Russia orders 4 U.S. diplomats out

MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Russia on Tuesday identified the four U.S. diplomats it wants out of the country, the expulsions a tit-for-tat action taken after Washington kicked out four Russian diplomats last week.

The expulsions, reminiscent of Cold War tensions between the two nations, followed the arrest of Robert Hanssen, an FBI agent accused of spying for Moscow for 15 years.

The Russian Foreign Ministry told CNN it had given the names of four U.S. diplomats it accused of "activities incompatible with their diplomatic status" to a U.S. official, telling him the four must leave within 10 days. U.S. authorities did not name the four envoys.

U.S. officials tell CNN the CIA station chief in Moscow -- the senior representative of the Central Intelligence Agency there -- is not among those ordered to leave.

The Russians also told the Americans of "other measures the Russian side will take to cut off illegal activity by American special services in Russia," according to the Interfax news agency.

On Thursday, the United States declared four Russian diplomats persona non grata and gave them 10 days to leave. Another 46 diplomats were given until July 1 to leave.

Russian officials responded angrily that they would retaliate with expulsions of their own.

FBI veteran accused of spying

The Hanssen affair sent shock waves through the U.S. intelligence community.

An FBI veteran of 25 years, Hanssen is accused of spying for the Soviet Union, and later Russia, over a period of 15 years.

Prosecutors and FBI officials say he was paid $1.4 million in cash and diamonds for passing top-secret information.

He was arrested on February 18 in a northern Virginia park, moments after he dropped a package underneath a footbridge, prosecutors said.

Among other things, investigators believe he may have told Russians about a secret surveillance tunnel under the then-Soviet Embassy -- now the Russian Embassy -- in Washington.

Hanssen is to appear at a preliminary hearing on May 21. If convicted, he could face the death penalty or life in prison.

Two other diplomats accused in the Hanssen matter -- including Vladimir Frolov, the Russian Embassy press attache who, according to U.S. intelligence sources, was Hanssen's handler -- have already left the country.

Moscow expels four U.S. diplomats
March 23, 2001
Russia to expel U.S. diplomats
March 22, 2001
Spying game: Recent cases
March 22, 2001
Russian anger over U.S. expulsions
March 22, 2001
Spy climate: Chilly, but not cold
March 22, 2001

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