The spy who was left out in the cold – a book review.

Michael Goleniewski was a double agent and meta-whistleblower he defected to the United States from the Soviet union in 1961. He handed over the secrets of 1693 double agents who were selling their secrets to the Soviet Union

He went mad because another former Soviet spy, Anatoly Golitsyn, claimed that he himself was the only true defector which meant the CIA neglected Goleniewski.

For some reason the British MI5 archive at Kew has decided that Goleniewski’s files are to remain sealed.

So Goleniewski has been smeared and airbrushed out of history.

Golitsyn’s behaviour reminds me of the way some football players and their agents negotiate with the top football clubs. I remember hearing that John Terry and Lionel Messi had clauses that ensured they would always be the highest paid players at their clubs.

I call this the prima donna negotiation technique.

I would imagine that these contracts are all commercially sensitive and subject to nondisclosure agreements. What is the difference between A nondisclosure agreement and a sensitive document being withheld or redacted for reasons of national security?

Of course some people know their self worth and are able to negotiate even from a weak position and others end up ruined due to their inability to successfully communicate with the authorities. This could be for any number of reasons. But regardless it is best under such circumstances to have friends in high places.