WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 (UPI) — The Obama administration announced Thursday the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats and new sanctions as punishment for meddling in the U.S. presidential election.
The White House and the Treasury Department announced sanctions against Russia’s main intelligence organizations — the Federal Security Service, which is the main successor to the KGB, and the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence operation.
Also sanctioned were three companies that provided material support to the GRU, four officers of the GRU and two Russian individuals for “cyber-enabled activities.”
The 35 Russian diplomats and their families have been ordered to leave the country within 72 hours. Two Russian compounds in Maryland and New York used by Russia for intelligence were ordered closed.
“Russia’s cyberactivities were intended to influence the election, erode faith in U.S. democratic institutions, sow doubt about the integrity of our electoral process and undermine confidence in the institutions of the U.S. government,” the joint statement said. “These actions are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
President Barack Obama said, “All Americans should be alarmed by Russia’s actions.
“Moreover, our diplomats have experienced an unacceptable level of harassment in Moscow by Russian security services and police over the last year. Such activities have consequences.”
Vladimir Dzhabarov, deputy chairman of the foreign policy committee in the upper house of Russian parliament, told TASS that Russia would respond to the penalties.
“You realize, of course, reciprocal steps will be made and the U.S. embassy in Moscow and, quite possibly, the consulates will be cut down to size as well,” he said.
Obama modified a 2015 executive order to levy sanctions against foreign officials who carry out cyberattacks against the United States. The original order allows the Treasury Department to freeze assets of individuals or entities that digitally damage U.S. infrastructure or engage in economic espionage. But officials earlier determined the order does not cover the election hacking.
“These actions are not the sum total of our response to Russia’s aggressive activities,” Obama said. “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 also announced that the Department of Homeland Security and FBI will declassify “technical information on Russian civilian and military intelligence service cyber activity.”
In October, the intelligence community blamed Russia for interfering in the U.S. election. And sources later said the CIA was certain Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the hacking. Putin has denied any involvement in the hacks.
President-elect Donald J. Trump has called the CIA’s assessment “ridiculous” that Russia had anything to do with the hacking of the Democratic National Committee and emails of Democratic Party officials, including Hillary Clinton‘s campaign chairman, John Podesta.
It will be up to Trump whether to lift the sanctions when he takes office on Jan. 20. Members of Congress, including some prominent Republicans, have called for a public investigation into Russia’s actions.
