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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Skripal On The Hudson? Expelled Russian Diplomats Were Stalking Defectors In US
2018-04-27
[Hot Air] The expulsion of sixty Russians with diplomatic cover after the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal may have been more targeted than first thought. CNN reports that the expelled included Russian agents who had tracked defectors and others with knowledge of Vladimir Putin’s regime. After the spectacular attack on Skripal, US intelligence agencies raised an alarm over what might come next here at home without a disruption to those efforts:
Among the dozens of Russian diplomats the US expelled last month were suspected spies who US law enforcement and intelligence officials believe were tracking Russian defectors and their families who had resettled in the US, officials briefed on the matter tell CNN.

In at least one instance, suspected Russian spies were believed to be casing someone who was part of a CIA program that provided new identities to protect resettled Russians, the officials said.

That episode and other US intelligence raised concerns that the Russians were preparing to target Russian émigrés in the US labeled by the Kremlin as traitors or enemies, law enforcement and intelligence officials said.

I’ll bet it did, but why did it take so long? The Brits may have kept it on the down-low for diplomatic and geopolitical reasons, but Russian emigrés have been dropping in the UK under suspicious circumstances for years. The lack of official response appears to have emboldened Moscow into removing all subtlety and nuance from these assassinations, leaving evidence that makes sure all defectors and turncoats understand the message: We will get you sooner or later.
Posted by:Besoeker

#2  Yes, alarming but shouldn’t we know whether a sitting president likes caviar and Moscow Mules?
Posted by: jack salami   2018-04-27 09:29  

#1  Anyone coming in and out of an embassy should be suspected of nefarious activity. The monitoring of such people is the task of the FBI. That is of course, if the FBI is doing their job and not conducting politically motivated monitoring of presidential candidates.

Diplomatic license plates makes the task a bit easier.

This type of activity has been going on for decades. The difference between "political defectors" and Russian intelligence sources warrants close monitoring as well. They could just be headed to a favorite cafe for a private meeting.
Posted by: Besoeker   2018-04-27 09:00  

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