This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38463025
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| US expels Russian diplomats over cyber attack allegations | US expels Russian diplomats over cyber attack allegations |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The US has expelled 35 Russian diplomats as punishment for alleged interference into the presidential election. | The US has expelled 35 Russian diplomats as punishment for alleged interference into the presidential election. |
| It will also close two Russian compounds used for intelligence-gathering, in Maryland and New York, as part of a raft of retaliatory measures. | It will also close two Russian compounds used for intelligence-gathering, in Maryland and New York, as part of a raft of retaliatory measures. |
| President Barack Obama had vowed action against Russia amid US accusations it directed hacks against the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton's campaign. | |
| Russia has denied any involvement. | Russia has denied any involvement. |
| The US state department declared the 35 Russian diplomats from the Washington DC embassy and the consulate in San Francisco "persona non grata", giving them and their families 72 hours to leave the US. | |
| The Russian government is expected to respond in turn by expelling US diplomats. | The Russian government is expected to respond in turn by expelling US diplomats. |
| The move follows calls from senior US senators to sanction Russian officials who are believed to have played a role in the hacking, which some lawmakers referred to as America's "political Pearl Harbor". | The move follows calls from senior US senators to sanction Russian officials who are believed to have played a role in the hacking, which some lawmakers referred to as America's "political Pearl Harbor". |
| President-elect Donald Trump has dismissed the claims as "ridiculous" and said Americans should "get on with our lives" when asked about the possibility of sanctions before the announcement on Wednesday. | President-elect Donald Trump has dismissed the claims as "ridiculous" and said Americans should "get on with our lives" when asked about the possibility of sanctions before the announcement on Wednesday. |
| Sanctions have also been announced against nine entities and individuals including the GRU and FSB Russian intelligence agencies. | Sanctions have also been announced against nine entities and individuals including the GRU and FSB Russian intelligence agencies. |
| The US Department of Treasury said that the move targeted those responsible for "undermining election processes or institutions". | |
| Konstantin Kosachyov, chairman of the international affairs committee in the upper house of the Russian parliament, told the RIA news agency the expulsion represented "the death throes of political corpses". | Konstantin Kosachyov, chairman of the international affairs committee in the upper house of the Russian parliament, told the RIA news agency the expulsion represented "the death throes of political corpses". |
| 'Necessary and appropriate' | 'Necessary and appropriate' |
| In a statement President Obama said "all Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions". | |
| He called the moves a "necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm US interests", adding it would not be "the sum total of our response to Russia's aggressive activities". | |
| Mr Obama also announced the US would declassify technical information related to Russian cyber activity to "help network defenders in the United States and abroad identify, detect, and disrupt Russia's global campaign of malicious cyber activities". | |
| Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, the top Republican in Congress, said in a statement that despite the measures being overdue "it is an appropriate way to end eight years of failed policy with Russia". | |
| Congressman Ryan added that "it serves as a prime example of this administration's ineffective foreign policy that has left America weaker in the eyes of the world". | |
| Democratic Senator Ben Cardin, who is from Maryland, applauded the sanctions but called them insufficient. | Democratic Senator Ben Cardin, who is from Maryland, applauded the sanctions but called them insufficient. |
| He called for Congress to take action separately from the White House, and plans to introduce legislation to establish a committee "to further examine the attack and Russian's efforts to interfere in our election". | He called for Congress to take action separately from the White House, and plans to introduce legislation to establish a committee "to further examine the attack and Russian's efforts to interfere in our election". |
| 'A decade-long campaign' | |
| In a joint statement by the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of the Director of National Security, and the FBI, US officials appeal to companies to "look back within their network traffic" and report any signs of "malicious cyber activity" to law enforcement. | |
| The Russian hacking, which the US intelligence agencies describe as a "decade-long campaign" included methods such as "spearphishing, campaigns targeting government organizations, critical infrastructure, think tanks, universities, political organisations, and corporations; theft of information from these organizations; and the recent public release of some of this stolen information". | |
| Emails stolen from Hillary Clinton's campaign manager and from the servers of the Democratic National Committee were released during the 2016 presidential election by Wikileaks. | |
| Several US agencies, including the FBI and CIA have concluded that the hacked information was released to cause damage to Mrs Clinton and the Democrats in order to favour Mr Trump. |