Anna Fermanova, born in Latvia but raised in Texas, claims she was just doing a favor for her husband who lives in Moscow and wanted the so-called hunting gear for his friends. Prosecutors believe there’s more to the story; Anna’s husband Alexander was recently deported to Moscow following a conviction on charges of fraud and identity theft. Furthermore, Anna recently received several thousand-dollar wires from her husband, none of them exceeding $10,000, which is the tipping point at which banks must report transactions.

Anna allegedly hid the rifle scopes in a pair of UGG boots in her suitcase (though any good packer knows she could have been doing so just for cushioning protection). The rifle scopes were detected and removed before she left, but she was allowed to make the flight to Moscow. It was assumed she would not return to the U.S., but when she did on July 15, she was arrested.

Law enforcement officials find the hunting line hard to buy. A former NYPD detective Bo Dietl said, “These are used specifically for an assassination. You’re not going to hunt deer with a super scope. That’s crazy. You could take someone out with one of these scopes in the dead of night from up to a mile-and-a-half-away. I have friends in Iraq who use these. These are the real deal.”

Weapons expert Dan Wasserbly confirmed Dietl’s assertion, saying the scopes Fermanova purchased – $7,000 Raptor 4X Night Vision Weapons Sight – are intended for machine guns, not for hunting rifles. If they are indeed “serious military hardware” that even “the average American soldier wouldn’t use,” why exactly are they available for general public consumption in the U.S.?

Anna’s lawyer Scott Palmer says any assertion that his client is in some way linked to terrorism or Russian spies is absurd. She was unaware that she was not allowed to take the gear her husband had requested out of the country, and she had no idea she would be arrested upon her return. (Didn’t she think to ask why the equipment was confiscated?) Apparently, she was simply back in town to celebrate her birthday with her family.

Released on $50,000 bail, Anna is currently under house arrest in Plano, Texas.

The announcement of Elizaveta’s passing was made by Russia’s foreign intelligence service (SVR), which has taken over the role of the KGB. Today’s KGB-equivalent has not, however, revealed too much about the nature of her and her husband’s missions (so sensitive are they still considered to be). We do know, though, that Elza worked as a spy, with her hubby, for over 3 decades – from the late 1940s to late 1970s.

Most of her working life was spent abroad in Western countries, where she gathered intel to send back to Russia. Originally from a poor, working class background, she made her way through university and was posted first to LA, where Mikhail was spying under the cover of deputy Soviet consul.

In 1955 she was sent on an important mission to a Western European country that remains unidentified to this day. She and her husband, it seems, traipsed around Europe, gathering and sending back home all sorts of valuable nuggets of info.

In 1977, both Elza and her husband returned to Moscow, where they took it upon themselves to pass on the tricks of the trade to new KGB recruits. They both wrote espionage textbooks for their pupils and received high honors for having served their country with such undying devotion.

Still today, Cold War spies like Elza and her husband are venerated in Russia, which makes sense given that the current prime minister himself used to be a KGB agent. These sentiments were evident in the comments made by SVR spokesman Sergei Inanov: “May their memory glow and their descendants thank them eternally!”

According to the Fars News Agency, the ambassador said as follows during his interview:

“Miss Reiss has studied political geography, is interested in Iran and speaks Farsi, but she is not a French lecturer.

“Now three questions come up. Why was a political geography student sent instead of a French language teacher? Why was she sent to Isfahan, exactly where the uranium enrichment facilities are situated?

“And why has she chosen a university of technology, where social sciences, which is her field, is not taught?”

According to the ambassador, Reiss is a 2007 graduate of a nine-month training program held by the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). She also allegedly wrote a paper entitled “Understanding Iranian Policy during the Nuclear Crisis.”

So even though people are saying the Iranians have no proof, Iranian officials believe they have reasonable cause to doubt Reiss’s innocence. They also point out that Reiss was accused of six different charges during her trial, all of which she did not argue against in court.

Apparently, she was under surveillance from the moment she stepped into Iran. She had a 30-day visa to teach French, got it extended, and then when the extension expired, chose to stay on in Iran illegally. She also allegedly participated in fifteen days of post-election protests in Tehran. Fifteen days is a lot, not just the curious wanderings of a tourist. But keep in mind, all of this information is coming from an Iranian official…

The Iranian court still has to come back with a verdict on Reiss, who was released on bail and so can await the outcome of her trial outside of prison.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has said decisively that Reiss is under no circumstances a French spy sent to gather intel on Iran’s nuclear program. Kouchner says the French aren’t crazy enough to send a young girl to Iran on an espionage mission. Maybe not, but even if they were, no one is crazy enough to allow a spy (who above all must not draw unnecessary attention to him/herself or raise alarms) to attend two weeks of extremely controversial, anti-government rallies.

Did Reiss take too much of a personal interest in Iran for her own good? Did France want her to do some sleuthing? Is Iran reading too much into it all? It’s likely we’ll never know for certain, but if the judges’ thoughts are in line with Mirabutalebi’s, then Reiss’s verdict may not be as easy to swallow as Roxana Saberi’s was.

images courtesy of daylife.com and realcourage.org

Just shy of her 24th birthday when she was arrested at the airport, she turned 24 in jail, far away from friends and family in France. Now that she has been released – France solicited Syria’s help in getting Iran to let her go, albeit temporarily – she will stay at the French embassy in Tehran until the verdict is issued.

She was tried in the company of about 100 other defendants, in a trial that was aired on TV – likely as a deterrent to other protesting Iranians. Her ‘spy’ activities include attending the recent anti-election demonstrations, emailing a friend about them and sending a report on the events to the French Institute of Iranian Studies, none of which she carried out in a secretive manner. But in Iran these days, it seems all a foreigner has to do to get slapped with spy charges is get lost hiking. If you’re actually sending reports abroad – forget about it.

President Sarkozy of France says “nothing can justify” Iran’s actions with regards to Reiss. He has called for the process to “be ended as soon as possible.”

To date, about 140 people have been tried for participating in the opposition movement that followed the re-election of President Ahmadinejad.

images courtesy of 2.bp.blogspot.com

It seems that when global crisis hits, ISIS agents, instead of working together to put a stop to the forces of evil, use the opportunity to turn on each other. Bad for international security, but good for laughs.

The show is named for the agency’s top spy, Sterling Archer, codename Duchess, whose micromanaging mother, Malory, is spy chief. Of course, Archer’s ex is none other than co-spy Lana Kane, whose new love interest is also an ISIS employee and the secretary — why are we not surprised — has a not-so-secret crush as well. Starting to sound a little more like a love triangle than a spy agency? Well, that’s the point. One spy satire coming right up.

“Archer” writer Adam Reed has penned successful animated series for Adult Swim/Cartoon Network, and he seems excited about this new gig, saying, “I’ve been a fairly rabid fan of FX’s original programming for a long time, so I’m thrilled by the opportunity to become a part of it, and to bring our style of animation and comedy to such a fantastic line-up.”

The voice crew won’t leave you disappointed…with Jon Benjamin as Archer (Dr. Katz, professional therapist and Carl from “The Family Guy”) and Jessica Walter from “Arrested Development” as Malory.

Make no mistake, this cartoon is for adults – lots of gun happy people, interracial porn jokes and Archer answering phone calls from his mommy dearest even when he’s, er, very busy in bed. Still, spy fans will appreciate the setting, and the show has been referred to as this fall’s can’t-miss TV.

Their motto? Where the routine gets shaken and stirred. Their goal? To give women a confidence boost while giving them an exciting, non-spa escape from their regular, routine lives. Check out the website, which promises: “From Samurai sword skills to stunt driving; from Martini mixology to seductive dance, you’ll master skills you didn’t know you had.”

Even if you don’t plan on starting a covert life of sexpionage, it seems like participating women will pick up a few worthwhile life skills, especially from self-defense and snag-a-guy perspectives!

The organizers believe that every woman has a daring, confident and gorgeous secret agent inside (play along, it’s fun), and it’s the Stiletto Spy School’s experts’ job to help ladies discover their inner agent. With a wide array of classes, from “Elegance & Sophistication” and “Sizzling Argentine Tango” to “Knife Fighting Skills” and “Precision Shooting,” this school is part finishing school, and part finishing-off-your-opponent school.

You’ll be able to transfer the skills you pick up to real-life situations. As per the website, “Hitting targets at Spy School can help you hit targets in business. Survival skills will teach you to look for opportunities in unusual places. And while you may not need any stunt driving tips to park your car in the garage, they may just help you next time it snows. From poker to pool, from seduction to staying calm, you can learn almost anything at Spy School.”

Instructors are experts in their fields and come from varied and accomplished backgrounds.

Seems pretty cool to us…

images courtesy of stilettospyschool.com

Bill Clinton to the rescue!

Things were looking bleak for the California-based female reporters Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who, less than 2 days ago, were still imprisoned in North Korea, fearfully awaiting their transfer to a labor camp. They were then told they were being taken to a meeting, and when they walked in the doors – much to their relief – they were greeted by former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

In an earlier meeting with Kim Jong Il, North Korea’s leader, Clinton was able to secure the two journalists’ release in a humanitarian mission that he undertook at the request of former VP Gore, the White House and the women’s families. Gore is co-founder of the media company for which the two women work. When they got arrested – allegedly having crossed the border into North Korea – they were on a reporting trip.

The past five months have been a nightmare for the two women – both in their thirties and one with a 4-year old daughter. Early this morning, their stint as captured ‘spies’ officially ended, when they landed in a suburban Los Angeles airport, along with Bill Clinton, their heroic escort.

Both were overcome with emotion. Holding back tears of immense relief, Ling addressed those gathered for their homecoming, saying:

“To our loved ones, friends, and to the complete strangers with the kindest of hearts who showed us so much love and sent us so many positive thoughts and energy, we thank you.

“We could feel your love all the way in North Korea. It is what kept us going in the darkest of hours. It is what sustained our faith that we would come home.

“The past 140 days have been the most difficult heart-wrenching time of lives. We are very grateful we were granted amnesty by the government of North Korea and we are happy to be home and we are just so anxious now to spend some quiet time getting reacquainted with our families.”

Ling also thanked Clinton and his “super-cool team” for securing their release, which comes at just the right time to give hope to the families and friends of the three Americans currently detained in Iran for allegedly spying on the country while hiking along the Iraqi-Iranian border.

images courtesy of AP/AFP

There is no indication that the three were working as spies, but given Iran’s recent track record and the current tense state of American-Iranian relations, it’s quite likely this charge will come into play. It’s possible Iran will want to use the hikers as bargaining chips, and what better way to do so than by accusing them of espionage?

According to ABC News, the Americans currently in Iranian custody are two writers and an environmental worker. The writers are both based in the Middle East – Shane Bauer is a freelance journalist and Sarah Shroud is a writer and teacher. Joshua Fattal is the environmental worker. Perhaps especially worrying is the fate of Bauer, whose website tells us that he is a fluent Arabic speaker whose work has been published in the LA Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Christian Science Monitor and The Nation. He graduated with a degree in peace and conflict studies from Berkeley. His profile seems just the sort that Iranian authorities would pounce on, recalling the story of Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi whose detention and subsequent release from a Tehran prison is still very fresh for many Americans – not to mention the fate of two female American journalists detained and sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for allegedly crossing the border from China into North Korea.

Iran has confirmed to Iraqi officials that the three hikers were in fact detained because they entered Iranian territory without legal permission. A Kurdish official working the border said that U.S. helicopters and humvees have moved into Halabja, which is near Ahmed Awaa, to search for the missing nationals.

The last anyone heard from them was on Friday, when they reportedly contacted the fourth member of their travelling group, who had chosen to stay at the hotel in Sulaimaniyah, near the border, instead of going on the hiking trip, as he hadn’t been feeling well. His friends told Shon Meckfessel, an English teacher from Seattle, that they had been surrounded.

Thus far, it looks like Iran’s going to make the U.S. work hard for a release. Swiss diplomats, who represent U.S. diplomatic interests in Iran, scheduled a meeting to meet with officials about the fate of the hikers, but the meeting has been pushed back to Wednesday.

Her name is Clotilde Reiss, and she’s only 23. After being arrested by the Iranian police at the Tehran airport, she was taken to Tehran’s notorious Evin prison. For the five months prior to her arrest, she had been working as a French-language teaching assistant at Esfahan University in Iran.

Bernard Poletti, France’s ambassador to Iran, was able to meet with Reiss in prison. He came bearing clothes and books for the detainee.

The Iranian authorities’ accusations of espionage seem to be rather flimsy, and French officials have said on numerous occasions that the charges are completely baseless. French President Sarkozy issued a statement that demanded Reiss’s release in no uncertain terms.

According to the Iranians, Reiss participated in the recent election protests and emailed a friend in Tehran with protest rally info. At the heart of the espionage charges are also pics she took of the protests with her mobile phone. Various sources have reported that Clotilde Reiss is not politically active and was only taking snapshots of the protests, not participating or recording the events for intelligence purposes.

The French woman, an academic by profession, had been in Iran for five months and was on her way home, when she was arrested at the airport.

The French ministry’s statement is as adamant about the groundlessness of the charges as President Obama was in reference to the spy charges brought against Roxana Saberi. “France firmly condemns the July 1 arrest and detention by Iran of a French academic. …The spying charges put forward by the Iranian authorities do not pass the test.”

The statement did not specify the woman’s name, nor the university for which she works, nor the nature of her sojourn in Iran.

France is not the only European country trying to talk sense into the Iranians. Recently nine staff members working at the British embassy in Tehran were arrested for allegedly instigating some of the riots caused by President Ahmadinejad’s hotly contested re-election. Eight of the nine embassy workers have been released, but there is the ninth to attend to, and of course a general statement to let Iran know where the EU stands on the country’s treatment of foreign diplomats and visitors…

images courtesy of nicogallery.com and upi.com

Walter Kendall Myers and his wife Gwendolyn – charged with spying on the U.S. for Cuba for 30 years – have agreed to surrender all travel documents, as well as put up their home, sailboat and $250,000 in cash, so that they may leave the detention center in Washington, where they are being held in separate cells.

They have promised to stay away from the Cuban Interests Section, which is the next best thing to an embassy as obviously Cuba does not have one in the U.S.

If released on the rather significant bond they have proposed, the couple will be in the custody of Gwendolyn’s son – Brad Trebilcock. He will foot the electronic monitoring bill, which will track whether the Myerses are sticking to the rules of house arrest.

photo courtesy of 3.bp.blogspot.com

The U.S. Magistrate judge on the case, John Facciola, said that there appeared to be unquestionable evidence against the couple and that the flight risk under the circumstances prevented him from granting bail. Cuba, of course, has a strong motive to help the spies escape from the States, not only as a thank-you to them for 30 years of loyal service, but also to instill other Cuban spies with faith in Cuba and to prevent the Myers couple from changing their allegiance and cooperating with the U.S. authorities.

Facciola said in support of his ruling: “The defendants’ hostility to the United States and their admiration for Cuba is well documented. It is hard to imagine, with so much at stake, that they would feel any compunction to fleeing prosecution in a country to which they seem to feel such little loyalty.”

Ouch. But it certainly rings true, especially given the following, which Judge Facciola wrote after hearing a summary of the evidence against the couple: “To put it bluntly, the government’s case seems at this point insuperable.”

At court, the couple sat beside each other and neither spoke nor showed any emotion. Their lawyer – Thomas Green – did try to argue that his clients should be allowed to go home, so they could be with their four kids, but the attempt to convince the judge to grant bail was brief and futile.

Of course, the U.S. has no diplomatic relations with Cuba, so if the couple were to flee to their beloved adoptive country, the U.S. would have no hope of extraditing them. Add to this the fact that the FBI found evidence that the two spies intended to make their permanent home in Cuba in the not too distant future – it seems they had plans to sail to Cuba in November and never return – and it makes perfect sense that they’ll be stuck in jail until their next court date on June 17.

Assistant US Attorney Gordon Michael Harvey said the Myerses face up to 17 years in jail – and possibly more as the federal investigation is still in progress and more charges could arise.

image courtesy of washingtonpost.com (sketch by William J. Hennessy Jr.)

Walter Kendall Myers (72) and Gwendolyn Steingraber Myers (71), accused of spying for Cuba, may just be the next big spy scandal to hit Washington, DC. When they’re not in custody, the Myerses live in a rather verdant part of Northwest Washington, and their neighbors – interviewed recently by ABC News – are shocked and dismayed.

Walter Myers’s pedigree is impressive; the great grandson of Alexander Graham Bell and grandson of Gilbert Grosvenor (a long-time editor-in-chief of National Geographic), Walter completed undergrad at Brown and a masters and PhD at Johns Hopkins, where he taught while working for the government. It is believed that the couple, despite Walter’s impressive American pedigree, has been spying for Cuba for thirty years, using such methods as a Sony shortwave radio (seized from their abode), encrypted emails, water-soluble paper and the exchange of grocery carts at the supermarket to transmit information.

According to the FBI affidavit, Walter Myers met with an undercover agent on April 15 and allegedly reported on his upcoming trip to Cuba, saying “our idea is to sail home.” Home to Cuba?

Ana Belen Montes – once an analyst for the Defense Intelligence Agency – was arrested in 2001 and sentenced to 25 years in prison for being a Cuban spy. Court documents indicate that the Myerses helped Cuban intelligence to confirm the intel they received from Montes. The Complaint alleges that the Myerses were aware of this duplication and verification process, and Gwendolyn is quoted to have called it “terrific.”

Apparently the couple met with Fidel Castro in January 1995 – a clandestine meeting the notion of which Castro has declared “ridiculous.” The two also, it seems, met with Cuban agents in other countries. They pleaded not guilty to the charges at the arraignment, and are due in federal court tomorrow, where a judge will determine whether they should be released or held in custody until the trial.

image courtesy of www.dawn.com

Lagerfeld will do the voice of bad guy Fabu in the action-packed cartoon feature based on the TV show by the same name that’s been captivating French audiences for five seasons. The fifth season is to be the last of the show about three high school girls (good start right?) who become secret agents (even better). Although European, the show is set in Cali, and the girls are American: Clover, Sam and Alex. Sounds very Charlie’s Angels-esque, except their Charlie is called Jerry.

High school students by day, the girls  work undercover to fight international crime with special spy gadgets provided by their boss, who heads up the World Organization of Human Protection agency (WOOHP). The girls must, of course, figure out how to keep their secret lives under wraps while they juggle the usual difficulties of American high school life.

The film is scheduled to open in July in France.

image courtesy of wikipedia.org

For a long time, it’s been “he said, she said” with Roxana’s espionage case. The Iranians said she was a spy, and Obama et al said there were no grounds for the accusation. As both the trial and appeal were closed to the public, and the insider info Obama’s been getting from U.S. intelligence agencies isn’t exactly on public record, little was reported as to the veracity of either one of these claims, though widespread public support outside Iran was for Roxana’s innocence.

Recently, we did get a few extra details that help to make sense of the espionage charges. Saberi’s lawyer said that she did have sensitive documents when she was arrested back in January, including internal docs from a conservative political party and a doc from 2003 assessing the planned U.S. invasion of Iraq. According to her lawyer, she had not used them – and they weren’t formally classified anyhow. The sensitive docs are likely the reason Roxana’s sentence was reduced from 8 to 2 years, and not repealed completely.

Another of her lawyers said that Saberi is allowed to return to Iran, but she may not come to practice journalism (a profession which seems almost to have been equated with espionage in her case).

A few other things have been cleared up as well. She was not arrested for purchasing a bottle of wine, as she had first told her father from prison. Officials arrived at her house with a search warrant and arrested her for being in possession of the aforementioned documents. And she was never charged with practicing journalism despite having an expired license, an allegation which circulated in the media for a time.

photo Ronald Zak/AP