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Obama orders sanctions on Russia after campaign hacking during US election Obama orders sanctions on Russia after campaign hacking during US election Obama orders sanctions on Russia after campaign hacking during US election
(35 minutes later)
The Obama administration on Thursday announced its retaliation against Russia for its efforts to interfere with the US electoral process, ordering a range of sanctions that included the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats and the closure of two Russian compounds based the US. The Obama administration on Thursday announced its retaliation against Russia for what US intelligence services believe to be its efforts to interfere with the US electoral process, ordering sanctions that included the expulsion of 35 Russians and the closure of two Russian compounds in the US.
In a statement, Obama said Americans should “be alarmed by Russia’s actions” and pledged further action. The announcement comes weeks after the president said he would respond to cyber attacks by Moscow “at a time and place of our choosing”. US intelligence services believe Russia ordered cyber attacks on the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Hillary Clinton’s campaign and other political organizations, in an attempt to influence the election in favor of the Republican candidate, Donald Trump.
US intelligences services believe Russia ordered the cyber attack on the Democratic National Committee, Hillary Clinton’s campaign and other political organizations. In a statement issued two weeks after the president said he would respond to cyber attacks by Moscow “at a time and place of our choosing”, Obama said Americans should “be alarmed by Russia’s actions” and pledged further action.
“I have issued an executive order that provides additional authority for responding to certain cyber activity that seeks to interfere with or undermine our election processes and institutions, or those of our allies or partners,” Obama said. “I have issued an executive order that provides additional authority for responding to certain cyber activity that seeks to interfere with or undermine our election processes and institutions, or those of our allies or partners,” he said.
“Using this new authority, I have sanctioned nine entities and individuals: the GRU and the FSB, two Russian intelligence services; four individual officers of the GRU; and three companies that provided material support to the GRU’s cyber operations.“Using this new authority, I have sanctioned nine entities and individuals: the GRU and the FSB, two Russian intelligence services; four individual officers of the GRU; and three companies that provided material support to the GRU’s cyber operations.
“In addition, the secretary of the treasury is designating two Russian individuals for using cyber-enabled means to cause misappropriation of funds and personal identifying information.”“In addition, the secretary of the treasury is designating two Russian individuals for using cyber-enabled means to cause misappropriation of funds and personal identifying information.”
Obama added: “These actions are 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 publicized.”Obama added: “These actions are 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 publicized.”
Democratic lawmakers applauded the president’s action and emphasized bipartisan support for a thorough investigation into Russian hacking. In a conference call with reporters, senior White House officials said its actions were a necessary response to “very disturbing Russian threats to US national security”.
“There has to be a cost and a consequence for what Russia has done,” a senior administration official said. “It is in a extraordinary step for them to interfere in the democratic process here in the United States of America. There needs to be a price for that.”
In Moscow a Putin spokesman said Russia regretted the new sanctions and would consider retaliatory measures.
Diplomatic expulsions are normally met with exactly reciprocal action. In this case, however, Moscow may pause for thought. With Trump, who has spoken positively about Russia and president Vladimir Putin repeatedly, just three weeks away from the White House, the Russians may feel it is inadvisable to kick out 35 US diplomats.
On Thursday, Konstantin Kosachyov, chairman of the international affairs committee in the upper house of the Russian parliament, was quoted by the RIA news agency as saying the US move represented “the death throes of political corpses”.
The Twitter feed of the Russian embassy in London, meanwhile, called the Obama administration “hapless” and attached a picture of a duck with the word “lame” emblazoned across it.
On the White House call, officials were asked about the prospect of Trump overturning the sanctions upon taking office. They acknowledged that a future president could reverse course, but warned against the “inadvisable” step of reopening US intelligence compounds to Russians who were seeking to undermine the democracy of both the US and its allies.
“We have no reason to believe that Russia’s activities will cease,” a senior official said. “One reason why I think it is necessary to sustain these actions is because there’s every reason to believe Russia will interfere with future US elections.”
On Capitol Hill, Democratic lawmakers applauded the president’s action, called for further measures and emphasized bipartisan support for a thorough investigation into Russian hacking.
“I hope the incoming Trump administration, which has been far too close to Russia throughout the campaign and transition, won’t think for one second about weakening these new sanctions or our existing regime,” incoming Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.“I hope the incoming Trump administration, which has been far too close to Russia throughout the campaign and transition, won’t think for one second about weakening these new sanctions or our existing regime,” incoming Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.
“Both parties ought to be united in standing up to Russian interference in our elections, to their cyber attacks, their illegal annexation of Crimea and other extra-legal interventions.”“Both parties ought to be united in standing up to Russian interference in our elections, to their cyber attacks, their illegal annexation of Crimea and other extra-legal interventions.”
Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on the Senate foreign relations committee, called for further action by the new Congress when it convenes in January. Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on the Senate foreign relations committee, called for further sanctions from the new Congress when it convenes in January.
“The executive branch has acted,” he said, “but it is imperative the legislative branch now pick up the ball and move it forward. Congressional sanctions can complement and strengthen these new executive sanctions.” Trump and leading Republicans have consistently rejected reports of Russian interference. On Thursday, GOP leaders were quick to frame the new sanctions as too little too late.
Trump and Republican sources have consistently rejected reports of Russian interference in the election, the most prominent examples of which involved the compromising of email accounts belonging to Democratic party bodies. On Thursday, GOP leaders were quick to frame the sanctions as too little too late.
“Russia does not share America’s interests,” House speaker Paul Ryan said in a statement. “In fact, it has consistently sought to undermine them, sowing dangerous instability around the world.“Russia does not share America’s interests,” House speaker Paul Ryan said in a statement. “In fact, it has consistently sought to undermine them, sowing dangerous instability around the world.
“While today’s action by the administration is overdue, it is an appropriate way to end eight years of failed policy with Russia. And it serves as a prime example of this administration’s ineffective foreign policy that has left America weaker in the eyes of the world.”“While today’s action by the administration is overdue, it is an appropriate way to end eight years of failed policy with Russia. And it serves as a prime example of this administration’s ineffective foreign policy that has left America weaker in the eyes of the world.”
Trump, who has been criticised for a perceived closeness to Putin, has questioned the intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia hacked the Democratic National Committee and the reported finding by the CIA that Moscow meddled in the presidential election in his favor. On Wednesday, Trump was asked by reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida if the US should sanction Russia over hacking activities. He said: “I think we ought to get on with our lives.
On Wednesday, asked by reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida if the US should sanction Russia over hacking activities, he said: “I think we ought to get on with our lives.
“I think that computers have complicated lives very greatly. The whole age of computer has made it where nobody knows exactly what’s going on.”“I think that computers have complicated lives very greatly. The whole age of computer has made it where nobody knows exactly what’s going on.”
On Thursday his nominated White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, used an appearance on CNN shortly before the announcement of the sanctions to suggest the DNC should have protected its email accounts more effectively.
“The question hasn’t even been asked,” he said “Did you take basic measures to protect the data that was on there? Where’s the responsibility of them to protect their systems?”
A statement from the US 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 every time they leave the embassy, or having their cars stopped by traffic police repeatedly.
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 diplomatic cover.