CIA director Mike Pompeo said he believes Russia will try to disrupt the US midterm elections in November. Reuters / Leah Millis
CIA director Mike Pompeo said he believes Russia will try to disrupt the US midterm elections in November. Reuters / Leah Millis
CIA director Mike Pompeo said he believes Russia will try to disrupt the US midterm elections in November. Reuters / Leah Millis
CIA director Mike Pompeo said he believes Russia will try to disrupt the US midterm elections in November. Reuters / Leah Millis

CIA predicts Russian meddling in US midterm elections but no new sanctions on the way


Joyce Karam
  • English
  • Arabic

As CIA director Michael Pompeo predicted more attempts by Russia to interfere in this year's US midterm elections in November, the Trump administration said no new sanctions would be put in place and that the current regime is enough.

According to the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) signed in 2017, Monday was the deadline for both the state and the treasury departments to comply with the law and announce more sanctions. But neither did, and state department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said that CAATSA in its current form is working as a deterrent, preventing the need for more measures.

“If the law is working, sanctions on specific entities or individuals will not need to be imposed because the legislation is, in fact, serving as a deterrent,” Ms Nauert said.

The treasury was expected to designate a group of Russian oligarchs close to President Vladimir Putin. That list may come, but as far as the state department action that would target non-Russian entities dealing with Russian defence and intelligence, none came on Monday.

The state department pause in enforcing new sanctions followed a classified briefing that the administration gave to Congress.

“Today, we have informed Congress that this legislation and its implementation are deterring Russian defence sales,” Ms Nauert said, estimating that “foreign governments have abandoned planned or announced purchases of several billion dollars in Russian defence acquisitions.”

“Given the long time-frames generally associated with major defence deals, the results of this effort are only beginning to become apparent,” she said.

Still, the treasury could roll out the oligarchs list as required by the CAATSA law. "The department of treasury does plan to act today to issue a report and take this process the next step forward," White House principal deputy press secretary Raj Shah told CNN on Monday morning. But shortly before 9pm in Washington, there was no sign of a new list.

Separately, Mr Pompeo told the BBC that he expected Russia to continue its attempts to interfere in US elections. Asked if such attempts will be made to meddle in the congressional midterm elections this November, he said: “Of course. I have every expectation that they will continue to try and do that, but I’m confident that America will be able to have a free and fair election [and] that we will push back in a way that is sufficiently robust that the impact they have on our election won't be great.”

Mr Pompeo said the CIA has not seen “a significant decrease in their [Russia’s subversive] activity”.

Asked if he has to walk a fine line in briefing President Donald Trump, who dismissed reports of Russian meddling in the 2016 election as “fake news”, Mr Pompeo said: “I don’t do fine lines, I do the truth.”

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The candidates

Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive

Ali Azeem, business leader

Tony Booth, professor of education

Lord Browne, former BP chief executive

Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist

Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist

Dr Mark Mann, scientist

Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner

Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

 

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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Related
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MATCH INFO

Crawley Town 3 (Tsaroulla 50', Nadesan 53', Tunnicliffe 70')

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