West wants to split Russia: security chief:

[Praxius]

CTV.ca | West wants to split Russia: security chief

MOSCOW -- Russia's security chief said that Western spies were working to weaken and break up the country and singled out British agents as the most intrusive, according to an interview published Wednesday. Nikolai Patrushev, who heads the Federal Security Service, the main KGB successor agency, also claimed that foreign spies were working to foment discontent in Russia in the run-up to December's parliamentary elections and the presidential vote next spring. Patrushev is a longtime ally of President Vladimir Putin, and his comments reflect deeply entrenched suspicions of Western intentions in the Kremlin's inner circle amid a cold spell in Russia's relations with the West. Putin himself is a 16-year KGB veteran and former chief of the Federal Security Service, known as the FSB. "Politicians thinking in the categories of the Cold War still retain their influence in a number of Western nations," Patrushev told the weekly Argumenty i Fakty. "They have claimed credit for the collapse of the Soviet Union, and they are hatching plans aimed at dismembering Russia. They are viewing special services and their organizations as an efficient instrument for their implementation." Patrushev said that foreign spies were focusing their efforts on gathering information related to Russia's elections. "They are trying to influence protest feelings and demonstrations in Russia." He singled out Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, or MI6, saying its agents "aren't only gathering intelligence in all areas, but they are also trying to influence the development of the domestic political situation in our country." Britain's Foreign Office didn't immediately have any comment on the matter. Russian-British relations have been sliding, and they were strained further by last November's poisoning death in London of former Russian security agent Alexander Litvinenko. Litvinenko, a fierce Kremlin critic given asylum in Britain, accused Putin on his deathbed of being behind his polonium poisoning -- charges the Kremlin has angrily denied. Russia has rejected British demands for the extradition of the sole suspect in Litvinenko's murder, former KGB officer Andrei Lugovoi, who met with Litvinenko in a London hotel bar the day he fell ill. Putin dismissed the extradition demands as a relic of British "colonial thinking." Patrushev said that his agency had learned how to counter British intelligence. "We know both its strong and weak points," he said. "Since the times of Elizabeth I, (MI6) agents have been guided by the principle of the ways justifying the means. Money, bribery, blackmail, exemption from punishment for crimes committed are their main recruitment methods." Patrushev claimed that British intelligence has relied on people who fled abroad to avoid criminal charges in Russia -- an apparent hint at Kremlin critics living in Britain, such as tycoon Boris Berezovsky and Chechen rebel leader Akhmed Zakayev. Russia has vainly sought their extradition. Patrushev also alleged that foreign spies were using non-governmental organizations "both for gathering intelligence information and as an instrument for having a hidden influence over political processes." He pointed at the revolutions that ousted unpopular governments in the former Yugoslavia, Ukraine and Georgia as a product of such activities. The statement reflected Kremlin concerns over outside influence within Russia amid Western accusations of backsliding on democracy -- the fears that prompted the government to tighten restrictions on NGOs. "There is a danger of foreign NGOs being used to finance activities to undermine Russia," Patrushev said. He claimed that some NGOs were also being used by international terror groups to support militants in Russia's volatile North Caucasus. Patrushev said the CIA and MI6 were actively relying on the special services of Poland, Georgia and the Baltics to spy on Russia. He said his agency had uncovered 270 foreign intelligence officers and 70 agents they had recruited, including 35 Russian citizens, since 2003. While fuming at the West, Patrushev said that his agency would continue to cooperate with its Western counterparts in combating international terrorism.

Yet, isn`t this a form of terrorism in their own country by those they are trying to assist in counter-terrorism?

[HelioPrime]

Russia has large amounts of oil in the far east reaches.

If Russia split, or had turmoil in the west, it would be perfect cover for the US to move in to establish a friendly democracy in the oil regions.

Always thinking of the future.

[Milton Bradley]

Quote by: HelioPrime Always thinking of the future.

Yeah, it's silly not to make long term plans for the future that you own.

[Thanatos]

Quote by: HelioPrime Russia has large amounts of oil in the far east reaches. If Russia split, or had turmoil in the west, it would be perfect cover for the US to move in to establish a friendly democracy in the oil regions. Always thinking of the future.

I think the truth is much simpler. Branding your dissidents as unpatriotic foreigners is a tried and true method of maintaining control.

[HelioPrime]

Quote by: Milton Bradley Yeah, it's silly not to make long term plans for the future that you own.

The shadow government is watching. Shhhhhh

[Rainbow]

Quote by: Praxius CTV.ca | West wants to split Russia: security chief 1. Russia's security chief said that Western spies were working to weaken and break up the country and singled out British agents as the most intrusive, according to an interview published Wednesday. 2. Nikolai Patrushev, who heads the Federal Security Service, the main KGB successor agency, also claimed that foreign spies were working to foment discontent in Russia in the run-up to December's parliamentary elections and the presidential vote next spring. 3. "Politicians thinking in the categories of the Cold War still retain their influence in a number of Western nations," Patrushev told the weekly Argumenty i Fakty. "They have claimed credit for the collapse of the Soviet Union, and they are hatching plans aimed at dismembering Russia. They are viewing special services and their organizations as an efficient instrument for their implementation." 4. Patrushev said that foreign spies were focusing their efforts on gathering information related to Russia's elections. "They are trying to influence protest feelings and demonstrations in Russia." 5. Patrushev also alleged that foreign spies were using non-governmental organizations "both for gathering intelligence information and as an instrument for having a hidden influence over political processes." He pointed at the revolutions that ousted unpopular governments in the former Yugoslavia, Ukraine and Georgia as a product of such activities. 6. Patrushev said the CIA and MI6 were actively relying on the special services of Poland, Georgia and the Baltics to spy on Russia. 7. He said his agency had uncovered 270 foreign intelligence officers and 70 agents they had recruited, including 35 Russian citizens, since 2003. 8. While fuming at the West, Patrushev said that his agency would continue to cooperate with its Western counterparts in combating international terrorism.

#1, #3,
Blah, blah, blah
Cover up, in order to justify and/or diverse the attention from the real factors.

#2, #4, #5,
It seems Putin & Co. is about to stage upcoming election.
Therefore, Russia warns others to stay away.
(That is the core of that statement, and the real issue.)

#6
It would become a historical milestone CIA and M16 use KGB for that purpose :-)

#7
I love that guy :-)
He made these numbers up himself, probably, (after all-night long Communist Party session :-))) "Stolichnaya", anybody ? )

#8
That part is to re-assure Westerners and U.S., that all the mutual agreements (made between political states) stay intact.

[Praxius]

Wow.... just as wild of acusations as you blame them for..... only they probably have better sources for their information.

I think I'll wait to here from someone from Mother Russia in here before I take your word on those things.

[Chaossaber314]

So, unsupported speculation that supports your bias... Good?
Unsupported speculation that goes against your bias... Bad?

[Praxius]

Quote by: Chaossaber314 So, unsupported speculation that supports your bias... Good? Unsupported speculation that goes against your bias... Bad?

Nope... I haven't really picked a side or bias..... but the fact that this acusation has been thrown out there, and these suspected agencies have not made any official comments, or even just saying it's silly to think such a thing, kinda begs the question.

And I am speaking in hypothetical.... if this is hypothetically true that these agencies are doing this in their "OWN" country, then one has to ask the question... why are they trying to do this in Russia?

On other words... if this is the case.... wtf don't other countries stop meddling into affairs that do not concern them directly? Isn't this a form of organized political terrorism if true? If russians were doing the same thing in the UK and US, you guys would be all in their defence if they reported it.