Clumsy British spies are better than crafty ones, says Putin

[emad]

Nick Paton Walsh in Moscow
Thursday January 26, 2006
The Guardian


The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, yesterday said that four British diplomats accused of espionage in Moscow should not be expelled, as their replacements might be cleverer than they were and harder to catch.

The former KGB agent, who served in east Germany, said he wanted the Russian security services and the foreign ministry to suggest a line of approach to the Kremlin, but questioned the wisdom of expelling the four men.

The diplomats were shown on Russian state television on Sunday allegedly retrieving data from a Russian agent, by palmtop computer, via a transmitter hidden in a fake rock. The programme claimed that the British were using spies to fund and communicate with Russian non-governmental organisations.

Mr Putin said: "My opinion is that if these intelligence agents are expelled, they will send new ones. These new people may prove to be smart. In this case, we will have to go to much trouble spotting them. Think about it," he said, according to Interfax."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,1694965,00.html

[PATRICK]

1. Which is what they do

except this one was to much to pass up. Probably trying to beef up their old image which I am sure has been very compromised faster the breakup. Otherwise they wouldn't have expelled the morons. But sometimes it is just too dangerous to let them think it is this easy to fool the Russians.

In reality: Russian spying has degraded. Foreign spying within Russia has become exponentially daring and incompetent. Putin pretends to have some distance between himself and the KGB and the tongue in cheek makes this work with some entertainment value. Something sadly lacking in U.S. leadership.