Brendan Kyle Hatcher
Encyclopedia
Brendan Kyle Hatcher is a United States diplomat
who was called "the most closely surveilled American in Russia" by ABC News Investigative Reporter Brian Ross in a September 2009 investigative report. Hatcher gained notoriety in August 2009 after the Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda
, a newspaper which Russian intelligence expert Andrei Soldatov
ties to the Federal Security Services (FSB) of the Russian Federation, accused him of being an undercover CIA agent who had engaged in inappropriate activities in Russia. The media reports were quickly condemned by investigating authorities in the U.S. as fabricated. According to Eli Lake of The Washington Times, Hatcher became one of several American diplomats and journalists to be attacked and falsely accused between 2007 and 2011 after the Obama Administration's "reset" with Russia. Hatcher served as Political Officer who worked to promote human rights
and freedom of religion
in Russia, and was fully exonerated and awarded in June 2010 by the State Department for his "courage and character, commitment to excellence, and support of human rights and religious freedom in spite of exceedingly difficult circumstances and personal hardship."
On August 6, 2009, Russian media sources with links to the FSB (the successor organization to the infamous KGB
of the Soviet Union
) released real video images and pictures of Hatcher that had been spliced with images of another person. The images emerged just one month after the first presidential summit between U.S. President Barack Obama
and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev which prominently featured discussions on human rights and corruption. The Ambassador of the Embassy of the United States in Moscow
, John Beyrle
, issued a formal protest to the Russian government, stating that the Russian media reports about Hatcher were completely untrue and had no place in the development of better relations between the two superpowers. Despite Beyrle's protest, neither Hatcher nor the U.S government received an apology from Russian officials for the "smear campaign."
On September 23, 2009, ABC News
ran an investigative piece on Nightline
concerning the "smear campaign" against Hatcher, including the interview with Ambassador Beyrle. During the interview, Beyrle stated that he supported Hatcher with full confidence and that Hatcher was 100% innocent of any wrongdoing. Beyrle had previously awarded Hatcher in May 2009 for his success in promoting freedom of religion and human rights in Russia, and he stood by the assessment of Hatcher's innocence made by diplomatic security officers. Beyrle also said that there were elements in Russia that did not want the two countries to develop closer ties, and that they had attacked Hatcher to discredit him and his work. Soldatov further noted that only Russian intelligence agents would be interested in smearing Hatcher to force his dismissal from Russia.
In the course of the segment, retired FBI Counterintelligence Officer and KGB expert David Majors pointed out that the video segments had been doctored to smear Hatcher and to reduce his effectiveness at his job. Major pointed out obvious flaws in the video sequence
and confirmed that the false media reports, which included some real clips of Hatcher taken from street surveillance cameras during his previous trips to Russia as a tourist and as a research assistant, were a "dirty trick" and constituted a failed attempt to frame Hatcher.
In the September 24, 2009, State Department press briefing, spokesperson Ian Kelly called Hatcher “one of our best” diplomats, and confirmed that Hatcher had been smeared with false media reports to discredit his work to promote human rights and religious freedom. Kelly additionally noted that the State Department deplored this type of activity by the Russians at a time when diplomats like Hatcher were working to improve bilateral relations. Hatcher served as a Political Officer at the US Embassy in Moscow from July 2008 to July 2010 covering religious freedom and human rights issues in Russia. As part of his job, he would meet with opposition figures, government officials, NGOs, journalists, and religious leaders to promote human rights and religious equality. Hatcher was lauded by his colleagues for heroism and was awarded by the State Department for his courage and commitment to excellence in the face of difficult circumstances in June 2010.
Prior to his service in the diplomatic corps, Hatcher served as an intelligence analyst with the Department of the Treasury, Office of Intelligence and Analysis, where he focused on fighting the sources of terrorism financing. Hatcher received his masters from the acclaimed Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) as a Presidential Management Fellow in 2005, and delivered the student commencement address alongside Russian scientist Roald Sagdeev and philanthropist Susan Eisnehower. In the summer of 2004, Hatcher conducted research for the Center for East Asian Studies in Vladivostok, Russia, where he focused on Russian attitudes towards Chinese migrants. He later presented and published a paper detailing his findings, which included a scathing commentary about Russian racism and xenophobia. Prior to his research in Russia, Hatcher worked in the private sector as a business manager, and he served in the Peace Corps as a volunteer in Kazakhstan (part of the former Soviet Union) where he taught economics at the Taraz Polytechnical College in Taraz, Kazakhstan
. Russian officials have long been skeptical of the Peace Corps as a cover for US spies, evidenced by Russia’s decision to kick out the Peace Corps in 2002. Hatcher hails from Nashville, Tennessee and attended Montgomery Bell Academy
, famous as the source for the blockbuster film Dead Poets Society
.
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
who was called "the most closely surveilled American in Russia" by ABC News Investigative Reporter Brian Ross in a September 2009 investigative report. Hatcher gained notoriety in August 2009 after the Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda
Komsomolskaya Pravda
Komsomolskaya Pravda is a daily Russian tabloid newspaper, founded on March 13th, 1925. It is published by "Izdatelsky Dom Komsomolskaya Pravda" .- History :...
, a newspaper which Russian intelligence expert Andrei Soldatov
Andrei Soldatov
Andrei Soldatov is a Russian investigative journalist and Russian security services expert. He is a co-founders of the Agentura.Ru web site.-Journalism:...
ties to the Federal Security Services (FSB) of the Russian Federation, accused him of being an undercover CIA agent who had engaged in inappropriate activities in Russia. The media reports were quickly condemned by investigating authorities in the U.S. as fabricated. According to Eli Lake of The Washington Times, Hatcher became one of several American diplomats and journalists to be attacked and falsely accused between 2007 and 2011 after the Obama Administration's "reset" with Russia. Hatcher served as Political Officer who worked to promote human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and freedom of religion
Freedom of religion
Freedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any...
in Russia, and was fully exonerated and awarded in June 2010 by the State Department for his "courage and character, commitment to excellence, and support of human rights and religious freedom in spite of exceedingly difficult circumstances and personal hardship."
On August 6, 2009, Russian media sources with links to the FSB (the successor organization to the infamous KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
) released real video images and pictures of Hatcher that had been spliced with images of another person. The images emerged just one month after the first presidential summit between U.S. President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev which prominently featured discussions on human rights and corruption. The Ambassador of the Embassy of the United States in Moscow
Embassy of the United States in Moscow
The Embassy of the United States in Moscow is the diplomatic mission of the United States to the Russian Federation. It is located in the Presnensky District in the city center of Moscow. Its address is: Bolshoy Deviatinsky Pereulok No...
, John Beyrle
John Beyrle
John R. Beyrle , a career Foreign Service Officer and specialist in Russian and Eastern European affairs, is currently Ambassador of the United States to the Russian Federation.- Biography :...
, issued a formal protest to the Russian government, stating that the Russian media reports about Hatcher were completely untrue and had no place in the development of better relations between the two superpowers. Despite Beyrle's protest, neither Hatcher nor the U.S government received an apology from Russian officials for the "smear campaign."
On September 23, 2009, ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
ran an investigative piece on Nightline
Nightline
Nightline, or ABC News Nightline is a late-night news program broadcast by ABC in the United States, and has a franchised formula to other networks and stations elsewhere in the world. It airs weeknights, usually for 31 minutes. Created by Roone Arledge, the program featured Ted Koppel as its main...
concerning the "smear campaign" against Hatcher, including the interview with Ambassador Beyrle. During the interview, Beyrle stated that he supported Hatcher with full confidence and that Hatcher was 100% innocent of any wrongdoing. Beyrle had previously awarded Hatcher in May 2009 for his success in promoting freedom of religion and human rights in Russia, and he stood by the assessment of Hatcher's innocence made by diplomatic security officers. Beyrle also said that there were elements in Russia that did not want the two countries to develop closer ties, and that they had attacked Hatcher to discredit him and his work. Soldatov further noted that only Russian intelligence agents would be interested in smearing Hatcher to force his dismissal from Russia.
In the course of the segment, retired FBI Counterintelligence Officer and KGB expert David Majors pointed out that the video segments had been doctored to smear Hatcher and to reduce his effectiveness at his job. Major pointed out obvious flaws in the video sequence
and confirmed that the false media reports, which included some real clips of Hatcher taken from street surveillance cameras during his previous trips to Russia as a tourist and as a research assistant, were a "dirty trick" and constituted a failed attempt to frame Hatcher.
In the September 24, 2009, State Department press briefing, spokesperson Ian Kelly called Hatcher “one of our best” diplomats, and confirmed that Hatcher had been smeared with false media reports to discredit his work to promote human rights and religious freedom. Kelly additionally noted that the State Department deplored this type of activity by the Russians at a time when diplomats like Hatcher were working to improve bilateral relations. Hatcher served as a Political Officer at the US Embassy in Moscow from July 2008 to July 2010 covering religious freedom and human rights issues in Russia. As part of his job, he would meet with opposition figures, government officials, NGOs, journalists, and religious leaders to promote human rights and religious equality. Hatcher was lauded by his colleagues for heroism and was awarded by the State Department for his courage and commitment to excellence in the face of difficult circumstances in June 2010.
Prior to his service in the diplomatic corps, Hatcher served as an intelligence analyst with the Department of the Treasury, Office of Intelligence and Analysis, where he focused on fighting the sources of terrorism financing. Hatcher received his masters from the acclaimed Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) as a Presidential Management Fellow in 2005, and delivered the student commencement address alongside Russian scientist Roald Sagdeev and philanthropist Susan Eisnehower. In the summer of 2004, Hatcher conducted research for the Center for East Asian Studies in Vladivostok, Russia, where he focused on Russian attitudes towards Chinese migrants. He later presented and published a paper detailing his findings, which included a scathing commentary about Russian racism and xenophobia. Prior to his research in Russia, Hatcher worked in the private sector as a business manager, and he served in the Peace Corps as a volunteer in Kazakhstan (part of the former Soviet Union) where he taught economics at the Taraz Polytechnical College in Taraz, Kazakhstan
Taraz
Taraz , is a city and a center of the Jambyl Province in Kazakhstan. It is located in the south of Kazakhstan, near the border with Kyrgyzstan, on the Talas River...
. Russian officials have long been skeptical of the Peace Corps as a cover for US spies, evidenced by Russia’s decision to kick out the Peace Corps in 2002. Hatcher hails from Nashville, Tennessee and attended Montgomery Bell Academy
Montgomery Bell Academy
Montgomery Bell Academy is a preparatory day school for boys in grades 7 through 12 in Nashville, Tennessee.The school ideal is "Gentleman, Scholar, Athlete." Montgomery Bell Academy is noted for a large number of National Merit and other scholarship winners...
, famous as the source for the blockbuster film Dead Poets Society
Dead Poets Society
Dead Poets Society is a 1989 American drama film directed by Peter Weir and starring Robin Williams. Set at the conservative and aristocratic Welton Academy in Vermont in 1959, it tells the story of an English teacher who inspires his students through his teaching of poetry.The script was written...
.