Yesterday the New York Times posted a staory about an FBI arrest of 11 people accused of being part of a Russian spy ring operating in the United States. There are a few things in this story that are interesting. The F.B.I. investigation began at least seven years ago. This was during the Russian presidency of Vladimir Putin. When you consider that Putin’s background included approximately fifteen years in the KGB, this should not be a surprise.
The article states that:
“The alleged agents were directed to gather information on nuclear weapons, American policy toward Iran, C.I.A. leadership, Congressional politics and many other topics, prosecutors say. The Russian spies made contact with a former high-ranking American national security official and a nuclear weapons researcher, among others. But the charges did not include espionage, and it was unclear what secrets the suspected spy ring — which included five couples — actually managed to collect.”
It is interesting that the spies were couples–not single people–designed to blend in more easily with the fabric of American life and possibly to appear less threatening. It is also interesting that one of the couples learned the art of American expense accounts:
“There were also hints that Russian spy bosses feared their agents, ordered to go native in prosperous America, might be losing track of their official purpose. Agents in Boston submitted an expense report with such vague items as “trip to meeting” for $1,125 and “education,” $3,600.”
On the surface, this really doesn’t seem like much of a story, but we need to put it in context. The current Russian government is working against us on sanctioning Iran’s nuclear program, and they are generally undermining us in the Middle East wherever possible. These arrests should be taken as a reminder that even though the cold war is supposedly over, that doesn’t mean that our former enemies are happy with the role of America in international affairs. The world is not a safe place right now; there are various people who wish to do America harm, and we need to be aware of that fact.