ÿþ<html> <head> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1"> <title>OnlineColumnist®.com: Putin Punishes Georgia</title> <meta name="generator" content="Adobe GoLive 4"> <style type="text/css"> .style3 { height: 68px; } .MsoNormal {} h1 {margin-bottom:.0001pt; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; font-weight:normal; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; } .style4 { font-size: large; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial; } .style6 { height: 69px; } h2 {margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Arial; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; } .style7 { font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; } </style> </head> <body bgcolor="white" vlink="black"> <center> &nbsp;<table cool width="624" height="2719" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" gridx="16" showgridx gridy="16" showgridy> <tr> <td width="133" height="118" rowspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0"> <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"><img height="110" width="62" src="images/discobolos.logo.transp.gif" border="0"></a></td> <td width="7" height="118" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="482" colspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="140" class="style6"><img height="75" width="450" src="images/banner.GIF"></td> <td width="1" height="118" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="1" class="style6"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="79"></td> </tr> <tr height="39"> <td width="182" height="39"></td> <td width="300" height="39" valign="top" align="left" xpos="322"><a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"><img height="14" width="267" src="images/divisionofNEW.GIF" border="0"></a></td> <td width="1" height="39"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="39"></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="624" colspan="6" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0" class="style3"> <table border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="black" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td> <table border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="#99ffcc" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4"> <tr> <td align="center"> <div align="left"> <a href="index.html"><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> HOME</strong></font></a><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> &#8226; <a href="articlesindex.html">ARTICLES</a> &#8226; <a href="books.html">BOOKS</a> &#8226; <a href="teflon.html"> THE </a><a href="teflon.html">TEFLON</a><a href="teflon.html"> REPORT</a> &#8226; <a href="mailto:letters@onlinecolumnist.com"> REACTIONS</a> &#8226; <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html">ABOUT DISCOBOLOS</a></strong></font></div> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr height="2"> <td width="133" height="2"></td> <td width="489" height="2576" colspan="3" rowspan="2" align="left" xpos="133" content valign="top" csheight="2573"> <p class="style4">Russian &quot;Spying&quot; Alive and Well</p> <p><b><font face="Arial,Geneva,Helvetica">by John M. Curt</font></b><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><b>is<a href="books.html"><br> </a></b></font><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><b> (310) 204-8700</b></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><i>Copyright July 3, 2010<br>All Rights Reserved. </i></font>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <p class="MsoNormal"> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <span class="style7">W</span>hen the FBI busted an 11-member Russian spy ring June 29 camouflaged in American suburbs, intelligence officials didn t exactly jump for joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>While uncovering clandestine foreign operations lies with the FBI, law enforcement has to discriminate between  spying and foreigners making innocuous observations from American life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Whether the arrested  spies were involved in academia, finance, technology, politics or anything else, it s not altogether clear what constitutes  spying. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Just ask New England Patriot Coach Bill Belichick who was accused Sept. 11, 2007 of  spying on the New York Jets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell didn t think too kindly of Belichick, fining the Pats $500,000 for what amounts to corporate espionage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>While the FBI builds its case against the Russian  spies, the hype and burden of proof gets tougher.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Since Sept. 11, the nation has been in lockdown mode, with Congress passing the Patriot Act Oct. 26, 2001, a sober reminder of the country s weak national security.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>When Osama bin Laden s programmed assassins hijacked four U.S. airliners on the same day and flew them into the World Trade Center, Pentagon and almost the White House or Capitol, former President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney realized the FBI and CIA were asleep at the switch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>While few heads every rolled, former CIA Diector George J. Tenet and newly minted FBI Director Robert Mueller shrugged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>They had no explanation for how al-Qaeda flew under the U.S. radar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Since then, hyper- vigilance has ruled the day, where anyone casing-out a joint or taking snap shots can be accused to  spying. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>FBI officials claim that the newly uncovered Russian spy ring was deeply  embedded in U.S. suburbs.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Intelligence  experts have come out of the woodwork commenting about the FBI s latest sting operation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> This is a long-term investment by an intelligence service to lead those individuals there, give them general assignment and see what they can pick up, said John Slattery, former FBI deputy assistant director of counterintelligence now with BAE Intelligence and Security Systems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Slattery hasn t explained how  general assignments and  long-term investment qualify as  spying, when the surveillance was inconsequential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Executives for Korean-based Kia Motors Ltd. weren t arrested and charged with  spying, for ripping off body-styles from Mercedes Benz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>  Although they aren t trained intelligence professionals, they are available for assignments and see what they can pick up<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>. . . said Slattery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> There s nothing illegal about going to trade shows, stock exchanges or taking university classes.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>FBI agents swooped in the  ring when one of its members named Anne Chapman tried to board a plane for Moscow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Chapman, a model-like redhead, posted several seductive pictures on the Internet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Her return to Moscow was regarded as  flight, prima facie evidence of criminal guilt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>While it s tempting to turn the incident into a Cold War spy novel, there s got to be more evidence presented than simply some unknown Russian agent [the 11th member of the ring], initially arrested in Cyrus, paid his way out and then disappeared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Court papers allege that some of the ring members were married and used invisible ink, coded radio transmissions, encrypted data and swapped bags at train stations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>U.S. federal prosecutor Michael Farbiarz said the arrests were  the tip of the iceberg by Russian Security Service called the FSB, the successor to the old Soviet-era KGB.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>FBI officials refused to say what exactly the so-called spy ring found or what type of intelligence was collected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Collecting data on various domestic activities is not considered illegal, since anyone has access to the same data.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Whether the alleged spies worked at newspapers, technology companies or academic institutions doesn t mean that the data collected violated some U.S. spying statute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Under the Patriot Act, the government has increased latitude for wireless wiretapping, arrests and defiining &quot;enemy combatants, individuals arrested without access to habeas corpus, access to an attorney and right to petition a court.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Whether or not the member of spy ring earned university degrees, received cash from Russia or lived in U.S. suburbs under pseudonyms doesn t automatically qualify them as spies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Recording harmless information and sending it to Russia doesn t qualify as spying.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Like the untold story of missing WMD that led to the 2003 Gulf War, today s Russian spy thriller doesn t add up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Whether or not the Russian government wants to place information-seekers in the U.S. has nothing to do with real espionage or spying to the degree that anyone can record observations without committing a crime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Calling the operation  classic KGB-style, former CIA officer Bruce Riedel insisted that the Russians  hope that they will produce something years and maybe even decades later, the same vague and ambiguous logic used to engage in preemptive war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Bush insisted we must attack Iraq for Saddam s  evil intent or what he called  gathering threats. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Unless the FBI can show substance to what looks like inconsequential information-gathering, the government s case will get tossed out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; &nbsp;</span>What looks like an Alfred Hitchcock movie doesn t qualify as spying.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <b>John M. Curtis </b>writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He&#x2019;s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of <a href="books.html">Dodging The Bullet</a> and <a href="books.html">Operation Charisma</a>.</p> </td> <td width="1" height="2576" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="1" height="2"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="2"></td> </tr> <tr height="2574"> <td width="133" height="2574" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0"><img height="172" width="111" src="images/johninframe3.jpg"></td> <td width="1" height="2574"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="2574"></td> </tr> <tr height="1" cntrlrow> <td width="133" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="133" height="1"></td> <td width="7" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="7" height="1"></td> <td width="182" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="182" height="1"></td> <td width="300" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="300" height="1"></td> <td width="1" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="1"></td> <td width="1" height="1"></td> </tr> </table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2" width="597"> <tr> <td><font size="1" face="Arial,Geneva,Helvetica"> <hr noshade size="1"> </font><a href="index.html"><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> Homecobolos> <p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular">©1999-2005 <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"> Discobolos Consulting Services, Inc.</a><br> (310) 204-8300<br> All Rights Reserved. </font></td> </tr> </table> </center> </body> </html>