US 'failures' emboldened Russia - Trump's pick Tillerson

[muriel_volestrangler]

The lack of American leadership has emboldened Russia, President-elect Donald Trump's secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson is due to say.

The comments come in Mr Tillerson's opening statement released ahead of his Senate confirmation hearing.
...
Mr Tillerson is expected to face some tough questions from members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee later on Wednesday.

This is particularly in the light of the latest US media reports that Russian intelligence agencies have obtained personally compromising information about the president-elect.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38582711

Yeah, that should be an interesting confirmation hearing with the recipient from Putin of Russia's Order of Friendship, and close friend of Rosneft president and US-sanctioned individual Igor Sechin, who is mentioned in the leaked report as meeting with Carter Page, about getting Ukraine-related sanctions raised for oil projects.

[delisen]

1. Opening statement doesn't sound very diplomatic

It seems to be unnecessarily disparaging of current administration.

Have some multinational corporations become stateless players like an Isis or maybe an international drug cartel.

What does allegiance to a specific country mean in a global economy? Is Exxon Mobil an American company or is the US one of several entities in which Exxon has a strategic interest. Our stability is important, our coordination with other entities is important, our consumption of Exxon Mobil product is important, but our individual freedoms are probably not.

[maxrandb]

3. ISIS could only dream

of doing the type of damage Exxon Mobil has done

[Vinca]

2. That's "Comrade" Tillerson if you don't mind.