The Federal Security Service of Russia (FSB, former KGB) arrested in the early hours of Tuesday (14th) U.S. diplomat Ryan Christopher Fogle, accused of trying to recruit a counterterrorism officer of the Russian security services, in a new episode of the war of spies between Moscow and Washington. The U.S. agent was attached to the American Embassy
Opera Mundi
The Federal Security Service of Russia (FSB, former KGB) arrested in the early hours of Tuesday (14th) U.S. diplomat Ryan Christopher Fogle, accused of trying to recruit a counterterrorism officer of the Russian security services, in a new episode of the war between spies Moscow and Washington.
"On the night 13-14 May counterintelligence services of the FSB arrested Christopher Ryan Fogle, a CIA agent, third secretary of the political department at the U.S. embassy when trying to recruit a member of the Russian secret services." (who specializes in the Caucasus region).
Russia's Caucasus region includes the provinces of Chechnya and Dagestan. The suspects in the April 15 Boston Marathon bombings - Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his elder brother, Tamerlan, who was killed in a manhunt - are ethnic Chechens. Tamerlan spent six months last year in Dagestan, now the center of an Islamic insurgency.
Russia declared the diplomat persona non grata and demanded "the immediate repatriation" to the United States, of Fogle according to an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"While the presidents of our countries found their willingness to expand bilateral cooperation, including the scope of the intelligence services in the fight against terrorism, provocation like this and the style of the Cold War did not help in mutual trust," argued the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The Russian TV channel RT released several photos in which can be seen an agent of the Russian secret services yielding Fogle to the floor, while the American wore a wig and hat.
Also seen in the pictures is a note that, according to the Russian authorities, Fogle was intending to deliver to the agent he wanted to recruit. "We are willing to pay $100,000 up front" and it goes on to talk about his "experience, expertise and cooperation. The pay may be much higher if you are willing to answer specific questions. Moreover, we offer $1 million for a prolonged cooperation with the promise of extra payments for information that could help us," says the text published by RT.
The detainee was taken to the premises of the FSB "and delivered in a timely manner after the procedures, to official representatives of the embassy of the United States."
Russian officials said the alleged spy utilized special technical means, written instructions for the Russian agent who he wanted to recruit, a large amount of money and the disguises to change his physical appearance, tradecraft tools that seemed straight from a cheap spy thriller: wigs, packets of cash, a knife, map and compass.
"Lately, the American intelligence services made repeated attempts to recruit agents of the security forces and Russian secret services, all recorded and monitored by FSB counterintelligence," said the Moscow authorities.
Ambassador Michael McFaul entered the ministry's building in central Moscow in the morning and left half an hour later without saying a word to journalists waiting outside the compound. A Foreign Ministry statement said Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov handed McFaul the protest during their meeting, during which they also discussed other international issues.
The State Department would only confirm that Fogle worked as an embassy employee, but wouldn't give any details about his employment record or responsibilities in Russia. Some officials also referred inquiries to the CIA, which declined comment.
Last year, the Russian military justice dictated two sentences for espionage against the country's citizens.
A member of the Vanity Fair staff attended the prestigious and preppy Colgate University with Fogle
and told of an online newsletter in which Ryan Fogle, class of 2006, "sends his greetings from Virginia" to fellow members of Phi Delta Theta. Virginia, eh? McLean, Virginia? CIA Central as we know.
One has to ask, if there is truly a spirit of cooperation on the problem of terrorism, why don't the Americans just ask up front what they want to know?
Perhaps one should also bear in mind with the changes since the Boston bombings why many US politicians and media very frequently, more often than not, referred to Chechen terrorists as "freedom fighters" sympathizng with them. Has that suddenly changed now that they have bitten the hand that fed them?
Translated from the Portuguese version by:
Lisa Karpova
Pravda.Ru