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You have to be very wary of what defectors say, they often just make stuff up.

Also, as Snowden has shown us, the line between private and state control is very, very thin.

Nosenko was a famous defector who confused CIA and James Jesus Angleton for years whether he was "bona fide" or a double agent sent to spread disinfo as a fake defector. the number of fake Soviet defectors was so enormous that it made CIA doubt the credibility of many legit defectors, which was a great counter intel strategy on the KGB's part.

Trust, but verify.

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