Continuing what may ultimately be a very brief flurry of anti-Russia sanctions, the Obama Administration today announced a new round of sanctions against 5 Russian officials. Administration officials say that technically these are unrelated to allegations of Russian “hacking” of the election, though the timing makes it clear this is part of ongoing “retaliation.”
With President-elect Donald Trump taking office in a week and a half, these moves may not last long, with Trump aide Kellyanne Conway saying that Trump could well “reconsider” any sanctions imposed by the administration in the name of proportionality.
Trump has also suggested he’d be looking to roll back some of these moves, and that was a big reason why Russia did not launch any retaliatory diplomatic action after the Obama Administration expelled 35 of their diplomats and seized a pair of their compounds, with Russian officials saying they expect Trump to change course when he gets into office.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter was the latest official to push for more anti-Russia actions, insisting yesterday that the US “should not limit ourselves” in any way in anti-Russia measures, declaring the alleged hacking a “aggressive attack against our very democracy.”
Between this, and Sen. Ben Cardin’s declaration that Russia “attacked us,” there appears to be a significant shift in the rhetoric surrounding the hacks in recent days, with officials trying to position the matter not as “interference” in the election but as an overt act of war.
We’ll have to count the minutes for all these clowns to go home. If we’re lucky Obama won’t completely lose whatever little there is left of his mind and start WWIII.
Somebody get these people off the ledge!
US elites are showing desperation which is very dangerous.
In the early 60’s they wanted a bigger war and killed JFK to get it.
Back then it resulted in killing 50,000+ Americans.
This time it could very well kill millions to billions.
All in the name of power and profits.
A new era in human history is beginning with the coalescing multifarious East, but the US has failed to meet and join it.
Instead the US is retrograde, resurrecting old Cold War narratives of disinformation, trying to take humanity backwards.
I can only conclude that the US is the enemy of humanity and unless by some miracle it wakes up from its folly will destroy much of humanity before it is done.
I couldn’t agree with you more, Arius. Indeed, there’s a new era in human history that’s beginning, with the coalescing multifarious East; however, the US failed to meet and join it 🙁
As you said, the US is retrograde, resurrecting old Cold War narratives of disinformation, attempting to take humanity backwards, which it can never do. We cannot go back, Arius; we can only go forward, and this is driving Obama and his handlers crazy.
I, too, can only conclude that the US is the enemy of humanity .. and, unless by some miracle it wakes up from its folly, will destroy much of humanity before it’s done.
But you don’t agree with Airus. He understands it has nothing to do with Obama and will be the same after Obama is gone.
You, on the other hand are blaming Obama and although you don’t speak of hope after Obama, you suggest and implly that there will be.
There won’t be because people like you will be fighting your domestic politics and that will keep you entertained and off the streets, as your country’s wars continue.
luv from Canada.
what a joke, they will all be unemployed in 9 days. no shame, no class.
I think the new administration of Trump will cancel the sanctions,
“It’s time for our country to move on to bigger and better things,” Trump said in a statement. “Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation.”
A senior Obama administration official acknowledged to reporters Thursday that Trump could reverse the sanctions by executive order, but added, “I don’t think it’d make a lot of sense.”
The Russian diplomats and the two compounds, located in Maryland and New York, were engaged in intelligence activities but were not alleged to have been involved in the hacking related to the election, White House Homeland Security adviser Lisa Monaco told reporters. The moves are instead part of the US’s comprehensive reaction to election-related hacking as well as recent harassment of US personnel in Russia.
“What these individuals were doing were basically collecting intelligence. They were intelligence officers operating here and using these compounds, one in New York, one in Maryland, for intelligence collection purposes,” “And what we are saying today is, in response to and in order to impose consequences for the Russian government’s increasing harassment and aggression toward our personnel in Moscow, and, of course, their malicious cyberactivities, interfering and an effort to interfere in our election process, we are imposing consequences.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said similar steps will be taken in response to the expulsions, though she did not immediately provide further details. Dmitri Peskov, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, told reporters there is “no alternative to reciprocal measures,” adding that Putin is “in no rush to make a decision.”
Congressional Republicans split with Trump
House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican, called the sanctions “overdue,” adding that it is an “appropriate way to end eight years of failed policy with Russia.”
“Russia does not share America’s interests,” he said in a statement Thursday. “In fact, it has consistently sought to undermine them, sowing dangerous instability around the world. While today’s action by the administration is overdue, it is an appropriate way to end eight years of failed policy with Russia. http://plombier-sos.com/ And it serves as a prime example of this administration’s ineffective foreign policy that has left America weaker in the eyes of the world.”
You said:
“I think the new administration of Trump will cancel the sanctions,…”
When Trump does meet with the intelligence community next week and agrees with them, will you still be here on antiwar.com to talk about it?
luv from Canada.
I really don’t think the Russians are behind the hack , and if yes so in US they understood that the Clintons are false
After hearing Rex Tillorson cave to the anti-Russia/anti-Putin mindset in his Senate confirmation hearings this morning, I think Putin needs to retaliate on all the sanctions the U.S. has put on Russia by kicking Exxon/Mobil out of Russia.