▲「Time.com」Thursday, Jul. 01, 2010, By Carl Schreck / Moscow「Why Did Moscow Admit the Spy Suspects Are Russian?」 （部分）
〈http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2000842,00.html〉
By claiming the suspects as Russians, Gordievsky〔Oleg, the former deputy head of the KGB in London〕says, Moscow is trying to downplay the significance of the purported spy network. "Russia is trying to show that their activities were very modest and didn't damage the interests of the United States," he says.
なるほど。
The alleged Russian operatives have not been accused of espionage. Instead they are facing charges of conspiring to act as unregistered agents for a foreign government, a crime punishable by up to five years in prison, according to an FBI affidavit. Nine of the suspects face charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison.
もともと彼らは大したことはしていないらしい。では何故逮捕されたのかということについて、一応一罰百戒、（ロシアへの）見せしめということで解釈はできる。だが何故この時期にという別の問題は残る。逮捕の発表が行われたのは6月28日で、メドベージェフロシア大統領がホワイトハウスでオバマ米大統領と会談した同24日のほんの数日後というのは、実際いかにも作為的だ。
〈http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2000842,00.html〉
By claiming the suspects as Russians, Gordievsky〔Oleg, the former deputy head of the KGB in London〕says, Moscow is trying to downplay the significance of the purported spy network. "Russia is trying to show that their activities were very modest and didn't damage the interests of the United States," he says.
なるほど。
The alleged Russian operatives have not been accused of espionage. Instead they are facing charges of conspiring to act as unregistered agents for a foreign government, a crime punishable by up to five years in prison, according to an FBI affidavit. Nine of the suspects face charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison.
もともと彼らは大したことはしていないらしい。では何故逮捕されたのかということについて、一応一罰百戒、（ロシアへの）見せしめということで解釈はできる。だが何故この時期にという別の問題は残る。逮捕の発表が行われたのは6月28日で、メドベージェフロシア大統領がホワイトハウスでオバマ米大統領と会談した同24日のほんの数日後というのは、実際いかにも作為的だ。