AN attack by the mayor of New York, Mr Rudolph Giuliani, on Russian UN diplomats who, he said, misused their diplomatic immunity to break driving and parking regulations, has sparked off massive retaliation in Moscow.
Foreigners, diplomats and others, are being harassed daily by the local traffic police, the dreaded Gaishniki, in a move which has shortened foreign tempers but could also help Moscow's mayor become Russia's next president.
In the space of two days early in the campaign, codenamed "Operation Foreigner", more than 1,000 cars belonging to non Russians were pulled in. The intensity of the campaign has diminished since then, but the anti foreigner drive continues with drivers of all nationalities rather than simply Americans being targeted.
Some have been lucky in that the campaign has worked to their advantage. The Irish Ambassador, Mr Ronan Murphy, was late for an important meeting in the Russian Foreign Ministry because an overzealous Gaishnik called his car in for a detailed inspection even though the Irish flag was flying to signify the ambassador was on official business. On this occasion the Foreign Ministry's time was wasted and its officials promised to pursue the matter with the local authorities.
In another case of harassment two western ambassadors who had travelled together on a weekend break were stopped 10 times on a journey from Yaroslavl to Moscow, a distance of little over 100 miles.
In Russia, cars owned by foreigners are easily distinguishable from locally owned vehicles which carry Russian licence plates with black figures on a white background. Diplomatic cars have plates with red figures on a white ground while other foreigners have plates with black figures on yellow.
When I lived in Moscow as a full time correspondent my registration number (black on yellow) was K 037 001. The K was for "Korrespondent", the 037 meant "Irlanda" and 001 signified that I was the only Irish journalist in Moscow. A Gaishnik could instantly recognise The Irish Times's Volvo 440.
The recent purge of foreigners in which, coincidentally, the Americans were found to be the worst "offenders" was launched with a remarkably Stalinist style article two weeks go in the normally liberal newspaper Segodnya. It stated that: "Foreign diplomats stationed in Moscow have become confident of their complete immunity" and went on to refer to "an ideology of double standards, particularly evident with the Americans".
Moscow's mayor, Mr Yuri Luzhkov, who is openly conducting a campaign to replace Mr Yeltsin as president of the Russian Federation, is likely to gain quite a few votes from disgruntled Muscovites, many of whom perceive that the US is working to destroy Russia's military, economic and moral strength.
Mr Luzhkov, who is rebuilding the massive Christ the Saviour cathedral, has placed a monstrous statue of Peter the Great on the banks of the Moskva river. He has refurbished the facades of many city centre buildings and is immensely popular with Muscovites. He has also dealt severely with non Russians by having them run out of town for being found on the streets without passports.
His latest construction project, a huge underground shopping complex next to Red Square, is due tub open soon but only half the units' have been leased. Mr Luzhkov has now appointed Mr Umar Zhab to encourage investors in the scheme. Mr Zhabrailov, acting general director of Moscow's Slavyanskaya Hotel, recently had his US visa revoked following the murder of an American business man, Mr Paul Tatum, who claimed to own 40 per cent of the Slanyanskaya.
