Article Entry
30 Jun 2010
Comments:4
Spies Like Us: Russian Spy Ring…Many Intel Experts Ask “Why”?
Added by USGIF Category: Daily Intelligence Brief, General
Yesterday, the NY Times ran a front page story about federal prosecutors accusing 11 people of being part of a Russian espionage ring, living under false names and deep cover in a patient scheme to penetrate what one coded message called American “policy making circles.” What was interesting about this story was that these Russian spies have embedded themselves deeply into quiet suburban lives in the U.S. Thought, what really caught our attention — surely Hollywood is working a script right now about this story — was today’s front page NY Times follow up story that had many IC leaders asking “why?”
The article states that the only things missing in more than a decade of operation were actual secrets to send home to Moscow. The assignments, described in secret instructions intercepted by the F.B.I., were to collect routine political gossip and policy talk that might have been more efficiently gathered by surfing the Web. And none of the 11 people accused in the case face charges of espionage, because in all those years they were never caught sending classified information back to Moscow, American officials said.
There is one quote that particularly caught our attention:
“What in the world do they think they were going to get out of this, in this day and age?” said Richard F. Stolz, a former head of C.I.A. spy operations and onetime Moscow station chief. “The effort is out of proportion to the alleged benefits. I just don’t understand what they expected.”
For those of us who work in the IC, we are sure that many of us are scratching our heads. What was the purpose? What did they expect to gain? And, why the old-school intelligence gathering tactics. Hey – many retro things are very hip, but not intelligence gathering. We welcome all thoughts and comments!
Tags: Chevy Chase and Spies Like Us, CIA, Defense and Intelligence, DIA, GEOINT, geospatial intelligence, got geoint?, Intelligence, Intelligence Community, NGA, Russian Spies in the US, Russian Spy Ring, USGIF
Well I’m not an IC member or and IA, but I am outta the box kinda gal, so this is what I think:
Option 1:
They are just immature, and in the mood for spy game – less likely
Option 2:
They had a plan, but they didn’t look at it from all angles, they thought they are on to something and it failed – somehow likely
Option 3:
They are testing the water for the real thing – more likely
They were testing old fashion methods and they gained an estimate of the FBI capabilities to detect those methods. Since this could be just a test, they made sure [if] get caught, that they would be found hard to prove guilty, since nothing was of classified nature.
Even if option 3, is not likely, they already have gained some insights to the system, more than the obvious gossip that they could’ve gotten off the internet, as of now they know the following:
1- Methods that can be detected and how.
2- FBI capabilities to detect, and know-hows.
3- Location of possible FBI agents, may be even identity of some of the FBI agents, areas and cafes’ that are now red zone locations for next time, if there is a next time, or a real thing.
4- They went through the process, so the if there is to be a real thing to take place, they are prepared. They are the test pilot.
It just hard to believe that all what they have done, was random; just looking at it from different perspective.
I laughed when I heard that they intercepted one of the spys emailing, ftp’ing or similar, some “Intelligence” to Moscow. If they were real spies they would setup a VPN or use ssl or similar.
Well they for sure kept US agents and resources that would have been engaged otherwise busy.
My guess is that there is an FBI mole or higher and they want to know how embedded he/she/it is….possibly software….and like Maiya says, this was that test of the ‘emergency broadcast system’ to see how it is functioning. Being a relic of the cold war and having spent 2 decades in the bloc nations including the CSSR, I can assure you they are old school for a reason: results. Nothing can compare to offerings of sex, money, appealing to pride, and good old revenge. These are key proven motivators for players and high tech gadgets are simply things for holly/bollywood. To be sure, this is not over.