U.S., Russia expel each other's diplomats

[Night Watchman]

Source: CNN

By Elise Labott, CNN
Updated 2:35 PM ET, Sat July 9, 2016

Washington (CNN)Diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Russia began to unravel after Moscow said Saturday it had expelled two American diplomats and the U.S. revealed it had tossed two Russians in response to an attack on one of its personnel.

"On June 17, we expelled two Russian officials from the United States to respond to this attack," State Department spokesman John Kirby told CNN, referring to an American diplomat who the spokesman said "was attacked by a Russian policeman" while trying to enter the U.S. embassy last month in Moscow.

Russia revealed Saturday it had responded in kind.

According to Russian State News Agency Sputnik, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said two Americans were declared persona non grata after an "unfriendly move" by the U.S. that was not specified.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/08/politics/russia-attack-us-diplomat/index.html

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I feel like the 80s again!

[NWCorona]

1. It's definitely feeling like the 80's again

[uawchild]

3. Must be money in this somewhere...

So, is the deal that we create failed states like Libya and Syria and Iraq and Afghanistan and then when the factions in those countries need money to pay their fighters we swoop in and buy up resources on the cheap?

Seems true for Libya and Iraq for sure.

[DustyJoe]

10. yep, reset back to the future it seems n/t

[Purveyor]

2. Moscow Confirms US Expelled 2 Russian Diplomats, Initially Asked To Keep It Secret

Russia's Foreign Ministry has confirmed reports about US authorities expelling two Russian diplomats from Washington DC following an incident outside the US Embassy in Moscow on June 6, 2016, when a US diplomat was allegedly ‘beaten’ by Russian security staff.

“I can confirm that […] the US government did demand the departure of two employees of the Russian Embassy in Washington DC without presenting any complaints to the employees themselves. Furthermore, the State Department strongly asked us not to make this fact public. As you can see, it is customary for American diplomats to keep their word,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told the press, alluding to the publication on the incident in Washington Post.

The article claimed that a Russian guard “attacked and beat up a US diplomat who was trying to enter” the US Embassy in Moscow, citing “US officials who were briefed on the incident.”

“The American diplomat - or, more accurately, a CIA officer who worked under the embassy’s cover and was returning to the compound disguised after conducting an intelligence operation - attacked a police officer, who was carrying out his duty protecting the diplomatic mission,” Ryabkov explained.

“The video footage of the incident was shown on July 7 on NTV channel and speaks for itself – in the middle of the night a man wearing a knitted hat pulled low over his head, despite the fact it’s summer, jumps out of a taxi and rushes to the entrance of the embassy, without making any attempt to show his identity. When the guard rushes to intercept him in order to prevent a possible threat to the diplomatic mission, he hits the officer in the face with his elbow, which is, in fact, a criminal offense,” the official noted.

more...

https://www.rt.com/news/350329-moscow-mfa-diplomats-expelled/

[Igel]

4. Old: Pravdy net v Izvestiyakh, izvestii net v Pravde.

There's no Truth in News and no News in Truth. The party organ was Pravda "Truth" and the official news daily was Izvestiya "News."

Sort of like buying the bottle of vodka with the brand-name "Vodka," and the Fish label canned fish.

Refashioned:

Pravdy net vo RTu, dlja izvestii net rta. "Rot" is, of course, mouth, with the locative singular "rtu." Clunky, but not inappropriate.

[AntiBank]

8. here is the BBC saying the same thing (in terms of giving the russian side) AND the video from the

embassy so you can see for yourself.


US expels two Russian diplomats over Moscow 'attack'

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36752579

snip

'In disguise'

"On 17 June, we expelled two Russian officials from the United States to respond to this attack," Mr Kirby said on Friday.
He said this was in response to the attack on the US diplomat on 6 June.
The assault happened after the accredited American official had identified himself to the policeman, Mr Kirby said.
"The action was unprovoked and it endangered the safety of our employee. The Russian claim that the policeman was protecting the embassy from an unidentified individual is simply untrue."
Russia said earlier this week that the US official was a CIA agent who had refused to provide his identification papers and hit the policeman in the face.
"Instead of the CIA employee, who was in disguise, as we understand, it could have been anyone - a terrorist, an extremist, a suicide bomber," Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
Russian media have also released a video of what they say was the scuffle between the US diplomat and the Russian policeman.

snip

The Video

[uawchild]

9. Heads explode, stars go nova

The universe cannot accept the condition of you know who being right. It's helter skelter. The center can not hold.

[Purveyor]

11. It's "Putinista"...btw.

[uawchild]

7. Your are voting for the democratic nominee, right?

I am. And I agree with many of the points you just made.

Speak Truth To Power.

But please vote for the Democratic nominee for President.

[cheapdate]

12. "...didn't stop ISIS".

What actions should President Obama have taken when ISIS emerged as a significant force in 2014 that would have "stopped" them?

I look forward to your response.