Russian agents pose danger to US
Source: Agencies |
July 12, 2010, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
WHILE they passed along no United States secrets, the 10 Russian sleeper agents involved in the spy swap posed a potential threat to the US and received "hundreds of thousands of dollars" from Russia, Attorney General Eric Holder said.
"Russia considered these people as very important to their intelligence-gathering activities," he told CBS television's "Face the Nation" in an interview broadcast yesterday.
He defended the decision to allow the 10 to return to Russia in exchange for the release of four Russian prisoners accused of spying for the West because the swap presented "an opportunity to get back ... four people in whom we have a great deal of interest."
Holder also sought to erase concern over the fate of the children of the Russian agents, saying they all were allowed to return to Russia "consistent with their parents wishes" or, in the case of those who were adults or nearly adults, were allowed to make their own choices of where to live.
"The children have all been handled, I think, in an appropriate way," he said.
The seven offspring embroiled in the spy saga ranged in age from a one-year-old to a 38-year-old architect. In most cases they were born and grew up in the US, making them citizens.
On pending terrorism cases, Holder said "there's a real question" as to whether a terrorist suspect such as self-professed September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed can face the death penalty if he were to plead guilty before a military commission.
Holder indicated he still favors bringing Mohammed and four alleged accomplices before civilian courts, but that has been met with opposition in Congress and elsewhere. He said no decision has been made on where the trials will be held or whether they would be civilian or military.
He said one roadblock is that Congress has yet to come up with the money for the trials. "The politicization of this issue when we're dealing with ultimate national security issues is something that disturbs me a great deal," Holder said.
"Russia considered these people as very important to their intelligence-gathering activities," he told CBS television's "Face the Nation" in an interview broadcast yesterday.
He defended the decision to allow the 10 to return to Russia in exchange for the release of four Russian prisoners accused of spying for the West because the swap presented "an opportunity to get back ... four people in whom we have a great deal of interest."
Holder also sought to erase concern over the fate of the children of the Russian agents, saying they all were allowed to return to Russia "consistent with their parents wishes" or, in the case of those who were adults or nearly adults, were allowed to make their own choices of where to live.
"The children have all been handled, I think, in an appropriate way," he said.
The seven offspring embroiled in the spy saga ranged in age from a one-year-old to a 38-year-old architect. In most cases they were born and grew up in the US, making them citizens.
On pending terrorism cases, Holder said "there's a real question" as to whether a terrorist suspect such as self-professed September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed can face the death penalty if he were to plead guilty before a military commission.
Holder indicated he still favors bringing Mohammed and four alleged accomplices before civilian courts, but that has been met with opposition in Congress and elsewhere. He said no decision has been made on where the trials will be held or whether they would be civilian or military.
He said one roadblock is that Congress has yet to come up with the money for the trials. "The politicization of this issue when we're dealing with ultimate national security issues is something that disturbs me a great deal," Holder said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
