We should let this drop off the radar screen like the blip it is and not let it

ONLY a few days before the biggest espionage scandal of the decade erupted in the United States, relations between Moscow and Washington had been stumbling over another equally embarrassing issue.

It emerged that Bill Clinton, leader of the world's most powerful nation, had been trying for 48 hours to get Russian President Boris Yeltsin on the phone to mull over Bosnia policy.

The only problem was, Mr Yeltsin wasn't there. And he hadn't rung back.

The White House press corps picked up the seemingly innocuous happening, and in no time big questions were being asked: was Russia snubbing its important friend? Had Mr Yeltsin been avoiding taking Mr Clinton's call? Could he be trusted? So keen were foreign policy buffs on turning it into an international incident that Clinton Administration officials had to step in and say that Mr Yeltsin had simply been very busy and the two men kept missing each other. Besides, they had since spoken,and the relationship was as healthy as ever.

Then came Russia's surprise decision to intervene with Serbia and secure a Sarajevo stand-off, provoking equal amounts of admiration and suspicion from Washington. Next up was Aldrich Hazen Ames, arrested on his way to the Central Intelligence Agency, accused of spying for Moscow and doing more harm to America's security operations than anyone in post-World War II history.

Finally, even as Ames and his wife were being held under FBI hospitality, the new Russian Parliament dealt another blow to Mr Yeltsin's shaky authority by voting for an amnesty for his hated foes from the alleged coup attempt last October.