Obama “vows retaliation” against Russia

WASHINGTON, 16 Dec. - (ANA) - US President Barack Obama says the US will take action against Russia over claims of its involvement in the country’s recent presidential election. The US president made the statement in a national radio interview. Obama tells NPRinskeep that U.S. “will take action” in response to Russia hacking during election.

Obama said, “I think there is no doubt that when any foreign government tries to impact the integrity of our elections, we need to take actions and we will.” “At a time and a place of our choosing.
Obama has ordered U.S. intelligence agencies to deliver evidence to prove Russia involved in cyber attacks.
Russian officials have denied accusations of interference in the US election.

The Kremlin has rejected Washington's suggestions that President Putin was involved in the hacks, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissing it as "laughable nonsense".

It is "almost impossible" that Donald Trump would not have known about Russian hacking during the US presidential election, a former ambassador to Moscow said as Barack Obama vowed that America would respond to the action.

The UK's former ambassador to Russia, Sir Andrew Wood, said there was a "case to answer" for Mr Trump about the hack.
And the White House also attacked the president-elect himself, saying he must have known of Russia's interference.

That view was echoed by Sir Andrew, who told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I don't see how Donald Trump could not have known something. I think that's almost impossible. What he actually said to Hillary Clinton in the debates was, essentially, 'You can't prove it - you don't know'. He never said 'This is serious, it must be investigated'. Sir Andrew, who was ambassador to Russia from 1995 to 2000, added: "He did have people around him who had quite a lot to do with Russia or Ukraine. So I think there is a case to answer."  - (ANA) -

AB/ANA/ 16 December 2016 - - -