Barack Obama expels 35 Russian Diplomats over election hacking row in 'Cold War deja vu'

"Retaliation is the last refuge of the incompetent which Obama displays at every post-defeat by the righteous men.
                          Maven Stark


United States has expelled 35 Russian spies in response to Kremlin-backed interference in the presidential election, further escalating tensions between Moscow and Washington. The diplomatic officials from the Russian embassy in Washington and its consulate in San Francisco were deemed "persona non grata" and told to leave the country within 72 hours.

President Barack Obama also
announced it was closing two compounds owned by the Russian government, and used for intelligence operations, in New York and Maryland, from noon on Friday.

 He also ordered sanctions against Russia's GRU and FSB intelligence agencies, and six named Russian individuals. They included Lt Gen Korobov, head of the GRU, and three of his deputies. The other two were Alexei Belan and Yevgeny Bogachev, two Russians wanted by the FBI for cyber crimes for years. Also sanctioned were three computer companies alleged to have provided "material support" to the GRU.

 The moves marked an unprecedented new low for US-Russian relations under Mr Obama's presidency. He said the 35 expelled diplomats were "intelligence operatives". The developments marked an unprecedented new low in US-Russian relations under Mr Obama's presidency.


The Russian Embassy in London called it "Cold War deja vu", and said the US "wanted to destroy" ties with Moscow. Mr Obama accused Russia of "aggressive harassment" and said "all Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions". He said hacking "could only have been directed by the highest levels of the Russian government". Mr Obama said: "These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm US interests in violation of established international norms of behaviour. Such activities have consequences."

 He added: "This is not the sum total of our response to Russia’s aggressive activities. We will continue to take a variety of actions at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicised."

 A US official added: "By imposing costs on the Russian diplomats in the United States, by denying them access to the two facilities, we hope the Russian government reevaluates its own actions."
 It was understood that Russia's ambassador to the United States, Sergei Kislyak, will not be one of those expelled. It comes after the the CIA and FBI concluded that Russia was responsible for hacking the Democratic Party and releasing embarrassing emails with the intention of helping Donald Trump to win the White House.
 Russia has repeatedly denied the hacking accusations. A spokesman for Russia's Foreign Ministry said: "If Washington really does take new hostile steps they will be answered. "Any action against Russian diplomatic missions in the US will immediately bounce back on US diplomats in Russia."

Rex Tillerson, Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state, with Vladimir Putin CREDIT: AFP

Mr Trump said he would meet intelligence officials next week to hear evidence of the Russian hacking.

He said: "It's time for our country to move on to bigger and better things.

"Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation."

Kellyanne Conway, one of Mr Trump's top advisers, told CNN that Mr Trump stood by his claims that it was unclear whether Russia carried out the hacks and insisted that alleged Russian hacking was being used to try and delegitimise Mr Trump's victory.

The US State Department said the expelled diplomats had been "acting in a manner inconsistent with their diplomatic or consular status".It also said the US actions were a response to increased harassment of US diplomats in Moscow over the last year. In 2001 the US expelled 50 Russian diplomats from the country over accusations of spying. Russia responded in kind, ordering 50 US diplomats to leave its own country. 

The Russian Embassy in London called the US action "Cold War deja vu". It added: "Everybody, including the American people, will be glad to see the last of this hapless administration." Its post on social media was accompanied by a picture of a duck and the word "Lame".

According to one US official there are a total of about 100 Russian spies in the US, so about one third of th em are being ejected. Starting on Friday at noon, the White House said, Russia will be denied access to compounds in Maryland and New York that have been used for intelligence-related purposes.

 A statement from the state department said the diplomatic expulsions were a response not only to hacking but to “a pattern of harassment of our diplomats overseas, that has increased over the last four years, including a significant increase in the last 12 months”.
 The statement said the harassment has included “arbitrary police stops, physical assault, and the broadcast on state TV of personal details about our personnel that put them at risk”.
 For some time, US diplomats in Russia have anecdotally reported being followed and harassed by police. In June, a US diplomat was wrestled to the ground by a policeman as he scrambled to get inside the embassy. Russian authorities said the man was a CIA agent operating under cover. 

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