Russia’s Spy Games in UK Distract from Terror Threats

Jonathan Evans, head of MI5, told Reuters he is tired of throwing away resources on Russia’s spy games when there are other serious security threats from terror groups like al-Qaeda: “Since the end of the Cold War we have seen no decrease in the numbers of undeclared Russian intelligence officers in the UK — at the Russian embassy and associated organizations conducting covert activity in this country,” Evans said. “So despite the Cold War ending nearly two decades ago, my service is still expending resources to defend the UK against unreconstructed attempts by Russia, China and others to spy on us,” he added in his first public speech since taking over as head of MI5, the domestic spy agency, in April. … “They are resources which I would far rather devote to countering the threat from international terrorism — a threat to the whole international community, not just the UK.” The Yanks have complained about the same thing in the past, while President Putin again talked about the threat of the “unipolar world” this weekend.