Breaking News: US Arrests 10 alleged Russian agents.

[Golden Applesauce]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/world/europe/29spy.html?hp

WASHINGTON — In what law enforcement officials portrayed as an extraordinary takedown of a Russian espionage network, the Justice Department on Monday announced charges against 11 people accused of living for years in the United States as part of a deep-cover program run by S.V.R. — the successor agency to the Soviet-era K.G.B.

The complaints followed a multi-year investigation that culminated with the arrest on Sunday of 10 people in Yonkers, Boston, and northern Virginia. The documents detailed what authorities called the "Illegals Program," an S.V.R. effort to plant Russian spies in the United States to gather information and recruit people able to infiltrate government policy-making circles.

The "Illegals Program" extended to other countries around the world, the charging documents said.

The 11 defendants were charged with conspiring to act as agents of a foreign government without registering with the Justice Department, and 9 of them were also charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. The complaints do not include charges of stealing any secrets.

Using fraudulent documents, the complaints said, the spies would "assume identities as citizens or legal residents of the countries to which they are deployed, including the United States." It continued, "Illegals will sometimes pursue degrees at target-country universities, obtain employment, and join relevant professional associations" to deepen their false identities.

[Kai]

What is Russia's response?

[Doktor Howl]

What is Russia's response?

"Hee hee!  They took the pidgeons.  Now the real guys can get to work, while the FBI plays slap-ass!"

[Cain]

It's always worth remembering the KGB were incredibly smart, motivated and dangerous in ways the CIA could never hope to be.

To be honest, running 11 illegals is about the most benign of actions for them, and not really worthy of note.  Nations spy on each other so frequently, that even between the best of allies it is accepted practice (look at the CIA teams in Western Europe, for example).  Now if they had been resurrecting Active Measures, that would be newsworthy...and would likely never be printed.

Russia will disavow the illegals, insert new teams and life will go on as normal.

[Iason Ouabache]

Why would we arrest them and make the arrests public? Wouldn't it have been easier to take care of them conspiciously? Maybe turn a few into double agents? Did someone screw the pooch or are they trying to send a message to Russia?

[Cain]

The sort of people who fake a cover identity for possibly decades are usually highly motivated.  Turning them is not easy, and any attempt would probably lead to the network escaping.

[Pope Pixie Pickle]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/us_and_canada/10445353.stm

This seems to be Russia's response...

[Nephew Twiddleton]

What is Russia's response?

"Hee hee!  They took the pidgeons.  Now the real guys can get to work, while the FBI plays slap-ass!"

Wouldn't be surprised at all. The Russians invented modern espionage.

[Cain]

I'm pretty sure they learnt it from the British during the Great Game, but since the British then decided to forget how to be clever, mostly after WWII, the point still more or less stands.

[Doktor Howl]

What is Russia's response?

"Hee hee!  They took the pidgeons.  Now the real guys can get to work, while the FBI plays slap-ass!"

Wouldn't be surprised at all. The Russians invented modern espionage.

No, that was the British.  Those sneaky limey bastards have forgotten more than the CIA, the KGB (under whatever name it goes by now), and the Mossad will ever learn.