![]() ![]() "There do seem to be real question marks around this story, at least in the public domain," Plame said Thursday. On Friday, Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs said Whelan had asked for help as an Irish citizen, and officials confirmed he is a U.S., British and Irish citizen. He had traveled regularly to Russia since about 2006 and had a Russian social media account through which he connected with members of the country's military, but lacked strong command of the language, the New York Times reported. They also agree that Whelan's story has eyebrow-raising and contradictory oddities. Other former CIA operatives and scholars of espionage, though, believe Whelan is being framed by Russian President Vladimir Putin for political reasons, a scenario Plame did not discount. She noted, "There are many Americans that seek to serve their country in various ways. Is it possible Whelan could be a spy? "It is not inconceivable," Plame said. government officials, who have said little about the case and likely have access to information they have not revealed, Plame suggested. ![]() No one knows what, if anything, about the Russians' assertion is true except, perhaps, U.S. The Russians indicted Whelan on Thursday. His twin brother said the ex-Marine, whose military record included a larceny conviction, was in Russia for a friend's wedding. Whelan, 48, an executive with the auto parts manufacturer BorgWarner in Auburn Hills, was picked up by Russian authorities on Dec. It is a very real threat and even more so today," said retired officer Valerie Plame, now an author who was famously outed as a CIA operative during the second Bush administration. "As long as there are nation-states, there will be espionage. Paul Whelan of Novi, held in a czarist-era Russian prison on spy charges, would attract the notice of any seasoned intelligence team, a former CIA covert operations officer told the Free Press. Watch Video: Michigan's Paul Whelan arrested, held in Russia on espionage charges ![]()
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