So what exactly are these people accused of?

[Jamal]

I have a hard time believing that this case will go anywhere. It will certainly be challenged on constitutional grounds. You basically have a cold war era spy law that for some reason has been dusted off and used for propaganda purposes. Need to let people know that the enemy lurks everywhere.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/ju ... deep-cover

http://www.scribd.com/doc/33702663/Complaint-1

They seem to be accused of USC 951/18.

http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/uscode/18/I/45/951

The MSM seems to be fine with this bit of intrigue that seems to come out of a spy novel. Nobody seems to be questioning the absurdity of it.

[ootii]

Some of the agents lived as married couples and had children who have grown up as Americans unaware that their parents are Russian.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/ju ... deep-cover

This is right out of Hollywood. I once saw a movie with precisely this story line. It was a kid's movie, something like "My Mother's an Alien from Outer Space" but with Russian spy parents.

It was a comedy.


18 U.S.C. § 951 : US Code - Section 951: Agents of foreign governments

I recall that in the 70s Henry Kissinger's wife was representing the government of Iran in some official capacity and ran foul of a similar law, maybe this one but cannot find anything about it on the net. Maybe one of those false memories. I did find that she tried to choke a woman with a newspaper and had to go to court over it. Sounds like a case for CSI-NY. The perps are always low life. At least once they should nail a Beltway type.

Still waiting for the art student movie.

Salaam,

Omar

[Jamal]

This is likely what it's about. They rounded up a few people to swap for American prisoners in Russia.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/10/world ... ussia.html