Also: Al-Qaida bomb plot in Norway; man suspected of being L.A. serial killer.
Barbed wire is seen over a fence of the Lefortovo prison in Moscow Thursday. Riot police on Thursday secured the perimeter of the prison, and convoy of armored vehicles arrived in the morning at the prison, thought to be the central gathering point for people convicted of spying for the West, including nuclear researcher Igor Sutyagin, serving a 14-year sentence for spying for the United States. From The Associated Press:
Moscow -- Special riot police beefed up security around Moscow's Lefortovo prison Thursday and a gaggle of TV cameras and photographers jostled for the best position as the world braced for what could be largest spy swap since the Cold War.
A convoy of armored vehicles arrived in the morning at the prison, thought to be the central gathering point for people convicted of spying for the West, including nuclear researcher Igor Sutyagin, serving a 14-year sentence for spying for the United States.
Sutyagin's brother and lawyer say he was transferred to Lefortovo earlier this week to take part in the swap and could be flown out to freedom as early as Thursday. They said Sutyagin saw a list of 11 prisoners in Russia who are being traded for 10 people arrested in the United States for being unregistered Russian agents.
» Read the full story: Russian, US spy suspects brace for possible swap [The Associated Press]
» How to trade spies [The Economist]
» Past Russian spies have found post-swap life gets a bit sticky [The Washington Post]
In other news:
» Three arrested in Norway al-Qaida bomb plot [BBC News]
» Suspect in Los Angeles Grim Sleeper serial killer case to be arraigned [CNN]
» California parole agents spoke to the woman who was held captive by a convicted rapist for 18 years and bore his two children but never bothered to follow up [The Associated Press]