BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

06/05/2008

Washington Calls Minsk's Spy-Ring Accusations "Ridiculous"

U.S. State Department spokesman Tom Casey on May 5 flatly rejected repeated accusations by Belarus's State Security Committee (KGB) that the U.S. Embassy runs a spy ring in the country, AP reported. "Other than laughter, I really don't have much reaction to it," Casey told journalists in Washington. "It's completely unfounded and untrue. They can come up with whatever excuses they like for their totally unjustified and unwarranted [expulsion] of our [embassy] staff, but I'm sorry, this is just ridiculous." Speaking on Belarusian television on May 4, Belarusian KGB spokesman Valery Nadtachayeu essentially repeated statements he made in March about a spy ring of 10 Belarusian citizens who were purportedly recruited by two employees of the U.S. Embassy in Minsk to take photographs of police officials, airports, and villages near the state border (see "RFE/RL Newsline," March 26, 2007). The two countries are embroiled in a row in which the U.S. Embassy in Minsk, following demands from the Belarusian side, has cut its diplomatic staff from 35 to four since the beginning of 2008 (see "RFE/RL Newsline," May 5, 2008). JM

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2008/05/3-cee/cee-060508.asp

Google