Maria Zakharova
He and other Russian officials remain understandably furious. US hostility toward Russia is unrelenting. At her weekly press briefing, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on the deplorable action, mocking State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert’s explanation, including claiming Washington seeks normal relations with Moscow.
“How does everything that is happening on the territory of the Russian Federation building, which used to house the Russian General Consulate in San Francisco, contribute to normalizing the situation,” Zakharova asked?
“Why are people whom we do not know and whom no one has invited there engaged in who knows what? Do they also ‘contribute to the normalization of bilateral relations?’ “
“Who sent them there? For what purpose? What are they doing there? Why do they feel like they can make themselves at home there? It is the property of the Russian Federation. What are US citizens doing there” without permission from Russia’s head of mission?
Russian Consulate, San Francisco. Violated. How far are the reckless warmogers in Washington willing to go?
The action was unprecedented, a flagrant Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations breach, discussed in a previous article. Zakharova bluntly suggested America apparently has no “single and comprehensive agenda” toward Russia. “Diplomatic immunity and inviolability of diplomatic premises are…enshrined in international law.” They remain unchanged even in times of “very acute crises,” she stressed.
“But how does one conduct a dialogue and build relations if the (other country) violates the agreements it has recognized?”
Host nations are legally obligated to respect and protect the diplomatic properties of other countries. Entering them for any reason requires consent from the head of mission.
FBI agents stormed in lawlessly and recklessly, threatening to break down entrances if kept locked, operating like a US Gestapo. Claiming they were looking for explosives equates Russia’s diplomatic staff with terrorists. Zakharova asked if FBI agents intended to “plant compromising materials” and pretend to find them.
“Special equipment and technology were brought in…Some kind of work (went) on. Nobody inform(ed) anybody about it.”
“A new tonality of relations is being imposed on us, (ongoing) practically every day – going backwards, rejecting cooperation, including at the level of contacts between our peoples.”
The closure, seizure and search incidents weren’t the first times Washington “crudely violated international law. Such behavior” seriously harms bilateral relations.
“Unfortunately, it threatens to become not just a precedent, but a new American tradition. (Washington) not only destabiliz(es) Russian-American relations, but the whole…global international order.”
Tough comments from Zakharova reflect views of Kremlin officials. Russia/US relations are dismal, worse than any time during the Cold War. Prospects for improvement are nil.
ADDENDUM: All the imperial propaganda fit to print
Notice in the below article how the NYTimes blames Russia (!) on its headline for starting this ludicrous and dangerous spiral of degradation of relations between the world's 2 top nuclear powers. It was the US which totally on the basis of fabrications, outrageous provocations and constant demonisation (a bipartisan project of the deep state) to which the Times contributed and contributed greatly, applied sanctions to Russia, and has done so with impunity to this day despite its illegality in terms of international law covenants. Later, it was the US which started demanding the reduction of diplomatic staff, to which the Russians eventually responded. The world upside down, to fit the self-righteous imperialist narrative. Incidentally, this is a rather unusual article for the NYTimes in recent years; it shows more balance and politeness than usually encountered in its normally biased and Russophobic treatment of Russian affairs. —Editor
In Retaliation, U.S. Orders Russia to Close Consulate in San Francisco
By MARK LANDLER and GARDINER HARRISAUG. 31, 2017
Russia’s reaction was similarly measured. The Foreign Ministry said that Mr. Lavrov “expressed regret at the escalation of tension in bilateral relations” and said that the Russian government would study the move before deciding how to respond. Russia’s new ambassador to the United States, who arrived Thursday in Washington to be greeted by the news, was quoted by a state news agency as saying Moscow would respond without “hysterical outbursts.” “It’s necessary to calmly sort things out,” said the ambassador, Anatoly I. Antonov. “It’s necessary to act calmly and professionally.” SOURCE: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/31/us/politics/russia-consulate-close-retaliation.html
STEPHEN LENDMAN was born in 1934 in Boston, MA. In 1956, he received a BA from Harvard University. Two years of US Army service followed, then an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1960. After working seven years as a marketing research analyst, he joined the Lendman Group family business in 1967. He remained there until retiring at year end 1999. Writing on major world and national issues began in summer 2005. In early 2007, radio hosting followed. Lendman now hosts the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network three times weekly. Distinguished guests are featured. Listen live or archived. Major world and national issues are discussed. Lendman is a 2008 Project Censored winner and 2011 Mexican Journalists Club international journalism award recipient. His new site is at http://stephenlendman.org
What will it take to bring America to live according to its own self image?
STEPHEN LENDMAN The action was unprecedented, a flagrant Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations breach, discussed in a previous article. Zakharova bluntly suggested America apparently has no “single and comprehensive agenda” toward Russia. “Diplomatic immunity and inviolability of diplomatic premises are…enshrined in international law.” They remain unchanged even in times of “very acute crises,” she stressed.
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