US Swaps Russian Spies for... Russian Spies

by Dmitry Orlov

ClubOrlov (July 10 2010)


A couple of weeks ago I was amused to see a large hammer and sickle on the cover of the local subway rag: Spy scandal! Cold war is back on! Happy days are here again!

The truth, of course, is much less amusing. The FBI, after years and years of assiduous investigation, nailed a handful of Russians for failing to register as foreign agents. (Reminds me, got to get my fishing license renewed.) These Russians have been living boring suburban American lives under assumed Anglo names trying to infiltrate posh cocktail parties. They never succeeded. Yawn.

But eventually the story gets interesting when Washington agrees to a spy swap with Moscow, exchanging these hapless nobodies with ... some actual Russian spies - Russians who have been caught spying for the US and have been cooling their heels in Russian jails.

Out with the party crashers, in with some real honest-to-goodness traitors, who will now be hosted in the US at taxpayer expense. Maybe they can do some spying for Moscow now. Being traitors, they should have zero moral qualms. Be sure to look for them at forthcoming cocktail parties.

http://cluborlov.blogspot.com/2010/07/us-swaps-russian-spies-for-russian.html

Bill Totten http://www.ashisuto.co.jp/english/