The Russians Are Coming - As Many Russian Spies Now In The U.S. as during the Cold War

TIME ^

[Happy2BMe]

Sunday, Jan. 30, 2005

At Los Angeles International Airport two weeks ago, FBI agents arrested an Irish businessman they had spent a week tailing all over California's Silicon Valley, from the offices of two electronics manufacturers in Sunnyvale to a hotel in Mountain View and down a quiet cul-de-sac to a suburban house in San Jose. The technology exporter, according to court papers, had purchased sophisticated computer components in the U.S. to send to Russia through Ireland. He now stands to be charged in mid-February with "unlawful export of 'defense articles.'" U.S. officials point to this little-noticed case as one manifestation of a troubling reality: although the cold war is long over, Russia is fielding an army of spooks in the U.S. that is at least equal in number to the one deployed by the old, much larger Soviet Union.

Russia runs more than 100 known spies under official cover in the U.S., senior U.S. intelligence and law-enforcement officials say. And those are just the more easily spotted spies working under the classic guise of diplomat. An unknown number of so-called nocs—who work under nonofficial cover as businessmen and -women, journalists or academics—undoubtedly expand the Russian spy force. "They're baaaaack," says a former senior U.S. intelligence official who worked against Moscow during the cold war. "They're busy as hell, but I don't think we've really got what it is that they're doing." The number of Russian spies in the U.S. is especially surprising, given that it was less than four years ago that the Bush Administration expelled 50 of them in retaliation for the humiliating discovery that FBI counterintelligence agent Robert Hanssen had been spying for Russia for 21 years.

In a high-level meeting late last year, officials tell TIME, the National Security Council instructed the FBI, CIA, State Department and other agencies to get a better handle on the Russian espionage threat. While the U.S. might like to eject suspect diplomats to force the Russians to send in their "rookies," as a U.S. official put it, Moscow would probably respond in kind, denting the CIA's corps in Russia.

As the FBI has remade itself in the wake of 9/11 into a counterterrorism agency, the bureau's long-standing counterintelligence mission has been bumped down a notch on the priority list. During this time, Russia has been among the U.S.'s rivals most aggressively exploiting the opening to build up its spying capabilities. Also, it has been using liberalized immigration rules for Russians, instituted after the cold war, to install nocs.

Officials say the Russians are after secrets about American military technology and hardware, dual-use technology such as the latest lasers, and the Administration's plans and intentions regarding the former Soviet states, China, the Middle East and U.S. energy policy, among other matters. Russia also wants to learn as much as possible about its biggest strategic worry: the U.S.'s ramped-up commitment to missile defense, which could eventually threaten Moscow's nuclear deterrent. Asked about the Russian spy surge, Russian embassy spokesman Yevgeniy Khorishko replied, "We do not comment on any of the issues concerning intelligence."

In addition to embassy-based spies, Russia—along with China, Pakistan, Iran and any number of other countries, including U.S. allies—relies on many hard-to-trace front companies, often run through third-party countries, to acquire secrets and dual-use technology. "We think there are thousands of these companies," a senior U.S. official said.

David Szady, the FBI's assistant director for counterintelligence, who is in charge of keeping tabs on foreign spies on U.S. soil, told TIME that in the next five years he wants to double the number of agents chasing spooks. Already, the FBI has placed counterespionage squads of at least seven agents in all 56 of its field division offices over the past year. What about the chance that damaging U.S. moles are helping Russia today? Says one U.S. senior intelligence official: "There's always evidence of another mole because there are always unexplained events. There are always unexplained losses. There are always enough dots that look strange."

[Tommyjo]

Since when is GB a foe?

[Paperdoll]

>I never thought they left<

Nor I. I don't know about the rest of the country, but the enormous inflow of Russian people into the West Coast area, (granted people for the most part seeking a better life,) may have provided a convenient cover for most of those Russian spies who have infiltrated our security agencies, and fed themselves at the national trough.

[Calpernia]

>>>THEY'RE BAAAAAAAAACK

When did they leave? NY/NJ has had the criminal Russian/Ukrainian international laundering system going for YEARS.

The criminal Ukrainians even work directly WITH the criminal Muslims.

[Calpernia]

>>>>In addition to embassy-based spies

That needs some editing. In addition to embassy-based, CATHOLIC CHURCH based and NON-PROFIT based spies.... Ok, that is better.

[Tommyjo]

Not just Clinton. George Bush and Ronald Reagan were also in the process of sealing US top of the line technology to the Chinese. If it hadn't been for the Tiananmen square massacre then those deals would have gone ahead.

If you are not aware two Chinese J-8 FINBACK fighters (The type that crashed into the EP-3E back in 2001) were in the hands of Grumman in the US. The upgrade of these fighters was to include the F-16s radar and other avionics. These were the initial test-development airframes which would have resulted in many more being upgraded. The sanctions brought about by Tiananmen stopped the development and the aircraft eventually were returned in 1993. Only the heavy hand tactics in suppressing the demo brought the military deals to an end.

[TruthNtegrity]

Bookmarking

[TapTheSource]

Might also want to check out post #18 (if you haven't already)--TTS

[Flash Bazbeaux]

Emergency! Emergency! Everybody to get from street.!

[Happy2BMe]

Are you posting from Moscow?

[ArmyBratproud]

"An unknown number of so-called nocs—who work under nonofficial cover as businessmen and -women, journalists or academics—undoubtedly expand the Russian spy force."


That would explain a lot of college professors.

[familyop]

"God willing, someday we will get a government that is devoted to the American nattion and not the international elites. Boys, we need another Andrew Jackson who can start by literially hanging (after due process, of course) every tratior in the State Department and CIA."

There's been a lot of pressure on our politicians from many in our Party who have become, uh, authorities in economics. I think you'll be interested in the information behind the following. Bill's comments are a must-read, and it's time for us to get back to some of the moral considerations of our fathers.

Bill Gates says China has created brand-new form of capitalism (and praises Communist leaders)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1331228/posts

[Lukasz]

I read recently that we in Poland still have around 40 Russian spies, at least former Soviet spy colonel Oleg Gordijevski is claiming. It was year 2000, when we last time expelled few Russian spies.

Poland expels Russian 'spies' 20 January, 2000

[TapTheSource]

Bill Gates is a complete idiot. Why do so many billionaires become so mushy-headed? What a loser. Didn't he give the Reds the source code to Windows?

[Tailgunner Joe]

Russia 'must spy' on big business - Mikhail Fradkov, Russia’s Prime Minister, has stunned the business community by saying his country's secret service must spy on large corporations to guarantee economic growth.

We still need help from the FSB to provide the government and the executive branch with sufficient information... that can level the playing field among businesses for growth," Interfax quoted Mr Fradkov as saying. The FSB is the secret service, which in the Soviet era was known as the KGB.

Mr Fradkov said state-sponsored spying on Russian business would "develop business and attract investments".

[blackminorcapullets]

"Maybe the country that kicked Nazis around like rag dolls don't like to be second best..."

Uh-oh better check the map again. Stalin put Stalingrad on the far side of Poland and Ukraine from Berlin for a reason. Moscow was not in between Berlin and his industry center.

Far more Poles and Ukrainians died fighting the Nazis than ethnic russians 15 million vs 3 million ethnic russians. The First Ukrainian Front liberated Aushwitz and was the first to Berlin.

[Tailgunner Joe]

Germany Seen Crawling with Russian Spies - 29.01.2005

About 130 Russian spies are currently undercover in Germany, almost as many as were deployed there by the

KGB during the Cold War, according to the latest edition of the German news magazine Focus. German political parties, companies, the armed forces and scientific research establishments were targeted by post-communist Russian espionage, said the report quoting German authorities.

The article, released in advance of Monday's ediiton, quoted an official of the German Federal Criminal Investigation Agency (BKA) as saying these targets were spied on "in an extremely aggressive way." It also quoted an unnamed senior official of Germany's domestic counter-intelligence service as saying Russian intelligence had been strongly reinforced of late, so that almost as many operatives were now undercover on German territory as there were Soviet KGB agents there during the Cold War. Russian-German relations are generally perceived as being cordial. German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and Russian President Vladimir Putin have strengthened friendly links between the two countries. The leaders speak German together, a language Putin learned as a KGB agent based in Dresden in former East Germany during the Cold War.

Spying 'still at Cold War levels' - January 30, 2005

Focus reported a Russian military intelligence officer had been caught trying to recruit a German soldier in order to get at confidential military documents.

The officer had been expelled following a German protest note to the Russian embassy in Berlin, it said.

The magazine also reported Russian agents had been observed in Hamburg trying to recruit informers in the police force.

The German federal attorney's department in Karlsruhe is currently examining statements by Russian former agents who have changed sides.

Investigators do not rule out that the ex-agents are being co-operative in the hope of obtaining residence permits in Germany.

Russian-German relations are generally perceived as cordial.

Talks between German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Russian President Vladimir Putin last month were deemed to have strengthened friendly links.

"Our relationship has reached a breadth and depth like never before in our history," Mr Schroeder said during the talks in northern Germany.

The two leaders spoke in German, a language Mr Putin learned as a KGB agent based in Dresden in former East Germany during the Cold War.

[familyop]

"Didn't he give the Reds the source code to Windows?"

Yes.

"Microsoft offers source code to China"
http://itmatters.com.ph/news/news_03032003a.html
(originally from Reuters, removed from major news sites)

"State-owned Software Firm Ties up with Microsoft China"
http://fpeng.peopledaily.com.cn/200107/07/eng20010707_74398.html

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation gave $8.8 million to the Planned Parenthood Federation.
http://www.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/women/12/11/health.women.gates.reut/

Bill Gates against repealing the inheritance tax
http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript_inheritance.html

Client testimonials, Bill Gates in China, Bill Clinton in China
http://www.beijinghighlights.com/testimonials/testimonials.htm

"Gun-Control Group Changes Name, Keeps Agenda"
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=%5C%5CNation%5C%5Carchive%5C%5C200106%5C%5CNAT20010615a.html
(and Bill is a contributor)

"Is Bill Gates a closet liberal?"
http://archive.salon.com/21st/feature/1998/01/cov_29feature.html
(Bill Gates for gun control, pro-abortion, etc.)

http://vikingphoenix.com/news/madminute/1997/mm970040.htm
(Gates on gun control)
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/law/july-dec97/guns_11-4.html
(more money for gun control from Gates and his father)

"Soros, one of the wealthiest men in the world, promised $15.5 million to defeating President Bush. Also on this list are Bill Gates,..."
http://www.americasvoices.org/archives2003/CoxJ/CoxJ_112403.htm

The Left-Wing Billionaire Collectivist Pigs
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/9/25/191020.shtml

Billionaire Collectivist Pigs on a Roll
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/10/11/171315.shtml

"Bill Gates Is No Free Market Hero"
http://brian.carnell.com/articles/2000/12/000046.html

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/opinion/datelinedc/s_176864.html

Gates: Buy stamps to send e-mail
http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/internet/03/05/spam.charge.ap/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He's not the only one doing things like that, though. Republican friends, we must stop our employer vs. labor propaganda idiocy. Most of our employers are leftists, and many of our men who would like to support families in their own homes are conservatives. Our real soldiers are rotating back home, and the dollar is about to fall. Add it all up. If we nominate more social "progressives," continue our divorce industry, and continue to practice "human resources" gatekeeping against our nation's inventors (men) in our coming elections, that could be the last mistake we'll make as a Party. When the Democrats get into power again, it is very likely they will implement their final effort to make our government a one party system.

[MeekOneGOP]

bump!

[TapTheSource]

Don't worry, the Red Chinese will teach him (Gates) for trusting them...big time!!! I agree with everything else you said. Keep up the good work--TTS

[Androcles]

Putin would be irresponsible if he didn't use every tool to restore his nation. It is just as unpleasant for the Russians to live at a disadvantage to the US as the reverse would be to Americans.

That said, I loathe Putin and feel he's frittered away many chances to benefit Russia.

Oh and by the way, just because I can sympathise with Putin's spying he knows the risks. Any spies located should take a long drop with a short rope. That should be the default except when spies co-operate after capture, whether they're Russian, Chinese, British or Israeli. Everyone spies on each other but we don't have to make it easy for them...