Paul Whelan, American Accused of Spying, is Said to Be Charged in Russia (nytimes.com) 167
Russian investigative agencies on Thursday indicted Whelan, a 48-year-old former U.S. Marine, on charges of spying, Interfax cited an informed source as saying. From a report: Mr. Whelan's lawyer, Vladimir A. Zherebenkov, who said he spent much of Wednesday with Mr. Whelan, said he had found his client in an upbeat mood despite the long legal road that he faces. "I was surprised to see him being so confident," said Mr. Zherebenkov, a high-profile criminal defense lawyer. Mr. Whelan, 48, the head of global security for the Michigan auto parts maker BorgWarner and a Marine Corps veteran, was arrested last Friday and is being held in solitary confinement in Moscow's notorious Lefortovo Prison. Russia's domestic security agency, the F.S.B., issued a brief statement on Monday saying that Mr. Whelan had been caught in "an act of espionage" but provided no other details.
Mr. Zherebenkov said that he had not seen all the evidence, but that he suspected that the American had been under surveillance for some time. "I presume that he is innocent, because for now I haven't seen any evidence against him that would prove otherwise," said Mr. Zherebenkov, who said that Mr. Whelan would petition the court for bail. Rosbalt, a Russian news agency close to the security services, quoted an unidentified intelligence source on Wednesday as saying that Mr. Whelan had been apprehended during a meeting with a Russian citizen in his room at the Metropol Hotel in Moscow. He is accused of trying to recruit this person to obtain classified information about staff members at various Russian agencies, the account said. Mr. Whelan was arrested five minutes after receiving a USB stick containing a list of all the employees at a classified security agency, the report said.
Mr. Zherebenkov said that he had not seen all the evidence, but that he suspected that the American had been under surveillance for some time. "I presume that he is innocent, because for now I haven't seen any evidence against him that would prove otherwise," said Mr. Zherebenkov, who said that Mr. Whelan would petition the court for bail. Rosbalt, a Russian news agency close to the security services, quoted an unidentified intelligence source on Wednesday as saying that Mr. Whelan had been apprehended during a meeting with a Russian citizen in his room at the Metropol Hotel in Moscow. He is accused of trying to recruit this person to obtain classified information about staff members at various Russian agencies, the account said. Mr. Whelan was arrested five minutes after receiving a USB stick containing a list of all the employees at a classified security agency, the report said.
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Most spies are in fact pawns of spymasters. Always have been.
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Looking at my attempted login entries in my logs for my home machine, I think it would give just about every human a reason to never visit Russia, eastern europe or China.
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Yeah but this is "news for nerds" and not NPR.
Does it actually say "News for Nerds" anywhere on the website anymore? Maybe I've missed it, but I don't recall seeing that for a long time- and wasn't the phrasing actually something like "News for Nerds and News that Matters?" - or am I thinking of another site?
This probably isn't "News for Nerds" - but it could be argued that it is "News that Matters" (you could probably also argue that it doesn't matter... but that's a subjective decision). Playing devils advocate- you could say that a former world-p
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If you browse to the main page and look up at your tab, it reads "Slashdot: News for nerds, stuff that matters" so it's still there.
Ahh yes- the title of the page, I see that now.
There's also a big difference between the phrasing you've used and what Slashdot is purporting to be. I've always read the phrase as that the news for nerds is the stuff that matters, at least to nerds.
Honestly, I've always thought it meant both "News For Nerds" and "Stuff that Matters" not, the explanation you gave above... but I really don't know, you could be right. I guess CmdrTaco is the only one who could explain what he meant by that phrase.
As for "what matters" that would be subjective and every person would give a different account. What I do know is that I've been coming to Slashdot for over a decade (maybe closer to two decades now- I'm not sure
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As for "what matters" that would be subjective and every person would give a different account.
Exactly. There are some folk in here that seem to think this is supposed to be programming and not much else. Others have a different idea of what is allowable, and what sends their Blood pressure skyrocketing.
As for me, I have varied interests, and an American being arrested on spying charges is pretty interesting.
What I find weird is that so many of our smart Slashdot Brethren haven't figured out that if they aren't interested in a story, that they can just move on to something that suits their sensi
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A fairly high percentage of /. posters appear to be on the autism/aspergers spectrum
It may be impossible for them NOT to be pedantic
I think you might have a point there.
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Consider this popular story from 2001: https://slashdot.org/story/01/... [slashdot.org]
The only nerdy part of it is the update that they're having server problems. So slashdot has been posting completely un-nerdy stories for at least 18 years now.
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No. (Score:2)
He was eaten by a GRUe.
Impossible! (Score:3, Funny)
Next thing you know, they'll be accusing us of interfering with their elections!
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It means Slashdot has a Flintstones-era ASCII implementation.
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Putin is very popular among Russians but the Kremlin has also done a lot deny the participation of viable young candidates such as Navalny in the big politics. Pretty much all of Russia's independent mass media is practicing self-censorship in order to avoid being crushed by the government censors. If Putin run against someone like Navalny (as opposed to the caricature "opposition parties" they have now) then Putin would still win, but with something like 55% of vote, add or subtract, but that will not sati
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I think you are confusing Russian news media with entirely censored US corporate news Media. You can not just claim censorship, you kind of have to show examples. Navalny just looks to be a scammy con artists and that is all the US has managed to come up with, if the lame arse was actually any good, he would be all over US media, non stop, all the fucking time but well he sucks and that is the best US could manage, does worse than the communist party and they do not do well.
I also find mind boggling the ide
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Yes they can - the prime minister can stand for re-election as many times as he wants.
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1990s called. They wanted to remind you that this is exactly what happened when Yeltsin got re-elected. It's not even contentious. Aid offered was direct and in no way hidden, because West had a massive interests in preventing the Communist party leader from taking the presidency.
How do we know... (Score:1)
How do we know he's not a real spy? The Russians would have poisoned him.
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How do we know he's not a real spy? The Russians would have poisoned him.
You can't get a corpse to talk and give away information in exchange for freedom. He'll only be poisoned after he has sung.
Re:How do we know... (Score:5, Interesting)
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Hell. Trade them, I say. Putin's not happy with her for pleading guilty and giving up information to investigators. Let that spying bitch go back to Russia and so Putin can have her killed. What's the problem here?
The problem is she quite possibly has information that will be useful in court with the other targets (besides her and the other arrested and cooperating witnesses) of the Russian hacking investigation. The point of arresting her wasn't to take a spy off the streets, it was to be able to use the charges against her as leverage to get her cooperation in taking down some of the bigger fish in this ring. This is how conspiracy prosecutors work.
That will be unavailable to US prosecutors if she's conveniently
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This is true, they still remember very well how to play the Cold War game while we've miserably forgotten.
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to exchange for Maria Butina
Butina has been charged only with not registering as a foreign agent and the recommended sentence is zero to six months. In other words, Butina is not a "spy" the hysterical media claimed her to be, and she will be deported one way or another from the USA this year. So Paul Whelan is kept for a difference reason.
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In the US, if you act as a foreign agent without registering as such with the US Justice Dept., you are considered a "covert foreign agent.". If you ever find yourself defending the nuance of difference between "covert foreign agent" and "spy", you really need to reexamine your priorities.
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There is a huge difference. "Foreign agent", covert or not, can be simply lobbying for, consulting for, or representing a foreign government or possibly just an individual. This occupation is not about gathering intelligence but more about being an ambassador for a foreign interest. If you want to define such foreign agent as a spy, then you need to examine your priorities because the DC and Acela Express corridor is filled with thousands of people who represent foreign interests and who don't necessarily r
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Russians have very little modernity.
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Try again tomorrow.
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Yes, they do. If you want proof, go check any political post from late 2015, and set your threshold to +5. You'll see an inexplicable love for Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. If you want to see the more typical /. skepticism of those people, you'll have to jack it down to -1.
Russians had /. completely pwned the last 2 months of the election.
Re: How do we know... (Score:3)
You're making the rookie mistake of assuming that something which you personally cannot understand is actually inexplicable.
Re:How do we know... (Score:4, Insightful)
How do we know he's not a real spy? The Russians would have poisoned him.
No, they aren't crazy enough to kill foreign agents, that would open up a can of worms they don't want. They have no problem killing Russian expats though, and will do so publicly. Apparently if you are a former Russian agent or citizen who speaks out against Putin you have to stay away from doorknobs, tea, and people carrying umbrellas on bridges.
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"Cold" war, you insensitive clod? Goddam global warming denier.
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"Cold" war, you insensitive clod? Goddam global warming denier.
The world was colder during the cold war. Global warming hadn't reached current levels yet. WWIII is going to be blisteringly hot.
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They are crazy enough to arrest foreigners suspected of spying and exchange them for their own people. (e.g. Maria Butina). This was common during the Cold War.
Oh, no doubt, especially since China is getting away with doing the same thing. But they won't kill him. That's how you get your own assets killed.
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foreigners suspected of spying
So what's wrong with arresting a foreigner that's suspected of spying? That's just crazy
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The Russians would have poisoned him.
Unfortunately, it gets even creepier . . . poisoning would have been a pleasant way to go.
Oleg Gordievsky:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
. . . wrote a bit about the history of the KBG . . . in a training film, the recruits were shown a film of a "traitor", being blindfolded and handcuffed, and lowered very slowly into a blast furnace.
Re:How do we know... (Score:4, Informative)
Re: Smells like a setup... (Score:2)
they simply do what is necessary
The words of every tyrant in history.
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The Russians caught him at the right moment, at the right time. How convenient.
If you are going grab someone and accuse them of being a spy you are going to want to arrest them servicing a drop point or during a meet, especially if you can catch them with confidential information. The question is, if there really was a USB drive and it contained confidential information, did he know about it or did he think he was just getting a compilation of his buddy's favorite cat videos?
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No. In the free West, that is the concern. In a dictatorship, the Truth is what they say it is, and there are no free press to investigate to find contradictions.
They needed a pawn and went and took one.
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You mean he should have flown to Russia to give them a public key in person.
in soviet russia we spy on you! (Score:2)
in soviet russia we spy on you!
Sounds like a good excuse for a meeting (Score:2)
at the highest levels of both governments so that Trump can get his new orders.
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Copy & pasted from your fan fiction? Thanks for sharing, but its completely off-topic.
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Teflon is not particularly hardy.
The NSA had their cyber tools ... (Score:2)
... ripped off, so now it's landlines, fax machines and human spies.
Kinda early to draw conclusions (Score:4, Interesting)
I assume the US has a number of people tasked with spying in Russia - there’s no reason the Russians couldn’t have made a strong effort to locate an actual US spy, regardless of their motivation (to trade for Maria Butina or whatever).
Right now we don’t have enough information to determine if this guy is likely innocent or guilty.
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In the immortal words of Pres. Obama (Score:2)
“Gov. Romney, I’m glad you recognize al-Qaeda is a threat, because a few months ago when you were asked what is the biggest geopolitical group facing America, you said Russia — not al-Qaeda. And the 1980’s are now calling to ask for their foreign policy back — because the Cold War has been over for 20 years."
Oops.
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Again with "anonymous coward" comments. If you believe what you're saying, stand by it with your profile.
Romney never made any reference to communism, only to Russia being a geopolitical threat, which it obviously was and is. Since then, you have the Russian annexation of Crimea during the Obama Administration, Russia's attempt to influence the 2016 presidential election and its involvement in the Syrian conflict in support of Bashar al-Assad's government.
Are you going to argue Romney wasn't right?
BTW, I vo
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no no, he's right and the other guy was wrong. And everyone's kinda being a dick to the only guy who's actually giving some facts. Romney was correct, and forward thinking. I recall not long ago ( RESET button anyone?) how the left was falling over themselves to prove our issues with Russia were just historical and a little peace and love would resolve it all.
Re: Michelle Obama could kick your ass (Score:2)
Now if Romney had not explicitly thought that Russian "Communism" was the threat, he might have had a better argument, but he never once managed to get up to an idea that mattered like the corrupt oligarchy in Russia that was oppressing the freedom of its citizens.
The only difference between Russian communism and the Russian oligarchy is that under the oligarchy people can actually get bread.
He has no reason to be confident. (Score:3, Insightful)
If the Russians arrest you for espionage, there are 3 possibilities:
1. You are a spy and they have evidence. You're screwed.
2. You are innocent, but the Russians are putting a number on you for some political reason. You're screwed.
3. You are innocent. The Russians made a mistake. What are the chances the Russians will admit to that and lose face? You're screwed.
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Yeah, actually I think really being the spy is the best situation. Because, you have the opportunity to get traded for another spy.
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"3. You are innocent. The Russians made a mistake. What are the chances the Russians will admit to that and lose face? You're screwed."
Chances are very good. Just imagine of all the exploding heads "Russians aren't evil....they let him go... what!?!!?" POP
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Let's be honest, if you're arrested for espionage in ANY country, you're screwed. I'd love to see what happens to a foreign professional or a student who gets wrongfully arrested in the USA. You go bankrupt because of the legal red tape, you get kicked out of the university and/or you lose your job. Your car, home, and personal belongings will be repossessed and never be seen again, etc. Other than that, I guess it's all cool.
Re: He has no reason to be confident. (Score:1)
I'd love to see what happens to a foreign professional or a student who gets wrongfully arrested in the USA.
You get a 1.6 million dollar payout from the US government.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wik... [wikipedia.org]
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It helps to be a superstar professor. But a random H1B worker or a graduation student will be arrested, imprisoned, and thrown out of country with no apology whatsoever.
Re: He has no reason to be confident. (Score:2)
[citation needed]
what's good for business... (Score:3)
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Bargaining Chip (Score:3, Insightful)
They trumped up the charges on him so he they could use him as a bargaining chip. The can now offer to release him in a big publicity show in exchange for Butina, another one of their people being held in the US, easing of sanctions, or something else to Russian interests elsewhere. It would look like the Trump administration liberated a marine veteran and Putin can get whatever he wants.
Yep, mod parent up (Score:2)
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Uggh, Butina is a small fish, and her recommended sentence is zero to six months. The only thing she was charged with is not registering as a foreign agent (e.g. what every second lobbyist in DC does)
Here we go again.. (Score:1)
LOL .. Lone nut/usefull idiot/patsy in the making. Please start addressing him by his full gravestone name already.. John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, John Flammang Schrank .. You know the drill.
Paul Whelan is a Trump supporter (Score:1)
happens all the time with Russia and China (Score:2)
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Wish I had mod points.
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But ... actually ... now that I think about it ... where actually IS the outrage from the Oval Office Orange? Shouldn't he be fuming and twittering?
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He should be outraged in one direction or another. It's an excuse to Tweet, after all. The deafening silence from the WH suggests to me they haven't heard about this yet.
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Trump..... as in President Donald Trump, in this particular instance does not evoke any .....outrage.
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So a private citizen with a poor-conduct discharge conducting what amounts to industrial espionage on his own dime amounts to US warmongering? So what the fuck is it when Russian state-sponsored actors directly attack US infrastructure and political processes? Spin, indeed....
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Whooosh!
What he's saying is that Trump will get help concealing his financial misdealings with Russian gangsters (Putin, et al.) in exchange for Putin getting Syria, Ukraine, and sanctions relief.
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Wow! That was some righteous gibberish! Don't stop now!