DATE=12/1/1999
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
TITLE=RUSSIA / U-S SPY
NUMBER=5-44878
BYLINE=PETER HEINLEIN
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:

INTRO:  Russia has ordered the expulsion of a U-S 
diplomat accused of trying to steal military secrets.  
V-O-A Correspondent Peter Heinlein in Moscow reports 
the incident reflects an increasingly hostile climate 
between the former Cold War adversaries.

TEXT:  Russian news agencies say a U-S embassy 
official was summoned to the foreign ministry 
Wednesday and handed a terse protest note.  According 
to the reports, the note demanded the immediate 
expulsion of a junior political officer who was 
detained Monday on suspicion of spying.

News of the diplomat's detention has revived memories 
of Cold War espionage scandals.  A spokesman for the 
Federal Security Service took the unusual step of  not  
only identifying the diplomat, but also holding up her 
photograph for television cameras.

Russian officials also went out of their way to deny 
speculation that the expulsion was related to the 
arrest in Washington of a U-S Navy petty officer 
charged with spying for Moscow. 

Russian newspapers Wednesday said the incident points 
out the recent sharp deterioration in relations 
between Moscow and Washington. 

The "Izvestia" daily, in a front-page commentary, 
observes that Russia and the West are moving toward 
confrontation at a breath-taking pace.  The paper says 
it will take only another step to bring the two sides 
to the brink of another Cold War.

Victor Kremenyuk of Moscow's prestigious U-S-A / 
Canada Institute downplays comparisons to the Cold-War 
era.  But he describes the steep and steady decline in 
bilateral ties as sad and troubling.

            /// KREMENYUK ACT ONE ////

      We are far from confrontation, at least to the 
      type during the Cold War.  Almost we don't have 
      ideological confrontation, don't have some 
      global challenges to each other like the 
      Communist movement.  Simply, relations have 
      become dead, and it's especially noticeable 
      because ambitions were very high, expectations 
      were very high.

            /// END ACT ///

Mr. Kremenyuk says with parliamentary elections in 
Russia just weeks away, America-bashing has become 
fashionable.

            /// KREMENYUK ACT TWO ///

      Anti-western, anti-American campaign has become 
      part of the Russian political campaign, and in 
      conditions we are moving toward parliamentary 
      elections December 19th, everyone, including the 
      security services [and] mass media, will compete 
      in who will be the most anti-American.  And in 
      these conditions there is  no  chance that if 
      something happens like, a spy is stopped, 
      everyone would be interested to give it as much 
      publicity as possible, to demonstrate how sharp 
      they are, how tough they are.  

            /// END ACT ///

Amid the uproar in the Russian media, the U-S embassy 
has maintained a stony silence about the incident, 
refusing comment on even the most obscure detail. 

The State Department in Washington said only that "an 
incident" had taken place involving one of its 
employees.  But when asked for guidance on 
pronunciation of the diplomat's name, an embassy 
spokesman in Moscow said, "I cannot even confirm that 
such a person has ever worked here."   (Signed)

NEB/PFH/JWH/WTW



01-Dec-1999 13:24 PM EDT (01-Dec-1999 1824 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.