Thomas L. Friedman recently commented in a New York Times editorial that it was not an honor to be spied upon by a country as broken-down as Russia. I’m hoping the 11 Russians charged as sleeper spies in America didn’t read it; they might have felt insulted by Friedman’s assertions that Russia is no longer our peer, except in nuclear weapons that are not likely to ever be used. Can his words persuade us that America has nothing of value to lose to the Russians?

I worked as an FBI counterintelligence and undercover agent for twenty years. I agree with Mr. Friedman that Russia cannot steal America’s commitment to individual freedom, rules of law, and a culture that celebrates immigrants and innovators. I also agree with other columnists and writers who question why Russia would spend so much money on 12 sleeper spies who accomplished so little during their decade-long presence in America.

But I also think Mr. Friedman and others are naïve in their understanding of Russia’s intelligence gathering operations in America and elsewhere in the world. And they’re spreading this naïveté to unsuspecting readers who trust journalists and reporters to educate them on newsworthy events of the day.

Here is an example:

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