Nato expels Russian 'spy' diplomats

[steven johnson]

Source: Guardian

A row erupted between Moscow and the west today after Nato expelled from its Brussels HQ two senior Russian diplomats it accused of spying.

The military alliance said it was expelling Vasily Chizhov, the son of Russia's ambassador to the European Union, who was attached to Russia's Nato mission. It was also kicking out a second diplomat, Viktor Kochukov.

The expulsion of the son of Russia's ambassador to the EU, Vladimir Chizhov, is likely to be seen in Moscow as an outrageous and provocative snub. Nato diplomats said he had been ordered out in connection with a scandal in which an Estonian official was jailed for passing secrets to Moscow.

Nato officials say Russia has recently stepped up its intelligence activity inside the alliance, of which Russia is not a member. The two Russians were expelled over the case of Herman Simm, an Estonian jailed for more than 12 years in February for handing 2,000-plus pages of information to Russia's foreign intelligence service, the SVR.





Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/30/nato-expels-russian-diplomats

[EJSTES2005]

1. What's next ?

Guess President Obama wasn't kidding last night:

"All right.Okay. Surprised. I am surprised, compared to where I started, when we first announced for this race, by the number of critical issues that appear to be coming to a head all at the same time."

If you pray, now would be a good time to pray for him to have the wisdom to guide us thru this mess.

[Sandrine for you]

2. That's what Biden was saying, the Russian are trying Obama, and he will show to them that it's

a mistake.

[Moderate2008]

3. I think that being a spy is half of a diplomat's job (nt)