Biological Espionage: Special Operations of the Soviet and Russian Foreign Intelligence Services in the West (Greenhill Military Paperbacks)

In the wake of 9/11 the threat of biological terrorism and sabotage has been thrust to the forefront of public consciousness. However, this is far from being a new phenomenon. From World War II onwards, the Cold War powers devoted considerable resources to developing what became known in the military as µbugs and gas'. This groundbreaking study lifts the lid on the top-secret Department 12 of Directorate S (Special Operations) v the elite inner core of the KGB First Chief Directorate and its successor, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service. During the 1980s and early 1990s the department encouraged biological espionage, the planning and preparation of biological terrorism and acts of sabotage. Their work was carried out primarily through µIllegals' v intelligence operatives who were secretly deployed to the West and covertly operated there, masquerading as citizens of Western countries under assumed names and cover stories. One of its top operatives, Alexander Kouzminov, has decided to break his silence and reveal in depth for the first time the department's tasks, plans and tactics. More disturbingly, he explores what others in the West and the developing world are and could be capable of. In this remarkable book we learn the secrets of the USSR's elite intelligence operatives v secrets which could prove vital in maintaining international security in today's uncertain political climate.