Spy Stuff: Excuse Me, How Many Spies Are in Washington, D.C.?

It’s not surprising to read that Washington, D.C., is a high-target city for international spies. But the number tossed out in an articlepublished by WTOP.com might makes some eyes pop.

Consider the following from this article (the full piece is well worth reading, by the way):

     According to the International Spy Museum in D.C., an educational and historical center of U.S. intelligence documentation and artifacts, there are “more than 10,000 spies in Washington.”

     While there may be some quibbling about the actual numbers, the FBI agrees with the premise.

     “It’s unprecedented — the threat from our foreign adversaries, specifically China on the economic espionage and the espionage front,” said Brian Dugan, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for Counterintelligence with the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

- Ray Keating

Spy Stuff: How Does One of Your Neighbors Become a Spy?

Many stories can be found of otherwise seemingly solid folks becoming spies for America’s enemies. How does that happen?

The FBI offers some interesting insights in “The Case of the Friendly Neighborhood Spy.” The story of William Holden Bell being lured in by Marian Zacharski to hand over secrets to the Polish government, then firmly in the camp of the Soviet Union, is a classic case of a foreign agent preying on an individual in tough circumstances.

Toward the end of this interesting read, it’s noted: “Bell’s betrayal of his country mirrors the story of many others ensnared by foreign spies both past and present. Over time, vulnerable Americans are drawn in with money, companionship, attention, and other “carrots” in exchange for information, which gradually increases in importance, classification level, and quantity.”

- Ray Keating

Spy Stuff: Death of Mossad Spy Who Captured Eichmann

On Saturday, March 23, Rafi Eitan passed away at the age of 92. Eitan led the Israeli Mossad team into Argentina in 1960, and extracted Nazi Adolf Eichmann, one of the architects of the Holocaust. 

According to a Washington Examiner report, “Eitan was not just involved in Eichmann’s apprehension. He also assisted Israel with a number of other national security and intelligence projects, including its nuclear program, and the assassination of the Palestinians involved in the 1972 murder of Israeli athletes at the Olympics.”

The BBC noted, “Speaking to the BBC in 2011, Eitan described Eichmann as "completely average" and laughed off his own hero status, describing himself as only ‘half of James Bond’.”

However, Eitan also was the handler for “Jonathan Pollard, a US analyst who gave thousands of top secret documents to Israel. The FBI issued an arrest warrant for Eitan after Pollard was exposed. Pollard spent 30 years in prison after his capture in 1985.”

- Ray Keating

From 5-Star Review of The River...

In his 5-star review of The River: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel, on Amazon.com, Dean Kavouras notes,

"I've read all of Ray Keating's books so far. This is the best! ... As a Lutheran pastor and retired FBI chaplain I can say that this is about as real as it gets."

http://www.amazon.com/The-River-Pastor-Stephen-Grant/dp/1499514174/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1400091554&sr=1-1