Spy Games
On June 27th, 10 individuals belonging to a Russian sleeper cell were arrested in the Northeast. Less than two weeks later they are all on a plane to Vienna, where they will be swapped for four Russians accused of spying for the United States.
Something simply does not smell right here. These agents were tasked with recruiting spies within the United States and infiltrating policy making organizations within the U.S. government. I just cannot believe that in two weeks we gleaned every bit of information they had about their operations in this country and, more important, members of other sleeper cells or the names of U.S. citizens they recruited.
Well, I suppose there’s not necessarily something rotten just because the sniff test isn’t passed. This is probably no more than further evidence of an administration which is incredibly naïve and in over its head. The arrests came the week after Obama took Dmitry Medvedev out for a burger. Now, the fact that nations spy on each other should come as a surprise to no one. Nations don’t give each other the cold shoulder or boot each other’s diplomats out unless the espionage is especially egregious. That said, one doesn’t come out looking very good having a chummy burger with the guy who’s running sleeper cells behind your back. Or maybe it wasn’t behind Obama’s back at all. Maybe Obama knew about the impending arrests and still decided to go along on his man date with Dmitry, so as not to offend the Russian’s delicate sensibilities.
Reagan said “Tear down this wall!” Barry O says “Here, have another onion ring.”
Dmitry’s handler and Russia’s Man Behind The Curtain, Vladimir Putin, certainly knows a doormat when he sees one. He threw a fit about the arrests and our government, with alacrity, tried to smooth his feathers by arranging this premature spy swap. They are getting their spies back, while we’re probably getting dissidents who have done nothing wrong and whom Putin jailed on trumped up charges of espionage.
One day, President Obama will look up from his finger firmly pressed on the “RESET” button and find he’s standing there in his boxers and knee socks, having been picked dry by the Russians on this spy swap, START, the Eastern Europe missile shield, Iran and every other arena where our interests collide with Russia’s.
