REVIEW TOPICS:
Is Mogilevich’s arrest aimed against Russia’s Medvedev or makes him favour?
UN nuclear agency calls claim that Canadian was recruited by Russian spy baseless
Cold War tunnel archives do not give all answers on spy-vs.-spy play in Berlin
Latvian Interior Minister transferred information on espionage case to Security Police, no penal procedure launched
Latvia’s ruling coalition dissatisfied with actions of counterintelligence service
Security Service of Ukraine initiated action on fact of calls to infringement of country’s territorial integrity
Security Service of Ukraine prevented desecration of Kiev synagogue
Media reporting on secret police harassment campaign against churches in Moldova
Is Mogilevich’s arrest aimed against Russia’s Medvedev or makes him favour?
Eurasian Home Analytical Resource is reviewing last week’s arrest in Moscow of Semyon Mogilevich in the framework of power struggle between influential Kremlin clans that has been sparked by the impending end of Vladimir Putin’s presidency and his decision to back First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev as his successor.
AIA already reported that the Ukrainian-born reputed organized crime boss has been probed by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) for alleged involvement with RosUkrEnergo, the shadowy Swiss-registered gas trading company that is half-owned by Gazprom and acts as a middleman in
| |
|
 |
|
| Semyon Mogilevich |
|
Russian gas exports to Ukraine. US News and World Report marks that Mogilevich is under scrutiny by the US Justice Department for his role in billion-dollar natural gas deals involving Russia and Ukraine. After being targeted by an FBI task force, the reputed mob boss fled Budapest for Moscow, where he lived comfortably for years – and where Russian officials showed no interest in handing him over.
Radio Liberty commentator Vitaly Portnikov alleges that Mogilevich’s arrest was “aimed against highly authoritative and serious people connected with the group that, with the advancement of Dmitry Medvedev to the post of Russian president, gained an undoubted but not an unqualified victory over other groups in the Russian power [structure].” Portnikov was apparently referring to the group of siloviki that includes deputy Kremlin chief of staff Igor Sechin and Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Nikolai Patrushev, which reportedly opposed Medvedev’s accession as Putin’s successor. The commentator underlined that Medvedev was the chairman of the board of directors of Gazprom and Mogilevich was one of the most authoritative and influential gas traders in the post-Soviet space. “RosUkrEnergo is in fact one of the elements in the corporatization of the gas economy in Russia. And those groups that are not in agreement with the possible monopolization of power by the groups that are now bringing Dmitry Medvedev into the presidential post are simply letting their competitors know that they still have quite a number of serious levers of influence.”
Others, however, believe Mogilevich’s arrest was not an action undertaken by the siloviki to harm Medvedev, but one taken by Putin to protect him. The arrest was made reportedly by officers of the Interior Ministry’s economic security department, not by the FSB or the Investigative Committee. The corresponding Interior Ministry’s department is headed by Yevgeny Shkolov, a trusted associate of the President who served together with Putin in the KGB in Dresden.
APN Severo-Zapad cites National Strategy Institute head Stanislav Belkovsky noting that RosUkrEnergo’s executive director, Konstantin Chuichenko was also a classmate and close associate of Medvedev.
Ekho Moskvy commentator Yulia Latynina said that Mogilevich’s arrest was actually a blow by the pro-Medvedev forces against his siloviki opponents. Latynina had never heard Mogilevich’s name associated with that of Medvedev and she stressed that “in Gazprom there are many groups, and Mogilevich was connected to one specific group which represented not so much Gazprom as the siloviki.” Latynina called Mogilevich’s arrest the “most powerful blow against the siloviki group” in recent months. She added, however, that it may not be the last word and speculated that the FSB or Investigative Committee may try to pull rank and take custody of Mogilevich.
UN nuclear agency calls claim that Canadian was recruited by Russian spy baseless
The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, dismissed allegations by a former Russian Foreign Intelligence Service agent who claims in a recently published book that he manipulated the UN's Iraqi oil-for-food program by, among other things, recruiting a Canadian nuclear expert. An account of Sergei Tretyakov, a former deputy head of intelligence at Russia's UN mission in the book "Comrade J.: The Untold Secrets of Russia's Master Spy in America after the End of the Cold War," was published in the United States last week. The Canadian Press is quoting a spokesman for the United Nations nuclear agency as saying by telephone that the allegations are baseless." IAEA spokesman said the agency had already received inquires about a Canadian employed by the agency who a number of online publications and blogs had identified as the Canadian Tretyakov refers to in the book.The spokesman, who asked that he not be identified, did not name the Canadian.
Tretyakov, who defected to the United States with his family in 2000, claims he oversaw an operation that helped Saddam Hussein's regime manipulate the price of Iraqi oil sold under a UN humanitarian program, and allowed Russia to skim profits. He told The Associated Press that among the spies he recruited for Russia while at the UN were a Canadian nuclear weapons expert, a senior Russian official in the oil-for-food program and a former Soviet bloc ambassador. Some of those cited by code name in the book have denied the allegations, while Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service decried Tretyakov's revelations as "self-advertising based on treason," The Associated Press adds.
Cold War tunnel archives do not give all answers on spy-vs.-spy play in Berlin
The recently unveiled details of the American-built tunnel to East Berlin after World War II brings new debate to the spy-vs.-spy Cold War battle, an Earth Times report says. Referring to UPI information, Earth Times writes that intelligence officials began construction on the tunnel in August 1954 and managed to bore 300 yards into Soviet East Berlin 18-months later. According to a CIA account, the CIA and British intelligence officers tapped three telecommunication cables between East Berlin and Soviet sources, gathering more than 25-tons of magnetic tape worth of Soviet secrets.
| |
|
| |
 |
| |
Tunnel shown to reporters by Russians |
The Washington Post reported yesterday on archives records that say that despite awareness of the tunnel's eventual discovery, US intelligence officials heralded it as an intelligence breakthrough. The Soviet Union and East Germans discovered the tunnel April 22, 1956, and the communist authorities paraded 50,000 East Berliners through the tunnel to give them a firsthand glimpse of the enemy's "filthy trick," as one East German official put it, The Washington Post marked. The archives reveal CIA officials discussed the initial plans with a British intelligence officer, George Blake, who later emerged as a mole for the KGB in 1961. A book on Blake's influence as a double agent led intelligence analysts to speculate who duped who in the East German wiretapping project, the paper notes.
According to a book co-written by Blake's KGB handler, Sergei Kondrashev, Soviet intelligence officials were highly concerned about the risk of exposing their source. Heavy rains that damaged one of the cables in the spring of 1956 gave them an excuse to inspect the communications lines and make it appear as if they had stumbled across the tunnel. In his book, Kondrashev said the cable traffic was genuine and that the Soviets hadn't dared transmit false material for fear of compromising Blake. But scholars remain uncertain, The Washingotn Post marks.
Latvian Interior Minister transferred information on espionage case to Security Police, no penal procedure launched
Latvian Prime Minister Ivar Godmanis and Minister of Interior Mareks Seglins have refused to give comments on the so-called espionage case involving an employee of the Ministry of Interior of Latvia, who allegedly transferred confidential information to a Russian diplomat, online paper Delfi reports. Seglins is quoted by the news agency LETA as saying that he had transferred all information he possessed to the Security Police (DP).
„Let the Security Police decide on the question of bringing a suit against the causer", news agency cites Seglins. The Prime Minister refused to make comments on this situation at all, LETA adds. Seglins said earlier that Russian diplomat Alexander Rogozhin who was expelled from Latvia had been purchasing confidential information from a Latvian source. However, the minister did not reveal details, having referred that the situation will clear up tomorrow at a session of the National Security Commission of the parliament. The minister also specified that the names of the officials involved in the scandal are known to him. The acting press secretary of the Constitution Protection Bureau, Iveta Maura, explained a penal procedure had not been launched as teher was no bases for this since the possible threat to the national security had been prevented in the result of the counterspionage operation, according to Delfi.
Latvia’s ruling coalition dissatisfied with actions of counterintelligence service
Representatives of the ruling parties in Latvia are dissatisfied with actions of the Constitution Protection Bureau (SAB) in the connection with the espionage scandal between Latvia and Russia, online paper Delfi reports.
However, it does not mean that the head of the country’s counterespionage agency, Janis Kazocins, will not be re-elected to this post for the second term. According to the leader of the People party parliamentary faction, Maris Kucinskis, there is no bases to consider that presence in Latvia of the Russian Vice-Consul Alexander Rogozhin created any security threat to the Republic of Latvia. "A question why it was necesary to make such noise gives me a bad time”, — Chairman of the parliamentary National Security Commission, Dzintars Jaundzeikars, is quoted by the online paper Delfi as saying. He is especially dissatisfied with that the interview of the counterspionage agency head to one of newspapers where "bragged" of successes of his department. In turn, the New Era party believes, that Kazocins has acted quite professionally. "Though, the politicians from the [ruling] coalition would do everything to find other person who conforms to their requirements", — parliament member Linda Murniece warned.
In May the Latvian parliament should vote either for prolongation of Kazocins’ term of duty or for finding his replacement. It is said that the the the presidential security adviser Raimonds Rozkalns may become the new Constitution Protection Bureau chief. The ruling coalition parties have not officially discussed the question of change of the Constitution Protection Bureau leadership, Delfi says.
Security Service of Ukraine prevented desecration of Kiev synagogue
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) prevented a vandalism act against a Kiev synagogue, news agency Interfax reports today. The news agency says a Ukrainian citizen was detained when he attempted to damage the synagogue and make insulting inscriptions on it. The delinquent tried to resist physically to the Security Service agents. The detained stated that he was promised a cash reward for his criminal actions, Interfax adds.
The Security Service’s special department against xenophobia searches for organizers and assists police investigate the case. The materials complied in course of the inquiry were handed over to the law enforcement agencies to adopt a procedural decision in compliance with article 97 of the Ukraine’s criminal procedure code, according to the news agency.
Security Service of Ukraine initiated action on fact of calls to infringement of country’s territorial integrity
Radio Ekho Moskvy reports that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) initiated wn action on fact of calls to infringement of country’s territorial integrity. It is a question of public addresses of activists of the association the Popular Front Sevastopol - Crimea – Russia.
The so-called Popular Front Sevastopol - Crimea – Russia has been created in August, 2005, and includes 12 public associations of the Crimea peninsula, radio adds. Last year its activists declared the beginning of termless action Ukraine without the Crimea. They said it’s objective was to achieve exception from the Ukrainian constitution of all mentioning of the Crimean autonomy,Ekho Moskvy notes.
Media reporting on secret police harassment campaign against churches in Moldova
More than 60 Bessarabian parish priests have faced intrusive check-ups in recent days, based on orders from Moldova's Prime Minister, weekly paper Tiraspol Times reports. Churches were raided without prior warning by police officers and plainclothes agents from the Information and Security Service (SIS), Moldova's secret police. Officers said that "they have instructions from the Prime Minister," the paper notes.
According to the Tiraspol Times, priests complain of intrusive law enforcement interference and constant Moldova's secret police plays a key role in a coordinated campaign of harassment which is currently underway against religious minorities in questions, insults and threats. Investigative reporter Felix Corley from Norway's Forum 18 News Service has found that Moldova's expulsion of four priests and a nun is part of a campaign of harassment of the Bessarabian Orthodox Church. A Bessarabian priest from a parish in Moldova's poverty-stricken Ungheni District was visited recently by an officer of the Information and Security Service SIS who had come from Chisinau. The visit lasted some twenty minutes and was "not pleasant" for the local priest because of what he regarded as the unwarranted and intrusive questions. Also complaining of police check-ups is Bishop Filaret (Pancu), who leads the diocese in Moldova of the Kiev Patriarchate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Anatoly Cravciuc of the Jehovah's Witnesses congregation asked police to put their reasons in writing but their request was ignored, the weekly paper adds.
Read paid content Price: $3
Also You can pay $15 for access to all reviews of January 2008
Main Page | News Page | 007 News | Print
|
