KGB/FSB's New Trojan Horse

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Pravoslavnik
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KGB/FSB's New Trojan Horse

Post by Pravoslavnik »

I just finished reading the new book by former KGB Col. Konstantin Preobrazhensky-- KGB/FSB's New Trojan Horse: Americans of Russian Descent (Gerard Group Publishing, 2008.) The paperback is now available from the St. John of Kronstadt Press (http://www.sjkp.org) It is truly frightening to read this material, somewhat similar to the feeling one has in reading the published Mitrokhin archival material in The Sword and the Shield. I grew up in America in the 1960's learning how to "duck and cover" under my desk in the event of a Soviet missle launch, but later began to view American paranoia about Russia and the KGB as somewhat comical, especially after perestroika and the fall of the former Soviet Union. I had read some of Col. Preobrazhensky's articles on the internet during the past two years, but his book on the KGB and Russian Emigration had never, to my knowledge, been translated into English.

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    This book is a collection of Preobrazhensky's observations and anecdotes about KGB/FSB involvement in the religious affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate and ROCOR during the past few decades.  He also discusses his own history as an agent and journalist working within the KGB in Japan and Russia prior to his seeking asylum in the U.S. in 2003.  As I was reading the book, I kept thinking of the famous quote from President Vladimir Putin to the effect that "there is no such thing as a FORMER KGB agent..." Somehow, Preobrazhensky, unlike his old friend Alexander Litvinenko,  has lived to tell the tale of life within the KGB before and after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and of the permutations of the Russian foreign intelligence service during the Presidencies of Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin.

   What is most disturbing about these revelations are the fairly detailed descriptions of KGB propaganda techniques and recruitment methods, based upon the experiences of Preobrazhensky (and Vladimir Putin, himself) during his training years in the KGB.  It all seems a bit surreal to an average American Joe like myself, but certainly offers a plausible explanation for what has happened to the ROCOR in America during the past two decades.  For example, as I was reading Preobrazhensky's description of the old KGB/FSB "blueprint" for the takeover of ROCOR parishes in America, I discerned the exact series of events that had transpired in my own American ROCOR parish after 2000-- first, the appointment of a "nationalistic" rector, then the gradual (or even sudden) replacement of the old parish council and warden with mysterious recent Soviet emigres.  

    I have never been big on conspiracy theories, in general, and I am all too familiar with our propensity for collective paranoia, but this book, overall, seems quite credible and well documented.  The devil is in the details, of course, as in the case of the Mitrokhin archives, and the devil is also now, apparently, in the Orthodox Church in America. 

     Spasi Christye Bozhe!!
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Catherine5
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Re: KGB/FSB's New Trojan Horse

Post by Catherine5 »

I have been meaning to bring attention back to this book, especially since I happened to catch on Amazon.com that there are expensive copies available used there. The cheapest is $73 and the most expensive - don't fall off your sofa - $174 !
Meanwhile, as Pravoslavnik mentions above, the book is easily available from St John of Kronstadt Press for a mere $25 or so, including shipping. Plus you can support a True Orthodox priest and Press.

Two points here: I hope someone will write a better review for Amazon than the lackluster one on there. The guy is right to some degree, but he is so disparaging that one would not want to pick it up. Unlike Pravoslavnik's masterly review to which we readers of Euphrosynos Cafe are treated.

Hence, I'm putting out a hint for either Prav or anyone else to outdo that guy in order to render this book as interesting as it truly is. Maybe a FEW Orthodox or other Russian analyst types could thus bolster the book's sagging image on widely-read Amazon.com.

Secondly, to remind us of how valuable the author's insight into American-Russian relations is, here's an interview with him published July 18, 2009 by Craig Smith of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. [Ironically, the day after the Royal Martyrs and the day of Sts Elizabeth and Barbara, ALL of them victims of the Soviet regime in its early stages...]
Don't miss the staggering net worth estimate. It sounds way too high to me, as Putin seems interested in accumulation of power, rather than in amassing a personal fortune.
However, after the watch scandal of Patriarch Kiril, a Breguet or similar luxurious timepiece on the prime ministerial wrist has been reported....

"Preobrazhsky left his homeland of Russia six years ago fearing for his life. After spending 15 years as a KGB intelligence expert and specialist on Japan, he left the agency in 1991 and became its harshest critic.

When former KGB Col. Vladimir Putin was elected president in 2000, he began cracking down on KGB dissidents and critics, and Preobrazhensky realized he'd worn out his welcome. He fled to the United States in January 2003 and was granted political asylum in 2006.

We spoke by phone Monday after President Obama's meetings last week with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin:

Q: Many Americans think the Cold War ended in 1991. How worried should they be that it did not?

A: Russian media is saying constantly that the war has not been finished and that America is running the Cold War against Russia. This great inconsistency is very strange. Americans don't know about that. ... And also (Russia) needs the Cold War, the image of the Cold War, and they also need America as an ... enemy to consolidate the nation in this period of economic crisis. Because they have no ideology. They have nothing except this to tell Russians why life in Russia is not so good yet.

Q: Is Vladimir Putin, who remains the real power in Russia, a friend or foe of the United States?

A: Oh, he's an enemy, of course. Why? Because ... if American democracy comes to Russia, Putin would have to go to prison. That's why he's a foe.

Q: And what would he go to prison for?

A: For corruption. Putin is one of the richest men in the world. He's has about $40 billion. ... Then all he's surrounded with is corrupt, too.

Q: What's your assessment of the president's meetings with Putin and President Medvedev?

A: Just a sort of disappointment. ... They have only signed a document regarding weapons.

Q: What did you hope for?

A: For missile restrictions ... some document, some treaty of restriction of missiles. ... Russia saw that America has no concept about Russia. ... When Obama was speaking at Moscow School of Economics, students did not just react at all because they were expecting something about how America is seeing Russia now. And he didn't say anything. ... He let them know that America has no special concept of Russia now at all. ... Because previously America has considered Russia a democratic country. Now the facts are so obvious that there is no democracy in Russia and America cannot say anymore that Russia is a democracy. And to agree with this, it means to say that the previous politics of the United States was mistaken.

Q: Since you've come here, you've continued to speak out against Putin and the KGB?

A: Yes ... and I am feeling that Americans' attitude toward Russia has begun to change. It is becoming more sober. They're understanding finally what Russia is for them, that it's an enemy.

When I came here in 2003 and told the Americans that Putin is an enemy of America, ... they refused this because they were sure that it wasn't so. Even the war in Iraq did not sober them. In Iraq, Russia betrayed America 100 percent and it gave no reaction. And now America is criticizing President Bush, saying he was not so skilled in developing relations with Russia. It's not so at all. Bush was very obedient to Putin. Bush was doing everything Putin asked him to do.

Q: There was no pledge from the Kremlin for direct intervention in Iran. Can we expect any help from Russia in defusing the nuclear threat in North Korea?

A: No, never. ... First of all Russians will never help America anywhere because they hate America. That's the main reason... What about North Korea? Kim Jong Il is the best friend of Putin. When you see Russian media, they say North Korea is a friendship state. Why is Kim Jong Il the friend of Putin? Because Putin liked Stalin very much and Kim Jong Il likes Stalin, too. So there are two main links between Putin and Kim Jong Il -- hatred of America and love of Stalin.

...Q: You've said there are many KGB collaborators here. What do they do? Where do they work?

A: First of all, they are American leftists. They are working everywhere because now American leftists who have graduated from the leftist universities are working in the most important ministries of the United States. They're very easy to be recruited by the KGB, because the KGB tells them, "Oh, we all love Russia, we love socialism," and they agree to work.

The second reason is that Putin has managed to deceive America, saying that, "Oh, there is democracy in Russia." What does this mean? It means it is not dangerous to cooperate with the intelligence of a democratic country. In fact, there is no democracy. It's dangerous. But many Americans believe that Russia is a democratic country and agree to work with Russian intelligence."

Back to this post:
Hope there aren't many; that any who do exist never get any information of the tiniest value to Russia-- and no more Americans are so stupid to fall for that line!
Don't some of you feel like ordering the book to relieve the January doldrums of someone you care about?

Pravoslavnik
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Re: KGB/FSB's New Trojan Horse

Post by Pravoslavnik »

Well, I posted my original St. Euphrosynos Cafe review of the book on Amazon.com. (Should have done that one year ago.) However, Amazon does not permit the posting of websites in reviews, for commercial reasons. Hence, I cannot list the St. John of Kronstadt Press-- but SJKP may be able to register as an Amazon vendor...

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Catherine5
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Re: KGB/FSB's New Trojan Horse

Post by Catherine5 »

The book review was actually better placed over there anyway, perhaps, as it has such a professional tone to it. Especially too, since you explained the concepts of the book so that average Josephines and Joes could grasp why the book has interest and relevance for them. Otherwise, one might assume it was only for concerned Orthodox Christians or aficionados of Cold War & Continuing Cold War literature.

Thank you so much Prav, I looked at a few of your other reviews too and am amazed at your expertise in psychology. I couldn't understand what you were talking about! I guess I'll have to read the book in question to figure out those terms.
I did skip the controversial [with me] Islamic one, however.

I feel much better that this book's reputation has been plumped up.

Actually when first hearing of any book, I have begun to scan Amazon reviews to obtain a sense of whether I want to read it. Some customer reviews are off key. However, sometimes I can distill out a core piece of information - which may be all that I really needed from the book.

So I feel your strong recommendation will have resonance with potential readers. It's impossible to walk away from this book and not have learned much of importance.
[Weird though, that right after I alluded to Fr Gregory, who has apparently a thriving mission in Haiti, to read the headlines of the earthquake there, out of the blue. Very sad.]

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