Russian unlawful agents to fly to Vienna from US.

NEW YORK, July 9 (Itar-Tass) -- Ten Russian unlawful agents deported
from the United States will fly to Vienna onboard a plane provided by the
US government, Tass learned from informed sources on Thursday.
However, it is unclear whether the ten individuals had already left
the United States for Austria for a swap with four spies released from
Russian jails.

.Spy swap to take place in Vienna.

NEW YORK, July 9 (Itar-Tass) -- The swap of ten Russian unlawful
agents for four spies released from Russian jail will take place in Vienna
where the ten individuals will fly from the United States onboard a plane
provided by the US government, Itar-Tass learned from informed sources on
Thursday.
So far it is unclear whether the unlawful agents have already left the
United States.
As for the children of the deported people, they will be permitted to
leave the U.S. at any time, as long as the departure complies with the
wishes of the parents and with any applicable requirements of U.S. law,
according to a senior U.S. administration official.
He also said the released spies in Russia were allowed to fly to
Vienna with their families.

.Russia confirms spy swap.

MOSCOW, July 9 (Itar-Tass) -- The Russian foreign ministry on Friday
confirmed it had been agreed with the United States to swap ten Russian
spies in the USA for four Russian citizens sentenced for spying for the
West.
"The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service and the Central Intelligence
Agency of the United States fulfilled the instructions of their countries
and proceeding from humanitarian considerations and constructive
partnership development are accomplishing in compliance with national
legislations of Russia and the USA the return to the Russian Federation of
ten Russian citizens accused in the United States and a simultaneous
transfer to the United States of four people earlier convicted in the
Russian Federation," the ministry said.
"The action was taken in the general context of improved Russian-US
relations and in order to add new dynamic to them in the spirit of
principled agreements at the top level between Moscow and Washington on
strategic character of Russian-US partnership. The agreement gives grounds
to believe that the course agreed by the leaderships of the Russian
Federation and the United States will be successively implemented in
practice and that attempts to throw the parties off the course will fail,"
the ministry said.

.US justice dept says Russian spies to be expelled.

WASHINGTON, July 9 (Itar-Tass) -- The US Department of Justice said on
Thursday ten people who pleaded guilty of serving as unlawful Russian
agents will be immediately expelled from the United States.
"Under their plea agreements, the defendants were required to disclose
their true identities in court today and to forfeit certain assets
attributable to the criminal offenses," the department said in a statement.
"The defendants known as "Richard Murphy" and "Cynthia Murphy"
admitted they are Russian citizens named Vladimir Guryev and Lydia Guryev
and are agents of the Russian Federation. Defendants "Michael Zottoli" and
"Patrica Mills" admitted they are Russian citizens named Mikhail Kutsik
and Natalia Pereverzeva, and are agents of the Russian Federation.
Defendants "Donald Howard Heathfield" and "Tracey Lee Ann Foley" admitted
they are Russian citizens named Andrey Bezrukov and Elena Vavilova, and
are agents of the Russian Federation. "Juan Lazaro" admitted that he is a
Russian citizen named Mikhail Anatonoljevich Vasenkov and is an agent of
the Russian Federation.
"The defendants Vicky Pelaez, Anna Chapman and Mikhail Semenko, who
operated in this country under their true names, admitted that they are
agents of the Russian Federation; and Chapman and Semenko admitted they
are Russian citizens.
"The United States has agreed to transfer these individuals to the
custody of the Russian Federation. In exchange, the Russian Federation has
agreed to release four individuals who are incarcerated in Russia for
alleged contact with Western intelligence agencies.
"The (swap) agreement we reached today provides a successful
resolution for the United States and its interests," Attorney General Eric
Holder said.

.US sees no benefit in keeping Russian agents in jail.

WASHINGTON, July 9 (Itar-Tass) -- The US Department of State said on
Thursday the incarceration of ten unlawful Russian agents would provide no
benefits and it was better to swap them for four individuals serving
prison terms in Russia for spying for the West.
"No significant national security benefit would be gained from the
prolonged incarceration in the United States of these ten unlawful
agents. The United States took advantage of the opportunity presented to
secure the release of four individuals serving lengthy prison terms in
Russia, several of whom were in poor health," State Department acting
spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement.
"The United States and the Russian Federation agreed that the United
States would transfer these individuals abroad and turn them over to
Russian authorities. The Russian Federation, in turn, would release four
individuals incarcerated in the Russian Federation. A determination to
seek a rapid and comprehensive solution was made on national security and
humanitarian grounds," he said.
-0-nec


Delete & Prev | Delete & Next