US arrests alleged Russian spies

Source: Al Jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/06/201062914613110152.html

US authorities have arrested 10 people for allegedly serving for years as deep cover secret agents of Russia's SVR intelligence agency, with the goal of penetrating US government policymaking circles.

According to court papers unsealed on Monday, the FBI intercepted a message from SVR headquarters in Moscow to two of the defendants, describing their main mission as "to search and develop ties in policymaking circles in US".

They were to "become sufficiently 'Americanised' such that they could gather information about the United States for Russia and can successfully recruit sources who are in, or are able to infiltrate, United States policymaking circles", according to criminal complaints filed in US federal court.

They were not assigned to collect classified, secret information, a justice department official said, but were allegedly tasked to learn about a broad swath of topics including nuclear weapons, US arms control positions, positions on Iran, White House rumours, CIA leadership turnover, the last presidential election, congress and political parties.

After a secret investigation over several years - that used extensive surveillance of communications and wiretaps, including putting listening devices into the homes of the accused - the justice department announced the arrests on Monday.

Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, said his country is awaiting an explanation from the US over the arreats.

"The subject was not explained to us. I hope they will explain," Russia's Interfax news agency quoted Lavrov as saying on Tuesday.

There was no clue in initial court papers about how successful the so-called agents had been but they were alleged to have been long-term, deep cover spies, some living as couples.

Deep cover agents take civilian jobs with no visible connection to a foreign government, rather than operating from government jobs inside embassies and military missions.

Charged with conspiracy

Each of the 10 suspects arrested on Sunday was charged with conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison on conviction.

Federal law prohibits individuals from acting as agents of foreign governments within the US without notifying the attorney-general.

Nine of the defendants were also charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum 20 years in prison on conviction.

Also charged was an 11th defendant, who allegedly delivered money to the defendants, though he is at large.

According to the court papers, the defendants had been operating in the US for years, with alleged activities ranging from as far back as 2000 to just Saturday, when undercover FBI agents met two of the accused individuals.

Neave Barker, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Moscow, said serious questions were being asked in Russia over the arrests.

"There are arguments that there are lobbyists operating in Washington DC who act on behalf of foreign countries, so proving espionage for these individuals will be very difficult indeed," he said.

"The argument has also been made that nations friendly to the US, who have had individuals charged with spying in the country, have been sent home without fuss."

The timing of the arrests was notable given the emphasis that Barack Obama, the US president, and his Russian counterpart Dmitri Medvedev have placed on "resetting" US-Russia relations.

The two met just last week at the White House after Medvedev visited California's Silicon Valley, and both leaders attended the G8 and G20 meetings over the weekend in Canada.

FBI agents said in court papers that the defendants communicated with alleged Russian agents using mobile wireless transmissions between laptops computers while they were close to each other.

The court papers cited numerous examples of communications intercepted in the FBI probe that spelled out what they were allegedly trying to do.

Intelligence on Obama's foreign policy positions, particularly as they related to Russia, appeared to have been one of the top priorities for the defendants, according to the court filings.

In 2009, for example, two of the accused, Richard and Cynthia Murphy, were asked by Moscow to provide information about the US negotiating position on the START arms reduction treaty as well as Afghanistan and the approach Washington would take in dealing with Iran's suspect nuclear programme, ahead of Obama's trip to Russia that summer.

They were also asked to send background on US officials who would be travelling with Obama or involved in foreign policy, and to get their views and learn their "arguments, provisions, means of persuasion to 'lure' [Russia] into co-operation in US interests", according to the court documents.

The papers also described one defendant's contact with a prominent New York-based financier who was active in politics and another's conversations with an unidentified man who worked "on issues of strategic planning related to nuclear weapon development" at a US government research facility.
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2010 Jun 30

Putin slams Russian 'spy' arrests



Obama, left, recently said US-Russia ties had been 'reset' after meeting Medvedev [AFP]

Source: Al Jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/06/201062918744194290.html

Russia has reacted angrily to US claims that it has broken up a Russian spy ring operating in the country, saying that American police were "out of control," and that the accusations were "baseless and improper".

Moscow has admitted that the suspects are Russian citizens, but Vladimir Putin, the Russian prime minister, was heavily critical of the arrests in comments directed at Bill Clinton, the former US president, who is on a visit to Russia.

"Back at your home, the police went out of control and are throwing people in jail," Putin said.

"We don't understand the reasons which prompted the US department of justice to make a public statement in the spirit of Cold War-era spy stories.

"I hope that all the positive gains that have been achieved in our relationship will not be damaged by the recent event."

'Baseless and unfounded'

Ten suspected spies were arrested in Boston, New York, New Jersey and Virginia on Sunday and accused of recruiting political sources and gathering information for the Russian government.

An 11th man was arrested in Cyprus on Tuesday, after immigration officers discovered his name on a stop list, police said.

Christopher Robert Metsos, who was bailed as he awaits an extradition hearing, was identified as a Canadian national but was holding a US passport, police said.

Russia's foreign ministry has described the allegations, which include charges of conspiracy to act as an agent for a foreign government and money laundering, as unfounded.

"Such actions are baseless and improper," a statement from the ministry said.
The US state department has tried to play down fears that the arrests could jeopardise relations with Moscow, which have improved in recent months.

"We're moving towards a more trusting relationship. We're beyond the Cold War," Philip Gordon, a state department official said.

"I think our relations absolutely demonstrate that. But as I say, I don't think anyone was hugely shocked to know that some vestiges of old attempts to use intelligence are still there.

"We have from the start focused on the reason for the reset in the relations and the common interest, and I think we will continue to do so."

'Signal to Moscow'

The timing of the operation has stunned observers, coming a week a successful visit to the US by Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president, during which he was described by President Obama as a "solid and reliable partner".

The two met and had talks at the White House after Medvedev had visited California's Silicon Valley, and both leaders attended the G8 and G20 meetings over the weekend in Canada.

Alexander Nekrassov, a former Kremlin advisor, told Al Jazeera that the case would likely have shocked the Russian government.

"I think Moscow was stunned because after such a glorious visit, something like this comes. I suspect that some people couldn't believe what was happening," he said.

"We can assume that this is a signal to Moscow that the American government is not really happy with certain policies and certain issues that have been discussed."

According to court papers unsealed on Monday, the defendants had been operating in the US for years, with alleged activities ranging from as far back as 2000 to just Saturday, when undercover FBI agents met two of the accused individuals.

They were not assigned to collect classified, secret information, a justice department official said, but were allegedly tasked to learn about a broad swath of topics including nuclear weapons, US arms control positions, positions on Iran, White House rumors, CIA leadership turnover, the last presidential election, congress and political parties.

Intelligence on Obama's foreign policy positions, particularly as they related to Russia, appeared to have been one of the top priorities for the defendants, according to the court filings.

'Deep cover agents'

There was no clue in initial court papers about how successful the so-called agents had been, but they were alleged to have been long-term, deep cover spies, some living as couples.

Deep cover agents take civilian jobs with no visible connection to a foreign government, rather than operating from government jobs inside embassies and military missions.

Al Jazeera's Cath Turner traveled to the suburb of Yonkers where two of the suspects were seized.

"It's we might expect to find middle class American suburb, very leafy, nice houses and friendly neighbours," she said.

"The general pattern that seems to be happening is that neighbors don't suspect a thing, and people are completely stunned that this could be happening in their neighbourhood."

Vicky Pelaez, one of the alleged spies arrested in Yonkers, was a columnist with El Diario-La Prensa, a Spanish-language newspaper in New York, and had won acclaim as a television reporter in her native Peru.

She had written commentaries that were critical of American foreign policy.
Juan Lazaro, her husband and another arrestee, had been a professor who criticised US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq while supporting Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president and US foreign policy opponent.

FBI agents said in court papers that the defendants communicated with alleged Russian agents using mobile wireless transmissions between laptops computers while they were close to each other.