US SECRET SERVICES CONFIRM EXISTENCE OF SECRET TUNNEL UNDER RUSSIAN EMBASSY








WASHINGTON, MARCH 5, 2001 (FROM RIA NOVOSTI CORRESPONDENT NIKOLAI VLASOV) -- Staffers of the US secret services (resigned or in office) confirmed on Sunday to the CNN television company that a secret tunnel for eavesdropping exists under the Russian embassy in Washington. It was built in the time of the USSR and was aimed at intercepting secret information. The sources at the US counter-intelligence circles reported that the tunnel under the embassy has a lot of devices for conducting electronic espionage.


	The existence of the tunnel has become known last week. Then, the investigation of the case of FBI staffer Robert Hanssen, arrested on the accusation of espionage in favour of Moscow, suggested that he could provide the corresponding information. The documents, submitted by the FBI to the court, point out that Hanssen, by his activity, undermined, in particular, the whole technical programme which was of great value, cost and importance for the US government.       


	There is no reaction from Moscow to the disclosure which appeared in the press so far. Indicatively, Washington has been hypocritically accusing Russia of late of conducting espionage against the US, and at the same time cynically conducted the same operations against Russia. The facts which have become known confirm this.