Russia Bans Congressman, 12 Other Americans

[DonViejo]

Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia has placed a U.S. lawmaker and 12 other people connected with the Guantanamo Bay detention camp and the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq on its list of those banned from entering the country.

In a statement Saturday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said congressman Jim Moran, a Democrat from Virginia, was banned in response to the July 2 U.S. ban on Russian parliament member Adam Delimkhanov. He said Moran had been repeatedly accused of financial misdeeds but did not elaborate.

The other 12, including Guantanamo commander Rear Adm. Richard Butler and Lynndie England, a former soldier convicted of abusing prisoners in Abu Ghraib, were banned in response to the United States' adding 12 names in May to the so-called Magnitsky List of Russians sanctioned for human rights abuses.

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Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/russia-bans-congressman-jim-moran

[geek tragedy]

2. Childish response from the fascists. nt

[Hulk]

3. What a noble gesture....

...by this phony, stuffed shirt. I am amazed that ANYONE, let alone Russians, can be impressed by this egotistical, brutal phony ruler of a fourth class nation. Mind you...I consider us to be a 2nd or 3rd class nation anymore, but just saying.
The fools that tune in to fox-nonsense find this bare-chested, empty-headed thug "impressive", when compared to our President. Just demonstrates how fook'd up this country is today.

[TwilightGardener]

4. Lynndie England? Does Russia think this hurts us in some way?

[WhiteTara]

15. Or that she's rushing to be there?

Sounds rather silly.

[icymist]

5. Here we go with the games.

Just like the old USSR Putin is going ahead with the same old Cold War crap. ~sigh~ and shakes head. I can't believe this shit is/could be happening again!

[Igel]

7. Could be worse.

A couple of days ago a "delegation" travelling on diplomatic passports was on its way to Voronezh to meet with the Ukrainian pilot held there.

The delegation flew to Belorusia, connecting to Moscow (and from there to Voronezh) and when the last guy was going to get on the place, some "people's deputy" to their legislature, he was told he'd been declared a persona non grata. His diplomatic immunity was then no good and he was illegally in the country. In typical fashion the declaration had been a carefully guarded secret. (Or the Russians found out he was on his way and made a call and this was the way of obeying the directive to stop the delegation.)

He was hustled into a holding room. His colleagues and "handlers" were on the plane and weren't allowed off. So he was there with no money and a cell phone and told he had to leave the country. And when he said he couldn't, he was arrested and, last I heard, still held there while the rest of his delegation went to Moscow--and were told nothing about why he wasn't on the plane or what happened to him. Fortunately he had his own cell phone and was able to call home, so to speak.

[icymist]

8. Wow. This kind of crap is what I'm talking about.

I don't know what we're going to do with them But, I will say this: Something definite must be done. The dead decry this.

[Coventina]

6. Oh please, Putin, you're not fooling anyone. Pussy Riot had plenty to say about your gulag system.

Don't pretend this is about morals.

[GeorgeGist]

9. Two of a kind.

I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy. We had a very good dialogue. I was able to get a sense of his soul; a man deeply committed to his country and the best interests of his country. George W. Bush.

[icymist]

10. I'm surprised he isn't holding his hand. nt

[George II]

11. Maybe he'll send Eddie back?

[davidpdx]

12. No, Eddie still is a useful prop for Putin to haul out from time to time

He has no real reason to send him home unless he does something to piss them off. Even then they could just send him down to Serbia or better yet make him "disappear".

I heard when Putin sticks his hand up Eddie's ass, he can make his mouth move.

[Thinkingabout]

16. Yes, Putin has a patsy this time, like the last sentence, lol.

[DeSwiss]

13. An American Band?

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[JI7]

14. Lynndie England ? hahah