Russia Back To The Old Soviet Tactics Of Intimidation And Threats

Russia Uses Dirty Tricks Despite U.S. ‘Reset’ -- Washington Times

Intelligence agents tell of intimidation, smears of American officials, diplomats.

In the past four years, Russia’s intelligence services have stepped up a campaign of intimidation and dirty tricks against U.S. officials and diplomats in Russia and the countries that used to form the Soviet Union.

U.S. diplomats and officials have found their homes broken into and vandalized, or altered in ways as trivial as bathroom use; faced anonymous or veiled threats; and in some cases found themselves set up in compromising photos or videos that are later leaked to the local press and presented as a sex scandal.

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My Comment: Being someone whose nationality is Russian .... I cannot say that I am surprised. But I try my best to be optimistic ..... at least we no longer have the gulags with millions of prisoners coupled with a famine in the countryside.

Update: A must read piece from Daniel Vajdic .... Moscow to Annex South Ossetia as U.S.-Russia “Reset” Crumbles?

More about → Russia Back To The Old Soviet Tactics Of Intimidation And Threats

Russia Back To The Old Soviet Tactics Of Intimidation And Threats

Russia Uses Dirty Tricks Despite U.S. ‘Reset’ -- Washington Times

Intelligence agents tell of intimidation, smears of American officials, diplomats.

In the past four years, Russia’s intelligence services have stepped up a campaign of intimidation and dirty tricks against U.S. officials and diplomats in Russia and the countries that used to form the Soviet Union.

U.S. diplomats and officials have found their homes broken into and vandalized, or altered in ways as trivial as bathroom use; faced anonymous or veiled threats; and in some cases found themselves set up in compromising photos or videos that are later leaked to the local press and presented as a sex scandal.

Read more ....

My Comment: Being someone whose nationality is Russian .... I cannot say that I am surprised. But I try my best to be optimistic ..... at least we no longer have the gulags with millions of prisoners coupled with a famine in the countryside.

Update: A must read piece from Daniel Vajdic .... Moscow to Annex South Ossetia as U.S.-Russia “Reset” Crumbles?

More about → Russia Back To The Old Soviet Tactics Of Intimidation And Threats

U.S. - Russian Relations Threatened By The Death Of Russian Lawyer Sergei Magnitsky

Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in December 2006. Radio Free Europe

Russia Threatens To Wreck The Reset -- The Cable/Foreign Policy

Russia has threatened the Obama administration that it will end cooperation on Iran and prevent the transfer of material to Afghanistan if Congress passes a law criticizing Russian human rights practices.

The White House argues that the U.S.-Russian "reset" of relations has had three positive results: the New START nuclear reductions treaty, Moscow's cooperation in sanctioning Iran, and approval (for a price) for U.S. military goods to transit Russian territory on the way to Afghanistan. But Russia is now using two of those three points as leverage to pressure the administration to get Congress not to pass a bill that would ban visas for Russian officials implicated in human rights crimes.

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More News On The Death Of Sergei Magnitsky And It's Impact On U.S. - Russian Relations

Russia says will respond to U.S. steps on Sergei Magnitsky -- Reuters
Russia Gives U.S. Warning on Magnitsky Case -- Moscow Times
Russia responds sharply to U.S. visa blacklist -- Washington Post
Russia Responds To U.S. Sanctions Over Magnitsky Case -- Voice of America

US bans Russian officials linked to Magnitsky death: report -- Global Post
US Slaps Travel Ban on Russians Suspected in Magnitsky Death -- Voice of America
U.S. Imposes Visa Bans On Russian Officials Connected To Magnitsky Death -- Radio Free Europe
Russians Linked to Jail Death Are Barred From U.S. -- New York Times
US 'slaps travel ban on Russian officials implicated in Sergei Magnitsky death' -- The Telegraph
US visa blacklist after Russian lawyer's death: report -- AFP

My Comment: His death has poisoned international investor confidence in Russia's legal and business system. Even in my case, my background is Russian and I have zero interest to invest in any business opportunity in Russia ... and this was before the death of Magnitsky.

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Was Russia’s Military Intelligence Responsible For A Bomb Attack Against America's Embassy In Georgia?

US Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia. Flickr

Classified Report: Russia Tied To Blast At U.S. Embassy -- Washington Times

Supports local findings.

U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in a classified report late last year that Russia’s military intelligence was responsible for a bomb blast that occurred at an exterior wall of the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia, in September.

The highly classified report about the Sept. 22 incident was described to The Washington Times by two U.S. officials who have read it. They said the report supports the findings of the Georgian Interior Ministry, which traced the bombing to a Russian military intelligence officer.

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My Comment: Why is this story not on the front page of every newspaper and the start of every news broadcast? Where is the U.S. State Department? The Congress? The White House?

More about → Was Russia’s Military Intelligence Responsible For A Bomb Attack Against America's Embassy In Georgia?