President Obama Orders Sanctions

[bobabode]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/29/us...ions.html?_r=0
"WASHINGTON — The Obama administration struck back at Russia on Thursday for its efforts to influence the 2016 election, ejecting 35 Russian intelligence operatives from the United States and imposing sanctions on Russia’s two leading intelligence services.
The administration also sanctioned four top officers of one of those services, the military intelligence unit known as the G.R.U., which the White House believes ordered the attacks on the Democratic National Committee and other political organizations.
The expulsion of the 35 diplomats was in response to the harassment of American diplomats in Russia, officials said. None of those officials are believed to be connected to the hacking, they said. In addition, the State Department announced the closing of two “recreational facilities” — one in New York, another in Maryland — that it said were used for Russian intelligence activities, although officials would not say whether they were specifically used in the election-related hacks.
In a sweeping set of announcements, the United States also released samples of malware and other indicators of Russian cyberactivity, including network addresses of computers commonly used by the Russians to launch attacks. Taken together, the actions amount to the strongest American response ever taken to a state-sponsored cyberattack aimed at the United States." NY Times

Good.

[barbara]

Waiting to hear what the Donald has to say about this. Kind of puts him between a rock and a hard place, eh?

[donquixote99]

If he yells he's Putin's buddy. If he yells bloody murder he's Putin's puppet.

[Oerets]

I'm waiting to see what is happening a month from now. To little to late I feel by this President.


Barney

[MrPots]

I have to wonder with a certain wry humor if perhaps Obama is purposely setting the drump up for a fun-filled first year...... little pits of diplomatic horror for drump to fall into...with his tiny little hands waving in the air.

[Rajoo]

Originally Posted by Oerets

I'm waiting to see what is happening a month from now. To little to late I feel by this President.


Barney

I don't think so. If he had gone after Putin before the elections, it would have looked like direct interference and not very presidential. Besides like rest of the country, he probably thought that Hillary was a shoo-in.

This forces Trump's hand by having to rescind the decision after he occupies the WH. Will he do it, probably find out from Twitter soon.

[icenine]

Should be a no-brainer decision by Trump:
Come out and say he was wrong about Putin and that the interference should be investigated by a select committee, thus putting the investigation in a non-partisan light.
Thus he could avoid any sort of suggestion that he puts Putin first and the American intelligence community (i.e. US) second. Then get on with whatever he has planned as far as running the country.

He should be tweeting how he supports what Obama did today. PLUS he himself has access to intelligence reports NOW.

Obama is trying to do Trump a favor by steering him down the right path.

The fact that the people that voted for Trump are not upset about his dalliance with Putin and Trump's cavalier attitude toward his own intelligence services is the scariest thing ever.

[Oerets]

This could of been handled in such a way no clear link to the US was evident. I think hacking the Russians and releasing the intel gained would be a first step. Financials, personal photos even recorded video audio.

I'm sure we have it, just the releasing it would tell a tale to the Russians and the the open door would be shut off. So this alone may be the reason why it will not happen.


Barney

[Dondilion]

Putin to Donald Trump: No tit for tat re expulsions.

Reinforcing Donald Trump: "It is time for our country to move on".

[whell]

Wow, expelled some diplomats. Wonder how long Obama boiled that wet noodle before he whipped the Ruskies with it?