Spy Chief: West Trying To Crumble Russia

(AP)  Russia's security chief said that Western spies were working to weaken and break up the country and singled out British agents as the most intrusive, according to an interview published Wednesday.

Nikolai Patrushev, who heads the Federal Security Service, the main KGB successor agency, also claimed that foreign spies were working to foment discontent in Russia in the run-up to December's parliamentary elections and the presidential vote next spring.

Patrushev is a longtime ally of President Vladimir Putin, and his comments reflect deeply entrenched suspicions of Western intentions in the Kremlin's inner circle amid a cold spell in Russia's relations with the West. Putin himself is a 16-year KGB veteran and former chief of the Federal Security Service, known as the FSB.

"Politicians thinking in the categories of the Cold War still retain their influence in a number of Western nations," Patrushev told the weekly Argumenty i Fakty. "They have claimed credit for the collapse of the Soviet Union, and they are hatching plans aimed at dismembering Russia. They are viewing special services and their organizations as an efficient instrument for their implementation."

Patrushev said that foreign spies were focusing their efforts on gathering information related to Russia's elections. "They are trying to influence protest feelings and demonstrations in Russia."

He singled out Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, or MI6, saying its agents "aren't only gathering intelligence in all areas, but they are also trying to influence the development of the domestic political situation in our country."

Russian-British relations have been sliding, and they were strained further by last November's poisoning death in London of former Russian security agent Alexander Litvinenko. Litvinenko, a fierce Kremlin critic given asylum in Britain, accused Putin on his deathbed of being behind his polonium poisoning - charges the Kremlin has angrily denied.

Russia has rejected British demands for the extradition of the sole suspect in Litvinenko's murder, former KGB officer Andrei Lugovoi, who met with Litvinenko in a London hotel bar the day he fell ill. Putin dismissed the extradition demands as a relic of British "colonial thinking."

Patrushev said that his agency had learned how to counter British intelligence.

"We know both its strong and weak points," he said. "Since the times of Elizabeth I, (MI6) agents have been guided by the principle of the ways justifying the means. Money, bribery, blackmail, exemption from punishment for crimes committed are their main recruitment methods."

• 1
• 2
• Next Page »

[toolmangler-2009]

Wish I hadn''t sold that bomb shelter once the wall fell. Knew it was to good to be true.

[toolmangler-2009]

Here we go again!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hypnotoad72]

One_American - then why do US corporations offshore jobs to Russia and China? They''re clearly COMMUNIST countries and have been for rather some time; right down to censoring information from their own people?

Wait, they''re multinational corporations and therefore are not relevant to any country''s status?

[grazinggoat]

Everyone is going to operate to the edge of the line of what they can get away with. Trying to decipher this is wasted fruitless energy.
Posted by sillywilly4 at 03:53 PM : Oct 10, 2007

-Willy how about politely knocking on their doors and offer them for commercial and diplomatic exchanges instead of sillily sneaking into their vital space from the backdoor!

-They have changed their stance over many things including hardship and communism and they left them in the back yard. Are we really in this big need to this practice of spying and CRUMBLING the partner who showed us a good will and good faith? Most Americans say we would like to be friendly to other peoples and use diplomatic channels in order to strike deals with them, not by installing missile systems at the doors of Russia....

-Just wondering who is deciding of this whole sh*t-stirring in the administration... He (she) ought to be accountable, personally! You know, back yards are never too far!

[grazinggoat]

Way to go Walking-Liar. All this *** stirring in the world and in the existing systems gives nothing by bad smell, a nauseating one. Because of your idiot approach to the Middle East and one-sided support to Israel and Israelis'' way of work, will blow off the relations with Russia and soon with Turkey our most solid ally in the Middle-East.

Pushing too much on established population systems will inevitably result in blood baths and more sufferings to Humans. Walking-Liar, you and your administration are better revise all the strategies in the Middle-East, because Turkey will never accept this state of things and shall go hand-in-hand with Iran to kick our nicely refined butts out of that region.

[oscarez]

"liberalism is dying" You wish. liberalism is on the rise in every country except the U.S.A. George W. Bush and the GOP have been trying for six years to kill it. But that is just about to come to an end.

[sevenveils]

Paranoia is at the seat of all tyranny. Tyranny knows no boarders, religion or government. All can be infected by it.

[one_american]

Communism, along with socialism and liberalism is dying.

It is about time.

[hypnotoad72]

With all the mumblings of offshoring to Russia I''ve heard about (http://www.oobp.org and http://www.outsourcing-russia.com ), if Russia is so scared of the West, would they stop taking jobs that originated from the West?

[prinzowhales]

I hope that Russia has the legal mechanisms in place for Iraq--and Iran, if attacked--to entertain suits for damages and reparations from the property of American, British and Israeli assets in the CIS if Iran is attacked. This will affect the primary supporters of the war against Iraq and who are calling for war against Iran....it would be just deserts, well served.

Bush has done everything short of directly attacking Russia to increase tensions and justify new military appropriations for the financial gain of his ''base'' the super-rich owners of the military-industrial complex.