Counterintelligence

US Already Closely Monitoring Russians Without Anti-Spy Committee

US government agencies are already keeping a close eye on Russian activities inside the United States even without Congress potentially reviving a Cold War-era anti-spy committee, former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and US National Intelligence Council officer Paul Pillar told Sputnik.

 On Wednesday, BuzzFeed News, citing intelligence sources, reported that the US Senate Intelligence Committee proposed a bill to re-establish aninteragency committee to counter Russian espionage activities on US soil that would be modeled on a similar program once used to catch Soviet spies.

...The Senate Intelligence Committee proposal also calls for the FBI to investigate requests by US-based Russian diplomats who wish to travel 50 miles outside their official post, according to BuzzFeed.

The press office of the Russian embassy in the United States told Sputnik on Wednesday that it found reports of the US legislation to re-establish the anti-spy committee saddening.