Free Republic

Vladimir Putin on Tuesday angrily gave marching orders to Russia’s security forces to redouble their efforts to root out traitors and spies working to undermine his regime. -snip- “Maximum composure, concentration of forces is now required from counterintelligence agencies, including military intelligence,” Putin said. “It is necessary to harshly crack down on the actions of foreign special services, promptly identify traitors, spies and saboteurs.” In an uncharacteristic break from the official line that the so-called “special military operation” is going according to plan, Putin admitted the situation was “difficult” in the four regions of Ukraine that were illegally annexed by...

Car bombs used to be a fixture of gangland feuds in 1990s Russia but have since fallen out of fashion. This makes it all the more striking when, as happened last night, such a device rips through a car just outside Moscow, killing Darya Dugina, daughter of the controversial nationalist ideologue Alexander Dugin. She was a prominent figure in her own right, a journalist working for an outfit Washington says is owned by Russian businessman Evgeny Prigozhin – under sanctions in the West for being the godfather of both the Wagner mercenary group and the infamous social media ‘troll farms’...

The daughter of an ultranationalist Russian ideologue believed to have had a strong influence on Vladimir Putin has been killed in a car bomb on the outskirts of Moscow, according to multiple media reports. Darya Dugin, daughter of Russian political commentator Alexander Dugin – dubbed “Putin’s brain” – died when the Toyota Land Cruiser she was driving was ripped apart by a powerful explosion about 20km west of the capital at around 9.30pm local time. The blast occurred near the village of Bolshiye Vyazemy, according to Russian media sites Baza and 112, and state-owned Novaya Gazeta. Witnesses said debris was...

Working in exile, Alexey Navalny’s team of anti-corruption activists have released a new investigation linking a $700-million superyacht to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The luxury vessel, officially registered to an offshore company in the Marshall Islands, is allegedly crewed by members of Russia’s Secret Service (the FSO). The Scheherazade is one of only 14 yachts in the world that are at least 140 meters (459 feet) long — and according to The New York Times, it’s the only superyacht of its kind whose owner isn’t publicly unknown. On paper, the ship belongs to an offshore company from the Marshall Islands......

He says he was just headed to Walgreens. But the expired registration on his car tag meant he could be pulled over. So there he is, sitting on the cold curb at night, cuffed by the Fresno County sheriff's deputies. Yes, the man tells CNN, he'd avoided getting a new registration, not wanting to spend the money. So now the 28-year-old is looking at a ticket on top of the registration and a late fee. Nothing comes cheap and easy for him -- except for methamphetamine. That's the lesson he says he got at the age of 13, when his...

NOTE The following text is a quote: Forty-Three Defendants with Ties to a Drug Cartel in Mexico Charged with Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) Conspiracy Individuals Allegedly Responsible for State and Federal Crimes, Including Murder, Kidnapping, Firearms, and Drug Trafficking Violations SAN DIEGO, CA—A criminal complaint was unsealed today charging 43 defendants with participating in a federal racketeering (RICO) conspiracy. The RICO conspiracy alleged in the complaint involves the commission of both state and federal crimes, including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, drug trafficking and money laundering offenses. As...

Looking for some advice and perhaps assistance from Texas FReepers who work in the Industrial Security and/or Intelligence fields. Recently I was let go from my job as a Quality Manager for a building wire and cable manufacturing company after 8-1/2 years of service. Although it was an unexpected shock, I soon afterwards realized it was time for a career change. I have been in the field of Quality Assurance for almost 12 years yet have never felt any fulfillment in that work. Since I have some experience in the field of intelligence, have held Top Secret/SCI security clearances during...

(CNSNews.com) - Despite claims by some diplomats that forced service in Iraq amounts to a "potential death sentence," only three State Department employees have been killed in Iraq since the U.S.-led coalition invaded the country more than four years ago. By way of comparison, more than 3,800 members of the all-volunteer U.S. military have been killed in Iraq. State Department spokesman Karl Duckworth told Cybercast News Service on Thursday that since the war in Iraq began on March 20, 2003, only three American Foreign Service employees have been killed there, though one additional diplomat from the U.S. died of natural...

WASHINGTON — Pentagon police on Wednesday turned away family members of troops killed in Iraq who wanted to confront Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on the reasons for the war in Iraq. The group of about 20 was stopped before entering Pentagon property by about a dozen officers, who told the protesters they did not have the proper permission to enter the building. Organizers said they have been petitioning for the meeting for weeks, but department officials are ignoring their requests. “The man who was too busy to personally sign the Killed in Action letters these families received is apparently...

US military families push to bring Iraq troops home WASHINGTON, Aug. 12 — A group of about 600 U.S. military families, upset about the living conditions of soldiers in Iraq, are launching a campaign asking their relatives to urge members of Congress and President George W. Bush to bring the troops home. ''We're growing more and more disturbed about the conditions that are developing. Our concerns are both for our troops and the people in Iraq,'' said Nancy Lessin, a founder of Families Speak Out, formed last fall to oppose the war in Iraq. Susan Schuman, whose son Justin is...

FOREIGN SERVICE FIREFIGHT AN FSO DESCRIBES A CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH IRAQI INSURGENTS ON THE ROAD FROM BAGHDAD TO NAJAF. BY PHILIP S. KOSNETT March 5, 2004. We were southbound on the main highway from Baghdad to the Coalition Provisional Authority provincial headquarters in Najaf late on a Friday afternoon. Our three-car convoy carried six American personnel and a sixman Salvadoran personal security detachment from a Spanish/Salvadoran base in the city. By agreement with the Salvadoran commander, his U.S.trained personal security team was assigned fulltime to protect us. The Cuscatlan Battalion, based in Najaf, is the best in the Salvadoran...