Spys Looking For Enough for a Flat Screen TV

Posted by Christopher Eger Mar 11, 2009

In 1900, a Russian Colonel working in Warsaw for the Tsar used an Estonian born agent to turn an Austrian Army Intelligence officer of Ukrainian extraction into one of the most notable spies in history. For the past hundred years the politics have changed almost as often as the borders. This was done for monetary reasons and the Austrian officer, Alfred Redl was well paid. For generations Russian spies, first of the Tsar, then of the GRU penetrated the military's of their neighbors to obtain secrets.

Last week a Ukrainian Colonel, who was serving as the military attaché to the Ukrainian Embassy in Bucharest was declared persona-non-grata and presented with his passport. This stems from an incident brought to light of a Rumanian non-commissioned officer SGT Floricel Achim that offered to sell NATO secrets for $800 (about the price of a moderate flat screen television)

The more things change, the more they stay the same.