The move could box in Donald Trump: Obama imposed sanctions on Russia, the strongest U.S. response

[DonViejo]

President Obama imposed sanctions on Russia, the strongest U.S. response to foreign hacking. The move could box in Donald Trump.

U.S. Punishes Russia for Election Hacking, Ejecting Operatives

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration struck back at Russia on Thursday for its efforts to influence the 2016 election, ejecting 35 Russian intelligence operatives from the United States and imposing sanctions on Russia’s two leading intelligence services, including four top officers of the military intelligence unit the White House believes ordered the attacks on the Democratic National Committee and other political organizations.

In a sweeping set of announcements, the United States was also expected to release evidence linking the cyberattacks to computer systems used by Russian intelligence. Taken together, the actions would amount to the strongest American response ever taken to a state-sponsored cyberattack aimed at the United States.

The sanctions were also intended to box in President-elect Donald J. Trump. Mr. Trump has consistently cast doubt that the Russian government had anything to do with the hacking of the D.N.C. or other political institutions, saying American intelligence agencies could not be trusted and suggesting that the hacking could have been the work of a “400-pound guy” lying in his bed.

Mr. Trump will now have to decide whether to lift the sanctions on the Russian intelligence agencies when he takes office next month, with Republicans in Congress among those calling for a public investigation into Russia’s actions. Should Mr. Trump do so, it would require him to effectively reject the findings of his intelligence agencies.

Asked on Wednesday night at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., about reports of the impending sanctions, Mr. Trump 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 is going on. We have speed, we have a lot of other things, but I’m not sure we have the kind, the security we need.”

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http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/29/us/politics/russia-election-hacking-sanctions.html?emc=edit_na_20161229&nlid=57435284&ref=cta

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

1. Can they kick out Paul Manafort? Now that's a fucking double agent if I've ever seen one. nt

[lanlady]

10. Manafort's not a double agent

It's all one-way for him - straight from Moscow to his bank account.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

11. I was being generous I guess. nt

[Squinch]

2. Well done! Whichever way Twitler plays this, he looks bad!

[Abu Pepe]

3. The whole 'computers are complicated things' spin is amazing

Don King standing beside him added to the weirdness.

[Lochloosa]

5. Tell that to a 9 year old and he will laugh in your face.

[murielm99]

9. I have read that trump does not

use a computer. Others do all that for him.

Yes, a nine year old would laugh. There is a generational divide.

I spent about fifteen years keeping up with the advances. I don't do that now, unless I must. I am retired, and I know enough to get around in the digital world, and no more than that. I am sixty-eight.

A President is not like me. He must understand what is going on, because he has a responsibility to all of us.

[demtenjeep]

7. its like he wants to ban computers

I bet he would if he could so he could control the narrative

[lunatica]

4. Listening to it right now on CNN as Breaking News

I love my President!

[Generator]

6. If Trump wants war with CIA and against intelligence agencies

he will lose. For once I'm gonna love me some spooks.

[jeffreyi]

8. I hope

President Obama helps lead the resistance after he's out of office.