Russia Captures Alleged American CIA Agent In Moscow

wiredmikey tips this AFP report: "Russia on Tuesday said it had detained an alleged American CIA agent working undercover at the U.S. embassy who was discovered with a large stash of money as he was trying to recruit a Russian intelligence officer. Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB, ex-KGB) identified the man as Ryan C. Fogle — third secretary of the political section of Washington's embassy in Moscow — and said he had been handed back to the embassy after his detention. Photographs published show his alleged espionage equipment including wigs, a compass, torch and even a mundane atlas of Moscow as well as a somewhat old fashioned mobile phone. Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said Fogle was carrying 'special technical equipment, written instructions for recruiting a Russian citizen, a large sum of money and means for changing a person's appearance.' The FSB also said the U.S. intelligence service has made repeated attempts to recruit the staff of Russian law enforcement agencies and special services. The incident comes amid a new chill in Russian-U.S. relations sparked by the Syrian crisis and concern in Washington over what it sees as President Vladimir Putin's crackdown on human rights."

Comments

Amateur

[quarterbuck]

This spy seems to have all the marks of an made-up-Amateur or a set-up. The guy is wearing a wig, has a hat over it (not dyed hair) even when he is on a diplomatic passport and is openly approaching Russians. Then the Russians have a camera crew and policemen waiting in the street to arrest him and oddly enough he is found to be carrying money, maps and more wigs in his bag. This seems like Americans set-up a honeypot and the Russians jumped on it. Probably the guy had been told already that this is his last assignment in Russia.
Either that, or the CIA decided to have some fun with a Rookie and set him up with a couple of wigs and told him to go on a "Top Secret Assignment" and the poor slob got caught.

Re:Amateur

[MichaelSmith]

Yeah he sounds a bit like Ben Zygier to be honest.

Re:Amateur

[TWX]

Maybe Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase can make a movie about it...

Re:Amateur

[lgw]

"Russia on Tuesday said it had detained an alleged American CIA agent working undercover at the U.S. embassy

This spy seems to have all the marks of an made-up-Amateur or a set-up.

There are two kinds of CIA employees: "undercover agents" and those who have ever entered a US embassy. This separation is required by US law (after some casualness about this lead to many deaths, IIRC). If you've ever walked into an US embassy, you can never be an undercover agent, simple as that.

A goodly amount of "spying" is simply being in-country and collecting the local media and the local mood and reporting it back. What the government is telling the people and how the people are reacting. Research into local public records. That sort of non-secret intelligence gathering is still the CIAs job, and is probably what most of their employees abroad do.

It's also worth remembering that, unlike what movies might have you believe, the undercover agents don't personally "spy" in the sense of sneaking into government buildings and such. They develop relationships with people who are authorized to be in those buildings, or with "freedom fighters" who are shooting at those people, or whatever. Their job is to convince others to do the stuff you'd make a movie about.

Re:Amateur

[Charliemopps]

You're assuming that:
A. Our federal government isn't totally fucking retarded.
B. Our federal government follows any of their own rules/laws/policies.
Both of which have been proven about as false as possible after this past week.
I've always wondered if our government was actually bad... or just inept boobs. You know, never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence... color me surprised to find out they are both malicious AND incompetent.

Lopsided war

[Anonymous Coward]

Their spies are hot redheads, ours look like dimwitted fratboys. I can't tell if we're losing or winning.

Re:Lopsided war

[cusco]

I realize that was meant to be a frivolous statement, but there's an actual reason for that. The CIA has traditionally recruited from within the 'old boy network' of Ivy League fraternities and secret societies, people whose loyalty to the existing power structure they can pretty much guarantee because they were born into it.

Re:Meh

[BarbambiaKirgudu]

Let's call it CWII.

yeah.

[Anonymous Coward]

concern in Washington over what it sees as President Vladimir Putin's crackdown on human rights."

Coming from the US with its imprisoning of more people (by absolute numbers and percentage of population) than any other country in the world. Indefinite detention, torture, summary execution. Yeah. The US has credibility when it comes to human rights.

Somewhat old fashioned mobile phone

[dbIII]

Excuse me Sir. Your shoe is ringing.

Counter Counter Counter Intelligence

[VortexCortex]

"We suspect this man is spy."
"Take his money, Tell him only lies, see where lies turn up."

"Maybe they know, we know, he is spy?"
"Possible. He has been searched?"
"He is carry a compass, torch, map of Moscow, mobile phone..."

"Yes, is spy. They expect we know. Use our lies to deceive. Make false leak to trick us... Kill him -- Wait, he has wig, yes?"
"Has not only a wig, but two."

"Two wigs? Ah! Is sign of double agent! Carry one wig, is a risk. Two is job application."
"You want I should not kill him then?"
"Of course not. Pay him standard fee; Send back to embassy. Tell this story to news, so CIA know he can not spy here. He can go home, work for us."
"Moscow Winter is the Father Land's greatest ally. Thin blooded American will do anything to escape it."

"One thing. Why we must speak filthy English, not Russian?"
"Everyone knows. Is basic spy training to trick double agen--- Wait, you are American SPY!"
::BLAM::
"No. I'm a Brit you poor, dead git."

BFD

[CapOblivious2010]

I really don't understand all the outrage about spying. OF COURSE the CIA is spying on Russia - it's their fucking job to spy on Russia! And of course Russia is spying on us - it's their job, too. Once in a while somebody gets caught - but so what? You shrug your shoulders, say "OK, you won this round", and then you get right back to business. It doesn't mean either side is being "bad guys"; we shouldn't be surprised or upset when we catch one of theirs, and we shouldn't feel embarrassed when they catch one of ours (OK, maybe we should be embarrassed about being so inept we were caught, but not embarrassed about what we were caught doing).

News flash: the CIA spies on Russia and occasionally gets caught! In other news, water remains wet and rocks remain hard.

Re:BFD

[rtb61]

The consignment of criminal acts is dangerous. Oh tee hee a foreign agent killed some citizens, oh tee hee a foreign agent funded internal terrorists, oh tee hee foreign agent is consorting with and funding local organised crim. Perhaps a foreign agent corrupted local politicians to start a war and kill thousands of our soldiers to fulfil their goals of regional dominance, hmm, Mossad and the US government, not so fucking funny now is it. Capturing intelligence is worlds apart from inciting criminal acts like treason.

Putin's crackdown on human rights

[SysKoll]

Yeah, as the OP said, there is a lot of concern about Putin's crackdown on human rights. Why, the rumor is that he is using the tax administration to harass opponents and that his chief Justice has grabbed phone records from news agencies that don't tow the line.

Fortunately, such things would never happen in the US.

doesnt add up

[fazey]

This doesnt make sense. CIA operatives are better than this. First since when does the CIA write a note that can be used as evidence. Next, search for the translation of the letter... they wanted him to sign up for gmail. FFS gmail? Really? Then they would contact him via that email address in a week. This seems like Russian propaganda and not a CIA operative being caught. Operatives always have a way out, and they would repeatedly try the same guy. If they wanted him bad enough, he would have been kidnapped. Nothing about this makes sense.