Russia To Expel 60 US Diplomats, Close US Consulate In St. Petersburg | Zero Hedge
Description: This is why it's called tit-for-tat.

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# Russia To Expel 60 US Diplomats, Close US Consulate In St. Petersburg

This is why it's called tit-for-tat.

The Kremlin had vowed to retaliate against the "provocative gesture", denying it had any role in the attack; and now it has.

Just days after Trump announced he - together with much of the Western world - would expel 60 Russian diplomats from the US, and close the Russian consulate in Seattle, moments ago the Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said U.S. Ambassador Jon Huntsman has been summoned to the Foreign Ministry.

Huntsman was given notice that Russia is responding quid pro quo to the U.S. decision to order 60 Russian diplomats out.

Lavrov said Moscow will also retaliate to the U.S. decision to shut the Russian consulate in Seattle by closing the U.S. consulate in St. Petersburg.

Earlier this week, Haaretz reports that the Russian Embassy in the United States tweeted a poll quickly after the U.S. announcement asking which U.S. consulate they should close in retaliation. Forty-seven percent of the responders said the U.S. consulate in St. Petersburg should be closed.

However, that is just the response to Washington. In total, dozens more Russian diplomats were expelled from numerous other nations:

You will find more infographics at Statista

And Lavrov said the same approach will be applied to other nations that expelled Russian diplomats this week.

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Looney Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:11 Permalink

The poisoning of the Skripals occurred on March 4 – 25 days ago.

Since then, the UK government has come up with FIVE “irrefutable” theories:

1. The Skripals were poisoned at the restaurant.

2. They were poisoned on the park bench where they were found unconscious.

3. The Nerve Agent was brought in Julia Skripal’s luggage.

4. The poison was introduced through the car’s vents.

5. And now, the Skripals were poisoned at the front door of their apartment.

Let me see… It took HALF of Scotland Yard and 25 days to come up with 5 mutually exclusive theories - a new set of “facts” every 5 days!!! BTW… the other half of Scotland Yard is zealously guarding Julian Assange.

Anyway… I don’t need 25 days to come up with 5 plausible scenarios:

1. The nerve agent was introduced by the Russians through the Polar Vortex.

2. The Russians smuggled the nerve agent in the LNG tankers (maliciously sent to the UK to keep the Brits from freezing to death).

3. The Skripals were poisoned via a Novichok-laced post on the Russian Embassy’s Facebook page.

4. The Russians poisoned the cow that ended up as the two steaks that the Skripals ate that day.

5. The Russians delivered the nerve agent via a hypersonic missile tipped with a syringe.

Looney, Chief Pet-Detective, Scotland Yard ;-)

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GlassHouse101 Looney Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:12 Permalink

ZH hasn't covered it yet, but apparently Russia has signed a 20 year oil contract with the Saudi's. I think the Saudi's are flipping to the PetroYuan.

https://www.rt.com/business/422694-russia-saudi-arabia-oil/

In reply to … by Looney

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Blankone GlassHouse101 Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:20 Permalink

Who controls the Saudi's?
It appears Russia is being brought into compliance with manipulation of oil prices and blocking Russia from undermining those efforts.
All of which is to be conducted with the petrodollar. Russia should have stayed independent and conducted all oil/gas business/sells using the ruble or yuan.

In reply to ZH hasn't covered it yet,… by GlassHouse101

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hedgeless_horseman Blankone Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:22 Permalink

Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia.

> 8. Read, 1984, by George Orwell.

In reply to Who controls the Saudi's?… by Blankone

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EuroPox hedgeless_horseman Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:30 Permalink

If they were poisoned as they left home, how did they both collapse (presumably within seconds of each other) on a park bench 3 hours later?

If, as we are told, the door was poisoned, how many people need to touch the outside of a door as they leave a house? And how did they not contaminate their friend at the restaurant with whom they lunched?

The whole story is complete BS!

In reply to … by hedgeless_horseman

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CTacitus EuroPox Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:35 Permalink

> If they were poisoned as they left home, how did they both collapse (presumably within seconds of each other) on a park bench 3 hours later?

Scotland Yard: They were stuffed into the poisoned laden luggage in the home entrance and transported in a car up against the ventilation system and made a brief detour to the restaurant for a pick-up to-go order and finally taken out and placed on the park bench.

That should cover all of the angles ....

;)

In reply to Looney, If they were… by EuroPox

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GunnyHerd CTacitus Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:43 Permalink

Thats 60 less spies in Russia.

Good work, Vlad.

In reply to They were stuffed into the… by CTacitus

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DeadFred GunnyHerd Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:52 Permalink

62% chance this is Trump's real Russian collusion. I'm betting Trump and Vlad have made a deal to pretend they're about to go to war with each other. It is theater for the media to show there is no collusion. There wasn't any over the election but there is in the game to destroy the Deep State. 38% chance I'm wrong and we're heading for war.

Fibonacci told me about this.

In reply to Thats 60 less spies in… by GunnyHerd

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beepbop DeadFred Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:58 Permalink

I thought TRUMP was supposed to FIX the conflict with Russia.

LOL

In reply to 62% chance this is Trump's… by DeadFred

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Solio beepbop Thu, 03/29/2018 - 14:12 Permalink

Oh like everything else, it's fixed alright!

In reply to I thought TRUMP was supposed… by beepbop

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Bulgars Solio Thu, 03/29/2018 - 15:04 Permalink

Whatever happens its gonna be after the world cup.. I would never bet on Putin and Trump.. Both are running their countries to the ground

In reply to Oh like everything else, it… by Solio

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DeadFred beepbop Thu, 03/29/2018 - 14:15 Permalink

He will but he is a master of making the opposing team think he is doing what he is not. Either that or the nukes will be flying soon so I choose to believe he is a master of illusion.

In reply to I thought TRUMP was supposed… by beepbop

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HowdyDoody GunnyHerd Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:57 Permalink

Oh the irony. The SAA has intercepted a truck carrying weapons to terrorist groups in east Ghouta. In the cache was a collection of military smoke grenades made by Pains Wessex Ltd ... based in Salisbury!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrpFIeTzDhs

The grenades are shown 40 seconds in.

In reply to Thats 60 less spies in… by GunnyHerd

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Joiningupthedots HowdyDoody Thu, 03/29/2018 - 14:01 Permalink

I thought the UK only gave civilian aid to the White Helmets?

You couldn't make this shit up.

In reply to Oh the irony. The SAA has… by HowdyDoody

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Shemp 4 Victory Joiningupthedots Thu, 03/29/2018 - 14:10 Permalink

> I thought the UK only gave civilian aid to the White Helmets

The White Helmets are a subset of "terrorist groups in east Ghouta".

In reply to I thought the UU only gave… by Joiningupthedots

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not-me---it-wa… EuroPox Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:48 Permalink

as i recall from living in europa, solid wood doors with handles on the exterior, not doorknobs. after leaving the house, would have to pull the door shut by the handle.

anyhoo, bbc has a cool map with timeline on their website, showing when they left home, drove to a pub, stopped for an hour to have dinner at a restaurant, then drove to a park where they were found 45 minutes later. in total something like 4 hours between door contact and found on bench.

makes you wonder how the most lethal nerve agent on the planet, 5-8x more lethan than vx, will still allow you to drive a vehicle up to four hours after contact. clever russians!

In reply to Looney, If they were… by EuroPox

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EuroPox not-me---it-wa… Thu, 03/29/2018 - 14:10 Permalink

Yes indeed ONE of them would have pulled the door shut - that was my point, how could they BOTH be poisoned by the door? Also note that it must have been a totally random dosage on the door... It really was quite a poison!

And how did the poisoner know they would not be wearing gloves? It has been exceptionally cold recently in the UK.

In reply to as i recall from living in… by not-me---it-wa…

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Thoreau EuroPox Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:58 Permalink

The Twin Towers all over again.

In reply to Looney, If they were… by EuroPox

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Jibe Ho EuroPox Thu, 03/29/2018 - 15:09 Permalink

They put it on the park bench, easy.

In reply to Looney, If they were… by EuroPox

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EuroPox Jibe Ho Thu, 03/29/2018 - 15:25 Permalink

You would think so and that's why I say the whole story is BS - the police are saying the highest concentration was found on their front door.

In reply to They put it on the park… by Jibe Ho

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giovanni_f hedgeless_horseman Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:31 Permalink

Should read: "Russia expels 60 regime changers".

In reply to … by hedgeless_horseman

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HRClinton hedgeless_horseman Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:32 Permalink

Kazaria has always been at war with Eurasia.

In reply to … by hedgeless_horseman

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directaction HRClinton Thu, 03/29/2018 - 14:04 Permalink

Khazaria has always been sucking the blood out of Eurasia and Oceania and everyone else..

In reply to Kazaria has always been at… by HRClinton

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Atavists R Us HRClinton Thu, 03/29/2018 - 14:15 Permalink

Kazaria has always been at war with everyone else...

In reply to Kazaria has always been at… by HRClinton

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GUS100CORRINA hedgeless_horseman Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:33 Permalink

Russia To Expel 60 US Diplomats, Close US Consulate In St. Petersburg

My response: This whole RUSSIAN BUSINESS is NOT going in a GOOD DIRECTION. The MICC and NEOCONS appear to be winning the game.

when 2017 began, i had real hope with Tillerson as SOS and Trump as POTUS that America could forge a new period of prolonged peace with RUSSIA.

But in the END, the MARXIST PROGRESSIVE LIBERAL POLICE STATE and NEOCONS would have none of it.

Truly sad that these same GOD-HATING PROGRESSIVE LIBERAL jackasses have no CLUE what they are doing.

GOG/MAGOG conflict as described in Ezekiel 38-39 now in play. Psalm 83 conflict also looks like it is getting ready to be fulfilled as well.

Truly sad that US-RUSSIA relations are taking a turn for the worse.

By the way, this MUELLER INVESTIGATION BULLSHIT needs to come to an end ASAP like very soon.

In reply to … by hedgeless_horseman

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Chupacabra-322 GUS100CORRINA Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:37 Permalink

US “Diplomats?”

Never met a Diplomat or Ambassador that wasn’t a Pure Evil War Criminal Treasonous Seditious Psychopath CIA Company Man.

In reply to Russia To Expel 60 US… by GUS100CORRINA

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BarkingCat Chupacabra-322 Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:47 Permalink

Many are donors or bundlers that get the position as a payoff for their efforts.

They like the idea of living in some foreign country and have the taxpayers foot the bill.

In reply to US “Diplomats?”… by Chupacabra-322

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not-me---it-wa… BarkingCat Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:53 Permalink

sometimes they're just celebrities. i 'member shirley temple was appointed ambassador to ghana and then czechoslovakia.

In reply to Many are donors or bundlers… by BarkingCat

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Thoreau not-me---it-wa… Thu, 03/29/2018 - 14:00 Permalink

You realize Shirley was a grown woman by then... and intelligent...

In reply to sometimes they're just… by not-me---it-wa…

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Jibe Ho GUS100CORRINA Thu, 03/29/2018 - 15:12 Permalink

More like 5 diplomats and 60 CIA operatives.

In reply to Russia To Expel 60 US… by GUS100CORRINA

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FoggyWorld Blankone Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:26 Permalink

And the Crown Prince of SA is visiting with Oprah on this visit to the US.

In reply to Who controls the Saudi's?… by Blankone

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Blankone FoggyWorld Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:57 Permalink

Yes he is, in case some people thought you were joking. Here are some others.
President Donald Trump, former president Bill Clinton, former secretaries of state Hillary Clinton and Henry Kissinger, Democratic New York Senator Chuck Schumer and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, media mogul Rupert Murdoch as well as the editorial boards of The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Chronicle. The prince will give interviews to both Time and Vanity Fair magazines.

Before the crown prince finishes his U.S. tour, traveling on to Houston, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles, he is scheduled to meet with CIA Director Mike Pompeo, Vice President Mike Pence and Trump’s son-in-law and Middle East adviser Jared Kushner.

The Saudi prince’s itinerary also includes meetings with Barack Obama, John Kerry, General David Petraeus and Condoleezza Rice. He will also visit George W. Bush’s Texas ranch.

From the world of business, Crown Prince Mohammed will meet with Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, as well as the heads of other multinational corporations while in the United States.

This fantasy that the head of the Saudi's is going to attack the petrodollar is just so very silly.

In reply to And the Crown Prince of SA… by FoggyWorld

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rf80412 GlassHouse101 Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:24 Permalink

Putin can have the Saudis.

In reply to ZH hasn't covered it yet,… by GlassHouse101

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GlassHouse101 rf80412 Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:36 Permalink

No more Petrodollar = no more USD

In reply to Putin can have the Saudis. by rf80412

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topspinslicer GlassHouse101 Thu, 03/29/2018 - 14:49 Permalink

Less talk means more chance of war

In reply to ZH hasn't covered it yet,… by GlassHouse101

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Brazen Heist Looney Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:17 Permalink

Those slimey limeys are looking rather stupid. It also makes that queue of Stockholm-Syndrome afflicted Euro-slaves who jumped onto the bandwagon all so eagerly, also look rather dumb.

In reply to … by Looney

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gregga777 Looney Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:20 Permalink

U. K. Prime Poodle Minister Teresa May is truly pathetic. She signed off on this laughably improbable false flag operation thinking it was a "cunning plan." The formulae for the "Novichok" nerve poisons are allegedly publicly available. Once you've got the formula it just takes lots of chemists in HazMat suits to figure out to make it in tiny batches. It's not like they needed to make it in industrial sized quantities.

A better plan would have been for a known Russian intelligence agent shot dead by the Police after he shot and killed the Skripals. They then make sure that he was carrying his diplomatic passport and something like a silenced Tokarev pistol. The Skripals would then be found to have been shot by the silenced Tokarev.

See how easy that was?

Blackadder: Baldrick's Cunning Plan

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AsXKS8Nyu8Q

In reply to … by Looney

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not-me---it-wa… gregga777 Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:54 Permalink

still available on amazon!

https://www.amazon.com/State-Secrets-Insiders-Chronicle-Chemical/dp/143…

In reply to U. K. Prime Poodle Minister… by gregga777

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holgerdanske Looney Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:23 Permalink

This is a false flag of note. The British have lost any semblance of common sense or decency.

It just shows what the west have become. A fascist protectorate of the unelected elite to govern a dumbed down populace with no critical thinking ability left.

That the US decides to join the wagon is no surprise. They have reached that stage some years back.

Total and utter disrespect for a bunch of war mongering idiots.

In reply to … by Looney

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tripletail holgerdanske Thu, 03/29/2018 - 15:17 Permalink

The British people are the very finest of sheeple the world over. The remaining western sheeple are but a distant second.

In reply to This is a false flag of note… by holgerdanske

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Neochrome Looney Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:39 Permalink

All those "throw shit on the wall, see if anything will stick" theories just reek of desperation, and amateurism. Please someone explain to me what professional would try to do a hit using any of those methods? What is this, Amateur hour? Brits and the West must have gone full retard to even entertain this pile of shit.

In reply to … by Looney

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Consuelo Looney Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:45 Permalink

Monty Python is green with envy...

In reply to … by Looney

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HowdyDoody Consuelo Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:49 Permalink

"Please someone explain to me what professional would try to do a hit using any of those methods? "

A professional who wanted to frame an innocent third party?

In reply to Monty Python is green with… by Consuelo

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Joiningupthedots Looney Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:55 Permalink

The UK Skripal evidence;

https://www.kommersant.ru/docs/2018/UK_Briefing.pdf

Seriously!

Meanwhile the UK investigative time line and evidence trail as you correctly point out is all over the place.

In reply to … by Looney

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Thoreau Looney Thu, 03/29/2018 - 13:57 Permalink

A former British Ambassador:

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/49003.htm

In reply to … by Looney

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general ambivalent Looney Thu, 03/29/2018 - 14:05 Permalink

Drumpftards just can't stop winning!

In reply to … by Looney

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silverer general ambivalent Thu, 03/29/2018 - 15:24 Permalink

Relax. We're all going to die.

In reply to Drumpftards just can't stop… by general ambivalent

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keesooi Looney Thu, 03/29/2018 - 14:34 Permalink

Poor UK, Arthur Conan Doyle, PD James and Agatha Christie must be rolling in their graves...

It looks like Scotland Yard is trying to solve this by playing Clue with a shitload of "room" cards, but only one "suspect" card.

Regards,

Adam Dalgliesh

In reply to … by Looney

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Justin Case Looney Thu, 03/29/2018 - 14:46 Permalink

One thing for sure, that definitely maybe happened.

In reply to … by Looney

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sandman3365 Looney Thu, 03/29/2018 - 15:28 Permalink

youre amazing!

In reply to … by Looney

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