In the annals of Russian-American relations, it is difficult to recall a precedent for the Kremlin leader calling his White House counterpart to convey his personal gratitude and appreciation for the profound contribution made by the US’ Central Intelligence Agency and its director to Russian national security.
The great irony is that the incumbent Kremlin boss is a former KGB officer. Vladimir Putin never ceases to surprise.
The Kremlin readout of Putin’s phone call to US President Donald Trump on Sunday should be an eye-opener to anyone who bought the US propaganda that Putin is a demon preparing to devour the West – or Russian propaganda that encourages an impression to be formed among the naïve and the gullible that the world is carved into two neat halves, namely the good and the evil.
Countries like Turkey, Iran and Egypt – and Venezuela and North Korea – should take particular note that the world situation and the emerging international order are a lot more complicated than some among them would like to think. What prompted Putin to make such an extraordinary move?
For a start, the Kremlin senses that the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the US election last November is meandering aimlessly and may have to be wound up sooner rather than later. That being the case, a future is conceivable in which the tidal wave of Russophobia in the US recedes, leaving behind much devastation and debris but also the opportunity to begin rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Most certainly, Putin understood the great symbolism and meaning behind the gesture by the CIA to pass on crucial intelligence relating to the security of his hometown, the city of his heart’s desires, and the pride of all Russian people.
It all seems very much like strangers in the night exchanging glances. The key lies in interpreting the CIA’s gesture. The CIA signaled that it is once again viewing Russia as an interlocutor in professional terms and that, in its estimation, all is soon going to be business as usual.
The amazing part, of course, is that the CIA simply ignored the Obama administration’s sanctions against Russia. Putin has promised Trump that the Kremlin will remember this noble gesture and that if, god forbid, the occasion arose, the FSB will reciprocate.
Could the CIA have acted on its own? We don’t know what channel the CIA used. But Putin seems aware that Mike Pompeo, the CIA’s Director, took the decision. The likelihood is that Pompey spoke to the Russian ambassador Anatoly Antonov with Trump’s approval. Putin pointedly requested Trump to pass on his words of appreciation to Pompeo personally.
Many signals lately suggest that some degree of sobriety is setting in, finally, within sections of the US establishment, along with a realization that Trump has been a voice of sanity all along in maintaining that US interests stand to gain by working with Putin
All of this occurred so very close to Monday – the moment when President Trump was expected to unveil the new US National Security Strategy. Didn’t the CIA hear National Security Advisor HR McMaster condemning Russia only a week ago, naming that country as a “revisionist power” that threatened the very foundations of the world order and international system that the US painstakingly erected in the last century after World War II ended?
Two phone conversations between Trump and Putin within three days resets the calculus. If the first phone call by Trump on Thursday was to thank Putin for the friendly references he made to the US in his annual year-end news conference in Moscow, the call on Sunday was likewise to convey Putin’s gratitude to Trump for approving Pompey’s initiative to pass on the vital intelligence regarding the impending terrorist strike in St. Petersburg.
Many signals lately suggest that some degree of sobriety is setting in, finally, within sections of the US establishment, along with a realization that Trump has been a voice of sanity all along in maintaining that US interests stand to gain by working with Putin and taking Russia’s help. More importantly, the Kremlin is sensing that Trump’s travails could be ending.
Of course, there are negative tidings, too. Only ten days ago, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson conjured up an image of Russia as the “enemy” through his three-nation European tour. And as recently as December 9 there was an altercation between US and Russian fighter planes in the skies above the Euphrates.
But to be sure, the “working lunch” later today in Washington between US Under Secretary of State Shannon and Russian Ambassador Antonov will be closely watched in places as far away as Beijing for any more sounds of ice cracking. Antonov was quoted as saying last night that the two phone conversations between Putin and Trump underscored that “our countries need each other. Our countries define the joint program of actions to strengthen global security.”
The CIA is sending a message, but it is likely an entirely different one than MKB thinks. The CIA is letting Putin know that it knows more about jihadist activity in Russia than the FSB, no doubt through agents placed in these groups. It is also letting Putin know that it could have chosen to allow this attack to go forward and may not be so generous in the future, depending on Russia’s "behavior". Putin would know all this, but has reasons to play along as though the gesture was genuine.
You can trust the devil but not the CIA. The Islamic pets of CIA like the Al-Qaeda, ISIS do the dirty and covert work of USA for its geopolitical aims. These Islamists are funded by Gulf allies and USA in return provides the autocrat to continue in power. Simple win-win situation. USA can never be the friend of Russia as Russia & China are its competitors on a global stage. Russians are not fools not to realize that. Putin might be cosying with the Americans as perhaps he believes that " Keep friends close but your enemies more closer"
In the Roman Empire, it was bread and chariot races and gladiatorial games that filled the belly and distracted the mind, allowing emperors to rule as they saw fit.
BJP has followed the same strategy. The have crated the monster of Hindutva wherein Minority slaughtering provides the circus to keep the masses busy. The masses are so engrossed in this circus that they can even live without the bread. So bail-in or GST or de-monetization will not sap the morale of the Hindutva masses who will prefer to stay hungry but want the pleasure of seeing the circus.
Your comment brings to my mind the Boston bombing….seems like the FSB also had some good intel…US ignored the warnings….did that mean the FSB knew more about jihadist activity in the US?….whose more rational?
In fact, Sputniks just wrote about the CIA training and arming a new batch of moderate brothers Jihadists to drive out the Russians from Latakia base.
Intelligence agencies do from time to time cooperate. FSB warned FBI and CIA about the Boston bombers Kyrgyz-American brothers Dzhokhar Tsarnaevand Tamerlan Tsarnaev. In September 2011, the FSB sent a cable to the CIA, restating the warnings of the first memo. A Congress investigation says a second note about Tsarnaev was entered into the TECS system the next month, but spelled his name “Tsarnayev.”
The note directed that if Tsarnaev were encountered leaving or re-entering the United States, his detention was “mandatory.” In January 2012, Tsarnaev went to JFK airport in New York to board a flight to Moscow, triggering an alert. But he was not considered high priority!
Another example CIA warned Indian intelligence on the pending Mumbai attack. The warning had been specific, of a potential attack "from the sea against hotels and business centres in Mumbai". The terrorists used boats to land on Mumbai’s waterfront before attacking multiple targets which killed 183 people and led India to endure a four-day national nightmare. Once again, we see a failure to take appropriate action.
CIA cooperate closely with Mossad and has used Mossad to train the of drug cartels in Colombia and operations in Guatemala, Afghanistan and USA. It is alleged FBI/CIA uses foreign intelligence agencies to spy on US politicians and gathering “dirt” to become loyal to the US “SHADOW STATE”. The ongoing investigation against the Awan brothers in the US Congress might prove CIA/FBI involvement in spying on the US lawmakers!
CIA/FBI has become too powerful and we see they are involved in political manipulations even in the US. All the intelligence agencies in the alphabet soup should be investigated and rationalized. Many flaws and mishaps between US intelligence agencies. 9/11 could have been avoided if there was a better relationship between CIA and FBI.
Alfredo Hidalgo – the Boston bombing was likely a setup, possibly by rogue elements of the FBI.
Let’s be realistic. M K.is quite an astute observer and very thorough in his analysis .he could be hedging his bets as to the future. Keeping in mind that the USA got very badly bruised by Russia in the middle East. & Maybe the CIA are afraid that if they keep this animosity towards Russia. the USA will end up extremely defeated in Afghanistan . Which is still on the cards. So in high and behind the scenes shenanigans one never knows.
I don’t buy your parnoid interpretation of events.
I choose to believe that Trump is trying to engage Russia as he has China. Trump has a lot of moving parts in the US government and he doesn’t have his arms around all the parts. Some called the deep state have their own policies. But Trump is very wily and he will find a way to subdue those who oppose him and we will eventually have a working relationship with Russia.
Nothing so refeshes as a good strong dose of realism! I would however ask if it might not be possible that both gentleman are correct to some extent?
Kudos to you!
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