Perhaps my title should read 'A true human hero'. I refer to Mr. Oleg Gordievsky, a former member of the Russian KGB who secretly defected to the British and worked for them for many years providing enormous amounts of secret information which proved to be invaluable. The reason I introduce him is that I am reading Ben Macintyre's fascinating history of the operation, although I must confess that so far I am only part way though it.
Two things impress me enormously. First, that Gordievsky was born and raised inside a KGB family. His father was a life-long operator during the Stalin era and was up to his elbows in blood. His elder brother also joined and was involved in many operations before he died early. In his turn, Gordievsky joined the KGB but somehow he managed to retain his independence of thought. As he grew older, he realised with increasing clarity that the Soviet Union was a ruthless, murderous racket. He began to study western European literature and history and then experienced it first-hand when he was posted to Scandinavia. Soon, he was determined to do whatever he could to bring down the regime.
The second thing that impressed me was the supreme professionalism of MI6 when they realised they had an asset of enormous potential. The subtlety, intelligence and professionalism they displayed in their handling of Gordievsky was simply first-class. Yes, they were duped by that A1 shit, Kim Philby, but they made up for it in the way they dealt with Gordievsky and the result was a treasure trove of Russian secrets which must have done the Soviets crippling harm.
I would urge you to read Macintyre's book if only to demonstrate that occasionally our government departments can get it right! I will return to this subject again when I have finished the book.
The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War
Duffers the likes of MI6 and similar organizations get things right more often than not but you never hear of them as to broadcast those "wins" put people at risk of real harm. Most "operatives" and their support take an oath to keep their mouths shut and keep that promise.
We hear of some stuff ups because they become highly visible for whatever reason. It is a high risk "occupation"
I shall endeavor to get hold of a copy of the book as it sounds fascinating.
Posted by: AussieD | Sunday, 10 February 2019 at 08:01