US Embassy in Moscow Faces Cold War-Era Harassment

[IDemo]

One American diplomat’s tires were slashed. Another's personal email was hacked. Still others reported mysterious break-ins.

The incidents are all signs, U.S. officials and experts said, that aggressive, Soviet-era counterintelligence tactics are back in fashion in Russia.

The number of incidents targeting American diplomats in Moscow has increased in recent years to levels not seen since the Cold War, officials said. Taken together, they paint an escalating pattern of intimidation and harassment that is believed to be led by Russia’s Federal Security Services (FSB), a successor to the Soviet KGB.

The trend has alarmed officials back in Washington, who have complained about the treatment to Russian officials at the highest levels, including President Vladimir Putin.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/exclusive-us-embassy-moscow-faces-cold-war-era/story?id=26425902

[djean111]

1. What did we expect.

No, I not a "Putinista" - but why wouldn't Putin want as much for Russia as we want for the United States?
We are not the boss of the world. The world bites back. While the bankers sit back and laugh.

[geek tragedy]

2. Why are you defending criminal harassment

of US diplomats?

No, we should not expect that from a civilized government.

[djean111]

3. I am not defending it, I am saying what did we expect would happen.

If you poke a bear it will bite you back. The US diplomats, IMO, should not be put in the position that they are in.

And, IMO again, the US is not really a civilized government, lots of bad things done in the shadows.

[geek tragedy]

4. Why is criminal harassment to be expected? nt

[djean111]

5. Because that is what they have always done. Out in the open.

The people who are actually there seem to understand that; it looks to me like those people are deliberately left open to harassment for some reason.

[treestar]

6. So it would be ok if we bit back right?

They are poking a bigger bear

[djean111]

9. I think that just might be what is wanted.

Imagine the profits and campaign sound bites to be made.
Plus I think that, somewhere in all of this, someone was really really looking forward to inflicting austerity on the Ukraine. All about money.

[Adrahil]

8. WE didn't do the poking. It was RUSSIA that annexed part of a foreign, sovriegn nation.

If the U.S. had done something like this, the usual RT crowd here would going fucking NUTS.

[karynnj]

11. So, are we slashing the tires of Russian diplomats in DC or NYC? I don't think so.

Putin's behavior this year has often moved beyond normal diplomatic efforts. Did the US try to annex a desirable part of Canada or Mexico while I was asleep?

I understand that since at least WWII Russia has wanted a thick buffer of states they can control around them. You could say that the West making offers to trade with those countries has led to Russia striking back. It ignores, however, that even in the election of 2012, The Pro-Russian President said he was FOR ties with the west. Do the people of Ukraine have any say in their own country -- or should it be their function to be a buffer, totally in the control of Russia, because of Russian paranoia?

[Proud Public Servant]

7. This is not new

For diplomats, the Cold War never ended, and harassment from Russian security services has been a constant. Worst case I know about involved killing an American's dog. It's the reason I refuse to even consider serving in Moscow, in spite of having studied Russian back in the day.

[djean111]

10. Been trying to state that, but to no avail. Methinks an Incident is wanted. n/t