Washington State lawmakers taken aback by claim of Russian spying
WASHINGTON -- The Trump administration’s sudden closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle out of concerns about espionage at a nearby naval base appears to have caught much of the state’s congressional delegation off guard.
The White House surprised Russia and much of Congress early Monday by announcing the sudden expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats and the elimination of the consulate less than a week after President Donald Trump called Russian President Vladimir Putin to congratulate him on his controversial re-election.
The consulate closure was described as part of a coordinated response to the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Great Britain earlier this month. But U.S. officials also indicated that espionage concerns at Naval Base Kitsap, the third largest in the United States, and against defense contractor Boeing Corp., played a role.
It’s unclear if there was a specific concern or incident that provoked the inclusion of Kitsap, which is just outside Seattle, in Monday’s announcement. But past and current lawmakers said they had not been told of any particular incident or ongoing concern of espionage beyond the everyday threats.
Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/article207061819.html
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If we have local government that was surprised the Russians were/are spying on our MANY local bases I'm going to make some calls and ask them why.
In fact I think I'll get ahold of a newspaper or tv station and ask them to find out for me.
This is unbelievable, we have the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons in the states and at least nine bases in the area.
But it was a surprise?
My local paper, but the story is under their DC Bureau, it sure wasn't in my local paper today, there will be some backlash about this.
Somebody isn't paying attention or is dumber than a stump or both.
