FBI assessing fallout of deception

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, FEB. 21. Political and intelligence communities have expressed shock and outrage in the aftermath of charging a 27- year veteran of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with betraying Russian/double agents and selling secrets to Moscow.

The FBI Director, Mr. Louis Freeh, at a press conference said the counter-intelligence agent, Mr. Robert Phillip Hanssen, had access to some of the most sensitive and classified information.

``The criminal conduct alleged represents the most traitorous actions imaginable against a country governed by the rule of law,'' Mr. Freeh remarked.

Recently, Mr. Hanssen was assigned to the State Department but the complaint filed has not alleged any compromises by him there.

On a day dominated by the arrest and subsequent charging of Mr. Hanssen, the FBI has said the fallout and damage assessment of its agent's dealings with the erstwhile Soviet Union and Russian intelligence agencies are being evaluated. But Mr. Freeh said, ``We believe it was exceptionally grave.''

Mr. Hanssen had been working for the Soviet Union's KGB and Russia's SVR for about 15 years and is alleged to have been paid some $1.4 millions in cash and diamonds.

According to Mr. Freeh, Mr. Hanssen, using the code name ``Ramon'', had tried to be extremely careful to the point that he was shocked that the agency had finally caught up with him when finishing one of those ``dead drops'' last Sunday in Arlington; and the package containing $50,000 in exchange for the material dropped off was picked up by the FBI at another location.

What has especially come to bother intelligence agents and senior officials is that Mr. Hanssen had independently confirmed to Moscow the identity of two KGB officials who had been recruited by the U.S.

``When these two KGB officials returned to Moscow, they were tried and convicted on espionage charges and executed,'' Mr. Freeh said.

The President, Mr. George W Bush, has said that he was deeply disturbed by the `extremely serious' allegations. ``This has been a difficult day for those who love our country and especially for those who serve our country in law enforcement and the intelligence community,'' he said adding he had the `utmost' confidence in the FBI Director.

This is only the third time in history that an FBI agent is being arrested on charges of spying for Moscow. And it has been announced that the former Director of the FBI and the CIA, Mr. William Webster, will conduct a full review to see the areas of security breach.

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Section  : International
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