[War] Russia: "This Old Game All Over Again"

[Michael Downey]

"This Old Game All Over Again"
President Leonid Nemerenko
Russian Federation
22 November 2014
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<Moscow>

Intelligence had always been a critical component of Russian security,
both foreign and domestic. The old KGB had become the largest, most
powerful, and some would argue mos successful espionage organization
in history. Many historians asserted that the Russians had won the
intelligence aspect of the Cold War, though only just barley. Then the
Soviet Union had collapsed and the KGB hacked into constituent pieces
and many of its tens of thousands of agents RIFed. Which of course had
led to the creation of the Russian Mafia, a criminal group that made
Al-Qaeda look like boy scouts, as all those former spies needed a new
line of work.

But that was neither here nor there. The mob was still a problem for
Russia but a declining one and President Nemerenko was now concerned
with a different problem. Mainly the descent of the planet into a
Second Cold War between China and the United States.

"All the signs are there," said Nemerenko to the gathered intelligence
chiefs. The heads of the SVR, FSB and FAPSI. "The American funding of
North Korean terrorists, the Canadian raid, China's occupation of half
of Iran. It has come to the point that we can no longer deny the state
of world affairs. Hong and WIlliams are too caught up in their own
egotism and petty, self-righteous vanity to take a look back at
history and see how pointless and unproductive the last Cold War was.
For the moment we are merely sideline observers but how long will that
last? We are a major exporter of oil and arm to China but also a
growing trade partner of the United States thanks to our free trade
pact and the main oil supplier to their European allies. If
hostilities between these two nations increase, they may pressure us
to take sides."

"Both Williams and Hong know we wish to remain neutral in their
squabbling and it would be foolish to provoke us. Russia is not the
sick old man it used to be, our military is rebuilding and we still
have the largest nuclear stockpile in the world," observed Eva
Sobyanin, director of the SVR. Never before had a woman been head of a
Russian intelligence organization. Oh, the KGB had employed quite a
few female agents. 'Sparrows' they were called, selected for their
intelligence and their beauty. Sex had been a weapon since the age of
Babylon and the Soviets, never squeamish about exploiting a person's
humanity for any possible advantage, had vigorously recruited such
agents. Sobyanin was not, as far as Nemerenko knew, a former Sparrow
but she was once an aide to both Chebrikov and Kryuchkov themselves
and possessed both an intellect and a streak of cold ruthlessness that
even Kalugin was sometimes intimidated by.

"We could still become a clandestine battleground between the two
States as Europe was during the First Cold War," said Ivan Kamachikev,
head of the FSB. Less callous and more jovial than his SVR
counterpart, Kamachikev was the more cynical (even by Russian
standards) and paranoid of the two. "Maybe the Americans will move
against us to disrupt arms sales to China. Maybe China will move
against us to disrupt oils supply to the West. We just don't know, but
we must be prepared."

"And preparation is half the battle," agreed Nemerenko with a nod. "We
need to ensure that if the Chinese, Americans or any of their vassals
attempt to infiltrate and disrupt the Motherland from within that we
are prepared."

"Human operatives are not our only concern," said Imram Gorenova, head
of FAPSI. His agency was the Russian version of the American NSA,
which it was very heavily modeled after. FAPSI had been briefly merged
with the FSB in 2003 but made a separate agency once again by
President Severov a few years later. "Electronic warfare, disruption
of a nation's economy and even their military by computer hacking, is
become a very real threat in the world. Take into mind how our own
problem with rogue hackers here in Russia has caused problems for the
Baltic states." Nemernko nodded. Williams, in his typical American
recklessness, had once suggested to Nemerenko that Russia recruit such
cyber vandals and release them upon China's electronic front door. "We
must begin developing more effective means to counter such an attack."

"I want everyone to begin drafting proposals and plans of action for
the future internal security of Russia," said Nemerenko. "In
particular I want the FSB to begin thinking about increased domestic
counter-intelligence activities and a dedicated program from FAPSI to
protect Russia's computer networks from any sort of cyber attack by a
foreign government and securing our own government computer systems
from electronic snooping. Furthermore, I am going to ask the Assembly
to increase the budgets of all of your agencies by 15%. Ten percent I
leave to you, the individual directors, to use as you see fit but the
remaining five percent is to be used for recruitment and pay increase
among your personnel."
----

Actions:
1) Russia begins a serious enhancement of its domestic
counter-intelligence efforts
2) FAPSI, Russia's version of the NSA, will begin an intense program
designed to secure both Russia's public networks and government
computer system from electronic attacks by foreign governments
3) Increase the budgets of the SVR, FSB and FAPSI by 15%: ten percent
to be used as the individual directors see fit, five percent for
recruitment and employee pay hikes.