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The Billion Dollar Spy (Jo Spurgeon) (Prologue (Thematic Notes: …
The Billion Dollar Spy
(Jo Spurgeon)
Prologue
Plot Notes:
spy that ran in Sov. Union for 20 years disappeared (Tolkachev)
Nov. 24 officer tried to call apartment (hung up when someone else answered)
Dec. 7 Bill Plunkert put in charge of spy
Plunkert wore disguise to "birthday party" and used Jack in the Box to escape
Plunkert starts to look for the spy
Character Notes:
Plunkert:
driven, worried about spy, Catholic, burdened by mission
Thematic Notes:
desperation/worry about future
taking risks sometimes necessary
Chapter 1: Out of the Wilderness
Character Notes:
Popov and Penkovsky both spied because of hatred and vengence
Angleton paranoid because he'd personally double-crossing
Geber and Smith both were pioneers in espionage and believed in taking risks
Ogorodnik spied for money and hatred for KGB
Plot Notes:
CIA never really gained foothold in Moscow
CIA born b/c Pearl Harbor (extended from containment to espionage)
1/1/1953 Popov volunteers to spy (atomic secrets)
1956 transfered to E. Germany
1958 Popov caught and interrogated (killed 1960)
Oleg Penkovsky gave letter to Cox and Cobb to volunteer to spy (ignored)
4/11/1961 slipped another note to British businessman
came to London gave diagrams of missles
moved Penkovsky to Moscow CIA not ready
arrested and killed 5/16/1963
Polyakov and Kulak volunteered but spied outside SU
Penkovsky loss=Angleton period
Gerber and others hated Angleton period (wiretaps and meeting with spies personally)
Smith arrives in Czechoslovakia
established habitat of life and perfected brush pass
trained officers in Berlin
Ogorondik volunterred (paid hansomely)
Thematic Notes:
clash between risk taking and caution
risk taking argued for Pragmatism
motives for spying (hatred and greed)
Chapter 2: Moscow Station
Plot Notes:
Marti Peterson lives double life
Ogorodnik case provided docs from Foreign Ministry
Fulton went to pick up drop boxes
1976 Peterson assigned to leave deaddrop
Peterson did another and left suicide pill
when leaving another sees Ogorodnik with woman when he came later he was alone
supposed to pick up message but there was a blizzard and she couldn't find it
Fulton approached by man at gas station and given note
Feb 3rd man appeared again
Feb 17 approached again
May approached again (Fulton still ignored)
Ogorodnik case not working (seemed diff/not getting messages)
Peterson grabbed by KGB officers when trying to place deaddrop
learned Ogorodnik was captured and commited suicide
Character Notes:
Peterson:
paranoid about KGB surveilance
inspired to join CIA after husband John killed
men envied ability as woman to move undetected
Fulton:
listens to Headquarters (suspicious of danglers)
Ogorodnik:
rather die than be interrogated
impulsive with suicide pill
Chapter 3: A Man Called Sphere
Plot Notes:
Peterson questions why operation didn't work
Turner asked her to meet with President Carter and give her account
8/26/1977 fire starts in Moscow Station (suspected Russia meddling in fire)
Filatov caught and expelled
b/c of two cases Turner worried Moscow Station compromised (total stop to spying)
Kulak giving vauable info about tech. secrets but operation stopped because of Turner stand-down
man who approached Fulton gave letter to Hathaway (look-down tech.)
Headquarters didn't want to pursue cksphere but Hathaway pushed more
Turner decided to still do nothing
2 more items...
Thematic Notes:
sexism in world of spying
persistence and desperation (man approaching Fulton)
death in face of capture
Chapter 5: A Dissident at Heart
Plot Notes:
Guilisher notices break in surveilance and sets up meeting
Tolk. brings notebook and asks for as much money as Belenko
Guilisher cautioned Tolk. on danger of having such large sums of money
Tolk. has no privacy in apartment
Guilsher sends cable to headquarters who also questioned money
Guilsher wrote personal letter for next Tolk. package
2/17/1979 Guilsher gave Tolk. Molly camera to get RP-23 info
established code names for calling and impromtu meeting
Tolk. laid out plan to spy for 12 years
Tolk. asks for suicide pill and Guilsher is hesitant
Character Notes:
Gulisher:
thinks Tolk. is committed to spying but concerned with suicide pill request
concerned about money Tolk. is asking for
hungry for more info and thinks info is promising
Tolkachev:
driven by money
wants an out (suicide pill)
highly detailed and committed to Americans
spies because of money and hatred for Sov. Union
Chapter 6: Six Figures
Character Notes:
Tolkachev:
hated Communist ideology and the shortages faced by the public
wanted consumer goods his son Oleg wanted
wanted money because it would show was important to Americans
Plot Notes:
Tolk. wrote about disdain for Communist ideology
Tolk's work allowed him to have zakaz but materials were scarce
Tolk. didn't lack money but he lacked things to buy
wrote to CIA with irritation about proposed money plan (wanted six figs)
told that it would be impossible to store that much in Moscow
May 1979 American officers met to talk about Tolk's docs (no factual statement could be refuted)
Tolk's docs=millions of dollars in value
June 6 Guilsher met with Tolk. in person
6/18/1979 Pres. Carter signed SALT II
Tolk. said Moscow had just started studying how to combat American missiles
Chapter 7: Spy Camera
Plot Notes:
at first Tolk. hand-wrote notes but soon needed camera
Tolk. said making copies was impossible for him
CIA had made Tropel cameras but were reluctant to give one to Tolk.
gave Tolk. the Molly
entually told headquarters he was having trouble with Molly and was given two Tropels to try at HOME
Tolk. complained that request for suicide pill hadn't been met and complained about payment (wanted number with 6 zeros)
threatened to quit if needs weren't met
Gulisher and Hathaway sent cable to headquarters
told him payment would depend on quality of info and Guilsher told to try to dissuade pill idea
Character Notes:
Tolkachev:
greedy for money
knows Americans prize his info and feels comfortable demanding more profit
Guilsher and Hathaway:
very cautious
against suicide pill idea
greedy with money b/c they know value of Tolk's info
1 more item...
Thematic Notes:
greed with money in espionage on both sides
theme of being able to demand more if you are valued
extreme caution conflicting with risk taking and promises
Thematic Notes:
want of money not for greed by to prove you are valued
incredible family love (Oleg)
difference between promises of Communism and reality faced by commoners
Thematic Notes:
repeated idea of spies wanting an out if caught
influence of greed in motives for spying from spies and commanders (Americans recognize value of info but don't want to pay)
Chapter 10: Flight of Utopia
Plot Notes:
July 1979 David Rolph takes over as case officer
first mission was silent wiretap on KGB (broke his thumb)
Victor Sheymov defected after Valentin died
October 1979 went to American embassy and told he wanted assylum in US (with wife and daughter)
case given Rolph
Rolph flew to Moscow to exploit the "gap"
Rolph met Sheymov said he wanted to leave and said he could meet again in a week
wanted 1 million upon arrival in US and was given Tropels
as walking saw 2 men in sandbox (militia)
seditives offered to daughter to keep her quiet on trip
Sheymov got out and now Rolph moved on to Tolk.
Character Notes:
Rolph:
31, thought Guilsher was brillant but stiff, highly motivated to work in Moscow
believed deeply in battle against Communism
risk taker (Tropels)
emphasized idea of the "gap"
Sheymov:
thinks KGB is heartless
keen on exfiltration for family safety
Thematic Notes:
family safety can be a driving force of defection
risk taking is often necessary for forward process
have to distance oneself from emotions once mission has begun
Chapter 11: Going Black
Plot Notes:
October 14 1980 Rolph started "going black" mission
went to apartment of Moscow operations officer
Rolph put on disguise to look at apartment owner and then left apartment to meet Tolk. for first time
van stopped at flower shop as first cover stop
once 95% they were black Rolph took off disguise and went to meet Tolk.
Rolph went to theater (second cover stop)
went to apartment building (third cover stop)
went to meeting site OLGA
told Tolk. request for pill was granted
Tolk. still worried about library sheet and wanted CIA to make a fake and that he wanted rock music for son
Rolph and wife left embassy "dinner party"
Character Notes:
Rolph:
meticulous going black (didn't meet until 100% he was black)
patient and detail oriented
Tolkachev:
worried about cover being blown (realized about pill)
motivated by son's wishes
Thematic Notes:
need for patience and caution
Sov. want for Western goods
motivated by needs/wants of family
Chapter 12: Devices and Desires
Plot Notes:
Tolk's pill concealed in pen but requests of albums were considered
In 1980 Headquarters asked Rolph to get more circuit boards from Tolk
Dec. 8 1980 Rolph met Tolk again (gave Tolk. fake building pass and library sheet)
told Tolk about worries about rock music but Tolk. said explanation wouldn't be issue
Rolph asked about "invisible airplanes"
1981 Reagan entered office and gave CIA new energy
March 10 1981 Rolph met Tolk. again and brought Discus (CIA had plan for money, gave Discus, fakes not good enough, albums)
news about Sov. invasion of Poland worried that Moscow station would close
Character Notes:
Rolph:
worried about Tolk. getting albums and suspicion
worried pushing Tolk. too hard
Tolkachev:
had previously thought about music covereup
warming up to Rolph
discouragement and resentment with refusal and delays of requests
1 more item...
Chapter 15: Not Caught Alive
Plot Notes:
4/26/1983 Yuri Kirpichev called Tolk. into office
wanted a list of everyone with access to RLS No. 19 system
Tolk. decided to destroy all CIA stuff
Tolk. went to work with L-pill and held it under tongue when called to Kirpichev
CKELBOW=underground wiretap opp.
Morris and wife sent to bring machine back to station
Morris had to abort some Tolk. meetings b/c of security
Tolk. told Morris how he burned the CIA items and the scare
CIA considers whether or not there's been a leak at the station
Character Notes:
Morris:
still not completely adjusted to deep cov. work
wants Tolk. to bury Tropel cameras for his own safety
Tolk:
incredibly scared for being caught alive
not scared of the end of his life but rather the end of espionage
still suffering from serious health issues
Thematic Notes:
suicide is the only option if caught
damaging the KGB is more valuable than life
refusal of idea of betrayal of Tolk. at CIA
Chapter 16: Seeds of Betrayal
Plot Notes:
Edward Lee Howard came to Thomas Mills's party May 1984
begged Mills to convince CIA to take him back
Howard and wife Mary had joined CIA
Howard had failed various lie detectors about criminal activity and was not sent to Moscow
CIA didn't alert the FBI about Howard's access to classified info
Howard photocopied badge and went to Soviet Consulate with note signed "Alex"
went with Soviets in October and began making calls to Moscow to alert them of his deep cov. status
Character Notes:
Howard:
feels betrayed by CIA
air-force brat growing up
easily bored and drinks and uses drugs regularly
criminal past
vengeful and willing to betray country by talking to Soviets
Thematic Notes:
revenge is more important than country loyalty
your past always comes back to you (lie detectors)
mental instability causes one to do rash things
carelessness of CIA not to report Howard
Chapter 17: Vanquish
Character Notes:
Tolk:
recovering from intell. scare
incredible need for small everyday items in Sov. Union (wants comfort for family)
eager to get the Pentax b/c of drive to deliver max. info
Plot Notes:
4/19/1984 Tolk. gave note that apologizes for intell. scare
CIA explained how his materials were handled to calm him
gov. still didn't think leak came from US
Tolk. requested more Pentax cameras and various medicines
CIA changed Tolk's code name to CKVANQUISH
meeting with Tolk. 1/18/1985 and he asked for Pentax and was again denied
Tolk. asked for more trivial things for himself and his son
March 4 station tried to contact Tolk. but he didn't respond
CIA still thought it was impossible for leak to come from Langley
Chapter 18: Selling Out
Plot Notes:
Jan 1985 Howard flew to Vienna to meet with Soviets
officers still not completely convinced b/c some of his info not verified
In 1984 and 1985 Howard tried to convince Bosch to also speak with Soviets
KGB used Howard's info in investigation and narrowed spy down to Tolk's work
April 16 1985 Ames met with Soviets
Bokhan exfiltrated from Sov. Union after being called to Moscow
Micheal Sellers met defector named Stas and the underground cable info dried up
1 more item...
Character Notes:
Howard:
greedy and willing to spend money on trivial items
giving info to Soviets makes him feel wanted and important
Ames:
head of counter-intelligence inside Sov. Division in USA
also willing to betray country for money
Thematic Notes:
money and want for revenge is often stronger than country loyalty
everyone wants to feel needed and important
Thematic Notes:
refusal of belief about betrayal from the inside
exemplification of scarcities of resources inside Sov. Union
incredible drive by Tolk. to do whatever is necessary to derail Sov. Union