General Discussion

jmowreader

(53,560 posts)

55. If you had something the KGB needed, they didn't care how smart you were

Fri Feb 21, 2025, 08:26 PM

Feb 2025

Probably the most famous one is when the KGB tried to recruit someone whose job was to clean the runways at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.

The Soviets were designing a supersonic transport called Tupolev-144 and one of the things they couldn’t figure out was the tire compound. They finally came upon a solution: get this guy to dump out the bin on his runway scraping machine before a Concorde operation, clean the runway it used and give the Soviets a kilogram of Concorde tire scrapings. Their target went to the police, the police went to the French version of the CIA, and French intelligence went to Michelin: make us a kilogram of the worst tire compound it’s possible to make and grind it up so it looks like it was scraped off a runway.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

6 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

area51 DET Meadowoak BadgerMom MLAA DickKessler

91 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Former Intelligence Officer Claims KGB Recruited Trump [View all] Mr. Sparkle Feb 2025 OP

They made him feel special flamingdem Feb 2025 #1

Was it Donald Jr who said they could get all the money they needed from Russia? Trust_Reality Feb 2025 #86

Trump is a Russian asset, not an agent. Ocelot II Feb 2025 #2

Squirrels are actually highly intelligent. pandr32 Feb 2025 #5

I probably should have used a different animal as an analogy. Ocelot II Feb 2025 #7

Yep! pandr32 Feb 2025 #10

Maybe a banana slug? COL Mustard Feb 2025 #65

If you had something the KGB needed, they didn't care how smart you were jmowreader Feb 2025 #55

enjoyed that story NJCher Feb 2025 #73

I've got an even better one jmowreader Feb 2025 #74

Wrong. Spies are called "officers", not agents. Agents are the foreigners who are recruited by intelligence officers. Martin68 Feb 2025 #88

I stand corrected. But since he's stupid, he's more likely to be an asset, Ocelot II Feb 2025 #90

Foreign agent is a legal term used in the legislation prohibiting such behavior and requiring strict sanctions for those Martin68 Feb 2025 #91

Wow, John Barron is actually Ivan Krasnov. sop Feb 2025 #3

This message was self-deleted by its author Meadowoak Feb 2025 #76

Hell, this could just be more misinformation from Putin to stir the pot. groundloop Feb 2025 #4

This is from a "former" intelligence chief who Putin doesn't want around. pandr32 Feb 2025 #9

Could be why he was so very desperate to return to office and may account for Musk's scouring duties -- allegorical oracle Feb 2025 #18

This has been known and written about for years. Qualified by others in the know. Bev54 Feb 2025 #24

Yes. rubbersole Feb 2025 #29

This has been suspected/alleged for a long time. yardwork Feb 2025 #33

crass nov (R) BoRaGard Feb 2025 #6

Just More Confirmation Krazy_Kat Feb 2025 #8

There's always "Czar" available. He'd probably like that too much, tho. nt allegorical oracle Feb 2025 #21

Does it come with a little gilded hat and robe? rubbersole Feb 2025 #31

shah - Czar - Caesar lapfog_1 Feb 2025 #53

Thank you for that very enlightening information, lapfog. Buddyzbuddy Feb 2025 #54

The same word is translated into German as "Kaiser" FakeNoose Feb 2025 #71

Krasnov enid602 Feb 2025 #11

I just may start using it. gab13by13 Feb 2025 #28

or crass enough. Meadowoak Feb 2025 #77

Kkking Kkkrasnov markodochartaigh Feb 2025 #34

Finally! Somebody is talking about it for real FakeNoose Feb 2025 #12

Putin was in the KGB from 1975 until 1991. yardwork Feb 2025 #36

Exactly! He wasn't the guy in charge, he was answering to someone else FakeNoose Feb 2025 #48

And look at the link I added further down. yardwork Feb 2025 #49

The only people who would consider Trump "a businessman" back in 1987 would be the Kremlin. Jit423 Feb 2025 #13

And NYT? moondust Feb 2025 #14

There's probably some good reasons why the NYT protects this info. yardwork Feb 2025 #37

Yep. moondust Feb 2025 #41

This is my opinion ScratchCat Feb 2025 #15

This is parting what Mcturtle wanted shut down... JT45242 Feb 2025 #51

Putin DENVERPOPS Feb 2025 #16

I agree here for sure ScratchCat Feb 2025 #17

A great title for a book from 1980 on DENVERPOPS Feb 2025 #22

Please stop posting such woke journalism. No one would believe this stuff. /nt bucolic_frolic Feb 2025 #19

If Alnur Mussayev falls out of a window in the next few days you will know his story is true. flashman13 Feb 2025 #20

Putin's pals have already tried to assassinate him twice FakeNoose Feb 2025 #25

Well, according to "some guy on facebook" who.... reACTIONary Feb 2025 #63

That's the first chapter in the Book Of Duh. Aristus Feb 2025 #23

Yeah, Mr. Evil Feb 2025 #40

"Mistakes cilla4progress Feb 2025 #26

As if this wasn't obvious based on everything he does and says kerouac2 Feb 2025 #27

Not Surprising Baron2024 Feb 2025 #30

Someone has a new nickname BaronChocula Feb 2025 #32

Add this to the "No Shit, Sherlock" file. nt GoCubsGo Feb 2025 #35

OK, former Kazahk Intelligence Chief. maxsolomon Feb 2025 #38

C'mon... GiqueCee Feb 2025 #39

I think DJ Trump was Bratva early on, probably recruited from there. LiberalArkie Feb 2025 #42

The Daily Beast link has the 404 file not found statement. Jacoby365 Feb 2025 #43

The Hidden History of Trump's First Trip to Moscow Kid Berwyn Feb 2025 #44

And all through multiple Democratic administrations Trump was allowed to skate through everything because he was LiberalArkie Feb 2025 #83

This is old news. Updated, and welcome, but old. Grins Feb 2025 #45

Do you happen to have links to the books and other published writings you mentioned? (n/t) thesquanderer Feb 2025 #64

Daily Beast pulled down their article. mtngirl47 Feb 2025 #46

Probably because they realized that.... reACTIONary Feb 2025 #58

It's still up on SmartNews, linking to an Irish Star article. SunSeeker Feb 2025 #72

Check this out. yardwork Feb 2025 #47

K & R That's a wild story FakeNoose Feb 2025 #50

Was there really any doubt? n/t returnee Feb 2025 #52

Dude, why in fuck do you think he married two communist wives? jmowreader Feb 2025 #56

Without any supporting evidence whatsoever JoseBalow Feb 2025 #57

Certainly doesn't raise any red flags tavernier Feb 2025 #62

A GOOD LINK yellowdogdemocrat1 Feb 2025 #75

In 2016 I was shocked by this. It was breathtaking. BadgerMom Feb 2025 #59

The article has gone 404..... reACTIONary Feb 2025 #60

daily beast article Ani Yun Wiya Feb 2025 #67

Thank you for the link to the archived version FakeNoose Feb 2025 #68

You are quite welcome Ani Yun Wiya Feb 2025 #69

Completely corroborates with everything that came out 9 years ago. Karasu Feb 2025 #61

I believe it Rebl2 Feb 2025 #66

if not part of their mob, B.See Feb 2025 #70

Melania's dad was supposedly very close to Vladimir Putin. Her hooking up with trump wasn't a mistake, or "LOVE" BComplex Feb 2025 #78

Sounds like a feasible piece in the puzzle. Trust_Reality Feb 2025 #89

For this thread LetMyPeopleVote Feb 2025 #79

Knr UTUSN Feb 2025 #80

This asshole: True Dough Feb 2025 #81

It's Official: Trump is a MF'in' Russia Agent - Malcolm Nance IrishBubbaLiberal Feb 2025 #82

It makes me want to go back and reread the much-maligned Steele Dossier FakeNoose Feb 2025 #84

I get a 404 error from the Daily Beast link iemanja Feb 2025 #85

A very credible claim. Martin68 Feb 2025 #87