Expelled Russian diplomats arrive back in Moscow

[webfact]

Expelled Russian diplomats arrive back in Moscow

 

 

MOSCOW: -- A plane carrying 35 Russian diplomats and their families, who have been expelled by order of President Barack Obama, has arrived back in Moscow.

 

The 35 were told to leave Washington last week in response to an alleged hacking scandal.

 

Republican Senator John McCain has called for an even tougher stand against Moscow.

 

“We will be working for much tougher sanctions against Russia. They attacked the United States of America. The hacking was an attack and we should treat it as such. We think their financial institutions and other aspects of the Russian economy should be addressed.”

 

But at a New Year celebration President-elect Donald Trump repeated his scepticism over US intelligence gathering and the wisdom of blaming the Russians.

 

“Well, I just want them to be sure, because it’s a pretty serious charge, and I want them to be sure. And if you look at the weapons of mass destruction, that was a disaster, and they were wrong. And so I want them to be sure. I think it’s unfair if they don’t know.”

 

The Russian diplomats were given just 72 hours to pack up and leave. President Obama is convinced Moscow hacked the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign last year.

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin had been expected to engage in ‘tit-for-tat’ expulsions but instead he said he would not “stoop” to “ “irresponsible diplomacy” “:http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/editorials/putin-trump-obama-russia-us-new-cold-war-two-diplomacy-editorial-a7502631.html. He also said he would review US relations once Trump takes over.

 

Donald Trump praised the decision calling it “ very smart”.

 

-- © Copyright Euronews 2017-01-02

 

[BB1955]

I think they need to look at it as a 20 day vacation , uncover wrong doing and deceat , if they did hack dnc and uncover it I say send them a case of vodka 

[Srikcir]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Trump repeated his scepticism over US intelligence gathering and the wisdom of blaming the Russians.

Trump  announced on New Years that he knew “things that other people don’t know” about the hacking, and that the information that others lack would be revealed “on Tuesday or Wednesday.” He maintains that another culpert aside from Russia could have directed the election intrusion.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/31/us/politics/donald-trump-russia-hacking.html?_r=0

see also cnn video titled Trump promises to reveal info on hacking 

Interesting times when a POTUS discounts his 16 intelligence agencies apparently for personally vetted "insider" sources. But then, maybe Putin vetted the sources for Trump.

 

[craigt3365]

12 hours ago, BB1955 said:

I think they need to look at it as a 20 day vacation , uncover wrong doing and deceat , if they did hack dnc and uncover it I say send them a case of vodka 

So it's OK for a foreign power to hack an election and potentially have an impact on the results?  Really?  I think few would agree with you on this.  Luckily.

 

Plus, it's not just about this.  This is a message to China, North Korea and Russia that cyber crimes will no longer be tolerated.  Read up on the stuff China has done, and the US response.  Time to take action against these types of threats.  It's called cyber WARFARE for a reason....