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U.S. diplomat detained in Moscow • Russian spokesman said diplomat 'caught red-handed' stealing military information by Vladimir Isachenkov Associated Press Moscow — In an espionage case reminiscent of the Cold War, Russia’s security service briefly de tained a U.S. diplomat it says was caught “red-hand ed” while gathering secret military information from a Russian citizen, officials said Tuesday. Cheri Leberknight, who serves as the second secretary in the U.S. Embassy’s political section, was detained in Moscow on Monday evening and re leased shortly afterward, said Alexander Zdanovich, chief spokesman for llie Federal Security Service, or FSB. U.S. Embassy officials refused to comment on the incident. The detention — the first tme in five years that spying allegations were made gainst a U.S. diplo mat —comes at a time of strain*! relations between Russia and the United States. The two countries are at odes over Russia’s mil itary campaign in Chechnya and urns control agree ments, and there’s lingering tersion over NATO’s bombing campaign in Yugoslavi; in the spring. Speaking on Russian television, Zdanovich said the diplomat worked for the CIV and was caught “red-handed while conducting ar espionage opera tion.” ORT television accompanied its report with a photo of Leberknight. Zdanovich said the U.S. diplonat “tried to ob tain documentary materials of a nilitary-strategic character which were secrets of He state,” but FSB agents thwarted the attempt. The Interfax news agency queted unidentified security officials as saying that Leberknight was col lecting information on Russian niclear weapons. “Detention of a diplomat is a *ery serious ac tion, and we weighed everything bebre doing that,” Zdanovich slid. “We had to do that because of dan ger that very serious secrets could be smuggled abroad.” He said that FSB confiscated an array of spying devices from Leberknight. The diplomat then was taken to the FSB offices, where a Russian Foreign Ministry representative and US. diplomats were immediately summoned. Short ly afterward, she was released. The last time the Russians publicly accused an American diplomat of spying in Russia was in Feb ruary 1994, when Moscow expelled U.S. Embassy counselor James L. Morris. The move came in re sponse to Washington’s expulsion of an alleged Russ-. ian intelligence officer. Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said Tuesday he hoped the incident wouldn’t damage ties between Russia and the United States, but added that “such episodes don’t help improve the climate in rela tions.” Ivanov said the Foreign Ministry would file a formal protest “within hours.” “We hope that Ms. Cheri Leberknight will leave' our country soon,” he said, according to the ITAR-. Pass news agency. Relations between Russia and the United States have steadily deteriorated since U.S. and British strikes on Iraq a year ago. Russia has also criticized NATO’s bombing cam paign in Yugoslavia, and U.S. plans to modify the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. U.S. criticism of Moscow’s military action in Chechnya has irritated Russia. In the past few years, Russian officials have frequently accused the United States and other West ern nations of spying on Russia and arrested sever al suspected agents. None, however, had diplomat ic status. In 1997, Richard Bliss, an American field tech-., nician installing a new cellular communications sys tem in Rostov-on-Don, was detained on spying cliaiges and spent 12 days jn jail before being allowed to fly home. I_—P^'-1 * _:_ Special to The Gamecock A demonstrator throws a gas bomb back at police officers in Seattle, Wash., at the World Trade Organization protests on Tuesday. Protestors took to the streets to disrupt the opening ceremonies of the WTO summit i Computer software quietly tracks customers' Internet habits by Ted Bridis Associated Press Washington — Popular software used by more than 16 million people to change a Web browser’s computer cursor into cartoon characters and other images is quietly tracking its customers across the Internet and recording which Web pages they visit. New Yoik-based Comet Systems Inc.’s free cursor software reports back to its own computers with each customer’s unique serial number each time that per son visits any of 60,000 Web sites that support its technology. Computer privacy experts expressed dismay over the behind-the-scenes com munications, which are sent without warn ing. Butthe company insists it’s not vio lating customers’ privacy because it does n’t attempt to match serial numbers against anyone’s real-world identity. It published an explanation of its practices on its In ternet site Sunday after it was contacted by The Associated Press. “We don’t know your gender, your age or anything except you’re a Web browser visiting sites,” Comet spokesman Ben Austin said, adding that the compa ny also doesn’t know a person’s name or e-mail address. “There’s not a lot of reason to crunch that data because I don’t see that it’s in anyone’s economic inter ests. We’re stating for the record that we don’t do that and we never will.” Austin said the company tracks those serial numbers for a census of its cus tomers, who aren’t asked to disclose their names or e-mail addresses, and because some Web sites pay Comet based on the number of visitors using the cursor-chang ing technology. Critics said the company should have more openly disclosed the transmissions to its customers. They also contend it wouldn’t be very difficult with today’s teclinology to begin correlating the Comet serial number with a consumer’s identi ty if the company suddenly decided to or if Comet were purchased by new own ers willing to do that. “There’s zero expectation that track ing is going on with this product,” said Richard M. Smith of Brookline, Mass., a computer security expert who noticed the communications last week. “Who Internet see page 6 World Briefs ■ Ex-bookkeeper accused of stealing money from AIDS patients Orlando, Fla. (AP)—A former book keeper is accused of stealing more than $500,000 intended for AIDS patients and; their families and spending it on enter tainment and meals. Corey EC. White, 34, pleaded guilty in federal court Monthly to embezzling more titan $215,000 over two years from Central FloridaAIDS Unified Resources, or CENTAUR. Investigators said Ms. While spent the money on Disney tickets, hotels and restaurants. In some months, they said, her credit card bills exceeded her yearly $25,-000 salary. Prosecutors also told the court that they believe Ms. White is responsible for an additional $350,063 in AIDS funds missing from another organization where she worked. Ms. White didn’t object to that assertion but hasn’t been charged in that case. Under federal guidelines, Ms. While faces two-and-a-half yean to three yean in prison. In exchange for her plea, prosecuton dropped a second charge of filing false bank statements. ■ Man delivers wife bound with tape to court Phoenix (AP) — A man wrapped his wife with duct tape and hauled her to court, possibly in an effort to make sure he didn’t lose bail money he had post ed, authorities said. According to police, Robert Horton, 52, carried Belinda Horton into the Mari copa County courthouse Monday and said: “Here she is.” Mrs. Horton, 44, faced a hearing on charges of aggravated assault. She had been free on $ 1,700 bail, which her hus band apparently posted. Mrs. Horton’s legs were taped to-’ gether from knees to ankles, her arms were bound across the front of her body, and there was tape over her mouth, au thorities said. Officers look pictures for possible ev idence against her husband. -1 Leagues available for Fraternity, Men’s A, B, & C, Residence Hall, Faculty/Staff/Grad, Co-Rec, and Women. Play starts on Tuesday, January 18, 2000. Fee: $15 per team Sign up in the Office of Campus Recreation 202 Blatt PE Center. i * Call 777-5261 for more information Web site: http://www.sa.sc.edu/pecenter/im.htm