Former Russian spy Col. Authorities say Hanssen, a 25-year veteran of the FBI, began his betrayal more than 15 years ago, during the waning days of the Cold War. Federal prosecutors painted a damning portrait of greed and cold calculation in their 116-page criminal complaint. Perhaps some diamonds as security to my children and some good will. Eventually I would appreciate an escape plan.
Nothing lasts forever.
In another letter, allegedly written by Hanssen to the Russians, he said that he was inspired as a teen by the memoirs of a British double agent. I'd read Philby's book. Hanssen, according to the document, had a cynical view of his own country. But one of Hanssen's former FBI supervisors, David Major, said he did not believe money was the prime motivation, adding that his former colleague was obsessed by ideas, his wife, Bonnie and their six children rather than material wealth. I guess it's still just a real sense of shock, though.