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RUSSIA has accused the United States of trying to revive Cold War
tensions after the arrest of 11 suspected members of a ''deep-cover''
spy network.
Moscow reacted angrily after 10 people were detained in America and one
person in Cyprus on suspicion of posing as ordinary citizens for up to a
decade while carrying out espionage missions.
They were accused of trying to infiltrate political circles to try to
collect information on nuclear weapons, Iran, White House rumours and
the CIA leadership. Investigators claimed they had adopted false
identities while using advanced technology and old-fashioned spy
techniques, such as messages sent by invisible ink.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin criticised US law enforcement agencies as
other Russian officials questioned whether the arrests were intended to
damage relations between the countries. Mr Putin brought up the subject
at a meeting with former US president Bill Clinton. ''You have come to
Moscow at the exact right time,'' he said. ''Your police have gotten
carried away, putting people in jail.''
Mr Putin offered no comment on the specific accusations against the 11
suspects, who were described by prosecutors as living under false
identities in an effort to penetrate American society. Russia has
acknowledged that they are Russian citizens.
The Russian Foreign Ministry effectively admitted that the accused were
Kremlin agents but argued they had never acted against US interests.
''We are counting on the American side to display the appropriate
understanding in this matter, including taking into account the positive
character of the current Russian-American relations,'' the ministry
said.
US President Barack Obama was said to have been unhappy about the timing
of the arrests but the FBI said it had to move quickly because it feared
the suspects might flee.
The suspects were arrested at the weekend and charged with conspiracy to
act as an agent of a foreign government, which carries a maximum penalty
of five years in prison.
The FBI said it intercepted a message to two suspects that described
their mission as ''to develop ties in policy-making circles in US''.
The British and Irish governments are investigating allegations that
members of the group had travelled using false passports from their
countries.
A court indictment prepared by US prosecutors includes a claim that one
of them, named as Tracey Foley, ''travelled on a fraudulent British
passport prepared for her by the SVR'', Russia's foreign intelligence
agency.
A British Foreign Office spokeswoman said: ''We have seen the report,
and obviously we are looking into them.''
According to the charges, Ms Foley - who lives in Cambridge,
Massachusetts - was given the passport for a trip to Moscow. After
travelling from Paris to Vienna by train, she was to switch to the false
British passport, according to instructions reproduced in the
indictment.
The instructions added: ''Very important: 1. Sign your passport on page
32. Train yourself to be able to reproduce your signature when it's
necessary.''
Inside the passport was a memo with extra information, to be destroyed
after reading, the alleged instructions said, before ending: ''Be
well.''
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