American journalist discovers Czech communist plot to recruit him as a spy – Prague, Czech Republic

Earthpages.org

March 3

Journalist and author Mark Baker talked to Expats.cz about the elaborate lengths the Czech State Security went to in order to make him one of their own.

Source: American journalist discovers Czech communist plot to recruit him as a spy - Prague, Czech Republic

Abstract

The article discusses a Prague-based American journalist named Mark Baker who discovered a file compiled by the StB, the secret police of communist Czechoslovakia, detailing an attempt to recruit him as a spy.

Baker worked at a publishing company in Vienna during the 1980s and was assigned a Czech translator named Arnold. Recently, Baker learned that Arnold was actually a StB agent tasked with monitoring Baker's activities.

The StB went to great lengths to surveil Baker, including assigning an agent to follow him for a day and documenting his every move. Baker was unaware of this surveillance until he discovered the StB file.

Opinion

Wow. When I suggested some years ago that one of my professors was a criminal spy, I lost a lot of contacts very fast, including an old partner who was a good friend after we amicably separated.

Some folks thought I was losing it, others than I was simply wise to the realities of academic corruption. But because I was "shafted" (the Department Head's exact words) and cast outside the system, I became a risk to anyone still getting paychecks on the inside. A "loose cannon," as it were.

It was a terrible feeling, to be abandoned by old profs and friends who once were staunch supporters. Only one prof. from my undergrad studies stood by me, and I'll always respect them for that.

I believe international espionage and criminality have indirectly touched my life. And part of the stress has been being so utterly alone on this.

But as I get older, I can see that God allows persecution for a good reason. That doesn't make the pain and suffering any less. But it does give us hope for final justice and if not an earthly reward, a heavenly one.

Ultimately only God can judge who's right and wrong. Since I'm not God, and not one to fake it, I thought this Sunday I'd speak about just how distressing being a victim of international crime can be---or at least, strongly suspecting it.

There's always a chance I am wrong. But I doubt it.