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| Europe | |
| Spying 'still at Cold War levels' | |
| 2005-01-30 | |
| Via Lucianne: Ahh, they can handle it now, they're big boys as they keep telling US. ABOUT 130 Russian spies are active in Germany, almost as many as during the Cold War, according to the German news magazine Focus. German political parties, companies, the armed forces and scientific research establishments were targetted by post-communist Russian espionage, said the report, quoting German authorities. The article, released in advance of Monday's edition, quoted an official of the German Federal Criminal Investigation Agency (BKA) as saying the targets were spied on "in an extremely aggressive way". It also quoted an unnamed senior official of Germany's domestic counter-intelligence service as saying Russian intelligence had been strongly reinforced, so that almost as many operatives were now undercover on German territory as there were Soviet KGB agents during the Cold War. Focus reported a Russian military intelligence officer had been caught trying to recruit a German soldier in order to get at confidential military documents . nope, no new tech for you. The officer had been expelled following a German protest note to the Russian embassy in Berlin, it said. The magazine also reported Russian agents had been observed in Hamburg trying to recruit informers in the police force. The German federal attorney's department in Karlsruhe is currently examining statements by Russian former agents who have changed sides. Investigators do not rule out that the ex-agents are being co-operative in the hope of obtaining residence permits in Germany. Russian-German relations are generally perceived as cordialTalks between German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Russian President Vladimir Putin last month were deemed to have strengthened friendly links..
So, what do you think of W?) The two leaders spoke in German, a language Mr Putin learned as a KGB agent based in Dresden in former East Germany during the Cold War. | |
| Posted by:Anonymous2u |
| #7 This is why Putty stole Yukos. Er, one reason, anyway... |
| Posted by: .com 2005-01-30 3:48:38 PM |
| #6 Spies don't do tuna Duke! We have hearty cheese. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-01-30 1:09:04 PM |
| #5 I imagine cash (hard US Dollars)is a great incentive. |
| Posted by: john 2005-01-30 12:48:56 PM |
| #4 There is a saying that the only way you can bargain with a German is with your bayonet at his throat, and the only way you can bargain with a Russian is with your boot on his back. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-01-30 11:56:50 AM |
| #3 How do you recruit? Russian money versus German? Russian social welfare system versus German? Russian honey trap versus Russian mail order brides? Its not like any German political parties are not left of Puty's, so where's the political motivation? Recruiting has got to be tough when you no longer have much to offer. |
| Posted by: Crereper Thomble7321 2005-01-30 10:45:48 AM |
| #2 Shhhh! I gotta tuna sandwich in my trench coat right now. |
| Posted by: Duke Nukem 2005-01-30 10:25:18 AM |
| #1 Spies gotta eat too. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-01-30 9:29:47 AM |