Following the just concluded recent visit by John Kerry to Russia, one may have been left with the impression that the tensions of the Cold War are dead and buried. Just the opposite it appears. In what may be a well-timed and orchestrated announcement, moments ago Russia announced that it had caught an American, Ryan Fogle, a third-secretary at the US Embassy in Moscow, "red-handed" as he tried to recruit a Russian intelligence officer to work for the CIA. There goes any leverage the US may have had in attempting to persuade Russia to relent on the joint-Western push to "liberate" Syria. Just as Russia, run by a former KGB spy, had intended all along, and just another slap in the face of the US department of state, which lately can't seem to find its way out of a scandal-ridden (and redacted) paper bag to save its life. But perhaps most amusing is that in the attached letter given to the recruitment prospect, the CIA give out the email address to be used to indicate interest in working for Langley as follows: unbacggdA@gmail.com [4]. How the times have changed.
Finally we wonder just how the CIA will recruit when the ECB finally bans €500 bills, allegedly used to facilitate "money laundering." Apparently spy recruitment is one of the bullish cases for the reddish banknote.
From Reuters [5]:
The announcement came at an awkward time, just days after a visit by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry during which Washington and Moscow agreed to try to bring the warring sides in Syria together for an international peace conference.
The Federal Security Service said Ryan Fogle, a third secretary at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, had been detained overnight carrying "special technical equipment", a disguise, a large sum of money and instructions for recruiting his target.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said it had summoned U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul over the case and a Russian television station published photographs which it said showed Fogle being detained, apparently wearing a blond wig.
A successor of the Soviet-era KGB, the FSB said Fogle worked for the Central Intelligence Agency and that he had been handed over to embassy officials at some point after his detention.
Diplomats accused of espionage are usually expelled or withdrawn.
"On the night of May 13-14, a staff employee of the CIA, Ryan Christopher Fogle ... was detained by counter-espionage organs of the Russian FSB while attempting to recruit an employee of one of the Russian special services," the FSB said.
"Recently American intelligence has made multiple attempts to recruit employees of Russian law enforcement organs and special agencies, which have been detected and monitored by Russian FSB counterintelligence," it said in a statement.
Pictures of the agent's capture via RT [6]:
[7]
CIA agent trying to recruit Russian intelligence officer detained in Moscow (FSB)
[8]
Ryan C Fogle, 3d secretary of US embassy, was detained in Moscow by the Russian counterintelligence agency (FSB)
[9]
Disguise allegedly used by Ryan Fogle (FSB)
[10]
Ryan Fogle inside FSB office (FSB)
[11]
Ryan Fogle’s pass to the US embassy (FSB)
[12]
Ryan Fogle’s diplomatic pass (FSB)
[13]
The handy European bills (each amounting to just under $700) used for recruitment.
And below is the letter that contained the printed instructions for the Russian citizen being recruited.
[4]
Expect a prompt retaliation by the US, which now has to expose yet another cell of Russian spies operating in the US just to save face.