White House chief of staff: Spy arrests send signal US is on guard and watching
By APThursday, July 8, 2010
WH chief of staff: Spy arrests show US is on guard
WASHINGTON — White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel says the arrests of 10 Russian agents who spent years in the U.S. posing as American citizens send a signal to other countries that the U.S. is on guard.
Emanuel says President Barack Obama was aware of the investigation, the decision to go forward with the arrests and the spy swap with Russia.
The 10 agents pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiracy charges and were ordered out of the country in exchange for four people convicted of betraying Moscow to the West.
Emanuel says the arrests are a good thing for the U.S. because they send a signal to not only Russia but to other countries that will attempt to spy in the U.S. that “we’re on to them.”
Emanuel was interviewed by PBS’ “NewsHour.”
(This version corrects that Emanuel said Obama was aware of arrests, swap; not that he made decision.)
Tags: Arrests, Barack Obama, Eastern Europe, Espionage, Europe, North America, Political Corruption, Political Issues, Russia, United States, Washington
