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Russian agents flood UK in revival of intelligence Cold War
heraldsun ^

Posted on 10/25/2004 8:57:49 PM PDT by ofset

Russian spying back in the Cold From correspondents in London 26oct04

RUSSIAN spying in Britain is back to Cold War levels, The Independent newspaper in London reported today, quoting government and security sources.

It said 32 Russian diplomats were involved in attempting to obtain secrets about Britain's military, technical and political capabilities, and information about critics of President Vladimir Putin.

"The level of espionage by the Russians in the United Kingdom is back to Cold War levels," a government source was quoted as saying.

"It is business as usual for the spies."

Britain's domestic intelligence agency MI5 is responsible for counter-intelligence, and it had warned its political boss, Home Secretary David Blunkett, of growing Russian spy activities, The Independent said.

Quoting unnamed intelligence sources, it said that Russia's spy network in Britain was overseen by the Foreign Intelligence Service, or SVR, with about 18 agents claiming diplomatic status in the country.

About 14 agents from Russia's military intelligence agency, known as the GRU, were also posing as diplomats, the newspaper said.

Alex Standish, editor of Jane's Intelligence Digest, told The Independent that there had been a "steady increase" in the number of Russian diplomats posted in Britain.

"If you look at the profile of the individuals, you see a significant proportion of these people are linked to the SVR," he said.

Standish added: "Putin is rapidly building up intelligence systems that have been allowed to fall into decline under the Yeltsin era."


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Russia; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: coldwar2
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1 posted on 10/25/2004 8:57:49 PM PDT by ofset
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To: ofset

Hello - -

Interesting about Russia - isn't it -

The days ahead will probably turn up even more


just my opinion - who to believe these days - ? One certainly can't decide from reading just one article in the media -


2 posted on 10/25/2004 9:02:50 PM PDT by Pastnowfuturealpha
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To: ofset

UK Independent has an even better article. Sounds serious. What are Putin/SVR/GRU up to???

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=576076


3 posted on 10/25/2004 9:04:40 PM PDT by TapTheSource
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To: dennisw; Cachelot; Yehuda; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; ...

See link in post #3.


4 posted on 10/25/2004 9:06:32 PM PDT by TapTheSource
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To: TapTheSource

it wouldnt let me post that link in the original post......hmmmm. my intention was to post the independant.co.uk link....


5 posted on 10/25/2004 9:08:08 PM PDT by ofset
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To: ofset

Maybe the Russian will land jobs at Buckingham Palace as a footmen?

Or maybe dress up as batman?

Both seriously exposed the lack of security in the UK.


6 posted on 10/25/2004 9:09:13 PM PDT by endthematrix (10 out of 10 terrorists agree-Anybody but Bush!)
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To: ofset

FR wont let you post the article itself because of "Copyright violation", but they will let you post a UK Ind. link in the threads. Go figure.


7 posted on 10/25/2004 9:09:32 PM PDT by TapTheSource
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To: ofset

Meanwhile, what the hell is our CIA up too? Come on, I feel like we are being left our of the fun and games.


8 posted on 10/25/2004 9:12:36 PM PDT by bahblahbah
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To: ofset

Do they receive daily complimentary editions of the Guardian at their Safe Houses?


9 posted on 10/25/2004 9:15:57 PM PDT by Chummy (RepublicanAttackSquad.biz: "A vote 4 Kerry is a vote 4 Osama")
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To: ofset

Putin is turning into a bonafide dictator (UK Independent excerpts).

"The spy network is also collecting information about opponents and critics of Vladimir Putin, the Russian President and a former KGB officer, who are exiles in Britain."

This isn't comforting either:

A Whitehall source said: "The level of espionage by the Russians in the UK is back to Cold War levels: it is business as usual for the spies."

I thought Russia was supposed to be on our side???

"Britain is of great interest to Russia because of its strong ties to the United States and its influential role in Nato, and its attitudes towards Iraq and Iran. In addition, the oligarchy and opponents of Putin living in the UK are prime targets for the Russian spying machine. These have included fallen oligarchs, such as Boris Berezovsky, who has been in exile since 2000."

Don't like the sound of this at all...

"The information is about individuals who might be of interest to the Russian authorities and technology. They also want information about politicians. They have become much more active under Putin. Russia is under the foot of the KGB now."





10 posted on 10/25/2004 9:19:40 PM PDT by TapTheSource
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To: TapTheSource

The spy network is also collecting information about opponents and critics of Vladimir Putin, the Russian President and a former KGB officer, who are exiles in Britain.

Gee, wonder how many pose as freepers?


11 posted on 10/25/2004 9:22:24 PM PDT by Just mythoughts
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To: TapTheSource

Thanks for the second article -


Guess once a Putin - always a Putin

Listen - here in the US - we are rebuilding - because our people let us down and we got 9/11 - So - what is to say after the school attack - Russia isn't doing the same thing - in its own way -

just thoughts -


12 posted on 10/25/2004 9:24:52 PM PDT by Pastnowfuturealpha
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To: Just mythoughts

"Gee, wonder how many pose as freepers?"

Very disturbing thought...


13 posted on 10/25/2004 9:27:25 PM PDT by TapTheSource
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To: TapTheSource

Hmmmm, let's see: Tony Blair's "Cool Britannia" is busy harboring terrorists from Chechnya as well as several of the oligarchs who looted the Russian economy under the Clinton/Soros/Yeltsin scam. All I can say is: Happy Hunting! I hope you brought plenty of Ricin impregnated umbrellas, well-silenced Markarovs, etc. It's a target rich environment.


14 posted on 10/25/2004 9:28:24 PM PDT by Bogolyubski
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To: Pastnowfuturealpha

"Listen - here in the US - we are rebuilding - because our people let us down and we got 9/11 - So - what is to say after the school attack - Russia isn't doing the same thing - in its own way -"

But why focus so much espionage activity on Britain, our ally in the War on Terror? Makes no sense. Must be up to something else. Remember, Russia was allied with Saddam all the way up until the fighting started in Iraq. I wonder how much of this is related to the war in Iraq?


15 posted on 10/25/2004 9:30:17 PM PDT by TapTheSource
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To: TapTheSource
"Very disturbing thought..."

There are some who worship Putin and say anything negative, or question why he would send the mental "Il" of N.Korea horses for his birthday sets off the most anti-American, Christian bashing epithets...
16 posted on 10/25/2004 9:32:03 PM PDT by Just mythoughts
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To: TapTheSource

Pissing off the Brits. Either that, or preparing for full scale invasion, most likely by way of a landing in the Orkneys and a march through the Chunnel.


17 posted on 10/25/2004 9:32:42 PM PDT by dr_who_2
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To: TapTheSource
Thanks; very interesting. I suspect part of this relates to Boris Berezovsky being exiled in London, though that's probably not the whole story:

Russia seeks tycoon's extradition

18 posted on 10/25/2004 9:36:20 PM PDT by Fedora
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To: dr_who_2
"Pissing off the Brits. Either that, or preparing for full scale invasion, most likely by way of a landing in the Orkneys and a march through the Chunnel."

Or trying to find out info. to tip off their Baathist allies in Iraq, disrupt Britain's alliance with the US/NATO, wear down Britain's resistance to allowing what's left of her sovereignty to be absorbed by the EU collective, etc., etc.
19 posted on 10/25/2004 9:38:58 PM PDT by TapTheSource
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To: TapTheSource
The optimist in me says that they are hunting Jihadists:

London mosque link to Beslan

Jason Burke
Sunday October 3, 2004
The Observer

A member of the group responsible for the Beslan school massacre last month is a British citizen who attended the infamous Finsbury Park mosque in north London, The Observer can reveal.

Two other members of the group, loyal to Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev, are also believed to have been active in the UK until less than three years ago. They are suspected of taking part in the raid on the school in which 300 people, half of them children, died. (snip)

The pessimist in me, however...
20 posted on 10/25/2004 9:42:04 PM PDT by struwwelpeter
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