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The Russia Report - Finally published

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ainsworth74

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The day has arrived at last! The Russia Report has arrived. I've not had chance to read it nor indeed any real reaction but you can find the full thing here and there's a short news article below:


Russia sees the UK as one of its "top targets" in the West, according to the Intelligence and Security Committee.

The ISC's long-awaited report said the UK was targeted due to its close relationship with the US and because it is "seen as central to the Western anti-Russian lobby".

Its inquiry covers disinformation campaigns, cyber tactics and Russian expatriates in the UK.

But much of the "highly sensitive" detail will not be published.

No 10 was accused of delaying its release ahead of December's UK election - which it has denied.

Speaking at a press conference to launch the report, one of the ISC's committee members, Kevan Jones, criticised the prime minister for not signing it off sooner, saying there was "no reason for delay".

 
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MarkyT

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That's where it moves to 'draw your own conclusions'

(wouldn't surprise me though)
Meanwhile, despite serious concerns about Chinese treatment of dissidents and minorities, particularly Uighurs, being expressed for decades by human rights groups, with little acknowledgement, let alone action, from the UK government, official condemnation of the Chinese regime has very suddenly and conveniently ratcheted up to fever pitch over the last few weeks concerning this matter, Hong Kong, and China's widespread economic influence and political lobbying in the west. It's almost as if some group of very powerful people are attempting to draw attention away from the influence of another large country to the east of the UK, the leadership of which, while no longer being communist, seems to have once again become increasingly authoritarian, corrupt and brazen in furthering their narrow national and personal interests. I wonder which nation that might be?
 

Scotrail12

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What has this country came to? Reading that the Russians have interfered in these elections has ruined my morning - as a young person, I'm really beginning to get worried about whether or not there is a future in the UK. Will there be any quality of life at all with a country like Russia trying to interfere. I dread to think of what could happen.

And Boris & Co are such idiots that it's beyond belief!
 

brad465

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Indeed. And the government didn't seem particularly bothered about investigating it.
Because they're in on it?
I've seen some sources/reporters on Twitter suggesting it's comparable to/worse than Watergate.

Apparently Johnson has already said they won't pursue the key ISC recommendation to investigate interference in 2016, which is wrong, albeit unsurprising in these times; Starmer and others need to put continued pressure on him about this and other things in the same way there were figures continuously pushing for the report release for several months.
 

Darandio

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What has this country came to? Reading that the Russians have interfered in these elections has ruined my morning - as a young person, I'm really beginning to get worried about whether or not there is a future in the UK. Will there be any quality of life at all with a country like Russia trying to interfere. I dread to think of what could happen.

And Boris & Co are such idiots that it's beyond belief!

What on earth are you expecting? A Russian ground invasion?
 

RichT54

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No wonder Boris wanted Faling Grayling to become chair of the committee and thus prevent publication of the report.
 

brad465

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No wonder Boris wanted Faling Grayling to become chair of the committee and thus prevent publication of the report.
More to the point, no wonder they didn't want that out before the election; any sensible voter would not vote in anyone who ignores obvious threats to ourselves.
 

thejuggler

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Too many Russian donors to look after to open an investigation.

I wonder if anyone has yet found out what Dominic Cummings actually did do during his time there, other than undertake 'various projects'.
 
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Indeed. And the government didn't seem particularly bothered about investigating it.

That would have required MI6 to investigate. MI6 is a branch of the Foreign Office and the Foreign Secretary post the 2016 Referendum & consequent change of PM was... Boris Johnson
 

Trackman

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We do it to them.
I watched a programme about it, it's been going on for about 70 years.
Same with Russian aircraft heading for the UK, we do the same thing near Russian airspace.
 

45107

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From the coverage of the report I have seen this is a pretty damming criticism of the Government.
The Government response - we find no evidence because we didn’t look for it. 8 recommendations from the report have been rejected straight away.

Had this been under the watch of a Labour led government, I am sure that the press and others would be a little more vocal.

This country is now being led by an unelected person - Cummings.
 

brad465

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We do it to them.
I watched a programme about it, it's been going on for about 70 years.
Same with Russian aircraft heading for the UK, we do the same thing near Russian airspace.
Do we have oligarchs in Moscow trying to influence Russian policy with our money then?


From the coverage of the report I have seen this is a pretty damming criticism of the Government.
The Government response - we find no evidence because we didn’t look for it. 8 recommendations from the report have been rejected straight away.

Had this been under the watch of a Labour led government, I am sure that the press and others would be a little more vocal.

This country is now being led by an unelected person - Cummings.
Cummings of course who had an anonymous career in Russia at one point, so very relevant to this.
 

Tetchytyke

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I watched a programme about it, it's been going on for about 70 years.

Given Russia has only had elections since 1990, and Putin has been in charge since 1999, something doesn't add up here!

There is a long history of CIA meddling in other countries, though, and I doubt MI6 didn't know about it.

Too many Russian donors to look after to open an investigation.

If Salisbury and Litvinenko weren't enough to make the Tories stop sucking on the Russian teat, nothing will.
 

Busaholic

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Two aspects to all this of course. Although Putin will undoubtedly have been hoping fof a 'no' vote in the referendum as part of his plan for a disunited Europe, the Conservatives that the oligarchs will have been targeting with their blandishments in the period leading up to the referendum will mainly have been in the 'yes' camp, ostensibly anyway, with Chancellor Osborne to the fore. Elements of the Labour Party, particularly some of those that willingly embraced the concept of New Labour, were also quite keen to cosy up with oligarchs, Peter Mandleson seemingly leading the way.
 

Trackman

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Given Russia has only had elections since 1990, and Putin has been in charge since 1999, something doesn't add up here!
I was thinking more of Russian interests like the old East German elections.
I'll see if I can find the programme.
And when I say 'we', I'm talking about it from a cold war/nato perspective.
 

Tetchytyke

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I was thinking more of Russian interests like the old East German elections.
I'll see if I can find the programme.
And when I say 'we', I'm talking about it from a cold war/nato perspective.

The US involvement in Yeltsin's re-election in 1996 was...interesting. But other than that, the Eastern Bloc has never really had open elections. East Germany under Hoenecker certainly didn't.

I agree the CIA has always had an interesting view of democracy in other countries- look how many left-leaning leaders have been deposed by them in bloody coups. And I can't imagine MI6 didn't help where they could.

Two aspects to all this of course.

Putin has a long history of funding his opposition too, which makes it all fascinating. It's part of his strategy of chaos purely for the sake of chaos.

Adam Curtis explained it on Screen Wipe way back in 2014.

 

PHILIPE

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As expected Sir Keir Starmer asked Boris why the Government had sat on the Report. Again, as expected, he didn't get a reply just a load of Bluff, Bluster and Bull about Brexit.
 

Typhoon

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As expected Sir Keir Starmer asked Boris why the Government had sat on the Report. Again, as expected, he didn't get a reply just a load of Bluff, Bluster and Bull about Brexit.
Ironically, when Ben Bradshaw calmly asked a much more targeted and critical question about the Prime Minister's priorities, Mr Johnson just dismissed the question as 'lamentable', and complained about the 'froth and fury' from the questioners when, as you say, he was the one bumbling away. All he had to offer was a joke or two which he probably made up on the way over from No. 10. He concluded by inviting his critics to 'move on'. Unfortunately, the next PMQs is in September, by which time it will be largely forgotten.
 

PHILIPE

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Ironically, when Ben Bradshaw calmly asked a much more targeted and critical question about the Prime Minister's priorities, Mr Johnson just dismissed the question as 'lamentable', and complained about the 'froth and fury' from the questioners when, as you say, he was the one bumbling away. All he had to offer was a joke or two which he probably made up on the way over from No. 10. He concluded by inviting his critics to 'move on'. Unfortunately, the next PMQs is in September, by which time it will be largely forgotten.

The break gives Boris a chance to make up another "fit all" answer for when PMQs resume
 

Senex

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If it was all as insignificant as Johnson seemed to want to assert, why did he prevent its publication for so long (and especially through his election) and why did he so want his own placeman in as chairman of the committee?
 
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