Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08MINSK217
2008-03-25 16:03:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Minsk
Cable title:
STATE MEDIA ACCUSES EMBASSY OF ESPIONAGE
how-toVZCZCXRO4073 OO RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHSK #0217 0851603 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 251603Z MAR 08 FM AMEMBASSY MINSK TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7061 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
C O N F I D E N T I A L MINSK 000217
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR DS, L, EUR/UMB
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2018
TAGS: PREL ASEC PINR BO
SUBJECT: STATE MEDIA ACCUSES EMBASSY OF ESPIONAGE
Classified By: Charge Jonathan Moore for reason 1.4 (d).
Ref: A) Putz-Shear eMail 03/24/08
B) Minsk 208 and previous
C) 07 Minsk 154
C O N F I D E N T I A L MINSK 000217
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR DS, L, EUR/UMB
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2018
TAGS: PREL ASEC PINR BO
SUBJECT: STATE MEDIA ACCUSES EMBASSY OF ESPIONAGE
Classified By: Charge Jonathan Moore for reason 1.4 (d).
Ref: A) Putz-Shear eMail 03/24/08
B) Minsk 208 and previous
C) 07 Minsk 154
1. (C) In its "analytical" program "Panorama of the Week"
Belarusian State Television Channel One included a seven-
minute piece accusing Post's Surveillance Detection (SD)
Team of espionage and Post's Assistant Regional Security
Officer (ARSO) of being an undercover agent of the FBI.
[Note: An Embassy translation of the report was emailed
both to DS and EUR/UMB -- ref A. End note.] The report
follows a March 13 incident in which both uniformed and
plainclothes police demanded entry to an apartment used to
coordinate SD activities and the March 15 questioning of
all of the members of the SD Team.
2. (C) Charge dismissed the allegations in a March 24
interview with the independent news agency Belapan, noting
that the names of all Embassy employees, including SD Team
members, were submitted to the MFA and that our RSO Office
liaises with the Ministry of Internal Affairs on security
matters. The ARSO, who was the subject of the allegations,
has already departed post as part of a drawdown of U.S.
Embassy staff (ref B).
Comment
--------------
3. (C) "Panorama of the Week" has slandered the staff of
the U.S. Embassy and other Western missions on a regular
basis for years (ref C). That said, this incident
represents a serious escalation in Belarusian harassment of
the Embassy's American and Locally-Employed Staff.
Moore
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR DS, L, EUR/UMB
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2018
TAGS: PREL ASEC PINR BO
SUBJECT: STATE MEDIA ACCUSES EMBASSY OF ESPIONAGE
Classified By: Charge Jonathan Moore for reason 1.4 (d).
Ref: A) Putz-Shear eMail 03/24/08
B) Minsk 208 and previous
C) 07 Minsk 154
1. (C) In its "analytical" program "Panorama of the Week"
Belarusian State Television Channel One included a seven-
minute piece accusing Post's Surveillance Detection (SD)
Team of espionage and Post's Assistant Regional Security
Officer (ARSO) of being an undercover agent of the FBI.
[Note: An Embassy translation of the report was emailed
both to DS and EUR/UMB -- ref A. End note.] The report
follows a March 13 incident in which both uniformed and
plainclothes police demanded entry to an apartment used to
coordinate SD activities and the March 15 questioning of
all of the members of the SD Team.
2. (C) Charge dismissed the allegations in a March 24
interview with the independent news agency Belapan, noting
that the names of all Embassy employees, including SD Team
members, were submitted to the MFA and that our RSO Office
liaises with the Ministry of Internal Affairs on security
matters. The ARSO, who was the subject of the allegations,
has already departed post as part of a drawdown of U.S.
Embassy staff (ref B).
Comment
--------------
3. (C) "Panorama of the Week" has slandered the staff of
the U.S. Embassy and other Western missions on a regular
basis for years (ref C). That said, this incident
represents a serious escalation in Belarusian harassment of
the Embassy's American and Locally-Employed Staff.
Moore