The United States intelligence community has a hierarchy of classifications for its secret documents. Some documents are considered so sensitive and serious as to move up this hierarchy until they are known as "compartmentatlized." Here is how Special Agent Pluta describes the hierarchy of classification in his affidavit:

"21. Classified information is defined by Executive Order 12958 and its predecessor orders (including E.O. 12356), as follows: information in any form that (1) is owned by, produced by or for, or under the control of the United States Government; (2) falls within one or more of the categories set forth in Section 1.5 of the Order (including intelligence sources or methods, cryptology, military plans, and vulnerabilities or capabilities of systems, installations, projects, or plans relating to the national security), and (3) is classified by an original classification authority who determines that its unauthorized disclosure reasonably could be expected to result in damage to the national security. Where such unauthorized release could reasonably result in 'serious' damage, the information may be classified as SECRET. Where such damage is 'exceptionally grave,' the information may be classified TOP SECRET. Access to classified information at any level may be further restricted through compartmentation in SENSITIVE COMPARTMENTED INFORMATION (SCI) categories. Dissemination of classified information at any level may also be restricted through caveats such as: NOFORN (Not Releasable to Foreign Nationals), NOCONTRACT (Not Releasable to Contractors or Contractor/Consultants), WNINTEL (Warning Notice:Intelligence Sources and Methods Involved), and ORCON (Dissemination and Extraction of Information Controlled by Originator)."

Among the documents and other materials allegedly supplied to the Soviets and Russians over the years by "B" are the entire gamut of these classifications.

Hanssen's information was so good, in fact, that in April 1989, the KGB presented awards to KGB officers involved in the „B¾ operation. ("B" was the primary alias Hanson is alleged to have used in communications with the Soviets. Other aliases used over the years include "Jim Baker" "Ramon Garcia" and "G. Robertson".) Among the medals given the KGB operatives who allegedly worked with Hanssen were the coveted Order of the Red Banner, the Order of the Red Star, and the Medal for Excellent Service.

(BACKGROUNDER ASIDE: "B" went to great lengths to avoid physical contact with the Soviets and then the Russians. He refused repeated entreaties to meet them either in the United States or abroad. He especially ruled out a meeting abroad, stating that it would complicate matters by requiring explanations to his wife, his co-workers and friends. He further stated that US intelligence services were especially vigilant for such meetings on foreign soil and such would jeopardize his security. Physical meetings were out, and he worked diligently to assure that the information provided would not lead directly back to him or reveal his identity to his Russian contacts. When concern on his own part, and that of the Russians, grew at the end of the 1990s about getting information -- especially "action" items -- sent faster and more efficiently than the dead drops they were using, "B" suggested that they try using Palm VII's. In a June, 2000, letter --- his concern about being detected growing -- "B" writes to the SVR:

"As you implied and I have said, we do need a better form of secure communication ‚- faster. In this vein, I propose (without being attached to it) the following: One of the commercial products currently available is the Palm VII organizer. I have a Palm III, which is actually a fairly capable computer. The VII version comes with wireless internet capability built in. It can allow the rapid transmission of encrypted messages, which if used on an infrequent basis, could be quite effective in preventing confusions if the existance [sic] of the accounts could be appropriately hidden as well as the existance [sic] of the devices themselves. Such a device might even serve for rapid transmittal of substantial material in digital form. Your FAPSI could review what would be needed, its advisability, etc., obviously ‚- particularly safe rules of use. While FAPSI may move with the rapidity of the Chinese army, they can be quite effective, in juggernaut fashion, that is to say thorough..."

There can be little doubt, based on medals received by Soviet intelligence officers working with "B," "Ramon Garcia", et alia, alleged to be Robert Phillip Hanssen, the growing affection expressed by both sides in seized written and digital communications and taped telephone conversations, that "B" was a valuable asset to the Soviets and later the Russians. The FBI reports that "B" received $600,000 in cash and diamonds here in the United States at the dead drops. ("Dead drop" is a term in spook-speak used to mean "a prearranged hidden location used for the clandestine exchange of packages, messages, and payments, which avoids the necessity of an intelligence officer and an agent being present at the same time.") In a letter to "B" the Russians stated that they had established an escrow account for him in Moscow which contained an additional $800,000.

According to the affidavit, the FBI believes that "B" passed along

"documents concerning the National MASINT (Measurement and Signature Intelligence) Program (classified TOP SECRET/SCI), the United States Double Agent Program (classified SECRET), the FBI Double Agent Program (classified TOP SECRET), the United States Intelligence Community's Comprehensive Compendium of Future Intelligence Requirements (classified TOP SECRET), a study concerning KGB recruitment operations against the CIA (classified SECRET), an assessment of the KGB's effort to gather information concerning certain United States nuclear programs (classified TOP SECRET), a CIA analysis of the KGB's First Chief Directorate (classified SECRET), a highly classified and tightly restricted analysis of the foreign threat to a specific named highly compartmented classified United States Government program (classified TOP SECRET/SCI), and other classified documents of exceptional sensitivity."


• "(c) He compromised United States Intelligence Community technical operations of extraordinary importance and value. This included specific electronic surveillance and monitoring techniques and precise targets of the United States Intelligence Community. In one case, he compromised an entire technical program of enormous value, expense and importance to the United States Government. In several other cases, he compromised the United States Intelligence Community's specific communications intelligence capabilities, as well as several specific targets."
  
  
• "(e) He disclosed to the KGB the FBI's secret investigation of Felix Bloch, a Foreign Service Officer, for espionage, which led the KGB to warn Bloch that he was under investigation, and completely compromised the investigation. The Affidavit describes 26 computer diskettes that HANSSEN passed to the KGB/SVR, containing additional disclosures of information, and 12 diskettes that the KGB/SVR passed to „B¾. HANSSEN provided the KGB/SVR more than 6,000 pages of documentary material."

And that's perhaps the part of this case most readers will have the most difficulty fathoming. As he warms to his Russian contacts, "B" writes a letter to them asserting that he is "insanely loyal" to them and their cause. An unusual choice of words for a person bent on betraying a trust, This Reporter thought while reviewing the evidenciary documents. (See "Motivations" section below.)

Why the diamonds, you might wonder.

"B" explicitly requests diamonds which he could keep in trust for his children. He says early on that because of US monitoring of significant cash banking transactions -- due to laws meant to catch money-launderers and drug lords -- large cash payments caused him a special hardship. Thereafter, most payments from the Soviets and Russians were in increments of approximately $10,000 or $12,000 dollars as opposed to the $50,000 payment at an early drop. ( Oddly, "B" began returning diamonds to his handlers, and asking for cash instead, for reasons This Reporter could not fathom.)

Why not a Swiss bank account, rather than an escrow account in Moscow?

"B" did ask the Russians, in his letters, to establish a Swiss bank account for him, especially as he grew increasingly nervous about his length of service to the Russians and the possibility of capture. The Russians repeatedly refused to establish such an account, arguing that new laws made it to easy to trace the source of the transaction.

"B" argued that there were techniques, which though cumbersome and protracted, could be used to conceal identities on both ends of the transactions from Swiss banking officials.

The Russians were unrelenting. There would be no Swiss account.

Spy - vs - Spy: Glimpses of Humor

Almost all of the dead drops used by "B" and his contacts were located in northern Virginia. Initially, they were given names like "PARK" or "V," but as time went on they were designated "Doris," "Flo," "Charlie," and other decidedly more human names.

One bit of humor, early on, crops up in a letter from "Ramon" to his contacts complaining about a drop site they had chosen that he didn't like because he had no intention of walking through "mud an inch deep." As time goes on, he explains to them that he is normally attired in a business suit, so dead drops should be chosen where he can comfortably leave or retrieve materials and payments without ruining his clothing.

In a telephone conversation with Alexandr Fefelov, a KGB officer then posted at the Soviet embassy in Washington, DC, in 1986, arranged via a used car for sale ad placed in the Washington Times per "B's" instructions, "B" concludes the cordial conversation by saying "Do svidaniya," while it is Fefelov who stays "in character" by closing with "Bye-bye."

CONTINUES (Please follow links below.)