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posted by cmn32480 on Thursday December 28 2017, @11:05AM   Printer-friendly
from the professor-snape-would-be-proud dept.

This is the first of a three-part series based on never-before-published training manuals for the KGB, the Soviet intelligence organization that Vladimir Putin served as an operative, and that shaped his view of the world. Its veterans still make up an important part of now-Russian President Vladimir Putin's power base. All were trained in the same dark arts, and these primers in tradecraft are essential to an understanding of the way they think and the way they operate.

Source : Revealed: The Secret KGB Manual for Recruiting Spies


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  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 28 2017, @11:37AM (11 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 28 2017, @11:37AM (#615064)

    It's another Trump hit piece pushing the absurd idea that Trump is Putin's puppet. Some people really want to believe this.

    So far, 100% of the recent proven misdeeds involving Russia and US politicians have been about Trump opponents. We had a sitting president assist in the creation of nonsense in order to get a warrant to wiretap Trump -- that makes Watergate look insignificant. We had uranium actually leaving the country, not just an ownership change, well-greased by payments from Russians.

    We call this "projecting". It's when you have done some misdeed and then accuse others of it without justification.

    • (Score: 2) by Thexalon on Thursday December 28 2017, @12:42PM (8 children)

      by Thexalon (636) on Thursday December 28 2017, @12:42PM (#615077)

      So far, 100% of the recent proven misdeeds involving Russia and US politicians have been about Trump opponents.

      That's not what Robert Mueller's indictments say. The evidence he's gathered and presented to justify said indictments a pretty strong indication there's something to this, although it probably isn't as egregious as Rachel Maddow likes to pretend it is.

      I consider it entirely possible that both Trump and Clinton engaged in misdeeds with Russians looking either for a political advantage or cash. It's in both of their characters to do so - Trump is loyal only to his dad (who's been dead for some time), Clinton is loyal only to her husband (who totally would sell out too).

      --
      The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
      • (Score: 1, Troll) by khallow on Thursday December 28 2017, @12:53PM (3 children)

        by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Thursday December 28 2017, @12:53PM (#615083) Journal

        pretty strong indication

        Of what? The US supposedly has a standard of probable cause [wikipedia.org] for obtaining warrants. So what evidence is there to support the warrants that were obtained in 2016?

        • (Score: 5, Informative) by Thexalon on Thursday December 28 2017, @01:01PM (2 children)

          by Thexalon (636) on Thursday December 28 2017, @01:01PM (#615088)

          pretty strong indication

          Of what?

          That people working for the Trump campaign had illegal dealings with Russians. That's exactly what the indictments say, and they did not rely solely or primarily on the wiretap evidence to make those charges.

          --
          The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
          • (Score: 1, Troll) by khallow on Thursday December 28 2017, @01:08PM

            by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Thursday December 28 2017, @01:08PM (#615090) Journal

            illegal dealings

            What makes dealings illegal? It's not that the dealing exists. You have to go beyond that to some violation of law, like constitutional violation of one of the emoluments clauses or respective legislative law. Merely having contacts with Russians doesn't count even if to obtain information about political opponents. My view is that if, for example, Trump paid for legit dirt on Clinton from the Russian government, that should be legal just as if the converse happened.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 28 2017, @07:29PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 28 2017, @07:29PM (#615222)

            People who worked for the Trump campaign got indicted for stuff that happened in 2014, long before the Trump campaign existed.

            What do you think this is, some sort of contagious original sin? Hiring a person who previously committed a crime somehow makes you a criminal, even if they haven't yet been caught and prosecuted?

            The wiretap is interesting because the warrant to get the wiretap is based on collusion with Russians... by Trump's opponents.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 28 2017, @02:06PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 28 2017, @02:06PM (#615106)

        The old board was full of crazy nuts, the new board is full of crazy nuts.

      • (Score: 3, Insightful) by legont on Thursday December 28 2017, @05:04PM (2 children)

        by legont (4179) on Thursday December 28 2017, @05:04PM (#615160)
        --
        "Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
        • (Score: 2) by Thexalon on Friday December 29 2017, @10:55PM (1 child)

          by Thexalon (636) on Friday December 29 2017, @10:55PM (#615681)

          So? How does the claim "the Clintons are lying and possibly criminal scumbags" in any way counter "Donald Trump is a lying and possibly criminal scumbag"?

          --
          The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
          • (Score: 2) by legont on Saturday December 30 2017, @05:52AM

            by legont (4179) on Saturday December 30 2017, @05:52AM (#615760)

            It's not and was not the point. The point was that actions have consequences; even for the Clintons,

            --
            "Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Bot on Thursday December 28 2017, @01:23PM

      by Bot (3902) on Thursday December 28 2017, @01:23PM (#615093) Journal

      > Trump is Putin's puppet

      My AI is not convinced, positing that Putin should have outbid a lot of people to become the puppet master. It's more likely some kind of shared property like the ones before him.

      --
      Account abandoned.
    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by FatPhil on Thursday December 28 2017, @01:47PM

      by FatPhil (863) <pc-soylentNO@SPAMasdf.fi> on Thursday December 28 2017, @01:47PM (#615101) Homepage
      > the absurd idea that Trump is Putin's puppet

      Very few believe he's a "puppet", despite your paranoia. Most believe he's a "useful idiot".

      Here, kid, go larn yerself something about the real world of international relations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX3EZCVj2XA

      Notice how far we've "progressed" in recent decades?
      --
      Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
  • (Score: 5, Informative) by looorg on Thursday December 28 2017, @12:27PM (3 children)

    by looorg (578) on Thursday December 28 2017, @12:27PM (#615068)

    Secret KGB Manual ... sure. Problem is that unless you actually read russian you are sort of out of luck. There is no proper english translation. Which isn't all that odd, they are not part of the whole block of the world that care about translations -- certainly not documents of that kind. But it is a problem, there is probably a lot of interesting books, science and research that are locked behind the language barrier. We like to think that english will be enough, but you really are missing out. There is a lot of texts that just never make it past the original language, or they just really lose a lot in the eventual translation.

    I only had a quick read of the article and as far as I can see there is no mention of where this "secret manual" comes from, or how it reached the west I should say, or how it got into the hands of the dailybeast.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 28 2017, @02:00PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 28 2017, @02:00PM (#615105)

      of modern science, you need Russia, Chinese, Japanese, English (possibly both English and American dialects due to inconsistencies), German, Latin, and possibly one or more of the Romance languages on top of all this. And that is ignoring that other bodies of work may be in Polish, Hungarian, Korean, or even less popular languages.

      And even among these, deciding which are important to your studies requires knowing what bodies of research you are interested in, and what authors published in what languages.

      Non trivial to say the least.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 28 2017, @02:08PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 28 2017, @02:08PM (#615108)

      Let me paraphrase:
      Step 1) Give moneys
      Step 2) Give sex
      Step 3) ????
      Step 4) прибыль

    • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Kromagv0 on Thursday December 28 2017, @02:47PM

      by Kromagv0 (1825) on Thursday December 28 2017, @02:47PM (#615118) Homepage

      Actually the US had at one point a fairly extensive program to translate scientific papers professionally out of eastern block countries. I don't know if it is still going on but I would imagine that it likely is. I know this because my father-in-law use to do this work on the side in the late 70s and 80s. None of it was classified work but it wouldn't surprise me if some of what he did was fed into classified work by the government so that they could better translate classified technical material better. He was a PhD holding physicist who worked in semiconductor design (analogue signal pre-amp design in private sector) and is fluent in Russian as that was the language he chose to learn in college.

      --
      T-Shirts and bumper stickers [zazzle.com] to offend someone
  • (Score: 5, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Thursday December 28 2017, @04:00PM (5 children)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Thursday December 28 2017, @04:00PM (#615139) Journal

    Well, such as: “The Foreign Ministry, the Ministry for Foreign Economic Ties, the State Education Committee, the Ministry of Culture, the Peace Committee, the Academy of Science, etc. can be used as well as theatre, art shows, cinema, tourism…

    My first opportunity to actually meet any Russian people came in Venice. We anchored in the harbor, and boats took us in to the city for liberty, or business, or to catch travel connections. The first thing to catch a person's eye as he approached Venice, was a huge tour ship. As is normal, the tour ship had a number of healthy, attractive females aboard. But, we were warned NOT to approach any of the people from that ship. We were to report ANY contact with any of those tourists. Names, descriptions, addresses, anything we might learn from them was to be reported - along with photographs, if possible.

    Basically, no Russian was permitted to travel abroad, unless he had been briefed on how to approach an American. I don't remember all the details of our own briefing, but we were not to associate with anyone from that ship, because chances were, the nympho wasn't a nympho at all. Instead, she was an agent, entrapping innocent American sailors in a sex scandal.

    I never did quite figure that out, really. I mean, really, for real - when we hit the beach, we were on a mission to find pussy. We were pretty much equal opportunity - if it had a reasonable body temperature (between 90 and 110) it was eligible. We knew that, the host city knew that, everyone knew that. So - I pick up a Russian chick, we bang our brains out, and she takes some photos, right? Then, she wants to blackmail me? ROFLMAO - someone interviews me, I flat out tell them, "Yeah, she and I fucked the night away. Why do you want to know? Oh - no - I'm not getting any intel for you. You're going to tell my captain that I impregnated one of your nationals? Hell, Buddy, let's you and I go together, right now, and we can both tell the Captain how good Russian pussy is!"

    In real life, I obeyed orders, and avoided that cruise ship, and anyone who appeared to be, or sounded like they might be Rusian.

    Which sucked. I happen to think that Russian women are often better looking than Italian women. Some of those Italian women had more mustache than I had at that time!

    • (Score: -1, Flamebait) by Azuma Hazuki on Thursday December 28 2017, @08:49PM (4 children)

      by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Thursday December 28 2017, @08:49PM (#615258) Journal

      You're starting to ramble again, Grandpa...no one cares.

      --
      I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
      • (Score: 3, Touché) by Runaway1956 on Friday December 29 2017, @01:03AM (3 children)

        by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Friday December 29 2017, @01:03AM (#615335) Journal

        Isn't it obvious to even you, that SOMEONE found my comment interesting? But, some spiteful shite modded the comment down - hmmm - wonder who? I did ask you whether you have a life or not.

        • (Score: 1, Troll) by Azuma Hazuki on Friday December 29 2017, @04:24AM (2 children)

          by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Friday December 29 2017, @04:24AM (#615423) Journal

          I've been modding most of your comments down because they're borderline off-topic...honestly, you sound like you have early-onset dementia, and you also sound more than a little bit like Ye Great Orange Arse'ole up in the White House, with your weird mix of off-the-mark insults, grandiose self-flattery, and rambling. You're old before your time and your lifestyle is not doing you any favors.

          --
          I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
          • (Score: 1, Troll) by Runaway1956 on Friday December 29 2017, @05:23AM (1 child)

            by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Friday December 29 2017, @05:23AM (#615456) Journal

            Such pettiness. And, no, I didn't moderate your post - yet anyhow. Some other individual decided that he didn't like your trolling.

            But, whatever. You do realize that you're aging. You are no spring chicken. Even if I accept your statement that you are half my age, you're over the hill. Menopause will be sneaking up on you soon.

            • (Score: 1, Troll) by Azuma Hazuki on Friday December 29 2017, @08:36PM

              by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Friday December 29 2017, @08:36PM (#615652) Journal

              Wait, I'm 32...I thought you were 40-something? Are you actually in your 60s? Lawdy, lawdy, that makes you even sadder. Old enough to remember when Michael Jackson was black and you're still this self-destructive and ignorant...

              --
              I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
  • (Score: 1) by ataradov on Thursday December 28 2017, @05:30PM (3 children)

    by ataradov (4776) on Thursday December 28 2017, @05:30PM (#615170) Homepage

    Is there a link to a PDF or any other format, I can read without tilting my head sideways? What's the point of including the whole test of a document in a way that is impossible to read?

    • (Score: 2) by number11 on Thursday December 28 2017, @08:01PM (1 child)

      by number11 (1170) Subscriber Badge on Thursday December 28 2017, @08:01PM (#615238)

      Is there a link to a PDF or any other format, I can read without tilting my head sideways?

      Well, if you really want to you can do page view, and download each (double) page image, then use a image viewer (e.g. Irfanview) to turn the page rightside up. Would take a few minutes, but if you can read Russian it might be worth it (I can't read Russian, so I'm not gonna do it). Bonus points for OCRing the pages and running them through a translate program, double bonus points if you are competent to actually do a decent translation. If you do, post it online!

      Somebody will probably do it within a week.

      • (Score: 1) by ataradov on Friday December 29 2017, @03:01AM

        by ataradov (4776) on Friday December 29 2017, @03:01AM (#615382) Homepage

        Actually if you enlarge this viewer (button on the bottom left), it gives you ability to download a full PDF.

        I quickly skimmed though the document, and there is nothing really interesting. All the stuff would be pretty obvious to a sane person anyway.

    • (Score: 3, Informative) by jimtheowl on Friday December 29 2017, @12:41AM

      by jimtheowl (5929) on Friday December 29 2017, @12:41AM (#615326)
      Yes. Either go into full view (Icon is at the bottom left) and shows "View Document in Full Screen" when hovered over.
      Then on the right side of the screen, there is a link for "Original Document (PDF)"

      Or.. the direct link is:
      https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4336478/kgb.pdf [documentcloud.org]

      The document is still "sideways", but a decent PDF viewer should support 90 degree rotations.
  • (Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Thursday December 28 2017, @06:15PM (4 children)

    by MichaelDavidCrawford (2339) Subscriber Badge <mdcrawford@gmail.com> on Thursday December 28 2017, @06:15PM (#615189) Homepage Journal

    when he retired because retired KGB agents didn't receive pensions.

    The soviets were far more afraid of us than we were of them. This lead them to use every ruble in self-defense

    --
    Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 28 2017, @10:57PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 28 2017, @10:57PM (#615296)

      that's because "we" are the aggressor.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 28 2017, @11:20PM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 28 2017, @11:20PM (#615304)

      Comrade Putin did not retire, he quit. Quit to become a real estate scammer/political waterboy in his native Leningrad.

      But yes, his meteoric rise to power was largely due to KGB connections.

      As Putin was quoted, similar to the US Marine saying, "There is no such thing as an ex-Chekist". *

      *Both KGB apparatchiks themselves and outsiders used the term "Chekist" as a descriptor. For the uninformed, Felix Dzerzhinky's Cheka was the not-exactly-direct forerunner of the KGB and today's FSB.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 28 2017, @11:24PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 28 2017, @11:24PM (#615305)

        That should be "Felix Dzerzhinsky" or more correctly "Феликс Дзержинский". Iron Felix at least deserves proper spelling.

    • (Score: 5, Informative) by Thexalon on Friday December 29 2017, @02:42AM

      by Thexalon (636) on Friday December 29 2017, @02:42AM (#615371)

      The soviets were far more afraid of us than we were of them.

      The Russkies still are more afraid of us than we are of them, and with good reasons:
      1. The US engineered coups in Ukraine and a couple of Caucuses nations that put enemies of Russia right on Russia's borders.
      2. The US and its allies are trying to run oil and gas pipelines from their newly conquered Iraq through Syria and Turkey into the EU. That's what the war in Syria is really about. The main reason for this is that it would create a viable alternative to the EU's current use of Russian oil and gas. If this happens, sanctions will come next and cripple the Russian economy.
      3. The US and/or EU could kick Russia's butt nine ways to Sunday if it came to a military conflict. The US and EU both have substantial superiority over Russia in technology, supply chains, and available military personnel. And the US economic ties with China mean no help would be likely to come from there if push came to shove.

      And it's important to note that Hillary Clinton was very much involved in at least points 1 and 2 of that list, which gives Russia every reason to try whatever they could think of to keep her out of the presidency.

      --
      The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
  • (Score: 3, Funny) by linkdude64 on Friday December 29 2017, @01:04AM

    by linkdude64 (5482) on Friday December 29 2017, @01:04AM (#615338)

    Even internal documents are potentially propaganda! Beware the red mena-....hey, WHY IS THIS SITE RED?!

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