This is a good story, well written. I remember the previous case with the sleeper agents. The one theme I see is waste. Seems like such a wasteful way to do things -- spend decades planning and setting everything up and then they go and just ask companies for random info. Or during the Soviet times I like how they sent this spy to acquire info on the Space Shuttle, so he went to a public library and photo-copied stuff from there. Years of training and all that setup to go and press the "copy" button in a library.
The timing of the story is not a coincidence I am guessing. They mentioned the "election" so I am assuming it is playing along with the Russians have rigged the election and KGB agents are everywhere. And that's why Clinton's campaign resulted in worse Democratic election performance in 28 years. I don't know about anyone else, I but I am getting a little tired of blaming the Russians for everything. Wonder if editors would agree that we should be a lot stricter with our immigration policy and vet people better before letting them come in...
years of training and all they do is press the copy button
:-D that is a funny take at their life. they do have to live in "enemy" territory as a double life, living that itself would account their intensive training!
I'm missing something, but what would be so difficult about living in enemy territory? I don't believe anyone in their daily interaction was hostile to them (apart from exceptions who would be hostile to anyone).
There is a constant fear of being caught. He was an illegal foreign operative in "enemy" territory. they were having his handler under surveillance for many years.
I assume it to be highly stressful, living a double life, the constant fear of being caught and thrown into prison or worse, fear of being killed one day.
Just being a spy does not mean that everyone is hostile to them, the article itself says, counter intelligence != catch then really fast, it means identify them and feed them incorrect intelligence, that way you control what your "enemy" gets from their operative, it is way cheaper that way rather than busting the spy rings. Also, this guy went too far, taking something given by foreigners into their secret office! That is ludicrous even by fictional standards(Jason Bourne novels).
worst scenario - list of some/all spies on given territory leak. even those who blended perfectly would face torture, and either death sentence or be forced to betray the country they spy for. you can never trust anybody, not women, not friends (which you don't actually have). crap life
The timing of the story is not a coincidence I am guessing. They mentioned the "election" so I am assuming it is playing along with the Russians have rigged the election and KGB agents are everywhere. And that's why Clinton's campaign resulted in worse Democratic election performance in 28 years. I don't know about anyone else, I but I am getting a little tired of blaming the Russians for everything. Wonder if editors would agree that we should be a lot stricter with our immigration policy and vet people better before letting them come in...