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To: Mark McLeod who wrote (3392)	12/2/1997 1:46:00 PM
From: Rono	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10227

Another spy story! Tuesday December 2, 7:04 am Eastern Time Russia presses on with case against US spy suspect By Timothy Heritage MOSCOW, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Russia on Tuesday pressed on with an investigation into an American telecommunications engineer detained on suspicion of spying, despite U.S. denials he was involved in espionage. The Federal Security Service (FSB) said Richard Bliss, who was detained in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don on November 25, could face formal charges by the end of this week. ''This is the timespan (for pressing charges) outlined in the Russian constitution,'' Interfax news agency quoted FSB spokesman Alexander Zdanovich as saying. ''And if a court confirms these accusations, R. Bliss is threatened with 10 to 20 years in prison under the Russian law.'' The FSB said on Monday Bliss had carried out long-distance topographical surveys with what it called illegally-imported satellite receivers and obtained secret information about unspecified ''restricted'' buildings in the Rostov area. A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Moscow said on Monday Bliss was ''certainly not'' a spy. The embassy had no new details of the case on Tuesday. Bliss is employed by telecommunications company Qualcomm Inc (Nasdaq:QCOM - news), a maker of wireless communications gear, which delivers modern telecommunications systems to Russia and has projects in Russia in Chelyabinsk, Rostov and Moscow. A spokesman acting on behalf of Qualcomm in Moscow said Bliss was in his mid-20s but had no other personal details. He had been working with a small group of about three engineers in Rostov. ''He is still held by the FSB,'' said the spokesman, Roman Diukarev. He indicated Bliss was well, saying: ''I understand he had breakfast, a nice breakfast, and he consumed it all.'' U.S. State Department spokesman James Rubin said on Monday Washington had protested over a Russian delay in granting consular access to Bliss, although access had finally been granted on Monday. Qualcomm, which in October announced the commercial launch of a high-tech wireless network in Rostov, described Bliss as a field technician who was installing and testing a wireless communications system on behalf of a Russian company. It said Bliss had not knowingly committed any crime and was being well treated. ''To our knowledge, all of Mr Bliss's activities were in accordance with Russian law, conducted in the normal course of business,'' Qualcomm said in a written statement. ''We do not believe that Mr Bliss or Qualcomm knowingly violated any Russian laws. We will continue to cooperate fully with the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and Russian officials in this investigation.'' The company said it was ''working diligently'' to obtain his release and would continue its work in the region. Zdanovich told Russian television Bliss may have been working alone and that Qualcomm could escape punishment if this proved to be the case. The spokesman regretted that spying continued against Moscow despite the end of the Cold War. Much of it is now alleged industrial espionage. ''The work of intelligence and counter-intelligence has in practice not stopped and each country uses specific methods for defending its national interests,'' he said.