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Meet The KGB 2.0: Cold War Espionage Is Back, As Spies In The US Serve To Determine Russian Gold Policy, And Much More
The KGB is back, and it's leaner and meaner than ever. In a dramatic bust, the FBI has arrested 10 Russian individuals for allegedly carrying out long-term, deep cover assignments in the United
States on behalf of Russia. The 37 page indictment from the Southern District of New York reads like a John LeCarre-cum-Ian Flemming espionage thriller and has everything including conspiracies, brush passes, handlers, money exchanges, code words, flash memory cards, covert meetings in Central Park, cracked secret codes, infiltration of strategic US organizations, and last but not least, Russia's apparent interest "about prospects for the global gold market", whereby espionage conducted by one of the group of rounded-up spies served to at least partially determine Russian policy vis-a-vis gold.
Meet the "Illegals"
The FBI's complaint begins with an overview of the Russian espionage program:
The FBI has conducted a multi-year investigation of a network of United States-based agents of the foreign intelligence organ of the Russian Federation (the "SVR"). The targets of the FBI's investigation include covert SVR agents who assume false identities, and who are living in the United States on long-term, "deep-cover" assignments. These Russian secret agents work to hide all connections between themselves and Russia, even as they act at the direction and under the control of the SVR; these secret agents are typically called "illegals."
"Illegal" agents of the SVR generall receive extensive training before coming to the United States. This training has typically focused on, among other things: foreign languages; agent-to-agent communications, including the use of brush-passes; short-wave radio operation and invisible writing; the use of codes and ciphers, including the use of encrypted Morse code messages; the creation and use of a cover profession; counter-surveillance measures; concealment and destruction of equipment and materials used in connection with their work as agents; and the avoidance of detection during their work as agents.
The FBI's investigation has revealed that a network of Illegals is now living and operating in the United States in the service of one primary, long-term goal: to become sufficiently "Americanized" such that they can gather information about the United States for Russia, and can successfully recruit sources who are in, or are able to infiltrate, United States policy-making circles.
Each Illegal has a specific purpose, as spelled out by the following message from the Moscow Center of the SVR, which has been decrypted by the FBI:
You were sent to USA for long-term service trip. Your education, bank accounts, car, house etc. - all these serve one goal: fulfill your main mission, i.e. to search and develop ties in policymaking circles in US and send [intelligence reports] to C[enter].
The complaint goes into detail describing various acts of the "conspiracy" to commit espionage. As can be seen from the list below, this is not your garden variety, amateur hour operation:
Additionally, the FBI list out the various means and methods to effectuate the conspiracy, including various forms of Secret communications, including steganography, radiograms; secret payments to the conspirators, detailing the various means of compensation of the Illegals by Moscow Center; foreign payments to the conspirator; use of false identities and travel documents.
The ringleader of the group, is allegedly one "Christopher R. Metsos", "a secret SVR agent who is based abroad, and who has repeatedly entered the United States to meet with certain Illegals and, among other things, to pay them on behalf of Moscow Center. On four separate occasions during the period from on or about February 24, 2001 through on or about April 17, 2005, Metsos and Richard Murphy, the defendant, met together at a restaurant in Sunnyside, NY." The narrative goes into excruciating detail describing Metsos actions, which the FBI appears had been observing for many years up until today's bust.
And while the indictment goes to list various nests of conspiratorial activity among the 10 arrests, including the "Boston conspirators", as well as those from Yonkers and Seattle, it is the New Jersey conspirators that are most interesting, and particularly one Cynthia Murphy of Mont Clair, NJ. The government proceeds to highlight the following key information which Ms. Murhpy was responsible for:
In an "infotask" from the spring of 2009, in advance of "Obama's visit to [Russia]," the SVR requested information on the U.S. position with respect to a new Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, Afghanistan, and Iran's nuclear program. Moscow Center indicated that it "needs intels" which should reflect approaches and ideas of "[Russia] policy team members:" [four names of sub-cabinet US foreign policy officials, omitted]. Try to outline their views and most important Obama's goals which he expects to achieve during summit in July and how does his team plan to do it (arguments, provisions, means of persuasion to 'lure' Russia into cooperation in US interest).
and this particular tidbit, which seems of most interest:
On a number of other occasions, the SVR specifically indicated that information collected and conveyed by the New Jersey Conspirators was especially valuable. Thus, for example, during the summer and fall of 2009, CYNTHIA MURPHY, the defendant, using contacts she had met in New York, conveyed a number of reports to Center about prospects for the global gold market. In October of 2009, the SVR responded: "Info: on gold - v. usefull [sic], it was sent directly (after due adaptation) to Min of Finance, Ministry of Economic Development.
Well, at least we now know where Russia is getting its gold hoarding ideas from.
What is most interesting, is to find out just how the Wall Street financier is who is about to get pinched for interacting with Ms. Murphy:
In a message dated "Feb 3 09" the New Jersey Conspirators reported that, through her work, CYNTHIA MURPHY, the defendant, "had several work-related personal meetings with [a prominent New York-based financier, name omitted] and was assigned his account"; the message accurately described the financier as "prominent in politics," "an active fundraiser for [a major political party, name omitted]." A response from Moscow Center indicated that the financier "is checked in C's database-he is clean. Of course he is very interesting 'target'. Try to build up a little by little relations with him moving beyond just [work] framework. Maybe he can provide [Murphy] with remarks re US foreign policy, "roumors" [sic] about White house internal 'kicthen', invite her to venues (to [major political party HQ in NYC, for instance).... etc. In short, consider carefully all options in regard to [financier]."
It appears Mr. "Murphy" is quite the out-of-the-box thinker when it comes to luring prominent New Yorkers "beyond just 'work' framework." We are confident the prominent NY-financier's wife will be ecstatic to find out her husband was having a potential affair with a Russian spy. And a Zero Hedge hat to the first to uncover just who this mysterious person is.
All in all, this will provide countless hours of entertainment for the US counterespionage population. In the meantime, we are curious how the President will present this interesting break from the monotone of the summer doldrums to the US population, and just what diplomatic escalation he will demand vis-a-vis a suddenly very strategically (and commoditally) important Russia.
Also, if readers have access to Ms. Murphy's picture, we would be quite interested in finding out just what this individual, who has apparently shaped Russian gold policy to no little extent, looks like.
Full complaint:
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Glad to see the technology that went into my secret spy kit I used as a kid found in all specially marked boxes of captain crunch, is still in use, the ol "invisible writing"!
Where's Karla?
Too Alice in Wonderland for me.
Find my Russian beauty today!? Finally!!!!
I miss the cougar ads.
+1
That skinny brunette with the big tits gave me a boner every time she showed up.
+ 2nd big laugh of the day!
See below for my dinner with the Soviet spy in 1985!
The anticipation is killing me! Drum roll please!
Oh. I thought that it was the big titted brunette with the boner what....er.....
You are on the wrong website. Go here.
http://www.sec.gov/
This place is making me paranoid, its getting silly; i just had a fleeting thought about my ex girlfriend being a Belgium spy... wtf?
Just because you are paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you.
Wasn't it the Belgian altar boy with the boner was the pope's spy?
it has been recently discovered that men in caves, the threat of mullah nukes raining down on the EU, or having 401K's looted, has not produced the necessary level of psychosis in the general population to pass our police state agenda. therefore we find in necessary to rediscover our arch nemesis and fall back on our past storyline
please feel free to reuse existing stereotypes.
+1 The group was not even charged with espionage, only with failing to register as the agent of a foreign power, money laundering, etc. After years of surveillance, this is the best the FBI had on them? Why bother with the arrest if they were already aware of and tracking the agents? There is much more behind this story, or the whole thing is a huge red herring. Quite possibly both.
Like Boris and Natasha?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHUiCYAE2DY
1+
Oh, youse guys, you don't need spies. I can tell you.
We'll see a collapse of yields in bonds, perhaps negative yields in the short end of the yield curve which will effectively devalue currencies against gold.
I think also that at the same time you might have a collapse of the face value of gold leases to accompany such an unprecedented move, and that nobody controls the outcome.
Now, did that require all that much effort? Want me to write it backwards?
signed,
-F6
FBI taps cell phone mic as eavesdropping tool -2006
http://www.zdnet.com/news/fbi-taps-cell-phone-mic-as-eavesdropping-tool/150467
Today
Steve Jobs meet with Russian President Medvedev? To give him an iPhone 4
http://www.intomobile.com/2010/06/24/why-did-steve-jobs-meet-with-russian-president-medvedev-to-give-him-an-iphone-4-of-course/
Apps. LOL
Apps and ho's, bitchez.... LOL
Why do they omit the names? I think the people have a right to know if their neighbor is working with spies and is a traitor. They always cover stuff up to the point, you don't know what to think. Put some damn names in the blanks for all of America to see. Otherwise, no one believes any of it.
They buried cash in the ground, dug it up, sent it to another spy who gave it to another? How clever...lol
It's Russian money laundering!
Somehow the chinese stealing trade secrets and pushing around the manufacturing sector over the blankets is non news. 10 assholes acting like banksters in a commodities market startles everyone?
The more things change...
Now my brain really hurts. Thanks ZH.
Fookin hell.
Geez, I can't even keep up anymore. So much reading, so little time.
But this time, the US of A is the bad guy.
The teabaggers are celebrating: it's 1981 all over again! Cold War is back! Exciting!
Wait a minute... What happens if the foreign governments start to arrest all that CIA agents around the globe?
Building China's Information Technology Industry:
http://brie.berkeley.edu/publications/WP105.pdf
WITSA
http://www.witsa.org/presentations/
Executive Order 12864 - 1993
http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/executive-orders/pdf/12864.pdf ITA's (International Trade Administration) http://trade.gov/"Well, at least we now know where Russia is getting its gold hoarding ideas from."
Oh, good grief. What an amateurish way to learn something which any reader of ZH, GATA, FOFOA or any other blog has known for YEARS...!
Good enough for government work.
Just like Jason Bourne Jr. scoping out that Federal Reserve building. What was he trying to figure out...? Whether or not Weimar Ben would keep printing?
"Oh, good grief. What an amateurish way to learn something which any reader of HZ, GATA, FOFOA or any other blog has known for YEARS...!"
Please leave the door slightly ajar. Many of us have known future plans for years. Others need to open the door to see the light, by taste, smell and cognitive motor skills.
Encourage by self awareness, not criticism. The 80% have no clue about the challenges ahead.
Does this imply ZH has the name of the NY-Financier?
Holy smokes Tyler! I sure hope those Ruskies didn't get their dirty hands on the President's secret central planning playbook. This could put Operation Unicorn in jeopardy...just as the American economy is roaring back to life!
Wait!....there's someone downstairs...
Wait till they find out Marilyn Monroe was working for the Russians. Her assignment was to fuck the President to death! Fortunately he had a VERY strong 'Constitution'. "Sorry fellas, I tried my best and as many times as I could!"/ "That's OK dear, we know you gave it your all!"/ "Looks like we'll have to resort to Plan B; ...oh Lee?!"
Both Timothy Geithner and Henry Paulsen studied in Russia when they were younger. And the way they act the could care less what happens with the American People and their savings.
And no one knows where the hell Barack Obama's auctually been. I wouldn't be suprised if those first two guys were russian agents and Barack Obama just isn't American.
Didn't Henry Paulsen, Ben Bernanke, Timothy Geithner and others all have a secret meeting in Russia that was suposedly off the record. I remember you mentioning this Tyler. A meeting that took place before all the bailouts started.
Here are a few speeches from the Gold Rush 21 Conference from 2005. I remember some podcast discussing how the Russians were in attendance at either this conference or similar conferences since then, very openly, to hear what industry people were saying. Of course GATA is mentioned and manipulation which is why any country may be "interested" or "concerned" about the PM markets.
They made some predictions, Barney Frank mentioned, and well...they were obviously investing in gold and have been right to date. On the side bar there are other videos as well including Catherine Austin Fitts and James Turk (I decided to include all 4). I chose the two that I have watched and remember liking but I am watching again to refresh my memory and will probably watch them all.
Robert Landis
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7676055313195636143#
From the speech by Robert Landis:
"That the gold market is rigged is unequivocally true. That the rig is monstrous and maddening is also unequivocally true."
Alf Field
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-737911643773862674&hl=en&emb=1#
Catherine Austin Fitts
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2867794458185997878&hl=en&emb=1#
James Turk
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1257383329041685619#
Here is a link to the website:
http://www.goldrush21.com/
Oleg somethingsomethingKov was number 2 at the Russian Central bank. He was the guy that was uttering Putin's lines. GATA says one of the attendees was some top adviser to Putin on gold.
I have lost some respect for the Russians. This operation is so twenty years ago.... Why didn't they start a hedge fund and bribe polititians like everyone else?
Hush now! You don't want to declassify the REAL operation they've got going on.
I had dinner once with a Soviet spy. True! He was GRU, their military intelligence. His card said Third Secretary -- Economic Section (whatever).
This was about 1985, northern Virginia suburb of DC.
I told the FBI beforehand, the Agent told me to go ahead and have dinner with him and see what they wanted. No danger he said. I did not access to anything classified at that time. Mr. Kosarukov asked me to do research for him. I replied that I was sure that there were people in his own embassy that could do research as well or better than me. I then went on to say that yes, I would do research for them, but at $100 / hr (kind of a lot in 1985). Mr. Kosarukov never got back to me.
After dinner, I did look under my car to see if there was bomb or anything...
FBI later told me that Kosarukov was dangerous in the sense that he was seeking REALLY CLASSIFIED and dangerous info. FBI also told me the Russians were cheap and did not want to pay $100 / hr to do "research".
Fuck, that's incredible! In 1985, I was simply looking to get drunk every weekend and nail sorority girls.
Thanks for doing some heavy lifting back in the day.
Kosarukov, by the way, paid for dinner, I even had a beer. He was a smooth guy, only a light foreign accent.
It wasn't heavy lifting... I thought it was an adventure. I was 29 or so. Married, but before our daughter was born.
Ahh, one of the many little adventures that the Bearing, getting older & rustier now, has had. So far a good run!
Ruskies were cheap and did not want to pay $100! Hahaha!
No wonder we import their babes.
And they send some back...
Also explains why $100 will "accomplish" so much with said babes at the Spearmint Rhino.
In 1985 the USSR didn't realize how cheap $100/hr really was...and it is now apparent from this report that they still don't know!
Mercy Tyler, you are gonna be somethin when you grow up. I am blown away by this one and am sending several emails. Stunning lad, stunning.
Well, it was in the NYT this morning. I got the NYT email early today.
The story is a lot of fun, but it was not broken here.
Free hat guess: Robert Mosbacher
I admit it, it was me! Is my new hat coonskin? -Fess Parker-
Was Elena Kagan one of them?
No she is way to ugly to be a spy.
The perfect cover!
Sent back to us, past ugly expiration date.
Is it me, or does Kagan look like Ayn Rand?
Shhh! If you shed too much light on her she'll burst in flames.
okay, if these guys were watched for years possibly, couldn't they have been disinfo-ing them?
The Chinese and zionists have infiltrated our companies and government. Soon to be 3 on the SCOTUS. Russians wish their spy apparatus was fractionally as good.
Alito, Kennedy and Thomas are really Chinese spies. So the zionists and the Chinese control the court. How could people not see that?
Uhh, Instant, would you cite some evidence for that? Thx.
I was kidding.
Now this was junk. A joke. Yet, it was not junked. This IS the tin foil hat crowd.
WHY is the FBI going public like this? Counter intel is normally a very quite thing.
yeah, wonder what the real chess game is
Because the US and Russia traded for it. Unless you think Obama is so savvy that by the power of 57 states he has managed to play Reagan for a day.
Gold is such a slimey out-dated relic only a Russian would be interested in. I just got a gorgeous phys5 today by FedEx!
Guys, guys, whoa, take a breath & examine the "wag the dog" side of this. Yes "wonder what the real chess game is"...Yes, this is a mid level bureaucrat pissing contest. Global affairs do not warrant def-con four w/ Russia. Some smart Joe here can stick this...but it certainly has zero to do with a "suddenly discovered" deep cover operation.
Any recommendations for a good geo-political news site that is free (I really miss Project Mayham's Monday posts) - thanks.
thedailybell.com
So homeland security is as useless as ATF. Good to know.
What goes on the hat besides ZH?
Asian markets trading somewhat crappily. Dollar up. China and Hong Kong down. Do I need to re-hedge my precious metals?
Put the Putin overthrow on Clinton. He fucked up the post Soviet democracy there by getting greedy with oil deals and facilitating the oligarchs who enraged the Putin camp. Now we have a more and more nutty KGB agent running the place. Its as if Dick Cheney were running the White House....oh.... wait..... he did.
Cheney did not help the situation by alienating the Russians by creeping up on their borders with NATO. Christ, I learned that that was a dumb move in 10th grade Western Civ class.
Our government made its last smart moves in WW2...
Markets today, Central Planning tomorrow.
Putin is Dick Cheney's bitch.
The Israelis knew something was coming, and the "art students" were tracking Mohammed Atta and others. If they shared information with the incompetent Americans, who knows? But they knew it was coming but maybe didn't know the details. That is why they were ready to video, but were exhilerated by what they videoed, because it was more than they expected.
Austin Millbarge: They're Afghani freedom fighters! They're on our side! WE'RE AMERICANS!
Ludmilla: You call him a killer. He's a professional fighter, not a killer. We are getting death threats. We are not involved in politics. All I want is for my husband to be safe, and to be treated fairly. You have this belief that you are better than us. You have this belief that this country is so very good and we are so very bad. You have this belief that you are so fair and we are so very cruel.
Nicoli Koloff: It's all lies and false propaganda to support this antagonistic and violent government.
Paulie: Whoa. Violent? Hey, we don't keep our people behind a wall with machine guns.
Nicoli Koloff: Who are you?
Paulie: Who am I? I'm the unsilent majority, bigmouth.
Col. Andy Tanner: ...The Russians need to take us in one piece, and that's why they're here. That's why they won't use nukes anymore; and we won't either, not on our own soil. The whole damn thing's pretty conventional now. Who knows? Maybe next week will be swords.
Darryl Bates: What started it?
Col. Andy Tanner: I don't know. Two toughest kids on the block, I guess. Sooner or later, they're gonna fight.
Jed Eckert: That simple, is it?
Col. Andy Tanner: Or maybe somebody just forget what it was like.
Jed Eckert: ...Well, who *is* on our side?
Col. Andy Tanner: Six hundred million screaming Chinamen.
Darryl Bates: Last I heard, there were a billion screaming Chinamen.
Col. Andy Tanner: There *were*.
[he throws whiskey on the fire; it ignites violently, suggesting a nuclear explosion]
Wolverines!!!
i imagine Vicky Palaez only wears latex jumpsuits and throws poison ninja stars
Carroll Commission Spokesman: Ladies and gentlemen, you have been invited here today for the official announcement of the inquiry into the death of Senator Charles Carroll. This is an announcement, not a press conference. Therefore, there will be no questions. A complete transcript of the investigation is being prepared for publication on March 1st. At that time, the committee will hold a full-scale press conference. After nearly four months of investigation, followed by nine weeks of hearings, it is the conclusion of this committee that Senator Carroll was assassinated by Thomas Richard Linden. It is our further conclusion that he acted entirely alone, motivated by a sense of patriotism and a psychotic desire for public recognition. The committee wishes to emphasize that there is no evidence of any wider conspiracy; no evidence whatsoever. It's our hope that this will put an end to the kind of irresponsible and exploitive speculation conducted by the press in recent months, as I've said in the complete text of the hearings, which provides the bases for the committee's findings which will be published on March 1st. When you've had a chance to examine the evidence, you'll have every opportunity to ask those questions which remain unanswered, if they are any. That is all. Thank you.
Hammond Commission Spokesman: Ladies and gentlemen, you've been invited here today for the official announcement of the inquiry into the death of George Hammond. A complete transcript of the investigation is in preparation. This committee has spent nearly six months of investigation, followed by eleven weeks of hearings. After careful deliberation, it is concluded that George Hammond was assassinated by Joseph Frady. An overwhelming body of evidence has revealed that Frady was obsessed with the Carroll assassination, and in his confused and distorted state of mind seems to have imagined that Hammond was responsible for the senator's death. He was equally convinced that Hammond was somehow plotting to kill him. And it is for those reasons that Frady assassinated him. Although I'm certain that this will do nothing to discourage the conspiracy peddlers: there is no evidence of a conspiracy in the assassination of George Hammond. Those are our findings. The evidence will be available as soon as possible. Thank you. This is an announcement, gentlemen. There will be no questions.
The Moscow Rules is the name for rules said to have been developed by the CIA during the Cold War to be used by spies and others working in Moscow.
* Assume nothing.
* Murphy is right.
* Never go against your gut; it is your operational antenna.
* Don't look back; you are never completely alone.
* Everyone is potentially under opposition control.
* Go with the flow, blend in.
* Vary your pattern and stay within your cover.
* Any operation can be aborted. If it feels wrong, it is wrong.
* Maintain a natural pace.
* Lull them into a sense of complacency.
* Build in opportunity, but use it sparingly.
* Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. (borrowed from Muhammad Ali, aka Cassius Clay.)
* Don't harass the opposition.
* There is no limit to a human being's ability to rationalize the truth.
* Technology will always let you down.
* Pick the time and place for action.
* Keep your options open.
* Once is an accident. Twice is coincidence. Three times is an enemy action. (taken from Ian Fleming's novel Goldfinger)
Great stuff, Tyler. The Hunt for Gold October. Classic.
Also, if readers have access to Ms. Murphy's picture, we would be quite interested in finding out just what this individual, who has apparently shaped Russian gold policy to no little extent, looks like.
Got an artist's drawing:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/06/accused_russian_spies_lived_un....
Interesting, especially the timing, with a very volatile situation at hand with regards to Iran, and certainty of Russia coming in on the wrong side, in case of escalation, ... interesting.
Interesting, especially the timing, with a very volatile situation at hand with regards to Iran, and certainty of Russia coming in on the wrong side, in case of escalation, ... interesting.
Whenever GATA thinks about Jeffrey Christian, they get their back up. In fact, they REALLY HATE that Jeffrey Christian!
http://www.gata.org/node/8777
"Just the very thought that a Russian spy program would find information on "prospects for the global gold market" a "very useful" intelligence stream is enough to make this story a fascinating development for those who have been tracking the myriad questions and allegations surrounding price suppression and coordinated manipulation of the gold market. I fully expect GATA to have a field day with this one, and well they are warranted in doing so.
I will share more information, thoughts, and analysis in due course, but I wanted to get the meat of this story out to my community in a timely fashion for your own consideration. Stay tuned ... you haven't heard the last of the relevance of this case to the gold market."
http://caps.fool.com/Blogs/breaking-news-gold-connection/413174