After Cheeseburger Diplomacy, Cold War Intrigue

By Michael Scherer | @michaelscherer | June 28, 2010 | +

Just a few days after being buddy-buddy with the newly-Twittering Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, the Obama Administration has rolled up what the FBI alleges to be a nationwide network of Russian sleeper spies. Time to add the River Phoenix classic, Little Nikita, to your Netflix queue.

According to the criminal complaints, which, as Ben Smith points out, read like le Carre, the undercover agents received messages hidden in pictures, and one decoded message that read:

You were sent to the USA for long-term service trip. Your education, bank accounts, car, house etc. — all thses serve one goal: fulfill your main mission, i.e. to search and develop ties in policymaking circles in US and send intels [intelligence reports] to C [enter].

Ten are under arrest. Eleven are charged. For more details, read Laura Rozen’s summary. For the charging documents, click here and here.

Related Topics: russia, spying, Uncategorized

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Paul-no not that one

I skipped the child-like Politico but found an AP story.
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http://www.startribune.com/nation/97333149.html?page=1&c=y
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They’ve been active since 2004?
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With all the wiretapping and this went on unabated?
http://jcapan.wordpress.com jcapan

As if we don’t have dozens of vodka-swilling spooks in Mother Russia (i.e. a land possessing “subdermal creepiness”)
http://patricksartor.wordpress.com patricksartor

In a word: Exactly!
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Want recession proof work, then join an intelligence agency because boom times, recessions war and peace never slow down the incessant international need for information about both allies and enemies, large and small.
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My favorite spy film/political thriller: No Way Out 1987.
michaelfury

http://michaelfury.wordpress.com/2010/03/31/gentlemans-agreement/
http://phd9.blogspot.com Paul Dirks

They probably weren’t charged earlier because they didn’t want to reveal our wiretap capabilities. And since they aren’t technically enemies, there’s no special advantage to be gained by feeding them false info.
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Load squawking from the NRO crowd in 5..4..3..2…
formerlyjames

WTF? Develop ties in policy making circles? Stand in line behind the Israelis, the lobbyists, and all the other sugar daddies. Don’t crowd, don’t push. You got the cash, you get the audience.
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This looks bogus. My prediction is that some embarrassment will result.
Alex Vallas

It would be naive to think that America doesn’t have spies or “intelligence gathering agents” in Russia. To not have them would be stupid on America’s part. The Russian spies have been in the US for years, yet people will blame Obama. Actually, congratulate his administration for exposing them. This incident should in no way hamper the President’s efforts to improve relations with Russia.
nflfoghorn

Yeh, but two days after he met with their prez? That’s pretty “coincidental.”