Ruse (book)

Ruse is an autobiographical account written by investigative journalist and FBI counterintelligence operative, Robert Eringer.[1] Ruse covers the author's covert interactions with CIA defector, Edward Lee Howard in the late years of his life. The primary objective is to convince Howard to travel outside of Russia, to a jurisdiction where he could be arrested and extradited. Eringer's cover as a literary agent also allows him to gain the confidence of the 23 year fugitive, Unicorn Killer (Ira Einhorn).[2] Frustrated with extradition negotiations, the FBI approved Eringer's plan to keep tabs on Einhorn in case that he would attempt to flee from France during extradition negotiations. Activities described in Ruse also expose Cuban intelligence (DGI) operatives in Washington D.C.,[3] and preemptively exposed a Cuban plot to disenfranchise Senator Bob Menendez.[4] When allegations were made against the Senator in 2012, a short passage from Ruse, reported in The Record in 2008,[5] caused Alex Seitz-Wald (Salon) to Tweet his theory.[6]

Ruse: Undercover with FBI Counterintelligence
AuthorRobert Eringer
GenreCreative nonfiction, autobiography
Published2008
Media typeHardcover
Pages215
ISBN9781597973175
OCLC755573094
327.1273 B
LC ClassHV
Preceded byAn Ear in Provence: Listening to the French 
Followed byReunion-Sunset Romance,Two Novellas 

Summary

The author's cover as a book agent served to open communications with fugitives who wished to capitalize on their memoirs. Instead of just publishing these books, Robert Eringer approached the FBI with his plan to "ruse" these fugitives and attempt to bring them to justice. Set between the end of the Cold War and September 11, 2001, Ruse is an account of Eringer's involvement in the efforts of the rendition of Unicorn Killer (Ira Einhorn) and CIA defector Edward Lee Howard. Howard died with operations on hold, due to diplomatic concerns. Einhorn was arrested and is serving a life sentence. The Edward Lee Howard operation produced intelligence of interest in the Aldrich Ames double-agent case. The book includes candid statements from Russian operatives, during the period when Russia's security services were transitioning to the FSK and FSB.[2]

Senator Menendez conspiracy

In 2014, The Washington Post quoted from Ruse concerning unfounded allegations that Senator Menendez had underpaid a pair of unnamed prostitutes while on vacation in the Dominican Republic.[6] The passage from Ruse was first picked up by Elizabeth Llorente, of The Record in Bergen County, NJ in early 2008. It appears that both Eringer and Menendez commented for the article at that time.[5] In 2014, Menendez asked for an investigation into whether the plot originated with Cuban Intelligence.[7][8][9]

Approach

The book is written in three parts, "Hoodwinking Howard", "Conning the Cubans", "Bamboozling Beelzebub" and a short epilogue,"Blackmail, Vodka and Threat to Kill". Ruse is documented with dates and photographs of meetings and correspondence. On April 20, 1994, shortly after the arrest of Aldrich Ames, Eringer entered the country to meet with CIA defector Edward Lee Howard under conditions that Russia would consider espionage and with the knowledge that the FBI would disavow any connection to himself, or the operation.[10]:page 52[11]

Further reading
  • "A Counterintelligence Cold Case File: The Fourth Mole", by Mike Mattson, 2009[12]
  • "The Intelligence Officer’s Bookshelf", by Hayden B. Peake, September 2008[2]
  • Lockdown 2010: "Manufactured Consent and Cyberwar", by Bill Blunden, Conference proceedings, University of Wisconsin -‐ Madison[13]

References
  1. Dick Donahue; Juan Martinez (21 January 2008). "Spring Hardcovers: Biography & Memoir". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 9 August 2015. Volume 255 Issue 3
  2. "Robert Eringer, Ruse: Undercover With FBI Counterintelligence (Washington, DC: Potomac Books, 2008), 215 pp., photos, no index". CIA.gov. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  3. Gray-Blanc, Elena (22 May 2008). "Real-Life Spy Puts 007 to Shame". Santa Barbara Independent. Archived from the original on 6 August 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  4. CANCIO ISLA, WILFREDO (7 April 2008). "U.S. spy asked to help Cuba". The Miami Herald. Archived from the original on 6 August 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  5. Llorente, Elizabeth (25 April 2008). "FBI agent says Cuba sought dirt on Menendez". The Record. Archived from the original on August 18, 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2015.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. Wemple, Erik (8 July 2014). "A reporter's possibly prescient tweet on Menendez and Cuban intel". The Washington Post. Retrieved 6 August 2015. Cuban officials, wrote Eringer, were eager to discredit Menendez, who for years has been a staunch opponent of the communist regime in Cuba.
  7. Carol D. Leonnig; Manuel Roig-Franzia (7 July 2014). "Sen. Robert Menendez seeks probe of alleged Cuban plot to smear him". The Washington Post. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  8. "WaPo: Cuban Agents Suspected in Menendez Smear Campaign". Capital Hill Cubans. Archived from the original on 18 August 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  9. "If the Embargo is "Castro's Best Friend"..." Capitol Hill Cubans. 8 July 2014. Archived from the original on 18 August 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  10. Eringer, Robert (1 March 2008). Ruse. Potomic Books. ISBN 9781597971898. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  11. ALLEN, IAN (7 December 2009). "Writings by CIA defector Edward Lee Howard published". IntelNews.org. Archived from the original on 24 September 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2014. Eringer befriended Howard and, as part of the luring operation, commissioned the former CIA agent to write a book entitled Spy’s Guide to Central Europe. After Howard’s death, his unfinished book remained in Eringer’s possession. The former FBI agent has now decided to publish Howard’s writings, in several parts, on his blog.
  12. Mattson, Mike (2009). "The Fourth Mole". Intelligencer Journal. The Institute of World Politics. 17 No 1 (Winter / Spring): 59.
  13. Blunden, Bill (2010). "Manufactured Consent and Cyberwar" (PDF). Lockdown 2010 ʹ University of Wisconsin -‐ Madison. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 August 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015. According to former KGB chairman Vladimir Kryuchkov , "Intelligence is probably the most profit able structure in the country. It pays its exp enses with dividends. On e single operation, concerning outer space, pumped 500 million dollars into our economy [41]
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