John le Carre to the White Courtesy Telephone, Please
erm… whaaa?
What’s the last MSM story about arrested spies you remember? I don’t remember a one.
The suspected Russian spy ring rolled up by the F.B.I. this week had everything it needed for world-class espionage: excellent training, cutting-edge gadgetry, deep knowledge of American culture and meticulously constructed cover stories.
Dammit! Spies!!
The only things missing in more than a decade of operation were actual secrets to send home to Moscow.
ok - bad spies.
in all those years they were never caught sending classified information back to Moscow, American officials said.
oh. Never caught...
...they were instructed not to seek government jobs, because spy bosses in Moscow thought their cover stories would not stand up under a serious background investigation. So they were assigned to feed to Moscow what amounted to briefing papers on economics issues, American government players and diplomatic and military affairs.
Which they got from where?! Teh IntarToobs?
...Before a visit to Moscow by President Obama last year, Ms. Murphy and her ostensible husband, Mr. Murphy, were instructed to size up American intentions from their home in Montclair, N.J. “Try to outline their views and most important Obama’s goals which he expects to achieve during summit in July and how does his team plan to do it (arguments, provisions, means of persuasion to ‘lure’ [Russia] into cooperation in US interests),” the spy bosses in Moscow asked, according to the charging papers.
That’s one sleepy sleeper. Here—put yer feet up. Have a cooookie.
The FBI snooped [in 2001] in on the [safety deposit box, where the “Canadian” couple kept pictures of Ms. Foley in her prime] to discover one negative was stamped with the name of a Soviet film company.
Here’s the Mata Hari:
Anna Chapman has been called the femme fatale of a spy case with Cold War-style intrigue — a striking redhead and self-styled entrepreneur who dabbled in real estate and mused on her Facebook page, “if you can dream, you can become it.” ...
suspect Anna Chapman, a demure divorced 28-year-old who said she founded an online real estate company worth $2 million. ...Chapman grew up in the Soviet Union’s former Stalingrad in a well-connected family. ...father worked in the Russian Embassy
*
Her mother, who lives in western Moscow, said she is convinced of her daughter’s innocence.
Wait. They found her MOTHER?!?!? After a week?!?
“These actions are unfounded," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “We don’t understand the reasons which prompted the U.S. Department of Justice to make a public statement in the spirit of Cold War-era spy stories."
ok—that’s just what they would say—in a Cold War-era spy story.
In Russia, there were reports that the arrests were an attempt by “hawks” in the U.S. government to sabotage Obama’s overtures to Medvedev.
Yeah --- there’s lotsa folks who want to go to war with Russia. Makes perfect sense.
Ex-President Bill Clinton, who happened to be in Moscow to speak to an investment conference, met with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, onetime the fearsome head of the KGB.
“I understand that back home police are putting people in prison,” Putin said, drawing a laugh from Clinton.
“I’m counting on the fact that the positive trend seen in the relationship will not be harmed by these events,” Putin said.
I’m sure you are…
Wow. Now that’s timing. Slick Willy visiting Pooty-Poot: Teh iWon hangin at the burger joint with Medvedev… *BAM* Busted spy ring. Gives rise to some questions, duddin’t it?
Why now?
Why so public?
Generally: WTH?!?
“Ms. Murphy and her ostensible husband, Mr. Murphy...”
I’ve heard some pret-t-ty severe insults in my day, but that’s one of the best.
Of course Putin’s upset about this. In his Good Old days at the KGB, they would never have been associated with such rank, ineffective amateurs.
Sounds like they just might have learned more from Slick Willie and His Ineffableness. (Or should I say, His Ostensibleness?)
Posted by ZZMike on 06/30/10 at 10:17 AM
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