Russia Threatens Ireland In Spy Row

Moscow has warned that it will retaliate, after Ireland expelled a Russian diplomat in a row over the use of forged Irish passports by secret agents in the US.

"This groundless and unfriendly act will not go without a corresponding reaction," said Russia's deputy foreign Minister Vladamir Titov.

The identities of six Irish citizens were effectively stolen and used as cover for members of a 10-strong spy ring which was cracked in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Virginia last year.

The 10 Russian spies were deported in exchange for four people convicted of spying for the West, as part of the biggest US-Russia spy swap since the end of the Cold War.

Senior Gardai were asked to investigate how six Irish passports had ended up in the hands of the spies.

One spy, Anna Chapman, (you might remember her from the front pages of the tabloids last summer) allegedly used details stolen from Catherine Sherry, a volunteer with the Dublin charity To Russia with Love which works with orphans.

A firefighter from Co. Donegal, Eunan Gerard Doherty and his wife Maureen, were also among those affected.

All of the Irish citizens whose passports were copied had applied for visas to visit Russia at its embassy in Dublin.

Last week, the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs said there was "an entirely persuasive picture of Russian Intelligence service involvement in the manufacture and use of false documents based on the acquisition of details of six genuine passports belonging to Irish citizens."

On that basis, it was asking one diplomat based at the Russian Embassy in Dublin to leave the country.

It rebuked Russia for "completely unacceptable behavior", telling its ambassador that it was "not the behavior the government would expect from a country with which we have friendly relations."

The staff member concerned is to have his diplomatic status terminated, and is expected to leave Ireland within weeks.

"It is hoped that it will be possible to move on from this disturbing incident and to develop further the relationship between Ireland and the Russian Federation which is fundamentally strong and which has significant potential," the department said in its statement.

Annual trade between Russia and Ireland is worth around two billion euros.

But within 24 hours Russia had shot back with its threat to expel Irish diplomats from Moscow, something Dublin said would be "completely unwarranted" and "very disappointing."

Irish passports are considered highly desirable by secret agents, spies and terror groups.

As a neutral country, Irish citizens are generally welcomed in most countries around the world.

Last June, Ireland expelled an Israeli diplomat after fake Irish passports were used during the assassination of a Hamas commander in Dubai, widely believed to have been carried out by the Israeli secret service.