Thread: Trump admin may return alleged spy compounds to Russia

Trump admin may return alleged spy compounds to Russia

Dave Lawler 31 mins ago
June 1, 2017

The Trump administration is moving toward returning two diplomatic compounds to Russia that were seized by the Obama administration on the grounds that they were used for espionage, the Washington Post reports.

Flashback: In December, Obama ordered the compounds — in Maryland and New York — closed and expelled 35 alleged Russian spies in retaliation for the Kremlin's meddling in the 2016 election.

Why it matters that the administration is even considering the move:

This would completely undermine Obama, and the U.S. response to Russia's election interference.

It would be a major concession to Russia, particularly if nothing is given in return, at a time when the very mention of Russia carries a whiff of scandal and intrigue.

On a more basic level, it would mean re-opening compounds from which Russian spies reportedly operated for decades.

Where things stand, per the Post: In early May, Sec of State Tillerson raised he possibility of returning the compounds if construction was allowed to move ahead on a new U.S. consulate in St Petersburg, but dropped the condition about the consulate days later after meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister and U.S. Ambassador in Washington. It's not a done deal, though — a Tillerson adviser said "the U.S. and Russia have reached no agreements."

The Flynn connection: Michael Flynn, the former national security advisor, discussed the Obama administration's sanctions with Russia's ambassador and "indicated that U.S. policy would change" under Trump. He then misled other officials about the discussions, and was subsequently fired.

Bonus anecdote: I spoke with locals in Centreville, Maryland the day after the compound there was closed about the espionage in their backyard, and what they thought would happen next. Smoky Sigler, then president of the town council, predicted that once Trump was in office he'd wait a few months, then let the Russians back in. "They'll be back," he told me. As crazy as it sounded at the time, he may well be proved right.

https://www.axios.com/trump-admin-ma...428636858.html

Yes, please give them their properties back. We want to be friends with Russia, and Obama only did this to Russia because Trump beat Hillary in the election and stomped on the Obama Legacy.

There was no interference in this election by Russia. The FBI, the CIA and all these other Obama Puppets can sing and dance about bots and disinformation and fake news against Hillary all they want, but it isn't going to stick. Americans have bots, we have hackers, Americans spread disinformation all the time, our MSM spread it like spreading barrels of icing on a mini cupcake, the DNC spreads fake news, lies and disinformation about everything from jobs to the economy to Trump to climate change to illegal immigration to "RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE IN THE ELECTION".

For months, soon to be a year, this Grand Stupidity has been showing itself, yet what has not been shown is any evidence of anything that leads to Russia or that can even be linked to Russia, not one article, not one statement, not one Facebook post, not one Tweet, not one stolen email, not one hacking, not one WikiLeaks, nothing.

These people are humiliating our nation, showing what weak-kneed whiny wimpy losers we have in the United States. It's shameful. And for our once highly regarded CIA and not so much but still somewhat respected FBI to be the cake bakers of this toxic election dessert is well.... to me one of the worst and lowest things I've seen public official professionals do in my life time. And for what? To destroy a duly elected President of the United States. And for why? They wanted to keep their jobs and didn't think Trump would let them. Disgusting and Dishonorable People, all of them, ignorant as goat crap, too, which is actually frightening that we have bimbos and bamboons like this in these agencies, let alone being headed by them.