Filthy commie spies

[roykirk]

This whole spy debacle has been a lively topic of debate over the past few days in our house.  At first my wife was in denial that Russia could have spies here, now she's sort of proud that there's so many of them and that they've managed to stay hidden for so long.    I hope Americans aren't getting too indignant about this or giving Russian immigrants a hard time.  You know damned well there are American spies crawling all over Moscow and there have been for decades.  They just haven't been caught.  

You did have to hand it to our spy hunters, though, they opt for easy whenever possible.  They capture Anna Chapman by sending a Russian speaking man to her who claims to work for the consulate.  He tells her they have a "new" job for her and that she needs to deliver a fake passport.  She agrees and shows up at the drop point.  Duh?!  Maybe it would have just been easier to approach them and ask, "Are you still working as a spy for Russia?"  Putin has to be beating his head against a wall right now at the Keystone Cop ineptitude of current spies.  Back in his KGB days, people weren't so easy to trip up!  

[Aloe]

Here is a good article about this thing
http://lenta.ru/articles/2010/07/01/spyring/
they do not sound like spies at all. And the womans lawyer says she brought the passport to the police, by the way. Sounds like a big deal out of nothing

[roykirk]

You're certainly not going get an unbiased view on this case from any .RU address.  I just watched a BBC World article about it.  The FBI also intercepted a phone call she made to Moscow after she was given the passport in which the person in Moscow told her that her identity had been compromised and she needed to return to Russia immediately and turn the passport over to police.  Why in God's name would you agree to carry a fake passport from a man who identified himself as a consulate worker and said that they knew you were a spy working for Moscow?  Apparently they even have her on tape saying "of course" when asked if she would deliver the fake passport.  Doesn't sound like someone who was doing nothing wrong.  Problem was she was just incompetent.

[Shadow]

Do you really think that a Russian spy would bother themselves with delivering fake passports ? 
The fact that they are mostly charged with money laundering tells me more than enough.

[ECOCKS]

My wife also was a little surprised at this event with regard to a few aspects:

Her first reaction was that these people were already found guilty when arrested and were already sentenced to 20 years in prison. She was surprised to hear me explain how we'll be reading about the trials for the next year or so and that the sentences COULD be up to 20 years but that was unlikely. - I chalked this up to misunderstanding our judicial system and lack of familiarity with how a criminal code on maximum sentences works.

The size and geographic diversity of the group they rolled up. She still struggles to completely understand that all of our Sheriff's, Police, State Highway Patrols and such are completely independent yet share information and are reasonably willing to cooperate with each other in matters like this. Equally, she is a bit perplexed by how the FBI IS one national organization but remains so relatively small and more focused on technology and investigation than kicking in doors and hands-on arrests.

At first she took it as indicative of anti-Russian feelings by the people and the government but now is paying a little more attention as a few details are coming out which seems to indicate what was being put in place.

My expectation is that they're mostly happy they shut them down and reminded people that you still need to be cautious. The whole fem fatale angle is funny too. I wonder how the Clinton financial guy will explain his acquaintance to his wife, but maybe he's single. We'll see what else emerges during the trial but if convicted I'm predicting fairly short sentences and subsequent deportation.

[roykirk]

Do you really think that a Russian spy would bother themselves with delivering fake passports ?  
The fact that they are mostly charged with money laundering tells me more than enough.

No, not a good one.    I think the most damning evidence with this Chapman woman is the phone call she made to Moscow that the FBI intercepted.  If she was doing nothing wrong, why would someone tell her that her "identity" was blown and to leave the country immediately?  That just wouldn't make sense.  I suspect these people were being run by some lower level person at the FSB.  I was being facetious in my Putin comment, I doubt he knows anything about these people and I believe heads will roll when he gets done cleaning house.  

[Shadow]

No, not a good one.     I suspect these people were being run by some lower level person at the FSB.  I was being facetious in my Putin comment, I doubt he knows anything about these people and I believe heads will roll when he gets done cleaning house. 

I am having some other people as the FSB in mind.... people that would be more interested in money laundering and fake passports. 

[kievstar]

I think most people realize that spies are embedded in the USA.  I also think Muslim terrorists have been embedded since early 1990's in the USA.  Would not surprise me at all to find out that politicians, judges, etc are spies or enemies of the state.

Bu I think these spies maybe working for companies, organizations, etc. rather than governments.  Gazprom stole my companies designs.  Was easy to prove since they left them in French language and where found on Gazprom premises. They got these designs from people working inside my company.  Chinese companies do this as well.  Easier to steal technology than pay royalties or develop it yourself.  

[roykirk]

I think most people realize that spies are embedded in the USA.  I also think Muslim terrorists have been embedded since early 1990's in the USA.  Would not surprise me at all to find out that politicians, judges, etc are spies or enemies of the state.

Bu I think these spies maybe working for companies, organizations, etc. rather than governments.  Gazprom stole my companies designs.  Was easy to prove since they left them in French language and where found on Gazprom premises. They got these designs from people working inside my company.  Chinese companies do this as well.  Easier to steal technology than pay royalties or develop it yourself.  

Ah, very good theory!  I hadn't even thought of that.  I think they were clearly working for someone, but maybe the fact they were caught so easily is evidence they weren't working for the government.  I would think that the FSB would turn out better people than this. 

[ECOCKS]

The East European work ethic is a continuing source of discussion among those who live and work there. Maybe good help and tradecraft are just harder to develop these days. I saw one account that the couple were wanting the house to be transferred into their name to strengthen their cover.

[acctBill]

My wife has also been scurrying about the Internet for more information about the case.  She's also been on the phone and email to friends in London.  My wife and her friends have come to the conclusion that this all appears to be some sort of spy ring to gather commercial information as opposed to the more sinsister espionage type spy ring.

In Europe it is far more common to hear about commercial/industrial espionage being run out of Moscow.  London especially seems to be a hot bed for Russians trying to steal the newest ideas from western companies.  Of course these charges could also just be the start, enough to arrest these people and hold them with the more serious and sinister espionage charges to come later when the US government has their espionage case ready for public consumption.

[roykirk]

I see one of them now is "confessing" to working for Russia's intelligence service.  As much as I love my country, I put as much trust in that confession as I do an American who is arrested by North Korea and then claims to have been spying.  Either that confession was coerced or we're dealing with wack jobs who are purposely admitting they work for the intelligence services when they really don't, sort of like they're trying to inflate their importance.  The more and more I think about it and consider the other posts on the topic, the more I think these people are amateurs at best that were working for a company.  I've never in my life heard of a foreign espionage program from any country that would employ such apparent buffoons.   

[ECOCKS]

I beleive he confessed without undue coercion. Possibly part of a deal to protect his wife and family. Is this the guy who was wanting them to put the house in his name?

[Blues Fairy]

The whole bunch of these "spies" looks like some KGB youth training program, sort of a learning game/ kids' camp or something like that.  Their treatment by the US intelligence is very telling.  Serious professional spies would never been publicly exposed like that; they would be watched and manipulated (fed wrong data etc.) and used in a variety of ways.  A revealed but unexposed foreign agent is a most valuable asset to any intelligence service, never to be scandalized like that.

Clearly some people were interested in creating a scandal coinciding with Medved's visit to Obama, in order to undermine Obama's "reset" agenda.  That's what it's all about, IMHO.

[tim 360]

The whole bunch of these "spies" looks like some KGB youth training program, sort of a learning game/ kids' camp or something like that.  Their treatment by the US intelligence is very telling.  Serious professional spies would never been publicly exposed like that; they would be watched and manipulated (fed wrong data etc.) and used in a variety of ways.  A revealed but unexposed foreign agent is a most valuable asset to any intelligence service, never to be scandalized like that.

Clearly some people were interested in creating a scandal coinciding with Medved's visit to Obama, in order to undermine Obama's "reset" agenda.  That's what it's all about, IMHO.

Completely agree.  These are not experienced high level "spies" and their actions show it.  They tripped themselves up when filling out paperwork wanting to buy 2 different houses.  Thats when their legend (phony history) did not match reality and got some very curious.  That is completely amateur and the Russian intelligence services are not known for screwing up like that.  I doubt the controller who is running them is very experienced...whole thing seems amateurish.  Probably run by some Ministry with little experience.

The First Directorate of the FSB ain't that stupid and something about this whole thing seems "off" to me.  Like a media set-up.  Charges are minor charges too.

[Gtex]

All the good parts are mentioned but there are missing linkages.  True, the Aquarium has been rearranged, but all 8 directorates  (not counting exceptions) are still there and working.  Problem is, the go getter's got gone.  The spooks went into business (or like Putin, politics) and what follows is the understandable upsurge in economic/industrial espionage.  The second team now starts for the home country.

BF is correct, our usual response would be feed them, then turn them.  There is something going on here.  It probably has less to do with Medvedevs' visit than other developing events.  The kind of politics in play most imagine is more like the Russians, who will now predictably follow with Tit for Tat expulsions.  

As for the charges, welcome to the tip of the iceberg.  The key point was the money man and he blew town cleaner than Burgess and Maclean.  By the way, these arrested folks work for the directorate that once benefitted from the "special projects" of an old Cambridge handler and later Russian General name of Kim Philby.  Shall we be "Blount," spying is still serious business, even if this looks like "The Gang That couldn't Shoot Straight."

Most interesting was our use of an Interpol warrant to collar him in Cyprus.  The judge that bonded him out will now be toast and that was a valuable asset to lose.  It speaks to important things not yet public... but stay tuned!

[Gator]

Although not serious high level spies, they are unregistered foreign agents, which I believe can carry a prison sentence of 5 years.  Who knows where that can lead.

If high level spies, they would not only be manipulated as BluesFairy says, they would be watched to catch any American traitors selling them secrets.  Evidently that was not happening.

BTW, here are two clips.  The first really gets interesting at 4:45 when the NETFLIX reporter starts talking about beautiful RW and how they would make great assets.
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs8bRPMVcEs&feature=related[/youtube]

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os8vg8vEM5k&feature=related[/youtube]

[ECOCKS]

Correction: He was arrested and posted bail in Cyprus, not Malta.

[tfcrew]

Re:youtube videos.. 
The Young Turks
More like the The Dumb Jerks.

Why didn't they just make light that Obama was having a 
friendly cheeseburger with Dmitri during the alleged spy roundup?

The turk guy said he could find a million and a half hotter babes than the Chapman girl.
Shouldn't he start up an agency?   

[brad5959]

Correction: He was arrested and posted bail in Cyprus, not Malta.

the bail was surprisingly low.  and he is long gone now!!!

[brad5959]

Here is a good article about this thing
http://lenta.ru/articles/2010/07/01/spyring/
they do not sound like spies at all. And the womans lawyer says she brought the passport to the police, by the way. Sounds like a big deal out of nothing

they are not spies.  they are charged with being agents of a foreign government.  slightly different than being spies.  possible prison sentence of only five years.

[wiz]

I don't understand why in our times anyone would need "Illegal residents" (spies), when they can do it legally apart from industrial and financial espionage. For the money that are paid to them it is possible to employ good analysts who could dig up the same information online without taking any major risks. This whole scandal sounds to me like out-of-date spin aimed at scoring points in the talks on Russia's accession to the World Trade Organisation and so on.

Countries have always spied on each other and will continue to do so. As for this specific incident, what I find suspicious is the large number of illegal residents, "spies". This looks like a staged act, rather than a result of long-term operation. Now, as it’s customary, we await similar spying allegations from the Russian side.

It's strange that after "multi-year investigations" these people have been arrested a few days after the meeting between Obama and Medvedev. I hope that Obama will not be influenced by this secret operation that seems to come more from inside the US than from Russia.

US President Barack Obama and and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev enjoy a hamburger lunch

Blues Fairy has got it spot on. I think this is a hoax by forces that don’t want Russia and the USA to have a constructive relationship. This is targeted at the average people, to make them believe that all things Russian are inherently suspicious and dangerous.

What I also find repulsive are the comments made by the ex British husband of one of the arrested here in the UK, that she started behaving very strangely and did not wanted him to be present when she met her Russian friends!

SO BOYS just start watching your Russian wife for any changes of patterns in her behaviour. You never know she probably married you so she can have a deep cover while working for the Russian intelligence service!

Have you noticed that most men who married RW are claiming that they are very Hot, "Smokinghotkovas" ............  

So they must have been trained very well by their masters!

 

[roykirk]

Have you noticed that most men who married RW are claiming that they are very Hot, "Smokinghotkovas" ............  

So they must have been trained very well by their masters!

 

Smokinghotkovas?  I love it!     I want to share it with my wife but unfortunately she won't get it.

Me:  "Honey, this is hilarious, some people call Russian women 'smokinghotkovas' because they're so beautiful."

Wife:  "What does this mean?"

Me:  "You know, a lot of women's names end with 'kova' and 'smoking hot' means very beautiful."

Wife:  "That's not true, very few of my girlfriends had names like that."

Me:  "It's just a joke honey, Americans think most Russian women have that kind of name."

Wife:  "But it makes no sense, they just think that because of Anna Kournikova."

Me:  "Nevermind."

Wife:  (rolls eyes)  "I just don't understand some of the things Americans find funny."

 

[I/O]

Me:  "Honey, this is hilarious, some people call Russian women 'smokinghotkovas' because they're so beautiful."

Wife:  "What does this mean?"

Me:  "You know, a lot of women's names end with 'kova' and 'smoking hot' means very beautiful."

Wife:  "That's not true, very few of my girlfriends had names like that."

Me:  "It's just a joke honey, Americans think most Russian women have that kind of name."

Wife:  "But it makes no sense, they just think that because of Anna Kournikova."

Me:  "Nevermind."

Wife:  (rolls eyes)  "I just don't understand some of the things Americans find funny."

 

~'Sway it is.

[wiz]

I would be careful in mentioning to your wife the word "Kova" 

Here is the explanation from the Urban dictionary......

Kova

1. A destructive sexgoddess from ancient Kazakhstan, worshipped for her power to enlarge male penises to gargantuan proportions. Males frequently pray to her while performing sexual intercourse in the hopes of simultaneously achieving multiple orgasms.

2. An extremely stubborn woman. (Derogatory)

3. A young woman who is horny all the time. (Complimentary)

4. Someone who is the antithesis of the ancient Malaysian God, believed to exemplify beauty, sex appeal, virility, benevolence and humility.

1. OH GOD... OH GOD...Dear Goddess Kova (may she be destructive forever), grant me the blessing of multiple orgasms... OH GOD... YEAH...

2. That girl is a regular Kova, as stubborn as a donkey.

3. Away you Kova! I refuse to have sex with you more than 10 times between 1 and 2 o' clock!

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Kova&defid=1031385