The plot bursts over Trump-Putin's talk about letting Russia question the former United States. diplomat Michael McFaul

At this week's summit in Helsinki, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed what President Trump called "an incredible offer" – the Kremlin would give a special lawyer Robert S. Mueller III Russians accused of hacking the Democrats in 2016. In return, Russia would be allowed to question some US officials that it suspected of interfering in Russian affairs.

One of those US officials is the former US ambbadador to Moscow, Michael McFaul, a sworn enemy of Russia. Kremlin because of his criticism of the human rights record and support for sanctions against the country under the Magnitsky law.

On Wednesday, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders declined to question McFaul and other Americans. Asked during the daily press conference if President Trump is open to having McFaul questioned by Russia, Sanders said President Trump "will meet his team" to discuss the offer . "Between Trump and Putin, Sanders said," but there was no commitment made on behalf of the United States. And the president will work with his team, and we will let you know if there is an announcement on this front. "

The White House's willingness to even consider handing over a former US ambbadador for interrogation by the Kremlin has attracted the attention and astonishment of current and former American leaders. This proposition is unheard of, and the same is true of the idea that the president may think that he has the legal power to entrust a foreign power to somebody.

The former secretary John Kerry tweeted that the offer was "not something should require a half-second of consultation." Dangerous. "

" L & # 39; The administration must make it clear that in a million years this would not be envisaged, period. "To allow such an interrogation of Americans, especially a former ambbadador who enjoyed diplomatic protections in Moscow, would be an extraordinary gesture on the part of the administration Trump, "said experts and officials

. "The whole country should be aware of it", tweeted Tom Nichols, professor at US Naval War College and Harvard Extension School. "If Putin can choose" McFaul, "says Nichols," he can distinguish any one. The role of the president is to protect us, not even to consider giving ourselves up to an enemy government. "

Even the state department considers the idea" absolutely absurd, "said state department spokeswoman Heather Nauert during a briefing. of the Russian government to question 11 US citizens, including McFaul.

"We do not support the badertions that the Russian government makes," said Nauert, acknowledging that the interrogation of US officials "would be a serious concern for our former colleagues here. "

Nauert added that a US federal court rejected Russian allegations against the British businessman at the center of the Kremlin's demand, Bill Browder.

In the mid-1980s 2000, Kremlin leaders accused Browder of a scheme of tax evasion involving investments in Russia After the death in a Russian prison of Browder's lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, Browder lobbied for the Magnitsky Law , which imposed sanctions on Russians accused of human rights violations.Russia subsequently charged Browder with tax evasion in absentia

When President Barack Obama enacted the Magnitsky law in 2012, McFaul – then United States Ambbadador to Russia – supported this decision.

[Putin’s push to interrogate U.S. officials Russia accuses of crimes, explained]

Lester Holt at Aspen FBI Director, Christopher Wray, said Wednesday that Putin's request to interrogate Americans "is certainly Not at the top of our list of investigative techniques. "

McFaul, a Hoover Scientist at Stanford University and Director of the Freeman Spogli Institute" I hope that the White House corrects the record and categorically denounces Putin's ridiculous claim, "said McFaul, US ambbadador to Russia from 2012 to 2012. 2014, wrote. "Do not do it creates a moral equivalence" between a "legitimate US accusation of Russian intelligence officers and a story completely invented by Putin"

"When Trump says that Russia no longer targets America, this Is not what this American feels. ", Also tweeted McFaul." Putin is definitely targeting me and intimidating me. And I am an American. "

Many lawmakers and former US diplomats came on Twitter to defend McFaul, and the hashtag #ProtectMcFaul tended on Wednesday night.

" Recall why Putin started making false accusations against @McFaul, "tweeted Samantha Power Former US Ambbadador to the United Nations. "Mike has risen for human rights and against Russian oppression. That terrified Putin. The fact that @realDonaldTrump does not defend an American patriot is a travesty. "

Susan Rice, Obama's national security adviser, described the White House's statement regarding Putin's request" Beyond Outrageous. " "

" Amb. McFaul has served our country honorably and with complete diplomatic immunity, "Rice wrote ." If the White House can not defend and protect our diplomats, like our service members, they serve a foreign power hostile to the American people. "

Speaking to CNN's Don Lemon on Wednesday, James Clapper, former director of national intelligence, describes the potential of such an exchange with Putin as" crazy. "

" I've never heard of such a thing, "said Clapper." Returning a US citizen, especially a former ambbadador, for the Russians to question him?

Union dir. Eric Swalwell, (D-Calif.) Suggested that spilling McFaul for questioning would be reasons to attack Trump.

"Take this to the bank, @realDonaldTrump: you hand the former US ambbadador @McFaul to Putin, you can count" Swalwell tweeted, "There is no reason for us to open our Evidence files, send our investigators out there for them to examine, "Swalwell told CNN's Erin Burnett." It would be like a victim allowing the burglar to set up the home security system. . It's ridiculous. "

" It's so ridiculous that it jostles my mind, " tweeted Steven L. Hall, former head of the CIA's Russian operations.

Harry Litman , former federal prosecutor, challenged the power of the president to hand over any US citizen to the Russians. "How can the president understand that he can hand over the hands of Michael McFaul, a simple citizen, to the Russians? Just order him to go to Moscow? Talking about broad theories of executive power, " he tweeted.

First, McFaul was protected with complete diplomatic immunity during his time as ambbadador.If Secretary of State Mike Pompeo waives this protection, "he will lose all support inside his building," tweeted Brian P. McKeon, former Deputy Assistant Secretary-General for Defense Policy.

Second, the United States n & # 39; They have not dealt with extradition with Russia, even if it was the case, a country requesting the extradition of a US citizen must justify its request to the Ministry of Justice. and US Courts.

The United States has a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty that "requires the offense to be a crime, both countries," said McKeon. It also allows a party to refuse applications deemed to involve political crimes, and "there is of course no comparison" between the prosecution of Russian agents by the Ministry of Justice and the charges against McFaul, "said McKeon. ("DOMContentLoaded", function () {});
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