I rarely find myself agreeing with Paul Ryan (R-WI), but when I first learned that Barack Obama was taking steps to punish Putin (R-RU) for trying to influence the the Fuhrer’s electoral-college only win, my reaction was, "It’s about time." I understand Lyin’ Ryan said the same thing. However, since his party opposed informing the American propel to begin with, he was probably lying for show, when he said it.
President Barack Obama issued on Thursday a series of sanctions against Russia for its role in tampering in the United States presidential election through cyber-attacks that worked to benefit President-elect Donald Trump.
The executive actions included several elements. The United States closed down two Russian compounds, in Maryland and New York, “used by Russian personnel for intelligence-related purposes,” Obama announced. It also expelled 35 Russian diplomats described as “Russian intelligence operatives” by the president, calling them “persona non grata” and giving them 72 hours to leave the country. The president also issued sanctions on four top Russian intelligence officials, the Russian spy agencies GRU and the FSB, and “three companies that provided material support to the GRU’s cyber operations.” The treasury department also issued economic sanctions against two men that were already on the FBI’s most wanted list for their alleged cyber crimes.
The New York Times reported that the sanctions against the intelligence officials were mainly symbolic, as such officials rarely conduct business in the United States or visit the country. Obama also hinted at other retaliatory gestures. “These actions are not the sum total of our response to Russia’s aggressive activities,” his announcement read. “We will continue to take a variety of actions at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicized.”
The intelligence officials expelled were removed in response to what the administration characterized as a campaign of harassment against U.S. diplomats in Russia. “The harassment has involved arbitrary police stops, physical assault, and the broadcast on State TV of personal details about our personnel that put them at risk,” State Department spokesperson Mark C. Toner said in a statement reported by the Washington Post.
Vladimir Putin’s government was promising to respond to the sanctions in kind and his embassy in the United Kingdom taunted Obama as a lame duck…
From <Slate>
MSNBC had some good coverage of the story. In the Rachel Maddow Show, Ari Melber interviewed David Sanger.
Then on The Last Word, Lawrence O’Donnell interviewed Steve Clemons, David Frum, and Richard Nephew.
A lot of the controversy about how much to reveal resolves around whether to reveal Sources and Methods. It makes sense that if the Russians find out about how we obtained SIGINT, they will close those communications loopholes. Worse yet, sources of HUMINT are people and if Putin discovers the identities of US agents, they will be dead faster that that a Republican will steal grandma’s pension.
However, I’ve hit on something the professional newscasters have missed. Next week, the Fuhrer is taking time away from his main pursuits of tweeting and pussy grabbing to receive an intelligence briefing on the subject. In that briefing, he will be told sources and methods. You can be sure that he will transfer any damaging information about Sources and Methods to his Russian handlers to stop the flow of information about his treason.
Therefore I think Obama needs to give the American people the info, since Trump will give it to Putin anyway.
RESIST!!
12 Responses to “Obama Sanctions Putin”
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So here is the timeline for the reaction to the sanctions against Russia –
Dec 29 3:59 pm Kremlin spokesman vows retaliation against U.S. sanctions
Dec 30 6:41 am Russian Foreign Ministry recommends that Putin expel 35 U.S. diplomats in retaliation for Obama's hacking sanctions
Dec 30 7:54 am Putin says he won't deport U.S. diplomats as he looks to cultivate relations with incoming Trump administration
All from the Washington Post, all times EST.
And, in 20/20 hindsight, it was even predictable. Aaarrggggh!
RESIST !!!
Yeah, but in their Timeline they didn't include that phone call from Putin to Trump at 7:11 AM:
LOL!!!
I read this,this morning.
Thanks, Joanne for your timeline.
DT needs to be investigated, with/for any involvement or knowledge of this. mho.
Wow. The plot thickens and Drumpfenfarten is the one that is thickener!!! Hopefully, we won't have to deal with him long! But, then again is the problem of Pence!!!
It's all quite symbolic – on both sides – this harassment of officials and showing them the door, but it serves the purpose of keeping the news afloat of the Russian hacking and interfering in an election to have their favorite win. It also makes it rather difficult for that Russian-but-not-the-popular favorite to haul the Russians back in as fast as they left. Drumpf now can keep pretending "I know noffink…noffink", but if he starts slapping Putin on the back days after his inauguration, even more Republicans will want to join McCain and Graham in the search for the (Republican side of the) truth.
The Omama administration's action keep people on their toes everywhere. The national news (ABC-news) here had quite an item on it last nite, and also mentioned that only Drumpf still maintains that it wasn't the Russians that hacked. They also told of his decision to go to an intelligence briefing on the subject, for once, and let himself be explained the details. They wouldn't go as far as saying he'll pass on the intel to Putin. If he really wanted to do that, he had his chances in earlier briefings he wouldn't attend. It will be terribly conspicuous if Drumpf gets his briefing – with notes of course, because he can't possibly understand any of it himself let alone pass it on to someone else – and the Russians manage to stop the flow of damaging information in the next few days, wouldn't it. Drumpf is that dumb, but Putin, the old KGB man, isn't.
I continue tohold to the idea that Obama ought to have told McConnell to go take a long hike on a short pier, in regard to keeping the Russian info secret form the American public, back in September. I believe that, had he done so, the Orange Ass would not be poised to become POTUS! I expect that McConnell knew just what was happening.
The sanctions are too little, too late!
I agree!
Amen to that. It was Obama's biggest failing since he appointed the three blind mice.
I am glad Obama acted, but I think it is too little, too late. I agree with Mitch, he should have told McConnell to take a hike and revealed all this before the election. Maybe we would not be stuck with Mr. Orange for the next four years. If there is one iota of evidence to show Trump is giving information to Putin, he should be immediately impeached and prosecuted for treason.
Thanks and hugs!
Talk about a "can of worms"! I agree that Obama should have done more in September, McTurtle be damned. But that didn't happen so now the US has to deal with Russia. I have to wonder if things would be any different now had the US tried to take action earlier. With an obstructionist Republican dominated Congress and being prior to the election, no doubt in my mind that it would be more concerned with winning the election than stopping Russia. Republican priorities.
It also occurred to me that Trump, if he didn't understand the briefing and notes from the intelligence briefing, might just ask an experienced foreign policy person who he admires to give him a tutorial and detailed instructions. That admired person would be Mad Vlad of course!
Trump is, IMO, the worst outcome in a somewhat flawed system. I suspect that he may be impeached within the next 2 years as even his own party will be sick of his antics.