Important Intelligence Agents/Operations
·
Kim Philby : The Master Spy
New Delhi 30 April 2023. Harold Adrian Russell “Kim” Philby who was one of
the top-ranking MI6 officer is remembered as one of the top infamous traitor of
United Kingdom.
Worked as an under cover of
First Secretary in UK embassy in Washington DC, he was also the Chief Liaison
officer with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) which gave him not only
access to top secret papers of MI6 but also to the first-hand information about
the intelligence liaison between UK and USA.
Despite of being an alcoholic he
never indulged in loose talks thereby working successfully for about 30 years
with intelligence organisations of Soviet Union, where he helped USSR to catch
and hang large number of spies who were working for UK and its friendly
countries. He saved several Russian spies working in western countries.
Hundreds of people died because he shared the details of several secret
operations with USSR which took remedial measures.
Philby worked for NKVD (The
People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs). In the beginning of cold war, he
supplied several vital secrets to USSR. He worked for USSR because of his
communist ideology. He was born in Ambala, Punjab in British India as his
father was a British army officer who also served as a diplomat. Philby’s
father Harry St. John Philby was converted to Islam and also worked in Saudi
Arabia as adviser of King Ibn Sa’ud.
Philby studied at Trinity
College, Cambridge where he got attracted to Marxism and got involved in
serving the communist movement by joining the World Federation for Relief of
the Victims of German Fascism, which was run by German Willi Munzenberg who was
a USSR agent. Munzenberg after seeing the magnetic pull of Philby towards
communism, sent him to Comintern in Vienna where he was recruited by the
Soviets.
USSR intelligence agency
recruited him on the basis of his ideology and his work for Comintern. He was
handled by several intelligence officers including Arnold Deutsch (codename
OTTO), Theodore Maly (codename MAN), and Alexander Orlov (codename SWEDE). In
the early stages of his career, he worked as free-lance journalist as well as
correspondent of leading newspapers and magazines. During this time Soviets
assigned him several espionage missions including collection of intelligence as
well as cultivating new sources for them. The Soviets trained him in using
coded language and he sent reports in coded language to his handling
officers.
In 1940 Guy Burgess a double
agent who was working for Britain as well as for Soviets introduced Philby to
British intelligence officer Marjorie Maxse. He was impressed by the knowledge
and his right-wing cover hence he recruited Philby into the British
Intelligence Service (SIS). Philby, who worked as a journalist nicely
functioned as instructor in teaching the arts of ‘black propaganda’. The top
bosses were impressed by his performance, and he became in charge of Section V
of SIS for the countries Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, and Africa.
He excelled in section V and
came in the notice of Major
General Sir Stewart Graham Menzies, Chief of MI6, the British Secret
Intelligence Service. In 1944 Menzies appointed Philby as head of
newly constituted section IX, which was dealing with counter espionage against
Soviet Union. Soviet Union could not expect a better position for Philby who
was a deep cover agent of Soviet Union in UK.
In 1945 a NKVD officer Konstanin
Volkov informed SIS that he wanted to defect and after defection he would
reveal names of Soviet agents in SIS. However, Philby informed his handler and
NKVD stopped defection of Volkov and he saved not only to himself but several
other Russian agents too.
Philby was posted as SIS head of
Station to British Embassy in Istanbul. Here Philby gave valuable information
to Soviet Union including the size of the stockpile of atomic weapons in United
States. In 1949 when he was posted in British Embassy in Washington DC.
intelligence organisations of both the countries tried a revolution in Albania
which was under the influence of USSR. The intelligence agencies tried for
three years but could not succeed as Philby was informing their plans well in
advance to USSR. Same way intelligence agencies of USA, UK and other western countries
tried to create disturbances in Ukraine but these agencies failed as Soviets
countered their plans because of prior information supplied by Philby.
Philby was also supplying
information about the SIS couriers and agents who were travelling to USSR and
they were caught before they could start their mission. CIA and MI6 became so
upset about their exposure of agents that they suspended the cultivation or
sending of agents to USSR. Philby also informed to his handler about SIS and
CIA’s information about Soviet operations in these countries. He also blocked
reports which disclosed the names of Soviet agents working for US and UK.
In 1950 when SIS asked him to
keep watch on Russian agents in UK embassy in Washington DC he informed Donald
MacLean, Guy Burgess, who were Russian agents to defect to USSR. Both of them
defected to USSR and saved themselves.
Philby came under suspicion, had
to resign and his pension was stopped. But he had not confessed his guilt and
on 25 October 1955 he was cleared and Harold Macmillan Foreign Secretary issued
a statement clearing him from all doubts. MI 6 appointed Philby as “informant
retainer and sent him undercover agent in Beirut. Here he was involved in
Operation Musketeer under which intelligence agencies of Israel, France and UK
tried to overthrow Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt. But USSR which was supporting
Nasser had prior information of their plan hence they could not succeed.
Britain became suspicious and became sure that Russians have some
important mole in SIS. Philby was informed by his handler to be more cautious.
He became a heavy drinker and his behaviour became unreliable. Hence, he was
defected to USSR in January 1963 from Beirut.
Philby’s services were utilised
for training the young KGB agents who were deputed to Western countries. He
married a Russian lady who was 20 years younger to him and died at the age of
76 in 1988. Several books were written on Kim Philby and movies were also
made. Philby also wrote his autobiography “My Silent War” which was published
in west in 1968.
Intelligence agencies recruit
young persons as agents and penetrate them in friendly or hostile countries as
deep cover agents. In 1934 Arnold Deutsch a USSR agent searched UK colleges and
Universities to cultivate young and bright students for espionage work. Kim
Philby was recruited by Deutsch in June 1934. During his long career he
recruited several agents for the Soviets.
Four other persons namely Donald Maclean, Guy Burgess, Anthony Blunt and
John Cairncross also worked for Soviets along with Kim Philby and all these
five persons were known as Cambridge Five. Philby not only escaped himself but
also warned and helped in escaping of his other members of Cambridge Five.
When Philby reached Moscow, he
realised that he was not colonel in KGB but merely an agent. It was a great
shock to him and he became an alcoholic. He raped MacLean’s wife and left his
own wife. Oleg Danilovich Kalugin who was a former KGB general but later
defected to US as he was suspected of spying, met Philby in 1972, who he said
had become a “wreck of a man”. A prestigious newspaper claimed that Philby was
kept under house arrest for first few years as KGB never trusted him fully.
Although they told Philby that British agencies are behind him and he may be
killed. At the last leg of his life, he was not treated as a hero in USSR but a
defector who was not trusted completely. He was under depression and became an
alcoholic. There were also rumours that he committed suicide. 25 years after
defection he died in 1988 at the age of 76. He was disillusioned not only from
his life but also from communism and tortured himself and repented for his
treachery.
Generally, the end of agents is
always tragic because if they are caught in the country, they were operating
they would be severely tortured and would be awarded death sentence. In case
they succeed in escaping to the country for which they were working, that
country would not trust him or her fully. Generally, they do not get any
important job in their adopted country. Their handling officers also do not
help them much. Philby thought that he did so much service to KGB hence they
would give him a high job with a huge office but KGB also did not trust him
completely. The Soviets honoured him after his death and he was awarded a
hero’s funeral and few medals were also given to him.
(Jai Kumar Verma is a
Delhi-based strategic analyst and Life member of United Services Institute of
India and member of Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and
Analyses. The views in the article are solely the author’s. He can be contacted
at editor.adu@gmail.com)
https://www.aviation-defence-universe.com/the-high-value-double-agent-katrina-leung/
The high value
double agent Katrina Leung
By Jai
Kumar Verma
New Delhi. 31
October 2022. Spying is the world’s second oldest profession.
Kautilya the great Indian statesman mentioned about spies, Vish Kanyas
(poisonous girls) in his famous book “Arthashastra” which was written in four
BC. Kautilya who was also known as Chanakya vividly mentioned about Covert
Operations which were described as the most vital element of state. The use of
spies was also mentioned in the ‘Book of Joshua’.
In the
present world the importance of intelligence is considerably enhanced. The
powerful nations collect intelligence about foes as well as friends as in
international relations friends turn enemies and vice versa. Hence collection
of intelligence is a continuous process. There are agents, sub-agents,
conscious as well as unconscious sources. However, one has to be incredibly
careful so that the agent does not become double agent as it can be extremely
harmful for the country. The double agents must be handled very carefully as
they are double edged weapons.
Katrina Leung
was a high value Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent who worked for 18
years, and FBI paid her $1.7 million for services and expenses. But she was a
double agent and also worked for Chinese intelligence agency Ministry of State
Security (MSS) and supplied classified documents to MSS without authorisation
from FBI. The US State Department alleged that she supplied information
pertaining to national defence and also compromised classified details of FBI’s
Chinese counterintelligence programme. She had several nom de plumes including
Chen Man Ying, Chen Wen Ying, Luo Zhongshan, Parlor Maid etc.
Leung
emigrated to the United States on Taiwanese passport at the tender age of 16
years. Took her education in US which made her case strong. In 1980 she
developed close relationship with a PRC activist, who was involved in illegal
transfer of technology to China from US. She also worked as general manager in
an import-export firm which was also investigated by FBI. She was investigated
by FBI under the suspicion that she was collecting intelligence and was
supplying it to PRC however FBI closed the investigation once she left the job.
James J Smith
who was Special agent of FBI again investigated her in 1981 but she impressed
her so much that he raised her as a source and gave her nom de plume of “Parlor
maid”. She got US citizenship in March 1984 with assistance from her handling
officer (HO) Smith. On the recommendation of HO, FBI formulated a plan so that
she can be recruited by MSS and becomes a double agent. In June 1984 she was
recruited by MSS although Chinese intelligence agency had information that she
was a low-level source of FBI. Leung was intelligent and she passed two
polygraph tests one in 1984 and the other in1986 successfully and hence no
doubt was raised by FBI. Later she avoided polygraph tests with active
assistance from Smith.
As a double
agent she became important in FBI as well as in Chinese Community residing in
West Coast. She not only entertained Chinese diplomatic officials but also
influenced Yang Shangkun President of China who became her patron. FBI financed
her frequent trips to China where she was recruited by MSS.
In view of
her information and on the basis of Smith’s recommendations FBI started giving
monthly payments to her from August 1984.
FBI as well
as Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) also appreciated her reports which were
corroborated by another American asset reporting about China. She was sent to
China after Tiananmen Square massacre and submitted the firsthand report about
the political situation in China. She travelled to China and submitted a report
when no information was coming out of China.
In 1990 FBI
came to know that she passed classified information to MSS about FBI’s secret
and sensitive technical counterintelligence operation. Nevertheless, Smith who
developed intimate relationship with her defended her and the FBI had not put
the details in her file although there were several communications on this
issue. Not putting papers that she supplied classified information in file of
Leung, was a big security lapse.
Again, there
was a red flag in April 1991 when FBI got an audio tape in which Leung was
informing MSS about the trip of FBI agent to China. Here she used a nom de
plume to pass information to MSS. Smith again defended her and convinced his
seniors that it is not prudent to discard Leung. The senior officers of FBI
agreed to the recommendations of Smith because of his vast experience as well
as the fact that he was handling Leung. Although the enquiry was set up, but
they failed to ask how she got the information. As the previous incidents were
not in the file the enquiry officers considered it as a first breach hence took
a lenient view.
In 1992, FBI
received trustworthy information that a woman namely Katrina in the FBI is a
double agent and was supplying information to PRC. The FBI enquired the matter,
but no action was taken. Again in 1992 Smith went to United Kingdom on pleasure
trip and took Leung with him. Smith’s supervisor suspected it and went to
receive Smith at airport. Although the supervisor noticed Leung with Smith but
because of her dependence on Smith the supervisor failed to mention this breach
of security in Leung’s file.
Nonetheless
in May 2000 FBI again got reliable information that Leung was passing sensitive
information about US to MSS. The surveillance and other investigation started,
and it was revealed that she had intimate relationship with her handler Smith
who was retired in November 2000. She also had infrequent relationship with
another FBI Special Agent William Cleveland who was retired in 1993. Cleveland
was stationed at San Francisco and Smith introduced Leung to him. Cleveland was
a religious person, and sexual relationship was established because of Leung’s
initiatives. The possibility that Leung lured Cleveland to gather information
about San Francisco office cannot be ruled out. According to intelligence norms
Smith should not have introduced her to other FBI officials. It is a big
security breach. It also came to light that in past FBI came to know about few
incidents about Leung passing information to MSS, but the cases were suppressed
by the HO as he had intimate relationship with her.
As the
suspicion on Leung was enhancing FBI started her surveillance from December
2001, after retirement of Smith. When her house was searched some incriminating
material was also found. In November 2002 FBI also searched her baggage before
and after her visit to China and found that she gave six photographs of FBI
agents to MSS in China. In December 2002 she transmitted a top-secret document
of FBI to MSS which was brought by Smith.
Both Smith
and Leung were arrested in April 2003. The enquiry of the case was assigned to
the Office of Inspector General (OIG). The OIG charged that although FBI
received information several times that Leung is supplying classified documents
to MSS but no action was taken against her as well as her handler Smith who was
protecting her. The basic reason for avoiding any action against Smith was that
FBI’s China programme was horribly understaffed. As the FBI’s China programme
was directly involved in the security of the country hence it should not be
understaffed.
Secondly as
the relations between China and US were normalised in 1979, the flow of Chinese
students and businessmen increased manifold. FBI planned to raise more sources
in Chinese community but because of paucity of staff they could not take
requisite actions.
Thirdly at
this time, the headquarters of FBI delegated too many powers to field
particularly about raising, handling, and terminating of the sources. Although
there were positive results also because of devolution of power but as the
control of headquarters loosened the chances of mishaps increased and the case
of Leung occurred.
Fourthly
Smith who was a graduate and Vietnam veteran had a good reputation in FBI and
his superiors relied on his judgement. Although he was promoted but continued
handling of Leung which is wrong from security angle. Agents are the assets of
department and country, not of any individual.
The FBI also
ignored background of Leung who entered on fake passport of Taiwan and the
story she told to Smith and her initial story at the time of entering US were
different. The FBI should have made more stringent enquiry on the past of Leung
because of difference in the story mentioned in the record and the story
narrated by her to Smith.
The chances
that China sent her to US as a deep cover agent cannot be ruled out as she
entered on Taiwanese passport and started contacting FBI personnel since 1970.
In 1980 she shifted to Log Angles and stayed in an apartment building which was
known as “nest of spies”. Here she also worked as General Manager in
import-export company which was allegedly involved in illegal transfer of
technology to PRC. Although FBI investigated about the firm but Leung left the
company. FBI also came to know that she had intimate relations with a pro-PRC
activist who was involved in technology transfer from US to PRC. But FBI
dropped investigation against Leung when she left the job. In fact, more
in-depth investigation should have conducted to ascertain why she left the job.
Smith raised
Leung in 1982 after several interviews in which she was very informative and
cooperative. Smith handled her for 18 years till he was retired in 2000. Smith
was methodical and conducted full enquiry before her recruitment. However, in
less than a year they developed sexual relationship which is unfortunate for
any professional intelligence officer. Smith saved her several times because of
the fear of an enquiry which would reveal his relationship with her and also
because of sexual relationship, he developed soft corner for her.
In 1996 Smith
was promoted, but continued to be posted at Los Angeles, started discussing and
taking the advice of Leung about various counterintelligence operations of FBI
against PRC. It was a Himalayan breach of security as the HO should not discuss
other operations with the source and that too with a double agent.
FBI had good
network of sources in PRC intelligence nexus and they repeatedly reported about
Leung working for PRC but under one pretext or other action was not taken
against her. Even when it was reported that PRC has an internal source in FBI
no action was taken.
However, in
December 2001 FBI decided to launch a full enquiry on Leung and it was
disclosed that Smith and Leung had more intimate relationship than required
between an agent and handling officer. Consequent upon a detailed enquiry both
Smith and Leung were arrested on 9 April 2003 and later sentenced imprisonment.
The detailed
enquiry revealed that although Smith was the main culprit but his bosses also
failed to investigate the case against Smith although red flag was raised
several times. There was over confidence on Smith and as she was a double agent
some leverage was given to her which was also a breach of security.
The other
great mistake was that whenever some adverse report was made against her either
it was not enquired well or even in case of enquiry the report was not kept in
her file.
(Jai Kumar
Verma is a Delhi-based strategic analyst and Life member of United Services
Institute of India and member of Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies
and Analyses. The views in the article are solely the author’s. He can be
contacted at editor.adu@gmail.com)
https://www.aviation-defence-universe.com/case-history-of-c-i-a-officer-aldrich-hazen-ames-who-worked-for-kgb/#.YXL-bgR0qwM.whatsapp
Case history of C.I.A Officer Aldrich Hazen Ames who worked for KGB
By Jai Kumar Verma
New Delhi. 21 October 2021. Aldrich Hazen Ames, an officer of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
who served several years in Directorate of Operations which was directly
dealing with Russia and Eastern European countries, was arrested for the
charges of espionage by The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 1994. Ames
who worked for KGB for about nine years was arrested along with his second wife
Rosario who also worked as CIA agent before her marriage with Ames. She
assisted and abetted Ames in his espionage activities and the court awarded a
five-year imprisonment to her for espionage and tax evasion. The court
sentenced life imprisonment without parole to Ames. In the United States life
imprisonment is most stern punishment after death penalty while life
imprisonment without parole means that Ames has to pass rest of his life in
prison. Ames compromised highly placed CIA assets in comparison to any other
CIA officer until Robert Hansen who was arrested seven years later in 2001.
The Directorate of Operations of CIA is responsible
for collection of intelligence, conducts clandestine operations which most of
the time are illegal. The clandestine operations include subversion,
overthrowing of unfriendly regimes and financial and other assistance to
friendly political personalities of different countries of the world.
Ames was fluent in Russian and specialised in
Russian intelligence services including KGB. When he was posted at CIA
headquarters in Soviet/East European Division he volunteered to work for KGB on
16 April 1985. Ames gave the names of two KGB officers who may have defected.
KGB realised his importance and paid him USD 50,000. As Ames volunteered for
money and was working in Soviet & East European Division, he gave details
of sources and contacts of CIA and FBI supplying information about Soviet
Union. Besides human sources he also gave details about the technical
operations launched by U.S. against Soviets. Ames also met Moscow based KGB
officer in Bogota, Colombia. He did foreign postings in Mexico, Italy, and
other places where he continued working for KGB.
When he was returning from Rome after completing
his posting his KGB handling officer gave him the details of KGB officer in
Washington DC to whom he had to contact. His handling officer also told him
that KGB paid him $ 1.88 million in four years. Ames returned to C.I.A.
Headquarters in 1989 and continued supplying information to KGB through DLB.
The KGB officer was paying money through another Dead Drop. Here it is
important that they were using different Dead drops for supplying documents and
for paying money. It was an important precaution.
Ames gave information about Russians who were
working for C.I.A. The KGB took immediate action and C.I.A. spies were arrested
and executed. It raised suspicion against Ames who had unaccounted wealth hence
an enquiry was initiated against him in May 1993. The FBI launched both
physical and electronic surveillance against him and clandestine searches of
his residence revealed his connection with KGB as some incriminating documents
were also recovered.
The F.B.I. also decoded his signal (A chalk mark on
a mailbox) that he was ready to meet his handling Officer at Bogota, Colombia.
As Ames was a trained intelligence officer FBI could not catch him along with
his handling officer but they observed both of them separately at Bogota. In
1994 when he had to attend a conference in Moscow he and his wife were arrested
on 21 February 1994.
During sustained interrogation he revealed that he
disclosed the identities of several agents of C.I.A. and F.B.I. and few of them
were executed by the then USSR authorities. Government has also seized his
assets worth $ 547,000.
Ames father also worked in CIA but got negative
appraisal because of alcoholism. Ames did small jobs in CIA when he was a
student. He joined CIA under Career Trainee Program, although he had
several alcohol related skirmishes with police. In Turkey Ames successfully
penetrated in Marxist-Leninist organisation namely Dev-Genc organisation but
his performance remained ‘satisfactory’. His performance improved when he was
posted in CIA headquarters as well as when he was posted in New York and
handled two important Soviet agents. However, his drinking habit, delay in
submission of accounts and one or two security breaches also came to notice
which were ignored.
In 1981 he was posted to Mexico City where he had
more than three extramarital affairs. Later he married with Rosario who was
also his informant. His performance was lacklustre because of heavy drinking.
He also quarrelled with a Cuban official in a diplomatic reception because of
excessive consumption of alcohol.
The C.I.A. ignored all these shortcomings and in
September 1983, he was posted back in Department of Operations to deal with
counterintelligence operations against Soviet Union. He got access to CIA plans
and operations against KGB and GRU. Meanwhile he took divorce with Nancy and
agreed to pay about $46000/. He reached near bankruptcy and thought to start
working for Soviets to earn money. His second wife Rosario was a heavy spender
and it increased his financial problems.
In April 1985 Ames contacted Soviets with some
information and demanded $50,000. Soviets knowing his utility immediately paid
the money. Initially Ames thought that he will just supply information once or
twice and when his financial debt is paid, he will stop working. However, once
you cross the line you “could never step back”.
At the outset Ames gave names of 10 CIA agents who
were supplying information pertaining to Soviet Union. These agents were neutralised
and soon CIA realised that its assets dealing with Soviet Union are fast
compromised. Initially CIA rejected the possibility of a Soviet mole in agency
and thought it may be possible because of breaking of a code or because of
Soviet bugging. CIA also suspected other employee instead of Ames. However,
when three important CIA assets were compromised the needle of suspicion
pointed towards Ames, he complained to his handling officer that immediate
eliminating of assets is not correct. The handling officer agreed to it but
told that the decision was at highest political level.
Ames became greedy and continued meeting his
handling officer, as on every meeting he was receiving $20,000 to $50000. Ames
received $4.6 million from KGB and he started to live the lifestyle which a CIA
officer cannot afford although he tried to concoct a story that he is getting
money from the affluent family of his second wife. But after some time, the
reality came out that his in-laws are not wealthy.
Ames also told his handling officer that now he is
under suspicion, hence KGB through another source tried to misguide CIA that
mole was in Warrenton Training Centre (WTC) and it distracted the CIA from
Ames. In 1986, Ames was posted to Rome, there also his performance because of
excessive drinking remain poor but in 1990-91 he was again posted at a very
sensitive place where he was dealing with ‘double agents’ in CIA office. It
appears that because of his fluent Russian and his knowledge about Soviet Union
he was posted again and again in the section dealing with Soviet Union.
Meanwhile in 1986 CIA instituted a team to find out
the cause of leak. The team after analysing several angles came to the
conclusion that there is a mole in CIA who is supplying the information to KGB.
As they were not able to pinpoint the person the recruitment of Soviet agents
was stopped for some time.
In November 1989 a fellow colleague of Ames
reported that the lifestyle of Ames is very lavish and his Colombian wife’s
family is not very rich but CIA went slowly. Ames also passed two polygraph
tests in 1986 and 1991.
However, CIA officials revealed that Ames is living
beyond his means wearing tailor made suits, purchased a house worth $ 540,000,
maintaining Jaguar luxury car, possess primum credit cards, just to name few.
In view of his luxurious lifestyle the CIA and FBI
initiated an exhaustive investigation by putting electronic as well as physical
surveillance, his car and house were also bugged. After his arrest, he
and his wife were charged for spying for Soviet Union and then Russia.
According to an estimate about a hundred U.S. assets were compromised and about
10 were executed by Russia because of his information. KGB also fed
disinformation to US which were used for planning and even sent to US President.
Lessons learnt
1.Once a person starts working as an spy for an
intelligence organisation of other country and if he/she supplies useful
information the intelligence organisation of other country will not leave him.
Here Ames when he came back from Italy and was posted at C.I.A. headquarters,
his handling officer told him that he should continue working in Hqrs and also
told him that KGB paid him $ 1.88 million dollars. The end of a spy is either
he is caught or he commits suicide. Hence one should be careful as one cannot
retrace his steps.
2. C.I.A. had also not considered that
Ames was spendthrift and from where he will pay $ 46000 as divorce settlement
with first wife. Initially Ames thought that he will just supply information
once or twice and when his financial debt is paid, he will stop working.
However, once you cross the line you “could never step back”. Security agencies
should be careful with all its personnel especially with those who are working
in sensitive sections.
3. Russians arrested and executed C.I.A spies
immediately after getting information from Ames and it exposed him. In fact,
Russians should have waited for some time more. It is an important lesson for
all security agencies.
4. Ames came under suspicion because of his
extravagant lifestyle and arrest of C.I.A agents whose details were given by
Ames to KGB. Intelligence officers should be careful while making the payment
as the agent should not adopt the life style which is beyond his known sources
of income.
5. The counter intelligence officers can also
decode the code hence one should be extremely careful. Here the F.B.I. sleuths
decoded his chalk mark on mailbox which meant that he was ready to meet his
handling officer at Bogota.
6. CIA ignored his alcohol related skirmishes with
police and he was allowed to join Career Trainee Program of CIA which should be
avoided.
7. C.I.A. again discounted his alcohol related
problem as well as extramarital relations in Mexico. One extramarital relations
was with his agent. The rival intelligence organisations always tries to
exploit the weaknesses of prospective targets.
8. We must brief our agents that no incriminating
material should be kept in residence as it gives conclusive evidence of the
espionage. When F.B.I. searched the residence of Ames it recovered documents
which proved his links with Russian intelligence agency.
9. Ames was fluent in Russian language, also raised
Russians as sources and had knowledge of Russia hence he was posted again and
again on the section dealing with Russia but it is also advisable not to post a
person again and again in the same section as he may exploit his position. Not
only this his performance in Italy was poor and he was known alcoholic hence he
should not be posted in such a sensitive section.
10. At the time of recruitment of intelligence
agencies it is important that his/her previous history must be checked
thoroughly. Here if the previous history would have been checked then it could
be revealed that he and his father both were alcoholics. The sensitive
departments should avoid taking these type of persons.
11. Although Ames revealed the names and details of
hundreds of spies working for CIA all over the world but the most important
U.S. spy who was exposed by him was General Dimitri Fedorovich Polyakov. He was
a Soviet Major General in Soviet Intelligence Agency GRU. He gave information
to both CIA and FBI. In FBI his code name was TOPHAT (Top Hat) while in CIA he
had code names BOURBON and ROAM. Major General Polyakov also worked in
India as Military Attaché.
(Jai Kumar Verma is a Delhi-based strategic analyst and member of United
Services Institute of India and Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. The
views in the article are solely the author’s. )
The
able Colonel Abel: Russian Principal Agent
Courtesy : Veterans Today
By Jai Kumar Verma
New Delhi. 20 January 2022. In June 2010 when ten Russian spies,
who were living in U.S. as deep cover agents, were caught, the press recapped
the case of Colonel Abel, who was caught more than fifty years back.
The Author
Colonel Rudolf Abel was not only the top most Soviet spy apprehended in
United States but he was also one of the most notorious spy of the cold war
era. The able Colonel Abel was arrested in October 1957 by Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI), which is the domestic intelligence and security service
and principal federal law enforcement agency of the country. His arrest was a
classic case of cold war when the cover of an undercover agent was blown by his
own junior. The U.S. court sentenced him, 30 years of imprisonment but he
remained in prison just little more than four years. He was exchanged for
Francis Gary Powers who was the pilot of U-2 plane which was shot down by USSR
in 1960.
Colonel Abel was the highest-ranking Russian who was arrested and
sentenced for the espionage in U.S. Abel was a dedicated Communist like his
father and joined Russian army as a radio operator. He took active part in
intelligence operations against Germans in World War II. After the war he
joined KGB and was sent to U.S. as Deep Cover Agent. He was selected as deep
cover agent, as he was born on 11 July 1903 in North Of England (United
Kingdom) to Russian parents who were residing in U.K. as refugees. His real
name was William August Fisher and his parents were Heinrich and
Lyubov Fisher who were revolutionaries of the Tsarist era. Not only this his
father was German while mother was a Russian. His father was a revolutionary
and worked with Vladimir Lenin, hence in 1896 Abel’s (Though the real name of
Abel was William August Fisher but for the article we will continue with his
name as Abel) father was arrested and sentenced to three years internal exile
and was compelled to migrate to U.K. in 1901. In U.K. as a devout communist, he
was involved in sending arms and ammunition to Baltic countries. Abel was
intelligent and won scholarships in his educational career. After Russian
Revolution in 1921, he along with his family returned to Moscow.
Besides Abel’s family background he was also fluent in English, German,
Polish, Yiddish, and Russian languages. Hence, he was an ideal person for deep
cover agent. After serving in Red Army, he joined OGPU (predecessor of KGB) in
1927 and served as Radio Operator in Norway, Turkey, United Kingdom and France.
After return from foreign assignments in 1936 he was made head of the unit
which was training radio operators for illegal assignments.
Courtesy : hubpages.com
Although he was not punished in ‘Great Purge’, even though his
brother-in-law was a Trotskyist, hence opposed to Stalin but he was terminated
from service in 1934 but again recalled during World War II to train radio
operators for covert work against Germans. He also participated in an important
Operation Scherhorn very successfully and because of his good work he was given
the posting of U.S. as a Deep Cover Agent.
Abel was given extensive training and more or less a fool proof cover
story. First, he was given a short-term cover and then a deep cover. His deep
cover was like a skin of an onion, layer after layer which was difficult for
the counter-intelligence agencies to detect and blast the cover.
In 1948, Abel travelled to Warsaw on Soviet passport and from Warsaw he
travelled on U.S. passport as Andrew Kayotis. From Warsaw first he went to
Czechoslovakia then to Switzerland and to Paris. Andrew was a Lithuanian born
U.S. citizen who went to Soviet Union and died. However, Soviets kept his
passport, which was later used by Abel, who entered in U.S. from Montreal in
November 1948.
In November a Soviet support agent namely Josef Romvoldovich Grigulevich
met him and gave him a genuine birth certificate and few forged documents on
the name of Emil Robert Goldfus and $ 1000/. Josef took the passport and other
documents pertaining to Kayotis from Abel. Now Abel’s new identity was of
Goldfus and had no documents of Kayotis, which was his previous identity. The
original Goldfus expired about 14 moths back and Soviet Intelligence agency
kept his documents for future use in operations.
Abel met KGB officer posted in Soviet Consulate in U.S. in July 1949 and
got money from him. Once Abel received the money, he was instructed to revive
the network of agents as they were supplying information about atomic secrets.
He contacted Lona Cohen (code name Lesle), and her husband Morris Cohen
(code name Luis) and Theodore Ted Hall (code name MLAD). Mlad was supplying information
pertaining to atomic secrets while Lesle and Luis were the couriers. Later
other agents including Aden, Serb, Hall, and Silver also joined the network
which was known as “Volunteer network”. Abel was collecting secret documents
either in third countries or through DLBs or couriers. His meetings with agents
were as less as feasible.
Besides collecting classified information, he was also transmitting
secret information to USSR through high powered radios. As he supplied
important information, he was awarded Order of the Red Banner a significant
Soviet medal which was given to military personnel. Abel volunteered to come to
U.S. as an agent without diplomatic immunity, it indicates his patriotism and
devotion to intelligence work.
In 1950 Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were caught. Their courier was Lona
Cohen hence it was expected that Abel may also be caught. However, the FBI
could not break Rosenberg hence Abel and his network remained safe. It also
indicates professionalism of Abel as he was adhering to the security
norms.
Abel as a ‘Principal Agent’ expanded his network and needed some
assistance hence in 1952 KGB sent Reino Hayhanen (Code name VIK). He
came to U.S. after assuming the identity of Eugene Nikolai Maki. His father and
mother both were US citizens and they migrated to Estonia in 1927. Hayhanen
reached Finland in 1949, obtained original birth certificate of Maki and lived
three years in Finland to strengthen his cover of Maki. Hayhanen spent two
years in New York to establish his identity as Maki, he was paid by KGB through
DLB (Dead Letter Box).
Courtesy :BBC
Hayhanen was a heavy drinker and was fighting with his wife Hannah. No
body contacted him for six months however in the DLB he found a hollowed-out
nickel which he lost before he could have opened it. Loosing anything like this
by intelligence officer or an agent is like committing suicide. As intelligence
is battle of wits where there is not a second chance. However, the hollow
nickel moved to several persons but remained unopened. After about seven months
it reached to FBI, but they also could not decipher the microphotograph, which
contained a coded message. It reveals that the KGB was taking full precautions
with the operations connected with Abel.
In 1953, Abel opened a studio and rented a room in a boarding house in
Brooklyn. As he took the cover of a photographer hence his irregular working
hours, going out and meeting people raised no suspicion. Here he developed
friendship with artists but allowed only one friend to come to his studio.
Hayhanen started working with him in 1954 and had to collect and put the
reports in DLBs but he missed it several times. Abel was unhappy because of
heavy drinking of Hayhanen and his casual approach towards the intelligence
work. Both Abel and Hayhanen had gone to Bear Mountain Park and concealed
$5,000 which had to be given to the wife of Soviet spy Morton Sobell who was
undergoing a thirty years jail term.
Abel also realised, when he returned to New York in 1956 that Hayhanen
was not clearing the DLBs and the network which he created was shattered in his
absence. The money which Hayhanen received from KGB to run the network was
spent by him in alcohol and prostitutes. Abel understood that Hayhanen was a
wrong choice and he reported the matter to Moscow. The KGB headquarters also
realised that Hayhanen was not fit for the clandestine job and he would smash
the whole network carefully created by Abel.
Hence in 1957 Hayhanen received a message that he was promoted to the
rank of Lieutenant Colonel and he was also granted leave to visit Soviet Union.
Nonetheless Hayhanen understood that it was a trap and if he returned back to
Soviet Union he would be punished and may be killed. Hence, he not only delayed
his departure but told Abel that he is under surveillance of FBI. When Abel
told him to leave U.S. urgently, he went to Bear Mountain Park recovered $5,000
and went to Paris. In May 1957 he telephoned and then went to U.S. Embassy in
Paris. He told to U.S. Embassy official that he was a Soviet Intelligence
Officer and was working in U.S.A from last five years. But now he was recalled
to Moscow and he is afraid that he would be punished, hence he want to defect.
Hayhanen also gave a hollow Finnish 5-mark coin to C.I.A. official to show his
credibility. He was drunk when he entered U.S. Embassy and met Embassy
official. The hollow coin had a microfilm.
Hayhanen was sent to U.S. after FBI checked his story. He cooperated
with FBI and besides others he also gave the code name and detailed description
of Abel. He also disclosed the location of studio and address of the residence
of Abel and told that he was his senior. Hayhanen disclosed that he and Abel
were meeting at crowded places and only when it was very necessary. They were
exchanging messages and reports through DLBs. He disclosed the locations of all
the DLBs. The hollow articles like pen, screws, coins batteries etc. were also
used to send reports and messages.
However, the KGB was able to know about the disappearance
of Hayhanen quite late but when came to know it instructed Abel to
leave U.S. urgently. But it was difficult as Hayhanen disclosed about all the
identities of Abel. KGB’s Ottawa office tried to procure two passports as well
as Canadian Communist Party also procured a new passport on the name of Robert
Callan but before Abel could get these passports he was arrested by the FBI.
Before arrest Abel remained under tight surveillance but as Abel was a trained
intelligence Officer, he detected the surveillance but could not leave the
country as he had no valid passport.
FBI also took the photograph of Abel and showed it to Hayhanen and once
he confirmed, Abel was arrested on 21 June 1957 from his residence. Before his
arrest Abel made up his mind that he would not turn a traitor as he had faith
in KGB and he loved his wife Elena Lebedeva and daughter Evelyn. He had
confidence that KGB would take him out from the prison.
Before his arrest FBI officer addressed him as colonel to show that his
cover has blown and told that they have information that he was involved in
espionage activities. FBI also offered him to cooperate but Abel refused. Once
he refused to cooperate FBI called officials of Immigration and Naturalisation
Service (INS) and Abel was arrested. He was arrested through INS as FBI wanted
to keep Abel as long as possible so that they can persuade him to work as
double agent. But when he refused to betray, he was charged for espionage.
Abel was taken to Federal Alien Detention Facility in McAllen, Texas
where he was kept for six weeks. During interrogation he told that he was a
Soviet citizen and his name was Rudolf Ivanovich Abel, he took this name as
real Abel was a colonel in KGB who expired sometime back. He took the name of
Col Abel as he knew that once it will be published in newspapers that Colonel
Abel a soviet spy was apprehended, the KGB would know that he was arrested.
FBI searched his residence and studio and found incriminating material
including cipher pads, cameras, and films to produce microdots, hollow shaving
brush and several other material.
He was tried as a Russian spy hence lawyers of Brooklyn Bar Association
refused to take his case. After great effort James B Donovan accepted to
contest his case. Hayhanen, his former assistant testified against Abel in the
court and court found him guilty and announced a total of 30 years
imprisonment.
Abel’s faith in KGB had not gone waste and on 10 February 1962 he was
exchanged with Francis Gary Powers who was the pilot of U 2 Plane shot down by
USSR. He remained in U.S. prison little more than four years. Once he reached
home, he met his wife and daughter.
KGB extolled his achievement of working as an under-cover agent for nine
years in U.S. KGB employed him and utilised his services for delivering
speeches and lectures to students about the intelligence activities. He also
appeared in a Soviet spy movie namely “Dead Season” and also worked
as consultant in the movie. He was a chain smoker and died because of lung
cancer on 15 November 1971. He was buried in his real name and it was mentioned
that he was the spy who never “broke”.
Photo from Deutsche Presse-Agentur,
taken on the day of the exchange of spies between US & USSR in 1962 on the
bridge between East ^ West Germany
As a principal agent Colonel Abel created a network in U.S. and stayed
there for nine years as an under-cover agent. He was caught because his
assistant who was sent from Moscow was an alcoholic, careless and work shirker.
Later he defected and exposed Abel. The FBI allured Abel to cooperate but he as
a true patriot and intelligence officer had not lost faith in his parent
organisation and not disclosed the names of his contacts. In this way he saved
the lives of several KGB agents. As FBI wanted to convert Abel into double
agent his arrest was kept secret, no legal assistance was provided and there
was no press coverage about his arrest. Just within five hours of his arrest
Abel was secretly taken to a federal detention centre in McAllen Texas. There
he was kept for about seven weeks and during interrogation FBI attempted to
convert him into double agent and also tried to obtain information about Soviet
intelligence network, Stalin’s misdeeds etc. As his assistant Hayhanen already
defected FBI miscalculated that Abel would also agree to work for them but Abel
was one of the most professional spy and chalked out his line of action before
his arrest. Once FBI was convinced that Abel would not work as double agent he
was taken back to New York and charged for capital charges of military and
atomic espionage.
Besides “Dead Season” other films and documentaries including “Unknown
Abel”, “The US Government against Rudolf Abel”, “Bridge of Spies” were made. In
1990 USSR released a stamp portraying Rudolf Abel. The importance of Abel’s
case can be adjudged by the fact that CIA considered to publish a report after
two years of exchange of Abel. The secret report was written on Abel and put up
in his file.
Nonetheless after return from U.S., Abel was compulsorily retired from
KGB as it was suspected that American might have won over and he may work as a
double agent. He was given a modest pension and was allowed to publish his
memoirs after approval from KGB in 1968. On KGB behest he delivered lectures to
intelligence officers and narrated his experiences. He died in 1971 and
his remains were buried at Donskoy Monastery and his tombstone carried his real
name i.e. William August Fisher.
A lesson learnt from this case is that the spies work under great
pressure as they live a dual life, which is always very complicated and
strenuous. Hence large number of spies are drunkards as alcohol lessens stress.
It also reduces fears and divert the mind from troubles. Sometimes it makes you
bold and courageous. In this case Hayhanen went to U.S. Embassy in Paris when
he was drunk. However heavy drinking is harmful for health as well as mind and
too much alcohol can lead to blackouts, excessive expenditure and one may
indulge in other vices. Hence intelligence agencies should keep a watch
so their agents and officials do not indulge in excessive drinking. Hayhanen
because of his heavy drinking took the work casually and later he exposed the
whole operation.
(Jai Kumar Verma is a Delhi-based strategic analyst and member
of United Services Institute of India and Institute for Defence Studies and
Analyses. The views in the article are solely the author’s. He can be contacted
at editor.adu@gmail.com)
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