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Hillary Clinton speaks at a panel for the Hulu documentary Hillary during the Winter TCA Press Tour in Pasadena, Calif., January 17, 2020. (Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)

Authors Note: This is an excerpt from my 2019 book, Ball of Collusion.

Ah yes, lets remember the Obama-era Russia Reset. It was announced with great ceremony by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, brandishing a red plastic Reset push-button that she presented to her counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Oops: The button was mislabeled Peregruzka (the Russian word for overcharge) rather than Perezagruzka (reset). As investigative journalist Claudia Rosett observes, the Kremlin still keeps the button on display in a museum at the Foreign Ministry, less a souvenir of U.S.-Russia camaraderie than a symbol of American folly.

Even as Putin continued his occupation of Georgia having annexed about a fifth of that former Soviet territory in 2008 President Obama kicked off the Reset by shelving Bushs plans for missile-defense installations in Eastern Europe. Further courting the Russian dictator, Obama in 2010 revived the U.S.Russia Civilian Nuclear Cooperation Agreement (Bush 43-era foolishness that had been scrapped after Putin invaded Georgia). The president insisted that, somehow, the pact advanced U.S. national security.

That was just the beginning of the administrations promotion of Russias key industrial sectors, improving our declining but dangerous rivals military and cyber capabilities and fortifying its capacity to extort the European nations and former Soviet republics that rely on Russia for their power needs.

Why? Because Trade with Russia Is a Win-Win. That was the headline of Secretary Clintons June 2012 Wall Street Journal op-ed, applauding Russias formal entry into the World Trade Organization (which her husband, President Bill Clinton, had championed even though Russias corrupt economic practices undermine the market-based norms the WTO is meant to fortify). Prioritizing trade was crucial, she explained, because Russia was just a great place for Americans to do business, and our commerce could now blossom since the Obama administration had made Moscow a normal trading partner. Sure, the Putin regime posed many challenges, but Clinton maintained that it is in our long-term strategic interest to collaborate with Russia in areas where our interests overlap.

Collaborate? That sounds almost like colluwell, never mind.

Obama and Clinton decided that one of these collaborative areas should be technology. Under the secretarys guidance as point person of the Obama administrations U.S.Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission, the State Department teamed up with Russias Foreign Ministry to help erect Moscows version of Silicon Valley Skolkovo. Its unlikely Putin could believe his good fortune: The project was like an espionage operation in broad daylight, openly enhancing Russias military and cyber capabilities.

The Defense Departments European Command put it this way:

Skolkovo is an ambitious enterprise, aiming to promote technology transfer generally, by inbound direct investment, and occasionally, through selected acquisitions. As such, Skolkovo is arguably an overt alternative to clandestine industrial espionage with the additional distinction that it can achieve such a transfer on a much larger scale and more efficiently. Implicit in Russias development of Skolkovo is a critical question a question that Russia may be asking itself why bother spying on foreign companies and government laboratories if they will voluntarily hand over all the expertise Russia seeks?

Recognizing Russias current pursuit of external aggression and internal repression, which marked what it generously regarded as the Kremlins previous course toward democracy and cooperation with the West, EUCOM stressed caution against the risks that Russia could leverage transferred scientific knowledge to modernize and strengthen its military.

Ya think? The U.S. Armys Foreign Military Studies Program at Fort Leavenworth concluded that Skolkovo was a vehicle for world-wide technology transfer to Russia in the areas of information technology, biomedicine, energy, satellite and space technology, and nuclear technology. Moscow has made it unabashedly clear, moreover, that not all of the centers efforts are civilian in nature: the project was involved in military activities, including the development of a hypersonic cruise missile engine.

The FBI ended up warning several American tech companies that entanglement with Skolkovo risked wide-ranging intellectual property theft. The agent in charge of the Bureaus Boston field office even took the extraordinary step of publishing a business journal op-ed, depicting Skolkovo as a means for the Russian government to access our nations sensitive of classified research development facilities and dual use technologies with military and commercial application.

Why would our government do such a thing? At the time this was all going on, Clintons State Department issued its annual country-by-country findings on the state of civil liberties. Russia was found to be using technology to monitor and control the internet. The State Department elaborated that official corruption was rampant, security services engaged in sweeping surveillance of communications, journalists were under siege, dissidents were arbitrarily detained and some even tortured and killed.

What was Secretary Clinton thinking?

As weve seen, most of the time, she was thinking about the Clinton Foundation, and money (Id say not in that order, but its pretty much the same order). Putins regime dangled billions of dollars to invest in Skolkovo companies. Secretary Clinton immediately went to work attracting both corporate contributors and businesses deemed worthy of Russian investment.

The investigative journalist Peter Schweizer has done yeomans work exposing the grimy interplay between the Clinton Foundation and the State Department. By 2012, the last year of Secretary Clintons tenure, 60 percent of the key partners identified for the Skolkovo venture (17 out of 28) had made financial commitments to the Clinton Foundation, totaling tens of millions of dollars, or sponsored speeches by Bill Clinton. Russians tied to Skolkovo also gave to the Clinton Foundation, including Viktor Vekselberg, a billionaire confidant of Putins who was chosen to run the Skolkovo Foundation.

There is symmetry here. Again, no one would sensibly say that Secretary Clinton wanted to make Russia a more capable adversary and as things turned out, Id wager that strengthening the regimes cyber proficiency would be something shed regret (if she were given to that kind of introspection). But it is like the irresponsible mishandling of top-secret information, and the storing and transmission of any sensitive government information, classified or otherwise, on a non-secure server system: its not that Clinton did not know what she was doing or that she didnt apprehend the risks; it is that she had other priorities and threw caution to the wind pretty much the textbook definition of gross negligence.

She wasnt alone: this was not Secretary Clintons administration, but President Obamas. He calculated that abetting and appeasing Russia was a price worth paying for help on the Iran deal and in Syria. How well that all worked out, no?

Read the original here:
Remembering Obamas Russia Reset: Hillary and the Skolkovo Misadventure - National Review

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A former Obama official is taking aim at President Biden's administration for not being confrontational with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the Kremlin's conflict with Ukraine continues.

Brett Bruen, who served as director of global engagement in the Obama White House and a foreign service officer in the State Department, penned an opinion piece in NPR about effectively turning the tables on Putin.

WASHINGTON POST COLUMNIST KNOCKS BIDEN FOR PASSING THE BUCK ON AFGHANISTAN FALLOUT

"When is the crisis in Ukraine going to end? According to the White House, it's largely up to Russian President Vladimir Putin. I fail to understand why we are letting him decide the timeline, let alone the terms and trajectory of the security situation in Europe," Bruen began the piece on Thursday. "The United States and our NATO allies need to start imposing some of our own deadlines. Congress is currently considering a series of preemptive punishments against Russia. Yet, I fear that would be a major mistake. Why would we want to give up what little leverage is available for us to try and change the Kremlin's calculus?"

President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, arrive to meet at the 'Villa la Grange', in Geneva, Switzerland, June 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Bruen proposed giving Russia a March 1 deadline to roll back its troops and negotiate the Minsk agreement leading up to it and draw a "big red line" when it comes to meddling in the upcoming midterm elections.

"Sanctions and some other serious steps would be triggered if any of these timelines or terms are violated," Bruen wrote. "I remain highly skeptical that simply expanding the existing economic penalties we have imposed on Russia will deter or force a deviation from an invasion they've already undertaken. Instead, we need to focus on what really worries Putin: increasing domestic disgruntlement."

MSNBC'S CHUCK TODD SHOCKED BY BIDEN'S POLLING HITTING NEW BOTTOM: MY GOODNESS!

"Biden needs to deliver a direct message to Moscow. You either start acting like a normal nation or we are going to steadily turn up the temperature on some politically and personally sensitive points. We will begin by dropping a new batch of intelligence about the Kremlin's corruption and mismanagement each month. Even something as simple as sharing the truth about Russian soldiers who have died during the occupation of Ukraine would help to stir public sentiment against Putin. As imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has already demonstrated, these revelations can be really damaging, especially coupled with costly foreign adventurism," he continued.

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds talks with U.S. President Joe Biden via a video link in Sochi, Russia December 7, 2021. Sputnik/Sergey Guneev/Pool via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY.

The former Obama aide then suggested the U.S. can "launch an information invasion" in Russia by "piercing [Putin's] propaganda with biting satire and amplifying brutal critiques of his leadership from Navalny, along with other democracy activists," similarly to what transpired during the Cold War. He added "we now have tremendous technology to help activists and journalists circumvent censors and monitors."

He also floated taking "a page from the International Olympic Committee's playbook" by stripping Russia's "privileges" as a country if it continues its actions including being disinvited from summits, ending meetings with US officials and restricting Russian officials from travel to New York City and Washington, D.C.

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"There is certainly a great deal that depends on the Russian leader. Nonetheless, the Biden administration has got to stop putting Putin in the driver's seat so often. Such a reactive response has enabled him to dominate the global agenda and distract us from other critical priorities," Bruen wrote.

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Former Obama official hits Biden for 'reactive response' to Putin's actions towards Ukraine - Fox News

Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are very proud of their daughters, Malia and Sasha.

The siblings are, reportedly, residing in Los Angeles right now. And their parents, who are staying in Washington D.C., visit them regularly. During past interviews, the ex-POTUS and the former first lady have both gushed over their daughters. And its evident how proud they are of the women they have become.

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Barack Obama previously described Malia as buoyant. He also said that his eldest daughter enjoys people, life, and conversation.

Shes never bored, which is a badass quality that can take you places, Barack told InStyle.

On the other hand, Barack described his youngest daughter, Sasha as a mini Michelle.

Sasha is, as Malia describes it, is completely confident about her own take on the world. If she thinks somethings wrong or right, she will say so, Barack said.

Barack and Michelle are also very supportive when it comes to their childrens endeavors.

In Touch Weekly, in its Feb. 28 issue, claimed that Sashas boyfriend, Rory Farquharson is adored by her dad. However, the ex-POTUS is not yet ready for the couple to tie the knot.

Rory is from a wealthy family, but hes shown an interest in grassroots public service, so Barack is impressed. Even though Rory and Malia are pretty serious about each other, its early to discuss marriage, an unnamed source said.

Since marriage is still out of the equation for Malia and Sasha, the siblings are focused on their different paths and on making the world a better place.

What particular paths they take in doing that, I think are going to change and vary between the two of them. To see how theyve become these marvelous young women theres been no greater joy than that, Barack said.

Last month, Malia was embroiled in a controversy after she was, allegedly, spotted smoking during her work break. At the time, Radar Online published photos of the former first daughter smoking from a vape.

However, Malia is not hiding the fact that she smokes. In fact, she was also photographed with a cigarette while strolling the streets of Los Angeles last month.

The 23-year-olds smoking habits have not affected the way that her parents look at her. In fact, Barack and Michelle have nothing but wonderful things to say about their children.

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Last year, Barack appeared on the Late Late Show With James Corden to discuss a number of things including his daughters.

He said that Malia and Sasha do not have any interest in joining politics because they grew up being followed by the Secret Service. The doting dad acknowledged that this must have been traumatic for his daughters.

Them as teenagershaving Secret Service guys follow them when they were going out on dates I think probably has shut down their interest in public service. They still have PTSD from guys talking into their wrist microphones and glasses as they're trying to go to a music concert, he said.

In 2019, Michelle shared that she broke down in tears while sending Sasha off to college. But even if seeing her youngest daughter leave for college was heartbreaking, the ex-FLOTUS said that shes most excited for what the future has in store for Malia and Sasha.

I'm excited for my girlsto grow up and becomeindependent, but you feel a little melancholythat they will never be the little ones that sit on your lap and listen to your every word and look at you adoringly. Those days are over, she told Today.

Check back for more stories, updates, and rumors about the Obama family here at EpicStream!

Originally posted here:
Barack Obama Shock: Ex-POTUS Adores Malia Obama's Boyfriend But Won't Give Them His Blessing To Wed? - Epicstream

Michelle Obama, wearing 'VOTE' necklace, calls Trump 'wrong president'

Michelle Obama called President Donald Trump the "wrong president for our country" during her speech at the Democratic National Convention.

Associated Press, USA TODAY

The claim is illustrated in a Facebook meme that recently went viral. Former President Barack Obama's head was superimposed over the face of a person in a construction worker's outfit. "Obama" stands in front of crowds of fenced-in children who are supposedly migrants detained at the southern U.S. border.

The text above the image reads, "Michelle Obama: Trump is putting kids in cages. Guy who built the cages."

Barack Obama is implied as the "guy who built the cages."

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The meme was posted to the Facebook page Vintage Political Memes. The page is an extension of Being Libertarian LLC, a group that caters to"minarchists, classical liberals, anarchists, independents, Objectivists, capitalists, and right/left-leaning libertarians," according to itswebsite.

The picture in the meme minus the inserted Barack Obama of a crowded enclosure full of migrant children at a border facility in Texas was released by the Office of the Inspector General in 2019, according to a tweet by NBC News correspondent Gadi Schwartz. Schwartz saidasenior manager called the conditions at the facility, "a ticking time bomb."

USA TODAY reached out to Being Libertarian for comment.

During her keynote address at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 19, the former first lady made a comment about the Trump administration's policies toward migrant children detained at the border.

"They watch in horror as children are torn from their families and thrown into cages," Mrs. Obama said, according to The Associated Press.

More: US government sued after report of detained migrant children at Hampton Inn hotels

Fact check: Melania Trump did not remove cherry trees, historic roses from Rose Garden

The entire statement can be found in atranscript posted to CNN.com on Aug. 18.

"They see our leaders labeling fellow citizens enemies of the state while emboldening torch-bearing white supremacists. They watch in horror as children are torn from their families and thrown into cages, and pepper spray and rubber bullets are used on peaceful (protesters) for a photo-op,"she said.

It is true that Trump administration immigration policies involved separating migrant children from their parents and detaining them in "cages," a practice halted by a federal judge in 2018, according to USA TODAY. During the speech, Obamadid not mention the holdingenclosures were built during her husband's administration.

Fact check: Joe Biden delivered his Democratic nomination acceptance speech live

In a 2019interview with nonpartisan think tank The Aspen Institute, Jeh Johnson, Barack Obama's Homeland Security secretary, told NPR's Mary Louise Kelly that the "cages" predate the Trump administration.

"Chain-link barriers, partitions, fences, cages, whatever you want to call them were not invented on January 20, 2017," Johnson said.

Kelly asked Johnson about a 2014 photograph of him touring an Arizona facility for migrants along with former Gov.Jan Brewer. The picture is archived on thewebsite for the Arizona Capitol Times.

Thatimage was also part of another social media meme accusing Michelle Obama of lying about "kids in cages" during her DNC speech. Facebook userEulalia Maria Jimenez posted it to her page on Aug. 18. Johnson is circled in red in the image.

Johnson explained the picture was taken during a spike in unaccompanied minors crossing the southern border of the country.

"The photograph you're referring to was a facility in Arizona I recognize the photograph because Gov. Brewer was with me and it was during the spike ... and we had a lot of unaccompanied kids, we had a lot of family units. And under the law, once they're apprehended by the border patrol, within 72 hours, we have to transfer unaccompanied children to (the Department of Health and Human Services). And HHS then puts them in a shelter, and they find placement for them somewhere in the United States." Johnson explained.

He said the construction of the 72-hour holding facilities was prompted by a sudden influx of migrants.

Local NBC affiliate KVEQ reported on the conversion of aMcAllen, Texas, warehouse into a holding facility for up to 1,000 migrant children in 2014.

"You can't just dump 7-year-old kids on the streets of McAllen or El Paso. And so, these facilities were erected ... they put those chain-link partitions up so you could segregate young women from young men, kids from adults, until they were either released or transferred to HHS. Was it ideal? Of course not," Johnson said.

In 2019, former Trump administration acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Thomas Homan confirmed the migrant holding facilities were builtduring the Obama administration during a panel hosted by The Center for Immigration Studies. The center isa "pro-immigrant, low-immigration" think tank, according to its website.

"The kids are being housed in the same facilities built under the Obama administration. If you want to call them cages, call them cages. But if the left wants to call them cages, and the Democrats want to call them cages, then they have to accept the fact that they were built and funded in FY 15, and I was there," Homan said, according to a transcript.

The Associated Press reportedin late 2019 that an unprecedented 69,550 migrant children were held in U.S. custody overthat year.

But Michelle Obama's assertion that the Trump administration torechildren from their families and threw them into cages alludes to "a frequent and distorted point made widely by Democrats," according to the AP. The facilities designed during the Obama administration to temporarily hold migrants were used for a similar purpose by President Trump, the AP also concluded.

Fact check: Meme is partly false about Republican National Convention speakers

We rate this claimTRUE, based on our research. The initial claim correctly attributes migrant holding facilities to the Obama administration. However, the meme doesn't elaborate on the intended purpose of the facilities:to hold migrantchildren for 72 hours before releasing them to the Department of Health and Human Services for further placement.

Contributing: Associated Press

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Fact check: Obama administration built migrant 'cages ...

EDGARTOWN, MAReflecting on the path his career had almost taken, former President Barack Obama revealed in an interview Monday that he almost passed on the presidency for a chance to direct Leatherheads. It feels kind of silly nowIm obviously pretty satisfied with the decision I made, and I was delighted with what George [Clooney] ended up doing with the film, but I had some great ideas for Leatherheads and it wasnt without sadness that I turned it down to do the presidency instead, said Obama, recalling how Universal Pictures approached him back in 2007 just as the Democratic primary was heating up and how long he wrestled with the decision to abandon the run, as well as his Senate seat, to helm the movie. Put yourself in my shoes: on the one hand, I have this vision to change the American political landscape, and on the other, I have the chance to direct Leatherheads. It was really tough. I mean, when someone drops a script like Leatherheads on your desk and you have the chance to translate [co-screenwriter] Rick Reillys vision to the big screen, youd have to be nuts not to seriously consider it. It was like a door had finally opened and I might actually make something of myself in Hollywood. Id written a script based on my time as a community organizerkind of a dark comedy-slash-drama, Serving Sara meets Proof Of Lifeand Id been shopping it around. It came across someones desk at Universal and they didnt want to produce it, which, whatever, but they felt like I might be the right guy to do Leatherheads. I wont lie, I went to see Leatherheads opening nightit came out in April, when I was pretty far ahead in the delegate countand I thought, Barack, did you really make the right decision? Should you have conceded to Hillary and followed your dreams? No shade against the film, but, you know, Id had a pretty clear vision of my own. I sometimes wonder what my life would be like if I hadnt turned down the opportunity to work with John Krasinski to become the commander in chief of the United States. I guess Ill never know. Obama also revealed that he was planning to decline the 2012 Democratic nomination if the studio had accepted his repeated entreaties to direct Playing For Keeps.

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Obama Reveals He Almost Passed On Presidency For Chance To Direct Leatherheads - The Onion