The day of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s high-profile Moscow visit, trying to resolve ever-worsening bilateral relations, the White House is continuing to come up with new allegations against Russia, insisting today that they had “credible reports” Russia plotted attacks against Montenegro during their October elections.
The narrative on Russia trying to interfere in Montenegro’s elections is not new, and like most such allegations is based around the idea that opposition positions conflicting with the Western establishment must necessarily be the result of Russian plots. In Montenegro, the divisive election issue was Montenegro joining NATO, which voters were split roughly down the middle on.
Just accusing Russia of not wanting NATO to expand wouldn’t be enough, of course, because Russia publicly says that all the time. Instead, the ruling Montenegro Party is accusing “Russian nationalists” of plotting to assassinate the Prime Minister. The opposition said this was a lie designed to ensure the pro-NATO party remained in power.
As with all the other allegations, this one is missing a key detail: actual evidence it ever happened. US officials however seem eager to once again endorse the narrative, since it is yet another charge to lob at Russia, which seems at this point to be an end unto itself.
So basically the U.S. is interfering in the politics of another country by supporting a political party that it wants to rule the country and demonizing their opponents.
And our administrations have never interfered with elections in other countries or their results? The Iranians know better. As do the Nicaraguans and Venezuelans. And Chileans! We have nearly always helped “our bastard” to get elected.
More recently the Brexit vote occurred on June 23, 2016. In April of 2016 President Obama essentially threatened GB that trade problems with the US might become a consequence of Brexit.
Next October or the one past? There have been a number of protests (disorders to western media) laid at the door of the Kremlin. Apparently the Russians were trying to do a ‘Maidan’ on the cheap. It seems the wage rates at the ‘National’ yacht club hotel and casino complex match the national average in Zambia and some Montenegrin workers have been blackballed by the members for their ‘attitude’.
If you throw enough s**t at a wall some will eventually stick.