It is very hard to believe that the second man in the intelligence service, and the right hand of its director.. is nothing but a spy betraying his country.

The story is extremely hard to believe, even if his behaviour showed the opposite before the leadership.. there is always a wide margin of disbelief.

That is exactly what lets "Kim Philby" slip away.. and the investigations clear him.. and then they coax him back into service.. and he agrees without hesitation, with false patriotism.. so that he can carry on with his dangerous mission.

His mission as a Soviet spy caused London to lose dozens of operations.. and the Soviets to win them.

Even when "Philby" was assigned to a media file, as a press correspondent for the "Observer" and the "Economist", his reports served the Soviets and hit the English below the belt.. although according to the official papers, the Soviets had cut off all relations with him completely during that period.

And "Philby" breathed a sigh of relief, and was certain that he had escaped from between the lion's jaws, and that "Philby" would live a quiet life, and turn into a dormant asset.. or a sleeper cell.

But after six years pass, an event takes place that turns everything upside down.

The Soviet intelligence officer "Anatoliy Mikhaylovich Golitsyn", who had grown weary of the injustice of the communist system, its failure to distinguish between the diligent and the lazy and its treatment of everyone exactly alike.. breaks away from Soviet intelligence, and flees with his wife and his little daughter across the border to Finland, and from there to Sweden, then boards the plane to the United States under his real name and his real passport.. and in America he heads straight to the American intelligence office.. and offers them his services.

And the Americans receive him with extreme caution, and yet they treat him and host him well.. and they ask him to rest for two or three days.. in a clean apartment.. surrounded by heavy guard.. they counted their breaths over him and his family during those days.. and then they summoned him to discuss the matter...

And in the counter-espionage office at American intelligence, and before the head of the office "James Jesus Angleton".. "Golitsyn" offers his services.. so his interviewer asks him for some information as proof of good faith, and "Golitsyn" begins to hand them a flood of information that truly made their mouths water.. and then they stopped at a particular piece of information.. and decided to interrogate the man about it to learn more.

And in tedious detail, "Golitsyn" writes down for the Americans all the information about the collaboration of "Philby", the second man in British intelligence, with the Soviets.. and after studying the information and the networks of names, all of which were true with not a single flaw, the Americans carry this information straight to the British MI6.

And this time they obtain an order from the head of government, and he sets off after "Philby" in "Beirut".. one of the most dangerous men of British intelligence in Lebanon.. the fox "John Nicholas Rede Elliot".

And "Elliot" was a personal friend of "Philby".. so he actually corners him and confronts him with the charge of espionage.. and "Philby" confesses to "Elliot".. and "Elliot" asks him to write a confession and sign it.. in exchange for a lenient punishment.. but "Philby" outwits "Elliot" and escapes.

English intelligence intercepts a call from "Philby" to his wife, who was at the embassy party, in which he tells her that he will not make it to her at the party and is forced to head for the airport to travel on an important matter.. and minutes after the call.. English intelligence had Beirut airport completely surrounded.. and not a fly could enter or leave without its knowledge.. yet they remained waiting for "Philby" a long time.. and still he never appeared.

And the intelligence men turn over every stone in Beirut in search of "Philby".. to the point that they post a patrol at the Syrian border.. waiting to catch him as he flees.

But "Philby" disappears from Beirut completely, without a trace.

And in the darkness of night, the Russian cargo ship "The Dolmatova" moves out of Beirut port, laden with goods from Lebanon after it had delivered its shipment...

And "Kim Philby" was on board this ship in disguise.. and he sets foot successfully in Moscow in late January, in the year 1963. And there.. he is seized with fury because they had led him to understand that his rank in the files was "colonel".. and that if any problem occurred they would bring him and bring his family immediately and he would live in Russia a happy life enjoying wealth.. but the Soviets did not discuss these retirement benefits with him.. they seized him at once and made him a prisoner in a heavily guarded house.. he does not leave it.. and they told him that his family would not be able to join him at the present time.

And "Philby's" imprisonment dragged on.. and he spent the time writing his memoirs.. all his requests were granted except that he could not go out.. and they allowed him a monthly salary of 500 Russian rubles.. and the Soviets announced that this was for his protection.. but later.. the Soviet intelligence officer "Mikhail Lyubimov".. announced that it was because Moscow was afraid that "Philby", with all the secrets he knew.. might return to London.

He writes his memoirs under the title "My Silent War" and bribes one of his guards, so he mails it to London and it is published in the year 1968.. and on what it contains.. England withdraws from him all the medals and decorations of honour he had received. And in the year 1970, they allowed him to leave his house for the first time, and to visit the KGB building.. and there they offered him a job, because they were not going to support him for free for the rest of his life.. and "Philby" was depressed by his forced imprisonment and had become addicted to alcohol and had tried to cut his veins twice.. so he accepted an unimportant job as a proofreader of the English language in the media propaganda and psychological warfare department of Soviet intelligence.

In the year 1988 "Philby" died of heart failure, worn out by years of pursuit, loneliness, alcohol and smoke.. and only then.. did the Soviets honour him.. and held him a funeral as a military hero and granted him several medals and decorations.. and issued a postage stamp bearing his picture in his last days.

The tragic story of "Philby" differs from the story of "Vladimir Vetrov", whose actions contributed to the fall of the Soviet Union entirely.. and its dismantling later.

And that is what we will talk about next time, God willing...

And there remains then room for talk.. the end.

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