Having heard a commentary in response from your SDC bureau, where the fellow bloviated about U2 planes, notions that reporting anything of the kind on the news is a overwhelming factor in influence, and basically pulling opinions out of thin air, the possibility that they actually WERE spies was thoroughly dismissed. Nations spy on one another. It's simply a fact ofg life. That the possibility that this could be true not being even entertained on RT tells me that journalism istself seems to have a avery low priority, an that at best, those who promote opinions and have editorial authority at RT are little more than servile flunkies reminiscent of those I knew in tge German Democratic Republic when I was young.

I am sorry but if indeed it is true that these people did change their names; that they were masquerading under false names and that there using the passports of other nations,, then, espionage or no espionage, this is very damaging to Russia's relationship with the U.S.

1. Since when did lobbying for another nation's interests constitute a spying crime? 2. If this is true, Israel has been spying on the US for a long time. Not to overlook China's lobbying and spying activities. 3. What will this mean for Americans living and working in Russia? 4. If this is SPYING, then what is the CIA, NSA and FBI doing? Hint-hint, SPYING!

The story looks like a farce. It also reflects badly on the Obama Administration who seems to have lost total control over its foreign policy. What this amounts to is that the United States, having difficulty charting any consistent course anywhere in the world, will remain an unreliable partner in any negotiations or agreements. Who speaks for the United States of America? This is the question the entire world is asking and has the right to know.

armen08 Obama is part of what Naomi Klein calls “the Chicago Boys.” He is a smooth talker but take a look who is sitting beside President Omaba during socalled Hamburger summit between Obama and Medevedev. Obama was the candidate of the neocons but the Russian media and the business elite are desperate to stage its own so-called reset with the U.S. I am not purchasing it, though. However, these so-called Russian “spies” come across as utterly clueless and hopeless incompetent. Obama knows this well hurt Russia’s image in the world but he did not stop it becoming a media sensation Despite what Obama does or does not do, I do hope that these wannabe spies do not represent the actual measure of Russian security stature.

June 29, 2010, 23:50, Norman Hill wrote > 1. Since when did lobbying for another nation's interests constitute a spying crime? > 2. If this is true, Israel has been spying on the US for a long time. Not to overlook China's lobbying and spying activities. > 3. What will this mean for Americans living and working in Russia? > 4. If this is SPYING, then what is the CIA, NSA and FBI doing? Hint-hint, SPYING! Norman, Why would Russian citizens "change" their names, steal a dead person's identity, etc if there wasn't any issue? Why not come to the USA with your Russian passports and be done with it, let alone change your names. Oh, that's right, Russia is the only country that doesn't do anything wrong, just the Americans are lying bastards!

True, spying and spreading sedition are not the same thing, but they are both hostile acts. So, please don't be so facile as to play a game of semantics here.

Using "illegals" as they are called for espionage purposes is something Russia in particular has practised for decades, since the days of the Soviet Union when the GRU and the KGB deployed them in fairly substantial numbers. Those numbers are not thought to have diminished much since the demise of the Soviet Union, interestingly. They cost a fortune to run, and it is really only state mechanisms such as the Russia which is able politically to deploy the resources needed on such a scale. It may be years before they provide any intelligence of note and it may be that some never, actually, achieve anything at all, a fact which I find quite scary actually. Joe is quite right: spying is a fact of life: it may well be that the timing of these revelations in significant but what is in no doubt is that they are absolutely genuine. To those in the know, and beyond, any attempt by the Russian state apparatus to deny it will only bring added scorn and derision on top of the quite comical details already revealed.

I'm pretty sure this discussion is being monitored.

Several years ago, two men associated with the U. S. /Israel Political Action Committee found themselves accused of spying for Israel, a loud cry went up to the effect that the men had done nothing wrong. Caught red-handed, the AIPAC cheering section sounded the message that in Washington, "everybody does it", and that between friends there should be no prosecution. Well now, Russia. You must go and do the right thing: spring the innocent by means of the "everybody does it." See how far you will get.

None of them have been charged with espionage (spying). They have been charged with acting as agents of a foreign government (without registering) and money laundering. If they had openly gone to America under their own identities and registered as representatives of the Russian government, they could have engaged in research and lobbying for the Russian government quite legally. Of course, this would have meant that they would have to be candid about their role when attempting to meet US politicians, members of the US military or other people employed by the US government. The "acting as agents" charge carries a maximum penalty of five years, whereas the money laundering carries a rather more serious maximum term of 20 years. Interestingly, none have yet been charged in respect of false or modified documents in their possession.

I think that what these people were doing is probably on a par with freelance journalism. I don't think they've been sent to the west on a mission, but are simply ambitious. And unfortunately in life, you sometimes have to cheat a little if you want to succeed. From an FBI prospective, they do have a right to control criminal activity, and it looks like there's been a bit of that. They may also learn a lot from the techniques used which might help in the face of more serious threats. As JG has already commented, they have not actually been charged with spying. So hopefully this issue will be resolved fairly peacefully.

Who benefits? Let me rephrase that; which nation has a history of sabotaging relations between the United States and every other country in order to claim being our "only friend?" Ya right, on the name of our "god's" chosen people, on the name of equality, on the name of our porno fascist freedom, bomb every one else.