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Gold9472
05-17-2005, 08:53 AM
Russia's Secret Services Accuse British Counterparts Of Trying To Revive Cold War Era

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20050516/40361807.html

MOSCOW, May 16 (RIA Novosti) - Officials at Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service have accused British counterparts of trying to revive the Cold-War era in response to a Sunday Telegraph article about Russian spies' stepped-up activity in the United Kingdom.

"The author of this article [Sean Rayment, 'Russian Spies Are Trying to Steal Our Secrets Again'] is, in fact, pursuing the same ends of which he accuses the Russian side-he is trying to revive the methods and atmosphere of the Cold War, that is, the system of confrontation that existed in the past," a Foreign Intelligence Service spokesman, Boris Labusov, told RIA Novosti in an interview.

As he pointed out, the article cites no concrete evidence, and "is intended for a philistine audience. " The only real fact mentioned here is the arrest by British intelligence services of Ian Parr. The man was subsequently sentenced to ten years in prison for an alleged attempt to divulge classified information to the Russian side.

According to Labusov, this would not have happened if not for the British counter-intelligence's provocation against their fellow countryman, with local counter-intelligence officers acting as counter-intelligence agents of Russia.

Citing a confidential MI5 report, Sean Rayment, The Sunday Telegraph's defense correspondent, points out in his article that Russia has allegedly resumed Cold War spying tactics in Britain. According to him, the MI5 document warns the British government that Russian spies are traveling widely throughout Britain and pose a "substantial" espionage threat.