Epstein Secrets

y resulted in accidently compromising Poteyev. When Chap- man returned to Moscow after a spy exchange, she was taken to a well-publicized dinner with Putin. Afterward, she informed her debriefer at the SVR that only Poteyev had been in a position to know the password that an FBI agent had used to try to

| | HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019707 CHAPTER 21 The Russians Are Coming The collapse of the Soviet Union was a major geopolitical disaster of the century. —VLADIMIR PUTIN I THE FIRST INVASION of a European country since the end of the Cold War, Russian military forces moved into the Crimea and other parts of eastern U

m- ably, this relationship further deepened under President Putin’s regime. Putin asserted in speeches in 2014 that

s a major geopolitical disaster of the century. —VLADIMIR PUTIN I THE FIRST INVASION of a European country

ely a deep state. Trust me, I’ve been there. —EDWARD SNOWDEN, Moscow, 2014 Wa WAITING to hear back from Kucherena’s office, I arranged to meet with Victor Cherkashin, who had been one of the most successful KGB spy handlers in the Cold War. Cher- kashin, born in 1932, had served in the KGB’s espionage branch from

eatest geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century."—Vladimir Putin In the first invasion of a European country sinc

t a one-on-one summit between President Obama and President Putin. Not only would this summit be a diplomatic coup

eatest geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century."—Vladimir Putin In the first invasion of a European countr

ith directly during his 33 day stay in Hong Kong, was Russia. As previously discussed, he had dealings with Russian “diplomatic representatives “, as Putin called them. Putin did not provide the date of these contacts but he provided an intriguing clue. Snowden was identified to him, according to Putin,

the CIA’s sophisticated lie detector tests. Both Hanssen and Ames eluded intensive FBI and CIA investigations that lasted over a decade. According to Victor Cherkashin, their KGB case officer, who I interviewed in Moscow in 2015, the KGB was able to hide their existence from investigators for such a long period part

,” according to the State Depart- ment’s senior watch officer. 142 had met nearly every day: Miller, “U.S. Officials Scrambled to Nab Snowden.” 142 Putin admitted: Interview, Channel One, http://en-kremlin.ru/events/president /news/19143. 143 “Vladimir Putin had personally approved”: Jennifer Martine

er, “U.S. Officials Scrambled to Nab Snowden.” 142 Putin admitted: Interview, Channel One, http://en-kremlin.ru/events/president /news/19143. 143 “Vladimir Putin had personally approved”: Jennifer Martinez, “Report: Snow- den’s US Passport Revoked,” Hill, June 23, 2013. CHAPTER 15 Did Snowden Act Alone? 146

n-kremlin.ru/events/president /news/19143. 143 “Vladimir Putin had personally approved”: Jennifer Martinez

owden.” “Tf I were providing information”: Transcript of interview with Snowden in Moscow, Rusbridger and MacAskill, “I, Spy.” Pelton, for example: Victor Cherkashin, interview with author. “This debriefing could not”: Intelligence source who requested anonymity, interview with author. Mike Rogers, the chairman:

appreciated. Lugovoy was elected to the Duma in 2008, and also hosted a 24 part television series espionage for which he was personally decorated by Putin. He was also now reputed to be in the inner circle of power in Moscow. So I called him. We arranged to meet in the lobby bar of the National Hotel.

have many notable cases...” For the cases of Robert Hanssen and Aldrich Ames, see Appendix A 16. “The greatest trick the...”—Author’s interview with Victor Cherkashin. The quote from Zhe Usual Suspects was adopted by the movie from Charles Baudelaire’s observation, “La plus belle des ruses du diable est de vous per