Russia accused U.S. diplomat Ryan Fogle of spying for the CIA. Officials said they caught him red-handed, but former CIA officer Bob Baer says it makes no sense at all. CNN's Phil Black reports from Moscow with the latest on Fogle's status.
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Post by: Filed under: Russia |
International adoption expert Dr. Jane Aronson has seen the consequences of politics interfering with adoptions across borders before.
Like the law signed Friday by Russian President Vladimir Putin that prohibits families in the U.S. from adopting in Russia, similar measures in the past have destroyed orphans' chances at finding a home. "At any one point there have been moratorium, repeatedly," says Aronson.
Her message to parents is one of determination. "There is never a reason to give up hope," she tells CNN's Randi Kaye. Over the course of decades of work, Aronson has seen families parent from a distance and maintain a relationship despite the complications of international adoption restrictions.
Robert and Kim Summers have a crib by their bed, a stroller waiting in their dining room, and clothes for a baby boy who may not be permitted to come home to them.
The couple has visited Preston in Russia and they felt a connection. Kim Summers says seeing him was "the most joyful day" in her life since her wedding day.
They were eager to welcome a baby into their family after trying unsuccessfully to have their own child. But Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law that prohibits the adoption of Russian children by people in the U.S.
Sen. John McCain tells Anderson Cooper there's no reason for President Obama to be flexible on missile defense policy with Russia. Watch the preview and see the full interview on Syria, health care and the election. Tonight on AC360° at 8 and 10 p.m. ET.
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Post by: Filed under: Russia • Senator John McCain |
CNN Wire Staff
More information about an alleged Russian spy ring that was operating in the United States is expected to be revealed Wednesday at court hearings in Virginia and Massachusetts, court officials said.
Accused Russian spies Donald Howard Heathfield and Tracey Lee Ann Foley have a newly scheduled hearing in Boston federal court at 11 a.m., according to their attorney, Paul Krupp.
Three other suspects, Michael Zottoli, Patricia Mills and Mikhail Semenko, are scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing Wednesday morning in an Alexandria, Virginia, federal court, the officials said.
Zottoli and Mills have already admitted that they are Russian citizens and have been living as a couple under false identities in Virginia. Prosecutors said that they made the admissions soon after being arrested and authorities have found evidence to support that information.
Peter Earnest
Special to CNN
The arrests of 11 people accused of being part of an espionage ring under deep cover for Russia shocked their neighbors in the suburbs. Presumably it was also news to President Obama, coming as it did right after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's departure.
What should not be a surprise to any of us, however, is that Russia continues to spy on the United States.
Espionage is a fact of international life and always has been. The first spy manual, The Art of War, was written by Sun Tzu some 2,500 years ago. Espionage fills a vital niche; a successful operation can provide insight into intentions, plans, and human dynamics that cannot be gleaned from intercepted communications or pictures from space.
Michio Kaku
Special to CNN
In a long-awaited speech Thursday in Florida, President Obama will boldly go where no president has gone before, laying out an entirely new vision for the U.S. space program. The firestorm of controversy has already begun
For more than 50 years, presidents have pushed for government rockets to send astronauts to space, the moon and possibly Mars.
But now a new paradigm is being proposed. The moon program is off the table, and Mars is only a distant possibility. NASA is essentially getting out of the astronaut business, letting the Russians and private enterprise take over. The glory days of NASA, some say, are over.
Patricia Cogen
Special to CNN
By all appearances, Torry Hansen returned her 7-year-old adopted son to Russia like a pair of pants that didn't fit. As a result, Russia is considering closing adoptions to American families.
The parents of internationally adopted children, like myself, and the agencies that work with them are horrified by the family's actions - Torry Hansen's mother put the boy on a plane with a note - but also empathetic: We know just how challenging and frustrating raising such a child can be.
But mainly, many are shocked that she apparently did not reach out for the help that is available. Torry Hansen wanted a child to love, her mother, Nancy Hansen, told The Associated Press. Unfortunately her expectations were a mismatch with reality.
Jessica Ravitz
CNN
Valera remembered being left in the Russian snow. How he lost his lower arms and some of his toes, he wasn't always sure. At times, he said he was in a fire. The truth of what the 14-year-old experienced in his early years, no one will ever know.
The orphanage where he lives said Valera was abandoned as a small child at a hospital in St. Petersburg, Russia. He had gangrene, the result of meningitis and an infection, which forced amputations. He was released to the orphanage in Nizhny Lomov, where he's waited nine years for parents and a home to call his own.
On Saturday, Stephen Jack and his wife, Christine, will leave their Goldsboro, North Carolina, home to fly to Russia, the final step in a 15-month journey they hope will give the boy what he's always wanted.
Editor's Note: In 1998, Dr. Jane Aronson, adoption medicine specialist and Director of International Pediatric Health Services in New York City, traveled to Russia to learn more about orphanages and pediatric care, and to check up on one particular little girl, Anna. Read Dr. Aronson’s account of her trip below and watch AC360° at 10pm ET tonight to hear her thoughts on the adopted boy who was sent back to Russia alone.
Dr. Jane Aronson
Director of International Pediatric Health Services
January 24, 1998
It's hard to believe that I really traveled to Russia 4 months ago. As a pediatrician specializing in international adoption, I wanted to visit orphanages in Russia and learn more about the medical care of children in Russia. When I talk about my visit to Moscow and Saratov, I get passionate about every adventure. Even 90 degree temperatures did not seem to bother me. The mosquitoes kept me from sleeping comfortably, but I love telling everyone about my 20 mosquito bites in Moscow. In case you're interested, there are no screens in Russia.
My great grandmother, Rose, was born in Chernigov in Ukraine in the mid-1800's. My grandfather, Abe, was born in Skritsk, a small Jewish ghetto about 500 miles north of Odessa at the turn of the century. I felt as if I had something in common with all the Russians whom I met. I wanted to tell them about my heritage and they were truly interested in my family origins. People acknowledged me as Russian.
Saratov, a small city of 1 million people about 500 miles southwest of Moscow along the Volga River was our first destination. The orphanage in Saratov was shabby and old, but as we entered the infant and toddler living areas, the light from the large windows filled the room. There were very few staff caring for the children, but they appeared to be friendly and kind. This orphanage was occupied by 80 to 100 children with a staff of five; there was one director and a full time doctor. I met with the doctor and the director and after the initial "stranger anxiety" we amiably discussed the medical needs of the orphanage. I made a list of their requests and explained that we would work very hard to bring them medical supplies on subsequent trips to Saratov. They were very appreciative, but I really don't think they thought we would ever return.
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