Gordievsky's record
From Mr Nick Djivanovic Sir: It is nice to see that Mr Gordievsky (Letters, 18 November) has lost none of the powers of sophistry and deception that are the trademarks of a good KGB officer. His old tutors at the Lubyanka would be proud.
However much he twists and turns, one historical fact is immutable: he betrayed his country. He might argue, in his defence, that Russia deserved to be betrayed, or that somehow it was his higher duty to betray it, yet that would not change the fact that he did betray it. Would we today think of Philby, Burgess and Maclean as heroes, had the Russians won the Cold War? I think not. Traitors they were and traitors they would remain. Which is precisely what his compatriots, the ordinary Russians in the street, think of him. And that really must hurt. He compares himself to Willy Brandt. Mr Brandt resisted and organised against Hitler from the outset, never joined the Nazi party, and certainly never became. a high-ranking officer in the Gestapo. Quite the opposite of Mr Gordievsky's record. After decades of loyal service to the WM'
munist butchers', he sniffed the wind from deep inside and decided to jump ship. Nothing wrong with that, but spare us the good patriot line.
Nick Djivanovic
Great Bradley, Minehead, Somerset
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