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Former KGB agent living in U.S. summoned to Moscow
By Tabassum Zakaria
WASHINGTON, March 26 (Reuters) - Oleg Kalugin, a former KGB general living in the United States, said on Tuesday he would not comply with a summons ordering him to Moscow for an interrogation by the Russian domestic intelligence service.
An officer of the Russian consulate in Washington on Monday served Kalugin the summons from the FSB domestic intelligence service, which did not provide any reason for it, he said.
"I have an official summons from Moscow which was delivered by the consular official of the Russian Embassy which says that I am required to come to Moscow on March 28 for interrogation as a defendant, but no reason given," Kalugin told Reuters in a telephone interview.
"And the notification says that if I do not show up at the designated time I may be forced to come," he said.
Kalugin is a permanent resident "green card" holder of the United States, but still a Russian citizen.
"I will apply for U.S. protection, if necessary, but for the time being I see no reason because it's not a court action, it's an action of the domestic service which has no right to intervene," Kalugin said.
He said the "ostensible" reason for the summons may be his testimony in the spy case of retired U.S. Army Reserve Col. George Trofimoff, but that the real reason was "revenge."
Trofimoff, the highest-ranking American military officer convicted of spying, was sentenced to life in prison last September for selling military secrets to the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Kalugin said he was not the one who uncovered Trofimoff as a Soviet spy to U.S. and British intelligence services.
"When I was subpoenaed to come to Tampa to testify, the whole matter was already finished, I simply was used as a last witness," Kalugin said.
"I simply confirmed what had been known already for years. I confirmed that I was his supervisor," Kalugin said, referring to his previous KGB relationship to Trofimoff.
The real reason for the summons, Kalugin said, was revenge by former KGB officers trying to undermine him for his vocal criticism of the former intelligence service.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, himself a former KGB agent, shortly after his election publicly called Kalugin a traitor and Kalugin responded by calling Putin a war criminal, Kalugin said.
"After that exchange ... it's simply unwise to go to Moscow under any circumstances," Kalugin said with a dark laugh.
However, he said he was concerned for the welfare of his daughter and grandson who still live in Moscow.
"It shows an increasing influence of the old KGB guard on Mr. Putin and his security services," Kalugin said.
"It's an act of revenge and nothing else."
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