09-07-10 US,Russia complete spy swap

Russia and the US have completed the biggest spy swap since the Cold War at Vienna airport.The White House has said that the head of the CIA was responsible for the negotiations leading to the spy swap.Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Leon Panetta led the talks.A spokesperson for the White House has said that 'the US government came up with the four individuals to be freed by the Russians.The reasons that they sought their release was based on humanitarian,health concerns,and other reasons that we put forward to the Russians,'Ten Russian agents deported by US authorities hours earlier were exchanged for four US spies jailed in Russia.Two jets - one from Russia,one from the US - brought the spies to the Austrian capital and parked next to each other on the runway.Covered steps placed over the main doors to the two jets hid the exchange from media gathered at the airport.The two flights took-off within 15 minutes of each other after making the exchange that kept a thaw in US-Russian ties on track.A government jet carrying the 10 Russian spies took them back to Moscow Domodedovo Airport,officials said.A source in the Russian intelligence services said in a statement they were returning 'to the motherland'.The US plane made a brief stop at the Brize Norton airbase in central England before taking off again,British media reported.Russia confirmed that a deal had been agreed with the US aiming to end the spy scandal.The Russian foreign ministry said the bargain involved the 'return to Russia of 10 Russian citizens accused in the United States,along with the simultaneous transfer to the United States of four individuals previously condemned in Russia.'