Spies out in the cold

The US and Russia play tit-for-tat, reports Thomas Gorguissian from Washington
Washington and Moscow have lately unearthed memories of the Cold War by expelling dozens of diplomats from each other's territories. The evictions come in the midst of what many observers describe as a worsening in American-Russian relations.
Last week, the United States declared four Russian diplomats undesirable and gave them 10 days to leave the country. A further 46 were told to leave by next July. This is the largest eviction since President Reagan expelled 55 Soviet diplomats in 1986.
Moscow, for its part, has announced the ouster of four US diplomats for "activities incompatible with their status." It also warned of "other measures to halt the unlawful activities" of American representatives. There was no further elaboration. Undoubtedly this flurry of ejections results from the arrest of Robert Hanssen, a senior FBI counter-intelligence officer. Last month, Washington charged Hanssen with passing information to Moscow for the last 15 years.
Despite the scale of the row, the presidents of both countries have tried to limit political fallout from the mass banishment. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer told reporters that President Bush was aware of Russia's retaliation for the expulsion of 50 diplomats from the US but added, "The president now considers the matter closed." Russian President Vladimir Putin also played down the impact of the row and told the EU summit in Stockholm, "I don't think it will have big consequences."
But despite these soothing words, relations are tensing. US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld recently called Russia "an active proliferator" of nuclear arms. CIA Director George Tenet described Russia as a "threat" in a congressional hearing. News reports based on leaked information accused the Russians of supplying Iran and other states with nuclear capabilities. Even the Secretary of State has joined in. Colin Powell recently urged the Russian government to stop harassing Russia's only independent television network.
Puzzled observers have been wondering what has gone awry in US-Russian relations under the new US administration. George Bush's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, is widely held to be the designer of the latest Russia policy. She has been critical of the Clinton administration for its approach to Russia. "If we have learnt anything in the last several years, it is that a romantic view of Russia -- rather than a realistic one -- did nothing to help the cause of stability in Russia," she has said. Rice's words have been repeated again and again as analysts attempt to understand what she means by a "realistic view." 'Realism' has cropped up elsewhere, too. In a recent news conference, the White House Press Secretary said the US is adopting a new "realism" in dealings with other countries. He used variations of the word 'real' a dozen times in his remarks.
Such talk has upset some in Russia. "They cannot do without Russia," former Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov snapped. "This is why it is impermissible to talk to us as if we were a Latin American country. Not even a Latin American country would tolerate such a tone, as if we were a banana republic. We can stand for our national interests." And the repercussions are spreading beyond former prime ministers. A few days ago reports said that the head of Russia's tax police cancelled an official trip to the United States to visit the Director of the FBI because of the expulsion of Russian diplomats.
The row has also drawn attention to the unusual density of Russian officials in the United States. The expulsion of 50 Russians cuts the official Russian diplomatic presence by a quarter. Before the expulsion there were more than 200 Russian diplomats in the United States, attached to the Embassy and three consulates. Additionally, there are 260 Russians working for the UN in the United States. The number of intelligence officers is estimated at 200. This is as many as during the Cold War and twice as many as Russia had in the early 1990s. America, meanwhile, has over 1,000 officials assigned to the US Embassy in Moscow.
Bush and Putin are expected to meet next July. That gives them three months to rethink their relations. But if the Condoleezza Rices of the administration have their way, what began as a game of tit-for-tat may become something far more sinister: a return to the worst habits of that most unrealistic of times - the Cold War.
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