter a communist threat though I somehow doubt you are capable to really do the math.

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

It would also raise your awareness to recognize and counter a communist threat though I somehow doubt you are capable to really do the math.

You are a Communist, vatnik, that's why you want us to believe Putin isn't one, and why you want us to believe that Russia's support of Communist governments and terrorist groups around the world is just "looking at the picture, not at the essence."

[wetphoenix]

~You are a Communist, vatnik, that’s why you want us to believe Putin isn’t one, and why you want us to believe that Russia’s support of Communist governments and terrorist groups around the world is just “looking at the picture, not at the essence.” ~

What about McCain agitating against Russian government in Pravda and encouraging Occupy Moscow? What about American press siding with radical communists in Russia and calling them pro-freedom democrats?
What about said McCain posing with cannibal terrorists in the Middue East and soliciting US taxpayer’s money and air power to aid their operations?

Yet, I have enough common sense to understand that America itself is not an islamo-communist entity no matter how hard you are trying.

It is clear that your problem with Russia isn’t even with a leadership but with the Russian people.

It happens because you are unable to think for yourself, Obama wants you to hate Russia to deflect your attention from his own Marxist endeavor and your liberal media is programming you this way.