On air: Are your country's spies your national heroes?
| 15:08 UK time, Tuesday, 29 June 2010
They lived seemingly perfect lives, a typical couple in their 40's, pillars of the neighbourhood and their communities. But according to the FBI, they were just for the alleged Russian spies that were living in the United States.
The day after 10 people were arrested Russia has, of course, blasted the allegations as baseless:
"In our opinion, such actions are groundless and pursue unseemly aims."
The story has been picked up almost everywhere as bloggers and news media pour over the details of the 'ordinary people' who posed as married couples. says it's the same old story and the Cold War is still being played out.
And whenever stories of international espionage the blogosphere comes alive with all kinds of comments ranging from fascination about the details, even suggesting their about who, if not Mossad, may have killed Hamas operative Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.
But does our fascination with spies mean that we see them as national heroes? If they've helped a country to protect it's citizens from a serious threat, that's one thing, but what about paid informants that endanger other people's freedoms? Should spies be seen as national heroes?
