| Press Statement Richard Boucher, Spokesman Washington, DC March 22, 2001 Expulsion of Russian Intelligence Officers This morning, the Department of State notified the Russian Embassy that four of its accredited diplomats have been declared persona non grata in the United States and should leave the country forthwith. This action followed the arrest on February 18, 2001 of FBI Special Agent Robert Hanssen on charges of espionage on behalf of the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation. The four individuals are all intelligence officers implicated in the Hanssen investigation. The Department made clear to the Russian side that any other Russian officials who may be subsequently implicated in the Hanssen case will not be welcome in the United States. In addition, we have made clear to the Russian side the need to take actions to address our longstanding concerns about the level of their intelligence presence in the United States. [end] |
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