Hanssen's last letter to Russian intelligence

  Tuesday, February 27, 2001

  U.S. officials released new details Tuesday on the case against
  suspected spy Robert Philip Hanssen, including what is described as
  his farewell letter to his Russian handlers. Hanssen, a veteran FBI
  counterintelligence official, wrote the letter after realizing that
  the government suspected him of spying, U.S. officials said. The
  encrypted letter, signed with what authorities say was Hanssen's code
  name, was contained on a computer disk that he allegedly left at a
  park in suburban Washington on Feb. 18, just minutes before the FBI
  arrested him. It read:

                 Dear Friends:

                      I thank you for your assistance
                 these many years. It seems, however,
                 that my greatest utility has come to an
                 end, and it is time to seclude myself
                 from active service.

                      Since communicating last, and one
                 wonders if because of it, I have been
                 promoted to a higher do-nothing Senior
                 Executive job outside of regular access
                 to informaiton [sic] within the
                 counterintelligence program. It is as if
                 I am being isolated. Furthermore, I
                 believe I have detected repeated
                 bursting radio signal emanations from my
                 vehicle. I have not found their source,
                 but as you wisely do, I will leave this
                 alone, for knowledge of their existence
                 is sufficient. Amusing the games
                 children play. In this, however, I
                 strongly suspect you should have
                 concerns for the integrity of your
                 compartment concerning knowledge of my
                 efforts on your behalf. Something has
                 aroused the sleeping tiger. Perhaps you
                 know better than I.

                      Life is full of ups and downs.

                      My hope is that, if you respond to
                 this constant-conditions-of-connection
                 message, you will have provided some
                 sufficient means of re-contact besides
                 it. If not, I will be in contact next
                 year, same time same place. Perhaps the
                 correlation of forces and circumstances
                 then will have improved.

                 Your friend,

                 Ramon Garcia