Daniel Ruddy
Monday, March 26, 2001

Viewed in this light, the recent arrest of a Russian "mole" in the FBI (agent Robert Hanssen) on charges of espionage against the United States is potentially significant. From what we know, Hanssen did great damage to American national security.

Hanssen offered his services to the Soviet Union during the mid-1980s in the midst of the Cold War, and continued spying for Russia when they became our "friend" after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The major media lead us to believe that Russia no longer poses a threat to the national security of the United States. The brutal truth, however, is that the innate capacity of the Russian state to destroy the United States with nuclear weapons remains intact.

This leads to the question: Why does our "friend" Russia continue to spy on us?

For one thing, it is in its national interest to do so.

Valuable intelligence is valuable intelligence, regardless of whether it originates with a friend or a foe. For instance, Israel's need for such information outweighed the risk it took in spying on its great friend and protector, the United States.

With vital information provided by Jonathan Pollard, the Israelis were able to penetrate Tunisian airspace undetected in 1986 and conduct a successful commando raid in which they assassinated PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat's top deputy.

Most developed nations, including the United States, spy on friends and foes alike. Rumor has it that, by explicit agreement between the two countries, Britain is the only friend the United States does not spy on!

In and of itself, espionage is not a moral or immoral act. It is a means nation states use to gather information in order to make informed decisions and protect their national security.

Indeed, if one recalls the Bible story of Joshua before the city of Jericho, one could argue that spying is sanctioned by God. Joshua, the leader of the Israelite army, sent spies into the city to gain insight into the city's defenses. According to the story, God used Rahab to hide the Israelite spies from the authorities on the roof of her house. God's protection of the spies implies approval of their activities.

That Russia spies on its friends out of national interest should surprise no one. The United States and all responsible nations rightly do the same thing.

Another reason our "friend" Russia might spy on us is to prepare for an unknown future. Today's friend might become tomorrow's enemy.

More troublesome than passive gathering of intelligence (what Israel engaged in) is the use of espionage as an instrument of active deception through the dissemination of disinformation.

Disinformation can be defined as letting your opponent hear what you want them to hear (i.e., controlling how you are perceived by other nations without them knowing that their perception of you is being controlled).

James Jesus Angleton, the CIA's legendary chief of counterintelligence, called espionage the "Wilderness of Mirrors." He meant that it was very difficult to determine whether or not information gleaned from intelligence was genuine. Angleton feared deception and disinformation as a weapon of the Soviet/Russian state.

The greatest value Hanssen offered Russia may have been in the realm of disinformation. According to reports, he revealed a secret tunnel dug under the Russian Embassy in Washington. This tunnel was reportedly used to tap into Russian communications and eavesdrop on conversations within the embassy building itself. In addition, he reportedly revealed other top secret methods and techniques the NSA (National Security Agency) used to tap into Russian communications in the United States and around the world.

The key point to this is that if the Russians knew when and where we were listening they could tell us what they wanted us to hear, tailoring their communication to suit their ends.

If the Russian state were to become hostile, Hanssen and similar spies give them a large strategic advantage because they enable the Russian state to hide their true intentions from a United States that is lulled to sleep.

Yamamoto, the Japanese admiral who led the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, called the United States "a sleeping giant" whom he did not wish to wake. At present Russia may not have the intention of launching a "nuclear Pearl Harbor" and awaken the giant, but spies like Hanssen greatly enhance their capacity to do so if they ever choose this aggressive course of action.

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
Hanssen Spy Case
Russia

Related Products:
Through the Eyes of the Enemy