Circle of Treason (36 page)

ca. Sep 1984—probably Howard's first substantive personal contact with the KGB

2 Oct 1984—FBI agent Richard Miller arrested for espionage on behalf of the Soviet Union. Tried three times, finally convicted in Oct 1990, but released in May 1994.

Nov 1984—former CIA contract employee Karel Koecher arrested for espionage on behalf of Czechoslovakia

Early Jan 1985—Motorin returns to Moscow

Jan 1985—Poleshchuk assigned to the KGB residency in Lagos, resumes contact with the CIA

Mar 1985—KGB illegals support officer Gennadiy Grigoryevich Varenik volunteers to the CIA in Bonn

Mar 1985—Konstantin Chernenko dies and Mikhail Gorbachev becomes CPSU general secretary

16 Apr 1985—Ames volunteers to the KGB in Washington, DC. Provides information and asks for fifty thousand dollars.

Spring 1985—Hathaway becomes chief of the CI staff, replacing David Blee who retires

15 May 1985—Ames has a face-to-face meeting with KGB line KR (counterintelligence) chief Viktor Ivanovich Cherkashin at the Soviet embassy in Washington

17 May 1985—Gordievsky is recalled from London. After arrival in Moscow, he is drugged and interrogated, but not arrested. In July SIS exfiltrates him from Moscow.

20 May 1985—Cherkashin makes a clandestine trip back to Moscow, which was not detected by the FBI at the time. He returns to Washington on 31 May.

24 May 1985—former Navy enlisted man John Walker arrested for espionage on behalf of the USSR. He had provided the KGB with cryptographic materials and other intelligence for approximately twenty years.

Late May 1985—in accordance with CIA advice, Bokhan defects to the United States. He had been recalled to Moscow to take care of a problem involving his son, and the CIA suspected that he was under suspicion.

9 Jun 1985—Tolkachev is arrested in Moscow, subsequently tried and executed

13 Jun 1985—probable date of the “big dump.” Ames betrays numerous CIA/FBI assets to the KGB.

13 Jun 1985—Moscow Station CIA officer Paul Stombaugh arrested by the KGB trying to meet Tolkachev

Jul 1985—Milt Bearden assigned as deputy chief of SE, replacing Wesolik

19 Jul 1985—exfiltration of Gordievsky from Moscow

1 Aug 1985—defection of KGB CI officer Vitaliy Sergeyevich Yurchenko to the CIA in Rome. Immediately brought to the United States, where Ames becomes one of his debriefers.

Early Aug 1985—based on Yurchenko's reporting of Howard's cooperation with the KGB, we assume that the GTTAW technical operation in Moscow has been compromised. Howard was trained to service the device.

Early Aug 1985—Poleshchuk, on home leave in Moscow, is arrested when he attempts to pick up a dead drop put down by Moscow Station. Subsequently tried and executed.

Late Aug 1985—Smetanin is arrested while on home leave in Moscow. Subsequently tried and executed. His wife is given a five-year sentence for aiding him.

Sep 1985—Lonetree's first private meeting with Violetta Seina, local employee of the U.S. embassy in Moscow

19 Sep 1985—the FBI interviews Howard based on Yurchenko's reporting

21 Sep 1985—Howard evades FBI surveillance and flees the United States. Probably arrives in the USSR a day or so later.

23 Sep 1985—Hanssen is transferred to New York, where he serves as supervisor of a technical surveillance squad

Fall 1985—Redmond becomes chief of SE CI (formerly SE/ORP), replacing Carlson

2 Oct 1985—we learn that Poleshchuk has been arrested

4 Oct 1985—Hanssen volunteers (anonymously) to the KGB

4 Oct 1985—Smetanin does not show up for a post-home-leave meeting. We never have contact with him again.

8 Oct 1985—Ames begins full-time Italian language training

6 Nov 1985—Yurchenko re-defects. Martynov is one of his escorts back to Moscow.

ca. 7 Nov 1985—Martynov is arrested, subsequently tried and executed

9 Nov 1985—Varenik is lured to East Berlin, where he is arrested. Subsequently tried and executed.

25 Nov 1985—NSA employee Ronald Pelton is arrested for espionage for the USSR. The arrest was based on a lead from Yurchenko.

11 Dec 1985—last contact with Vasilyev, who dead-drops materials to us in Moscow

Mid-Dec 1985—we learn that Smetanin has been arrested

Late 1985—Casey first briefed on the compromised Soviet operations

Dec 1985–Jan 1986—we conduct probes in Nairobi and Moscow to see if the KGB is reading our communications. Results are negative.

Dec 1985–Feb 1986—sometime in this period, Lonetree has his first meeting with “Uncle Sasha” (KGB officer Aleksey Yefimov/Yegorov)

Jan 1986—SE Division begins stricter compartmentation of its cases. A super-encipherment system is instituted.

Mid-Jan 1986—Mister X “volunteers” to the CIA via an anonymous letter in Bonn. Claims to be a KGB officer. Tells us that we have a mole in Warrenton, and that Varenik was caught because his father found his spy gear. Sends a total of six letters, through summer 1986.

Mid-Jan 1986—Motorin arrested in Moscow, subsequently tried and executed

Late Jan 1986—KGB opens a GTABSORB shipment in the USSR

Early 1986—former DDO, and later IG, John Stein prepares a report for DCI Casey. Reportedly it is his conclusion that there is no connection between the compromised cases.

Feb 1986—Vorontsov arrested in Moscow, subsequently tried and executed

Mar 1986—Lonetree transferred to Vienna

10 Mar 1986—Moscow station officer Mike Sellers arrested by the KGB trying to meet Vorontsov

4 Apr 1986—last phone call from Motorin to his girlfriend in Washington. Calls give the impression that Motorin is not in any trouble.

16 Apr 1986—Robert M. Gates becomes DDCI, replacing John McMahon

Apr 1986—Ames finishes Italian language training, works temporarily on the Italian desk while preparing for his overseas assignment to Rome

2 May 1986—Ames is polygraphed. Clears out after only one session.

7 May 1986—Moscow Station officer Erik Sites is arrested by the KGB trying to meet with GTEASTBOUND, later identified as a dangle

May 1986—Bearden assigned to Afghanistan. Replaced as deputy chief, SE, by Bill Piekney.

Early Jun 1986—Vasilyev arrested in Moscow, subsequently tried and executed

1 Jul 1986—Potashov arrested in Moscow. Subsequently tried and sentenced to prison, but amnestied in 1992.

7 Jul 1986—Polyakov arrested in Moscow, subsequently tried and executed

21 Jul 1986—Ames leaves for Rome, where he heads the Hard Targets Branch

7 Aug 1986—Howard surfaces publicly in Moscow

23 Aug 1986—FBI arrests Soviet scientist and KGB officer Gennadiy Zakharov, as the result of a “sting”

30 Aug 1986—the Soviets arrest U.S. journalist Nicholas Daniloff in retaliation

17 Sep 1986—the United States expels twenty-five named Soviets; the Soviets retaliate by expelling five Americans. The numbers then escalate until mid-October.

30 Sep 1986—both Daniloff and Zakharov are released

Oct 1986—we learn of the arrests of Motorin and Martynov

27 Oct 1986—beginning of the CI/STF investigation in the CIA

4 Nov 1986—beginning of the ANLACE investigation in the FBI

14 Dec 1986—Lonetree begins confession to COS Vienna

23 Dec 1986—Yuzhin arrested in Moscow. Tried and convicted of espionage and sentenced to fifteen years, amnestied in 1992.

3 Jan 1987—Pitts is assigned to New York

29 Jan 1987—Casey resigns after suffering a stroke, dies 6 May

Feb 1987—Piguzov, with whom we had been out of contact since 1979, is arrested in Moscow. Subsequently tried and executed.

Mid-Mar 1987—U.S. Marine corporal Arnold Bracy reportedly confesses that he helped Lonetree let the KGB into the U.S. embassy in Moscow. Confession later retracted.

May 1987—beginning of the RACKETEER/BUCKLURE program, designed to tempt KGB officers into cooperating with the United States

26 May 1987—Judge William H. Webster becomes DCI, replacing Casey

12 Jun 1987—charges against Bracy dropped

Summer 1987—Redmond becomes deputy chief, SE Division, replacing Piekney

15 Jul 1987—Pitts volunteers to the KGB in New York

3 Aug 1987—Hanssen is transferred back to FBI headquarters, where he serves as a supervisory special agent in the intelligence division's Soviet analytical unit

13 Aug 1987—Lonetree found guilty by a military court-martial and sentenced to twenty-five years. He is freed in February 1996.

4 Jan 1988—Richard F. Stolz becomes DDO, replacing George

Apr 1988—the CI staff is reorganized and becomes the Counterintelligence Center. Hathaway now wears two hats: chief of the CI Center and a new position, ADDO for Counterintelligence

Jun 1988—beginning of the GTPROLOGUE dangle case in Moscow

28 Apr 1989—The CIA informs the FBI that State Department officer Felix Bloch may be working for the KGB

22 May 1989—Hanssen informs the KGB via dead drop about the Bloch case

22 Jun 1989—Bloch is warned by the KGB that he is under suspicion. An FBI technical operation picks up the message. The FBI immediately interviews Bloch, but he refuses to confess and is never arrested.

Jul 1989—Ames leaves Rome

Jul 1989—Bearden returns to SE Division, replacing Gerber

Aug 1989—Pitts is transferred to FBI headquarters in Washington

Sep 1989—after home leave, Ames becomes chief of the SE component that follows Soviet and East European cases in Europe

Early Nov 1989—Diana Worthen brings Ames' wealth to CIC's attention

Nov 1989—Fedorenko travels to the United States. The FBI and CIA (in the person of Ames) resume contact with him. Fedorenko, who was never arrested, eventually resettles in the West.

Dec 1989—Ames becomes chief of the Czech Branch

Mar 1990—Hathaway retires and is replaced by Hugh E. “Ted” Price

25 Jun 1990—Hanssen assigned to the FBI's inspection staff as an inspector's aide. Travels to FBI offices in the United States and abroad.

Aug 1990—Ames serves on the GS-12 promotion panel

Oct 1990—Ames assigned to CIC/AG, where he works on KGB-related matters

Jan 1991—Thomas A. Twetten becomes DDO, replacing Stolz

Early 1991—Price becomes ADDO, is replaced as chief, CIC by James Olson, who previously was deputy chief

May 1991—Redmond becomes deputy chief of CIC

Jun 1991—CIC/SIU set up

1 Jul 1991—Hanssen returns to the intelligence division at FBI headquarters and serves as a program manager in the Soviet operations section. He is in the unit responsible for countering efforts by the Soviets to acquire U.S. S&T intelligence.

31 Aug 1991—Webster resigns

Late Aug 1991—Ames returns to SE Division to serve on the “KGB working group”

6 Nov 1991—Robert M. Gates becomes DCI, replacing Webster

Dec 1991—the KGB First Chief Directorate becomes the SVR

Dec 1991—Ames transferred to the counternarcotics center, where he remains until his arrest

16 Dec 1991—Hanssen and the KGB/SVR have a dead-drop exchange. Hanssen then breaks off contact.

End Dec 1991—the Soviet and East European (SE) Division is renamed the Central Eurasian (CE) Division

Early 1990s—Chernov, who had not been in touch with the FBI since the early 1970s, is arrested in Moscow, tried, and sentenced to eight years. However, he is amnestied after six months.

1992—Nicholson assigned to Kuala Lumpur

6 Jan 1992—Hanssen serves as chief of the national security threat list (NSTL) unit. He focuses the unit's efforts on economic espionage.

18 Oct 1992—Pitts becomes dormant

5 Feb 1993—R. James Woolsey becomes DCI, replacing Gates

Jul 1993—Hanssen makes an unsuccessful approach to the GRU, again anonymously. The event results in a Russian protest to the USG, and the FBI opens an investigation.

Jan 1994—Price becomes DDO, replacing Twetten

21 Feb 1994—Ames arrested for espionage, with attendant publicity

Apr 1994—Hanssen is temporarily assigned to the Washington metropolitan field office

28 Apr 1994—Ames pleads guilty to espionage

ca. May 1994—Nicholson volunteers to the SVR in Kuala Lumpur. Leaves post shortly thereafter.

Jul 1994—Nicholson assigned to the CIA's training facility as an instructor

Dec 1994—Hanssen is reassigned to FBI headquarters, in the office of the assistant director for the national security division

Jan 1995—Pitts is moved to the behavioral sciences unit at Quantico

10 Jan 1995—Woolsey resigns

12 Feb 1995—Hanssen is detailed to serve as the FBI's senior representative to the Office of Foreign Missions at the State Department. He functions as the head of an interagency CI group, and as FBI's liaison to State's Bureau of Intelligence and Research

May 1995—Jack Downing becomes DDO, replacing Price

10 May 1995—John Deutch becomes DCI, replacing Woolsey

Aug 1995—FBI launches a sting, reactivating Pitts

28 Feb 1996—Lonetree released from prison

Jul 1996—Nicholson assigned to the counterterrorism center

16 Nov 1996—Nicholson arrested for espionage

15 Dec 1996—Deutch resigns

18 Dec 1996—Pitts arrested for espionage

1997—David Cohen becomes DDO, replacing Downing

28 Feb 1997—Pitts pleads guilty

5 Jun 1997—Nicholson sentenced to twenty-three years and seven months

ca. 22 Jun 1997—Pitts sentenced to twenty-seven years

11 Jul 1997—George Tenet becomes DCI, replacing Deutch 1999—James Pavitt becomes DDO, replacing Cohen

Jul 1999—Hanssen resumes contact with the SVR (formerly the KGB)

Nov 2000—Hanssen's last successful dead-drop exchange with the SVR

13 Jan 2001—Hanssen reassigned to FBI headquarters as part of the investigation of his activities

18 Feb 2001—Hanssen arrested