Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 30 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing
OpEdNews Op Eds   

Behold the Real Putin and the Real Danger

By       (Page 1 of 1 pages)   8 comments
Message Marc Ash
Become a Fan
  (4 fans)

From Reader Supported News

Quietly, as the U.S. news cycle moved on from the food-fight that erupted over the veracity of reports that Russian hackers had played a key role in influencing the course of the U.S presidential election, Russian security forces loyal to Russian president Vladimir Putin moved quickly and ruthlessly to plug their intelligence leaks. A sure sign that information was flowing out of Russia in a manner unacceptable to Putin.

The reports are sketchy, but widespread among veteran Russian observers is the belief that a portrait of a purge is emerging. The New York Times cites "multiple Russian news reports" saying, "Two Russian intelligence officers who worked on cyber-operations and a Russian computer security expert have been arrested and charged with treason for providing information to the United States."

The Times goes on to cite "one current and one former United States official, speaking about the classified recruitments on condition of anonymity" as confirming that "human sources in Russia did play a crucial role in proving who was responsible for the hacking." RSN frequent contributor and former CIA counter-terrorism expert John Kiriakou notes that in Putin's Russia these are "executable offenses."

Robert Mendick and Robert Verkaik, writing for The Telegraph in the UK, are reporting that Oleg Erovinkin, "a former general in the KGB and its successor the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB)," was found shot to death in the back seat of his car under "mysterious circumstances." Mendick and Verkaik further report that Erovinkin was suspected of being a source for information contained in the controversial dossier that was made public by the U.S. entertainment website BuzzFeed. U.S. media critics like The Intercept's Glenn Greenwald alleged that the release of the dossier was premature and irresponsible. The death of Erovinkin seems to bear that out, as well as lend credence to Christopher Steele's research and analysis.

At this stage the behavior of Putin's security forces seem highly likely to indicate a harsh crackdown on officials providing information to American and western investigators concerning Russian involvement in the so-called hacking of the U.S. presidential election. This further appears to be a confirmation of assertions by U.S. intelligence officials that Russian operatives were involved in providing to Wikileaks confidential emails obtained illegally from the servers of the DNC and Clinton campaign officials.

One question that jumps out is this: why would veteran high-ranking Russian intelligence officials risk their lives to reveal to American and western investigators the role of Russian operatives in the hacking of the U.S. presidential election? The answer may be that opposition factions in Russia are as opposed to the Putin-Trump alliance as American opposition factions are to the Trump-Putin alliance.

Russian affairs analysts have for years studied interactions of the old-guard Communist, Soviet officials and loyalists in relation to the new-guard Putin regime. Putin's public position is that he is leading Russia into a new era of better international cooperation. However, his critics counter by saying that a more efficient system of international exploitation is what he is really building.

Putin's modernized empire relies on wealthy oligarchs acting as feudal lords overseeing the modern Russian Federation's satellites. Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych was a prime example. Yanukovych, a staunch Russian-Putin loyalist and a leader of Ukranian oligarchs, controlled Ukrainian affairs from 2010 to his removal from power in a U.S.-backed overthrow in 2014. Yanukovych is now in exile in Russia and wanted in Ukraine for high treason.

All of this creates the backdrop for the new and very rapidly emerging relationship between a quintessential American oligarch, Donald Trump, and the man he calls the "very smart V. Putin."

Funny 2  
Rate It | View Ratings

Marc Ash Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

Marc Ash is the founder and former Executive Director of Truthout, now the founder, editor and publisher of Reader Supported News: http://www.readersupportednews.org

Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Writers Guidelines

 
Contact AuthorContact Author Contact EditorContact Editor Author PageView Authors' Articles
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter
Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

The Political Assassination of Bernie Sanders

The Betrayal of Cecily McMillan

What Leeann Tweeden Did Not Say

Are the Oak Ridge Defendants Obama's p*ssy Riot?

Tortured Folks

Plutocrats Win Control of Congress

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend