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At this week's summit in Helsinki, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed what President Trump described as "unbelievable offer": the Kremlin would give access to talks with Russians charged with hacking Democrats in 2016. back, Russia would be allowed to question some US officials that she suspected of interfering in Russian affairs.
One of those American officials is the former US ambassador to Moscow, Michael McFaul, a sworn enemy of the Kremlin because of his human rights criticism. record.
On Wednesday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders refused to dismiss the Kremlin's request to question McFaul and other Americans. Asked during the daily press conference whether President Trump is open to having McFaul questioned by Russia, Sanders said that President Trump "will meet his team" to discuss the issue. 39; 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 ambassador for interrogation by the Kremlin has attracted the attention and astonishment of current and former American leaders Such a proposition is unheard of The notion that the president may think that he has the legal authority to entrust to a foreign power alone.
The former secretary of state John Kerry tweeted that the offer was "not something should require a half-second of consultation." Dangerous. "
" The administration must make clear without equivocates that in a million years this would not be in the study, end point.Full stop, "Kerry tweeted
Allow such an interrogation of Americans, especially a former ambassador who had diplomatic protections while he was in Moscow, would be a gesture extraordinary from the Trump administration, according to experts. "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 assertions that the Russian government makes," said Nauert, acknowledging that the interrogation of US officials "would be a serious concern for "
Nauert added that a US federal court had rejected Russian allegations against the British businessman at the center of the Kremlin's request, Bill Browder.
In the mid-2000s, Kremlin officials accused Browder of having a tax evasion scheme 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
McFaul served as US ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014, a tumultuous period in relations between the two countries. President Barack Obama enacted the Magnitsky law in 2012, which provoked retaliation by Russia, including the ban on adoptions of Russian orphans by the United States. McFaul has often been the target of an anti-American animosity in the Russian media.
[Putin’s push to interrogate U.S. officials Russia accuses of crimes, explained]
Christopher Wray, director of the FBI, told NBC's Lester Holt on Wednesday at the Aspen Security Forum that "Putin's request to interrogate
McFaul, researcher Hoover at Stanford University and director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, reacted strongly to the White House's message on Twitter
"I hope that the White House will correct the case and denounce categorically Putin's ridiculous claim, "wrote McFaul," Do not do so 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, it's not what this American feels. ", Also tweeted McFaul. "Putin is definitely targeting me and intimidating me, and I'm an American."
Many lawmakers and former US diplomats came on Twitter to defend McFaul, and the hashtag #ProtectMcFaul tended to By the end of Wednesday
"Recall why Putin began to make false accusations against @McFaul," tweeted Samantha Power former US ambassador to the United Nations. "Mike has risen for human rights and against Russian oppression, that has 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 for "Beyond outrageous."
"Amb. McFaul served our country honorably and with complete diplomatic immunity Wrote Rice on . "If the White House can not defend and protect our diplomats, like our service members, they serve a hostile foreign power not 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 one." such thing, "said Clapper." Returning a US citizen, especially a former ambassador, for the Russians to question him? You are not kidding. "
Rep Eric Swalwell, (D-Calif.) Suggested that spilling McFaul for questioning would be reasons to attack Trump.
"Take this to the bank, @realDonaldTrump: you hand it back. former US ambassador @McFaul to Putin, you can count Swalwell tweeted: "There's no reason for us to open our evidence files, send our investigators out there to let them review that," Swalwell said. to 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 upsets my spirit" , tweeted Steven L. Hall, former head of Russian operations of the CIA.
Harry Litman, a former federal prosecutor, challenged the president's power 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 – talk about broad theories of executive power," he tweeted.
First, McFaul was protected with complete diplomatic immunity during his time as ambassador. If Secretary of State Mike Pompeo waives this protection, "he will lose all support inside his building," tweeted Brian P. McKeon, former senior assistant deputy secretary of defense for political .
Second, the United States did not deal with extradition with Russia. Even if that were the case, a country that requests the extradition of a US citizen must justify its application to the US Department of Justice and Courts.
The United States has a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty that "requires the offense to be a crime. the two countries, "said McKeon, who also allows a party to refuse claims that are considered political crimes and" there is of course no comparison "between the Russian agents' accusation by the Department of Justice and the charges against McFaul, "said McKeon. (" DOMContentLoaded ", function () {});
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