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Rossiya via AFP - Getty Images
A combination of video grabs from footage broadcast by Russian state-run television in 2006 allegedly shows a man, said to be a British spy, in a park outside Moscow collecting a fake rock being used as a high-tech version of the spy's traditional letter-box or dead drop in which agents can anonymously deliver or retrieve information.
RTR via Reuters
Russian television said there was a transmitter inside the fake rock.
In an embarrassing episode for the British security services, Tony Blair's former chief of staff has admitted that the U.K. used a fake rock to spy on Russia. Reuters reports:
In a television program aired on Russian state television in 2006, Russia's FSB security service accused Britain of using the gadget for top secret communications in Moscow, but London did not admit to the charge at the time.
Now Jonathan Powell, who was chief of staff to then Prime Minister Tony Blair, has confirmed the Russians were correct.
"They had us bang to rights," Powell says in a BBC documentary to be aired on Thursday.
"There's not much you can say. You can't really call up and say 'terribly sorry about that and it won't happen again'," Powell says. Read the full story.
RTR via Reuters
Russian television showed an X-ray of what they said was a transmitter in the rock.
Tony Blair's former chief of staff admits in a BBC documentary that Britain used a rock with communications equipment inside to spy on Russia. Msnbc.com's Alex Witt reports.
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Would be a little humorous if getting caught with the 'rock' was just a decoy.
Where's Maxwell Smart when you really need him?
06 this is news?? what a waste.
Nothing to see here. Move along.
They did not need to hide a rock, all they had to do was 'give' them an egg! Then it would have gotten a place of honor on a desk in the Kremlin where it could have done some good.
What? They did that?
And the rock was a Triogan' to throw them off? Hmm...
Spies are a currency.
to quote, tell us something we don;t know.
get the hint, people.
By the way, the editing leaves a lot to be desired. "The name is Bond... James Bond." NOT BONDS!!!!
Got the rock all he need now to be complete is the roll!!!!!!!!!
hmmm, how about using email to transfer information???
Isn't it just possible that being discovered was part of the plan? Now, around the world, enemies of the West will be stuck having to Xray every rock in their country just to ensure it really IS a rock. Gawd this is too funny - ROFLMAO!!!
An iRock.
Obviously, this is a story contrived by the Russians. The British admitted guilt because they are so polite.
The Old High Tech Rock Trick never works.
Just buy the info online. Duh.
Send The Dixie Chicks with a Bottle of Good Vodka.
Send Debbie Wasserman Shultz with a bottle of Bad Vodka, one way only
Send Michelle Obama with butt packs full of sophisticated electronics. She could carry enough to shut down the Russian's secret Communications completely, even bring down a couple of Russian Spy Satelites
The Redhead has been muted so often that she neglects to comment on a lot of articles.
This vine is no longer relevant.
Intelligence Services are deteriorating. Probably because Intelligence itself is in jeopardy.
I can tell the spy is also wearing a shoe phone.
It was a British Pet Rock that got away.
That's so 1970. Why have a data drop in a box when you can drop it to Yahoo mail/GMail/whatever mail.
http://www.spybusters.com/Great_Seal_Bug.html
So... the Brits put a tape recorder in a fake rock, dropped it in moscow and then sent bigfoot out to get it?
Hopefully the Russians had a little fun with it before the rock was "captured." In these days of hackers, trojan viruses, phishing emails, drone surveillance etc., man-on-the-ground espionage seems a little archaic.
It's a good thing that the "Rock" was in Russia........if it were in Iran the Iranians would want to execute the "Rock" for spying.
Russia.......FREE the ROCK it was coerced into helping the British.
Wow .....Slow day MSNBC??.......Nice "NEEEEEEEWS" story. More like a "Snooooooze" story . Thanks
BFD Shaken, not stirred.