General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsA C.I.A. spy tale in Russia
By Julian E. Barnes, Adam Goldman and David E. Sanger
WASHINGTON Decades ago, the C.I.A. recruited and carefully cultivated a midlevel Russian official who began rapidly advancing through the governmental ranks. Eventually, American spies struck gold: The longtime source landed an influential position that came with access to the highest level of the Kremlin.
As American officials began to realize that Russia was trying to sabotage the 2016 presidential election, the informant became one of the C.I.A.s most important and highly protected assets. But when intelligence officials revealed the severity of Russias election interference with unusual detail later that year, the news media picked up on details about the C.I.A.s Kremlin sources.
C.I.A. officials worried about safety made the arduous decision in late 2016 to offer to extract the source from Russia. The situation grew more tense when the informant at first refused, citing family concerns prompting consternation at C.I.A. headquarters and sowing doubts among some American counterintelligence officials about the informants trustworthiness. But the C.I.A. pressed again months later after more media inquiries. This time, the informant agreed.
The move brought to an end the career of one of the C.I.A.s most important sources. It also effectively blinded American intelligence officials to the view from inside Russia as they sought clues about Kremlin interference in the 2018 midterm elections and next years presidential contest. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/09/us/politics/cia-informant-russia.html?te=1&nl=morning-briefing&emc=edit_NN_p_20190910§
The source, who became one of the C.I.A.s most important and highly protected assets, was instrumental to the agencys conclusion that President Vladimir Putin orchestrated Russias interference in the U.S. presidential election in 2016. But when intelligence officials revealed details about the election interference, the C.I.A. decided to extract the source from Russia. The informant initially refused that offer, but was extracted in 2017, hampering intelligence officials as they investigated Moscows interference in the next two election cycles.
UCmeNdc
(9,589 posts)Period!
Ford_Prefect
(7,828 posts)with nearly every policy they put forward and public remark they make.
ewagner
(18,964 posts)I know it makes a good story but exposing sources and methods is dangerous....
Not only does it endanger lives of sources, it also puts our enemies on alert and will force purges. Also...it might jeopardize efforts to counter the efforts of foreign intelligence agents operating within the country....
Some things don't need to be headlines.
Jeffersons Ghost
(15,235 posts)Tucker Higgins of CNBC
Even as trade tensions continued to heat up, President Donald Trump would make sure to refer to Chinas president, Xi Jinping, as his friend. On Friday, though, Trump unveiled a new label for his Chinese counterpart: enemy.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/23/bad-sign-for-trade-talks-trump-calls-china-president-xi-enemy.html
The_jackalope
(1,660 posts)GusBob
(7,286 posts)At first when I heard this story I hoped it was fake news: why would the CIA release this info? It compromises the agent and everyone he came in contact with (he had handlers in Russia and elsewhere for instance). It compromises all agents, well Trump did, because he cannot be trusted. (Now Trump says we don't need spies. Spies under bus)
Then I saw it was from 2017. Hopefully they extracted the guy with a good cover story. Him and his family both. The KGB don't play games with assets and their sources. They are tortured and killed
There is great book about this by McIntyre I will look up the title
Edit to add: The Spy and The Traitor by Ben Macintrye
real Cannabis calm
(1,124 posts)Valerie Plame is running for congress, in the 3rd district