Witness the latest episode in regards to the trading of Russian spies imprisoned (according to at least one report "in harsh regions once housing the communist Gulag") for agents captured under "deep cover" here in America.
For some (non-spies, it is hoped) "deep cover" becomes code word for coping with an oil spill or life under oppressive circumstances (whether self-made, corporate initiated or government mandated).
Soviet stamp featuring Neft Daşları 'Oil Rocks'
"First oil platform in the world"
Getting to the impetus for writing anything at all today, the spy story coverage has been spotty (sparse, at best) so yours truly did a little more digging to uncover some of the details.
The Moscow Times notes that a man convicted of stealing oil from his own company got an "unexpected surprise" today "when he learned that he had won a presidential pardon along with the four prisoners involved in the U.S. spy swap."
Dmitry Malin, an oil engineer working in the Saratov region, convicted in 2008 (along with two accomplices) of stealing about 20 tons of crude worth $8,000 from an oil field was among 20 inmates pardoned by President Dmitry Medvedev late (last) Thursday night.
His lawyer, Lyudmila Tomsen, was candid:
“If we had known that he was going to be granted a pardon so quickly, we wouldn't have asked for early parole,” Tomsen told the newspaper.
The 20 pardons mark only the second time that Medvedev has exercised his presidential right to pardon prisoners. In 2009, he pardoned 12 inmates, all convicted of minor offenses.
A Kremlin spokesman however could only comment that he "could not shed light" on Medvedev's thinking behind his decision to "abruptly" pardon the 16 prisoners in addition to the four sought by the United States.
Well, no kidding.
Columnist Dmitry Sidorov argues that Medvedev also should have pardoned former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky "in a display of his commitment to democracy."
Khodorkovsky, who is serving an eight-year sentence for tax evasion, is currently being tried on charges of stealing 350 million tons of crude worth $30 billion from his own company. Supporters say the government's case against him is politically motivated and have called on Medvedev to pardon him.
The Kremlin has said that it cannot consider a pardon without a confession.
(It is good for the soul after all.)
Khodorkovsky however, has maintained his innocence.
Says Khodorkovsky's lawyer Yury Shmidt in regards to the Malin release:
"I'm not a big admirer of the Russian authorities, but giving a pardon to a petty thief is good."
Bigger admiration, bigger pardon, perhaps?
Meanwhile, in the USA (where size also matters), Marc Rich might be recalled along with certain presidential truisms (converging Trumanesquely) as regards all of these current events greased by/with oil.
Oh, and lest we forget:
"As long as you keep stealing . . ."
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him:
“Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
But the other criminal rebuked him.
“Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?
We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve.
But this man has done nothing wrong.”
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43)
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