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December 29,2016
Source : CNN
As president Barack Obama is wrapping up his term in office, United States is expelling thirty five Russian Diplomats from the country.
The Diplomats will have seventy two hours before they leave the United States.
President Obama is said to have described expelled Russian diplomats as “intelligence operatives.” His administration implicated them in involvement during US election by way of cyber operation. The action is “in response to the Russian government’s aggressive harassment of US officials and cyber operations aimed at the US election,” RTquoted Obama.
A report by CNN seem to suggest that Obama’s action is a retaliation against Russia for “significant Malicious Cyber-Enabled Activities.”
Apparently, Obama’s action is informed by intelligence consensus regarding alleged Russian involvement in US election. The White House condemned what it calls Russian involvement as “unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
To say that Russian cyber activities influenced US election, including the outcome, certainly implies that there is a conviction that the election was somewhat defective,at least, which in turn amounts to saying that Donald Trump didn’t win though legitimate means.
A section of statement from The White House cited by CNN reads “Russia’s cyberactivities were intended to influence the election, erode faith in US democratic institutions, sow doubt about the integrity of our electoral process, and undermine confidence in the institutions of the US government…”
Russian Staff will no longer have access to Russian Federation premises in New York and Maryland, indicated reports from CNN and RT.
So far no official response from the Kremlin regarding the expulsion of Russian Diplomats. When the US imposed economic sanctions against Russia, Russia reciprocated United States’ action by imposing economic sanction on the United States.
Without disclosing details, Russian president stated that Russia will respond adequately for what the US called “sanctions” ; the expulsion of Russian diplomats.
Writer can be reached on twitter : @dimetros
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