Pentagon chief slams 'slow learner' Putin over election meddling

[rooster59]

Pentagon chief slams 'slow learner' Putin over election meddling

By Phil Stewart

 

FILE PHOTO: Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis speaks with the media before an enhanced honor cordon arrival of Greek Minister of Defense Panagiotis Kammenos at the Pentagon in Washington, U.S., October 9, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis accused Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday of being a "slow learner" who again tried to meddle in U.S. elections in November, adding that he had no trust in the Russian leader.

 

The remarks by Mattis at a security forum in California came a day after President Donald Trump held informal talks with Putin on the sidelines of the Group of 20 industrialized nations meeting in Argentina. Trump had scrapped a more formal meeting with Putin, citing Russia's treatment of Ukraine.

 

Asked if U.S.-Russian ties had become more strained since he took over the Pentagon last year after Trump became president, Mattis said, "There's no doubt the relationship has worsened."

 

"(Putin) tried again to muck around in our elections this last month. And we are seeing a continued effort along those lines," Mattis said, adding that the United States would take whatever steps were necessary to defend American democracy.

 

American intelligence agencies concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to sow discord and boost Trump's chances through a campaign of propaganda and hacking aimed at disparaging his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton. A special counsel investigation into Russia's role in that election and whether Trump's campaign conspired with Moscow has cast a cloud over his presidency.

 

The comments by Mattis were the latest sign of deteriorating relations between Washington and Moscow. Russia has denied meddling. Trump has said there was no collusion.

 

Ahead of the Nov. 6 midterm congressional elections, U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials accused Russia of trying to influence the vote. U.S. prosecutors in October charged a Russian national with playing a financial role in a Kremlin-backed plan to conduct "information warfare" against the United States, including attempts to influence the midterm election.

 

RUSSIA-UKRAINE TENSIONS

 

Russian forces opened fire on Ukrainian naval vessels last weekend and seized them and their crew near Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Mattis said those actions underscored why the international community was increasingly distrustful of Moscow.

 

"Mr. Putin is clearly a slow learner. He is not recognising that what he is doing is actually creating an animosity against his people," Mattis said.

 

"What we are seeing Putin do with his ripping up of international agreements ... we're dealing with someone that we simply cannot trust," the Pentagon chief added.

 

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders on Saturday confirmed Trump's encounter with Putin in Argentina in a statement, saying, "As is typical at multilateral events, President Trump and the First Lady had a number of informal conversations with world leaders at the dinner last night, including President Putin."

 

Speaking in Buenos Aires, Putin told reporters on Saturday there were no pre-conditions for future bilateral talks with Trump.

 

"It is regrettable that we can't succeed in holding a full-scale meeting, which is long due," Putin said, adding that issues of strategic stability would be of paramount importance.

 

   U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday said the Ukraine events were the only reason Trump cancelled his planned formal meeting with Putin in Argentina, not developments in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe.

 

The decision to scrap the meeting with Putin came shortly after Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty on Thursday to a charge of lying to Congress about a skyscraper project Trump was pursuing in Moscow during the 2016 U.S. presidential race.

 

"Ludicrous; Washington parlour game," Pompeo said in a CNN interview at the G20 meeting when asked whether Trump was motivated to cancel the meeting by Cohen's guilty plea.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-12-02

[Samui Bodoh]

"...Pentagon chief slams 'slow learner' Putin over election meddling..."

 

If only the US President had either the balls or brains of his Defense Secretary...

 

 

 

[mtls2005]

Mattis will be gone in a week - hardly a bold prediction as it has been widely expected, but once they start showing a bit of backbone publicly they are days away from jumping off the trumptanic.

 

Pompeo, the sniveling sycophant will step in as deputy dictator (VP if trump runs).

 

Dan Coats has been oddly silent. #perplexed

 

 

 

 

[roquefort]

"What we are seeing Putin do with his ripping up of international agreements ... we're dealing with someone that we simply cannot trust," the Pentagon chief added.

 

Thought he was talking about his boss for a minute there.

[Zack61]

Putin already said there was no meddling. Get off his back. He’s not a horse. 

Edited December 2, 2018 by Zack61

[Pedrogaz]

What an idiot this guy Mattis is. Putin is the only sane and thoughtful leader in the whole game....we have him to thank for not reacting stupidly to the shooting down of its warplanes, NATOs endless provocations. He's got an IQ in triple digits, more than Pompeo, Mattis, Trump, Haspel and Munchkin combines.

[Emster23]

Putin can't be said to be a slow learner as US has not tried yet to teach him a lesson.....

[neeray]

Finally !

A Trump team member who has the cojones to speak his mind publicly. Hopefully now with the ship starting to sink quite rapidly, others will follow suit (not follow Trump).

Salute to U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis

[Mavideol]

13 minutes ago, Zack61 said:

Putin already said there was no meddling. Get off his back. He’s not a horse. 

he also said the trops in Crimea were NOT russians, and the ones in Donesk were alliens.... he said no meeddling in neither one LOL

[Con Queso]

25 minutes ago, Pedrogaz said:

He's got an IQ in triple digits

 

57.3?

[grumpy 4680]

43 minutes ago, Pedrogaz said:

What an idiot this guy Mattis is. Putin is the only sane and thoughtful leader in the whole game....we have him to thank for not reacting stupidly to the shooting down of its warplanes, NATOs endless provocations. He's got an IQ in triple digits, more than Pompeo, Mattis, Trump, Haspel and Munchkin combines.

        

Mattis and others are not really such idiots, they are just stating what the rest of the world believe about Putin and his provocations, The world did not react stupidly to the shooting down of MH 17 or the invasion of Crimea, now ask yourself, how he used that high IQ to gain such substantial wealth, far beyond his salary.

 

 

 

 

 

[thaiguzzi]

6 hours ago, rooster59 said:

"What we are seeing Putin do with his ripping up of international agreements ... we're dealing with someone that we simply cannot trust,"

Pot.

Kettle.

Black.

[grumpy 4680]

           As much as Trump is disliked for his actions, he is legally entitled to make those decisions, Unlike Putin, who totally ignores International law, he's basically a war monger, looking for an excuse to blame others, instead of making Russia great again, he's created mass hatred for its people

[mtls2005]

1 hour ago, Zack61 said:

Putin already said there was no meddling. Get off his back. He’s not a horse. 

 

[from the home of CC]

Putin high fivin' that saudi scum at the g20 seems to indicate to me that America better tread very softly going forward. Combined with the China/Russia war games and the weakest leadership in American history the U.S. is heading to the back of the line.

[Redline]

4 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

What an idiot this guy Mattis is. Putin is the only sane and thoughtful leader in the whole game....we have him to thank for not reacting stupidly to the shooting down of its warplanes, NATOs endless provocations. He's got an IQ in triple digits, more than Pompeo, Mattis, Trump, Haspel and Munchkin combines.

There giving away free land in Russia FYI.  

[GreasyFingers]

5 hours ago, neeray said:

Finally !

A Trump team member who has the cojones to speak his mind publicly. Hopefully now with the ship starting to sink quite rapidly, others will follow suit (not follow Trump).

Salute to U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis

Why do they call him "mad dog Mattis"

[Tug]

Jim mattis has an impossible job Donald is Putin’s fan boy he would love to make America a dictatorship he looks to his idol for 

pointers and probably stolen info on the dems to use when he is on the hot seat next year 

[neeray]

7 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

Putin high fivin' that saudi scum at the g20 seems to indicate to me that America better tread very softly going forward. Combined with the China/Russia war games and the weakest leadership in American history the U.S. is heading to the back of the line.

Whether by hook or by crook, intentionally or unintentionally, the current POTUS is discarding prior alliances and allowing new ones to form. But to use his words, "we'll see".

Yes, Mr Deal Maker, we'll see.

[bendejo]

20 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

Mattis will be gone in a week - hardly a bold prediction as it has been widely expected, but once they start showing a bit of backbone publicly they are days away from jumping off the trumptanic.

 

A few weeks back El Naranjo said of Mattis "I think he's a Democrat."   Translation: he had the nerve to disagree with me.

I would think that getting fired by him would be a badge of honor when the history of this time is written.

 

 

[bendejo]

13 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

Putin high fivin' that saudi scum at the g20 seems to indicate to me that America better tread very softly going forward. Combined with the China/Russia war games and the weakest leadership in American history the U.S. is heading to the back of the line.

 

When I saw that here's my imaginary mental dialogue:

MBS: hey bro, when you hooked me up on my Moscow trip I had the time of my life!

Putin:  and I have it all on video

 

As Vlad said "Russia has the best prostitutes in the world."  And for MBS they brought in some sheep and goats too.

 

 

[heybruce]

23 hours ago, Zack61 said:

Putin already said there was no meddling. Get off his back. He’s not a horse. 

 

23 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

What an idiot this guy Mattis is. Putin is the only sane and thoughtful leader in the whole game....we have him to thank for not reacting stupidly to the shooting down of its warplanes, NATOs endless provocations. He's got an IQ in triple digits, more than Pompeo, Mattis, Trump, Haspel and Munchkin combines.

Oh look, Putin trolls.

[thasoss]

On 12/2/2018 at 2:50 PM, roquefort said:

"What we are seeing Putin do with his ripping up of international agreements ... we're dealing with someone that we simply cannot trust," the Pentagon chief added.

 

Thought he was talking about his boss for a minute there.

Or himself

[thasoss]

17 hours ago, GreasyFingers said:

Why do they call him "mad dog Mattis"

a ship of fools,all of them.