[advance_copy]

Loosely described, they were talent spotters in place in this country since the 1990s — looking to cultivate and recruit government, political and business insiders who could be turned by other Russian intelligence operators into secret informers.

In other words, they were here to develop sources in U.S. government and business for Moscow (along with the potential of covertly manipulating U.S. public opinion to push the Russian agenda).

Such activity does not require the "illegal" to actually deliver secrets to their Moscow handlers. They only need to soften targets and provide contact information or an introduction to the Russian clandestine agents. Kind of like a layer of insulation. This ain't funny.

[The Magical Mischief Tour]

God I hope so!!!

[UCANSEE2]

True, but the Russians TOLD us they were doing this from the start.

These spies have been around a long time, come and gone.
We do the same over there.

The question is, why is Obama ‘clamping down’ on them?

Why not Muslim sleepers? Why not the Commies that are in office?

I suspect these spies know more about the antics of our administration than most of the public, and that they could undermine the administration with that knowledge.

[Thunder90]

Some FBI agents and Justice Department officials will be losing their job over these arrests. Count on it.

It muddled Bambi's bootlicking strategy with Putin. Anyway, we have only scratched the surface of this problem.

Russia Today TV, a Russian government owned English TV news station which has it's US HQ in Washington DC, is rumored to be filled with SVR, FSB, and GRU agents.