Paul Whelan at the Kremlin in Moscow in 2006. U.S. Marine Corps
NBC: Former CIA officers doubt American arrested in Russia was a spy
Russian intelligence services likely charged Paul Whelan as a spy to use him as a bargaining chip, say two former CIA officers.
The ex-Marine detained in Moscow on spying charges does not fit the blueprint of U.S. espionage in Russia, and is more likely a pawn in an effort to seek leverage over the U.S., intelligence and diplomatic veterans told NBC News Wednesday.
"Knowing what we know, if we had to make a bet, I would say this is (Russian president Vladimir) Putin seizing someone on a pretext," former acting CIA director John McLaughlin said on MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports."
"He may think this is a way to set up a spy swap."
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WNU Editor: I concur. The Russians want a swap .... Russia’s Arrest of Paul Whelan Is Payback for Maria Butina, CIA Veterans Say (Daily Beast).
