News

DATE=1/14/99 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-244183 TITLE=RUSSIA / U-S (L) BYLINE=PETER HEINLEIN DATELINE=MOSCOW CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: RUSSIA'S MAIN SPY AGENCY HAS SUGGESTED THE UNITED STATES MAY HAVE RELIED ON FAULTY INTELLIGENCE IN SLAPPING SANCTIONS ON MOSCOW FOR AIDING IRAN'S NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM. CORRESPONDENT PETER HEINLEIN REPORTS FROM MOSCOW ON RUSSIA'S DEFIANT REACTION TO THE U-S ALLEGATIONS. TEXT: IN A POINTED JAB AT ITS TRADITIONAL RIVAL, RUSSIA'S FEDERAL SECURITY SERVICE -- THE F-S-B -- SAID (THURSDAY) PENALTIES IMPOSED ON RESEARCH INSTITUTES ACCUSED OF SUPPLYING NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY TO IRAN COULD BE THE RESULT OF SLOPPY U-S SPY WORK. THE F-S-B -- THE MODERN-DAY SUCCESSOR TO THE SOVIET K-G-B -- ISSUED A STATEMENT SAYING IT FOUND NO EVIDENCE THE ACCUSED ORGANIZATIONS VIOLATED INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS INTENDED TO BAR PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. THE F-S-B STATEMENT SAID ALLEGATIONS MADE BY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER SANDY BERGER SEEM TO BE BASED ON WHAT IT CALLED -- A MISUNDERSTANDING, AND PERHAPS DEFECTIVE WORK BY THE AMERICAN SPECIAL SERVICES. TUESDAY, MR. BERGER ANNOUNCED A BAN ON AID OR COMMERCIAL LINKS WITH THREE RUSSIAN SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTES. THE THREE WERE ADDED TO A LIST OF SEVEN OTHERS HIT WITH U-S SANCTIONS LAST JULY FOR ALLEGEDLY SUPPLYING IRAN WITH TECHNOLOGY NEEDED FOR ITS NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM. A STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN WARNED WEDNESDAY OF FURTHER PENALTIES UNLESS COOPERATION WITH IRAN IS HALTED. JAMES RUBIN SAID RUSSIA MIGHT BE CUT OUT OF THE LUCRATIVE SPACE LAUNCH BUSINESS IF ACTION IS NOT TAKEN SOON. A RUSSIAN SPACE OFFICIAL WAS QUOTED THURSDAY AS SAYING SUCH A CUTOFF COULD COST HIS COUNTRY 280-MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR IN BADLY NEEDED HARD CURRENCY. REACTION IN MOSCOW TO THE U-S SANCTIONS HAS BEEN ONE OF NEAR-UNANIMOUS OUTRAGE. SEVERAL COMMENTATORS EXPRESSED THE VIEW THAT SABRE-RATTLING FROM WASHINGTON WAS LINKED TO PRESIDENT CLINTON'S IMPEACHMENT TRIAL. RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN VLADIMIR RAKHMANIN SUGGESTED A CUTOFF OF U-S / RUSSIA SPACE LAUNCH COOPERATION WOULD BE FOOLISH. /// RAKHMANIN ACT IN RUSSIAN, THEN FADE TO... /// HE SAYS CANCELLING THE SATELLITE LAUNCH PROGRAM WOULD HURT THE UNITED STATES AS MUCH AS RUSSIA. MR. RAKHMANIN DESCRIBED RUSSIA'S COOPERATION WITH IRAN AS HARMLESS, AND TOLD REPORTERS IT IS FARFETCHED TO TRY TO LINK THE SPACE LAUNCH PROGRAM TO NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION. BUT ONE RESPECTED RUSSIAN VOICE STOOD IN SHARP CONTRAST TO THE MAJORITY. VLADIMIR LUKIN, THE INFLUENTIAL CHAIRMAN OF PARLIAMENT'S INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, SUGGESTED MOSCOW SHOULD BREAK OFF NUCLEAR COOPERATION WITH IRAN EVEN IF U-S ALLEGATIONS ARE FALSE. THE ITAR-TASS NEWS AGENCY QUOTED MR. LUKIN AS SAYING RUSSIA MUST ULTIMATELY MAKE A CLEAR CHOICE BETWEEN SUPPLYING THE TEHERAN GOVERNMENT WITH SENSITIVE TECHNOLOGIES, OR DEVELOPING CLOSER COOPERATION WITH THE WEST. (SIGNED) NEB/PFH/RAE/KL 14-Jan-99 11:39 AM EST (1639 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .