Posted By Josh Rogin
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 - 3:29 PM
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Apparently, this is Moscow's idea of rolling out the "red carpet": Russian state television today launched an all-out assault on new U.S. Ambassador Mike McFaul.
"The fact is that McFaul is not an expert on Russia. He is a specialist in a particular pure democracy promotion," read a report published on Russia 1, the channel that is run by the All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK).
The Russian government was evidently displeased that McFaul met with human rights activists in his first official function at the Moscow embassy, where he was joined by visiting Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns. The Russian media's public smear campaign against McFaul accused him of working on behalf of the "so-called democratic movement" in the country during the early 1990s, when he visited there on behalf of the National Democratic Institute -- an organization "known for its proximity to the U.S. intelligence services," according to the TV report.
The report then quotes from several of McFaul's writings and from The Cable's post on McFaul to accuse him of having an agenda of supporting Russian opposition groups in an attempt to destabilize the Russian government.
The hostile welcome represents a sharp rebuke to McFaul's message of openness and cooperation that he brought with him upon arriving in Moscow last week.
"As President Obama's representative in Russia, I believe my most important mission is to continue to help Russians understand who Americans are, what we stand for, and what we seek in our relationship with Russia and the Russian people," McFaul said in his video message to the Russian people, posted Jan. 15 on The Cable.
"The most important part of my job will be to foster more contact between the people of the United States and the people of Russia. I'm interested in not only meeting government officials, but people from other political parties and movements, businessmen and women, civil society activists, and regular Russians just like you."
The Russian state television report also criticized President Barack Obama for appointing McFaul because he is not a career diplomat. "This is the second case of the violation of this tradition over the past 30 years. A first exception was [former U.S. envoy to Russia] Bob Strauss, appointed by [former President George H.W.] Bush, which, again, was meant to serve the collapse of the Soviet Union, a characteristic detail," the report said.
The Russian State TV report then accused McFaul of writing hundreds of articles against once and future Russian President Vladimir Putin, and criticized McFaul's book, Russia's Unfinished Revolution.
"Has Mr. McFaul arrived in Russia to work on his specialty? That is, to finish the revolution?" the report asked. "It is hoped that [this stay in the embassy] will not be for Mr. McFaul, ‘the best time of his life.'"
Nothing like a winter welcome to Moscow...
As Russian I don't see a point in the diplomatic relationship with US. US does whatever US wants and doesn't care about opinion of anybody - what is the point in talking with this King Kong? And it is clear that this McFaul came to start a war against Russia and Russians.
Thank you, we know very well WHO americans are! We already saw how America wanted to "help'' Russia in 90's. And we see every day how America "helps'' Afghanistan, Lybia, Irak, Serbia, etc. You have NO rights to invade INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES!
NATO - North Atlantic Terrorist Organization!
C'mon, we all know who McFaul is and what he is an expert in. Just read comments to his LJ or Twitter (if you can read russian) and get aware of how much Russians do appreciate it.
Would US embrace the new russian ambassador who is known as the regime change expert and repeatedly called for overthrow of the current Obama administration? Plus the first people he meets in Washington are the Tea Party members.
McFaul is not a real diplomat, he is specialist in making "colour-coded" revolutions against regimes USA considers unfriendly. His assignment in Russia is to intefere with March presidential election and try to prevent Putin from winning first-round of voting, thus forcing him into run-off.
The fact is, Russian administration could have refused to accept his appointment - as Hugo Chavez did with American ambassador. That means that the Putin administration is quite OK with him being there. The "Russian Color Revolution" has already been pre-planned - Putin will be allowed to keep his billions and will go into comfortable exile, and a collaborationist regime of American puppets will be appointed in his place.
He didn' do it in the 00's he will not do it now. He is a proud RUSSIAN and it mean something! You know they say *Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer*. Have you ever heard of it? That is sooo true.
And your Mcfaul already failed. He showed his true face and true reasons why he is here. And the main thing he showed the true faces of russian so-called opposition when they all gathered in US embassy for instructions! LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL
I'm sure the Nashists clique would like to think so..
Real Russians understand that Putin has already sold the country to the West, and this is just the last step for the traitor to collect his 30 silver.
the ONLY traitors here are LIBERASTS. TRAITORS AND WHORES. this absolutely PATHETIC group of people who tried to play like they are majority of people while they are minor. real russians called them bastards. DEMOCRACY. ONE PERSON - ONE VOICE. DO SO-CALLED OPPOSITION KNOW THAT? Clearly NOT.
anyway you r not a REAL RUSSIAN so relax.
"Liberasts" are not the main problem
People who sold the country so they can ride in Merdedes cars, vacation in Switzerland while the rest of the country is dying from drugs- they are the problem. And Putin, who bought the country from Yeltsin - he is the head of the problem. Until he and his henchmen are expelled, Russia will not be reborn into the great country it was.
The main problem that people who sold their country once are THE SAME people who call themselves an opposition NOW. They ran off money and they need more. That's why there back to Russia. THEY NOT FIGHT FOR RUSSIAN PEOPLE WELL-BEING THEY FIGHT FOR MONEY AND POWER. THEY JUST TRY TO EXCHANGE THEIR POSITIONS WITH PUTIN AND UR BUT THEY DON'T WANT TO CHANGE THE SYSTEM. *NEW* PLAYERS FROM THE OLD BLOCK. AND PEOPLE KNOW THAT. THE LACK OF REAL HONEST OPPOSITION IS A PROBLEM.
You know many common people in Russia can afford Mercedes and vacation on their own without being traitors or thieves or oligarchs. We have a job you know. Thanks to Putin. And thank you but we don't want reborn. WE ARE FINE! WE ARE HEALING! As long as US keep their hands from us and don't put it's nose into something that is NOT THEIR OWN BUSINESS! hehe and if we would say that we want to be a country we were once I can imagine what kind comments would be here about RUSSIAN IMPERIALISTIC AMBITIONS (although they never stopped), Ukraine, Baltic block, Poland, Georgia would have a heart attack and so on. We are free from these parasites now and don't want them back. They can keep licking US and EU a**es as long as they pleased.
And for increased drug traffic we have to thank our US friends again! After their *humanitarian* invasion in Afghanistan it has increased ATTENTION! in 40 TIMES! Althought I don't see so many drinkers, junkeys and used ingectors on the streets anymore like I was in 90's when I was growing up. Because WE ARE fine now and PEOPLE DO HAVE CHOISE OF WHAT TO DO WITH THEIR LIFES. THANKS TO PUTIN.
The only reason State TV is bashing the Ambassador is that it was directed to do so by the Russian leadership. Democracy in Russia is only a facade...the current government is no different than the old Soviet one in many respects. Russia needs a voice for democracy because the path Putin wants is himself as the great leader. Oh well! Once a KGB thug always a thug.
Yeah! Sure! Keep explaning us, RUSSIANS, how bad our life become when Putin became our president and how GREAT our life was when there were Mr. Gorbachev aka *traitor* and Mr. Eltsin aka *drinker*. Telll us. I bet you know better about russian people's life living in US and reading US media. We HAVE democracy and we fed up with your *HELP* already.
KEEP LIVING IN US FAIRYTALES, TOMMY!
One can not think of more idiotic cliché as 'Puitin - KGB thug'.
As for McFaul he screwed up alright on the second day of arrival by meeting with all well hated in Russia members of 'opposition' - who have 0.000001% of population support
As specialist on Russia, didn't he realize that Russian people (99.999999%) do hate these '???????' like Nemtzov, 'Golos', Navalny and such ? NO surprise that he is very unwelcome not only by NTV but by russian people in general. President Obama couldn't think of a better candidate to start a new Cold War with Russia
Something happens when someone desires it, is that it?..Wow, this is so-o deep! Don't fool yourself, bubba: Putin IS a great leader, recognized by many. The current government in Russia is not good enough for you, heh? Put simply, the fact that you don't like it doesn't mean it's bad. It has proven to be good enough for us Russians, let's leave it at that.. Democracy is only a facade in many countries, including yours. You just have to be smart enough to understand that. Keep your "voices of democracy" somewhere else, please. Live and let live! I hope you are familiar with that concept.
P.S Once a CIA thug always a thug! Think about that!
It's funny how suddenly there are many Russians following FP, whereas before I wonder if I have ever seen even one? Hmmm...It's almost as if Russia has a bunch of people out there on the net whose job it is to write this type of stuff on blogs in different countries. China does it. Israel does it. The US PROBABLY does it. And Russia certainly does it. Propaganda.
Most Russians I speak to here in the US understand that while Putin is a great leader for his strength, he is hardly a leader of a free country. The wool has been pulled over the Russian peoples eyes, as it has been again and again throughout history. I think that maybe Russians on the whole don't want to be free. They'd rather just be told that they are, and then put there blinders on whenever a journalist is killed by a sanctioned government hit, or an oligarch makes a backroom deal with the Russian leadership. Russia should have a synonym in the English dictionary: Corrupt.
..then you need more entertainment in your life, cowboy! There is no mystery here: we've just taught us some English.
As for what you just stated: China does it. Israel does it. US DEFINATELY does it. Russia just has started. Wool has been pulled over your eyes, I see clearly, thank you very much!
Most Russians in US will tell you whatever to make you like them more. We are just natural pleasers, quilty..We should work on that, if you ask me. We as people are determined to stay free, but we fiercely reject an idea to become generally retarded in a process.
P.S Russia should have "Proud" as synonym. Should I spell for you who should bear "Disdainful"?
Hey, Hurricane, no surprise why Russians are commenting this article. No, it is not our paid job, we do it just for fun. Normally most Russians would not deign to follow this rag, but sometimes these articles are translated to INOSMI, and then readers who see it there and command some English decide to make their views known on original site. Probably many more Russians can read and write in English than Americans can read/write Russian (or any other foreign language, for that matter), I am guessing?
By the way, you listed quite a lot of stereotypes about Russia and Russians, but I think you missed a few, next time please try to do better.
To begin with, the first channel has no relation to the RTR. McFaul is really not a diplomat and an expert on Russia, a country, it is a specialist in the study of Russia's domestic policy - what lies sdes Channel?
Next, how would the U.S. react to the new ambassador from Russia, who would rather meet with representatives of the government the first thing would have met the representatives of the radical organizations of the United States, who want to overthrow the government in the U.S. and Obymy. How would the U.S. react to the new ambassador from Russia, who would call Obama paranoid and would care potrebyval Obama?
Let's begin with that the Channel one has no attitude to ?????. McFaul it is valid not the diplomat and is not the expert across Russia, how about the country, it the expert on studying domestic policy of Russia - in what here lies of the Channel one?
Further, and as though in the USA have concerned to the new ambassador from Russia which instead of a meeting with representatives of authority first of all would meet representatives of the radical organizations of the USA which overthrow of authority in the USA and ????? want. As though in the USA have concerned to the new ambassador from Russia which would name ????? the paranoiac and would demand leaving Obama?
Funny enough that you ask people who live in US about RUSSIAN politic situalion. And when you see a cooment from REAL RUSSIAN who actually LIVES in RUSSIA you accuse him of being a propaganda. So, are you accept only opinion that suits your vision of situation? Yes, that I call DEMOCRACY! Put your pink glasses off. YOU DO HAVE PROPAGANDA AND ALWAYS HAD! The only difference that most of the american people are so infantile that they think that their country the most free, fair, honest, humlbe, respectable country in the world, their democracy is the most democratic in the world and end everything depends on US opinion while we russians know that not everything we are told is truth. And since you can see some russians here it's clear for you that we DO have DIFFERENT SOURCES of information. And how many RUSSIAN papers did you read to post your opinion on this subject, huh? Wake up! USA IS THE MOST TOTALITARIAN COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. Did you ask WHAT people of countries you ILLEGALY INVADED wanted? Do you know how many countries you BOMBED since WWII? Do you know how many people were killed? USA IS #1 TERRORIST.
Yes, HURRICANEWARNING Russia HAS corruption. But what country does NOT? Pray tell me. And do yo know WHEN this all sh** started? Do you really think that it all began when Putin become a president? It all began since and thanks to Mr. Gorbachev (whom btw MOST of the russian people are dreaming of to see hanging by neck) and a hard drinker Mr. Yeltsin (who magically *won* his 2nd elections with 5% rating!) AND of course with an ENORMOUS *help* of our dear US *friends*. PEOPLE was left with nothing! Yes, Gorby gave us freedom. We was free from FREE eduaction, FREE medicine, FREE apartments, FREE from regular job and salary (I'm not a commie btw)! Instead we were free to be killed in shooting on the street, with criminals and corruption, prostitution, junkies all over the place. And, yes, oligarchs! Believe me WE DO thank you for that.
And do you know WHO robbed people? These so-called opposition with whome your new ambassador meet first thing he set his foot on Russian land. Whose rats who sell out their oun countries and who HAVE NO SUPPORT FROM PEOPLE! Nemtzov, Yavlinsky and other rats from 90's. We've been there before and we learn our lesson.
Russia was falling apart when Putin came. And thanks to his job we are still Russia, we have our home safe and we are going stronger each year. it's a BIG DEA belive me!
Russia is FREE country with FREE people! And we do NOT need US to tell us what to think or what to do. We have minds of our own! What freedom do you want for us? Like in 90's? No, thanks. Keep it for yourself. Let's be honest you don't give damn about Russian people and all you need is MONEY! That is the only reason for you invasions and colour revolutions and abab springs. GTFO! If US could be described in one word it would be HIPOCRACY! Keep your dirty hands from us. Look at YOURSELF!
John Hudson reports on national security and foreign policy from the Pentagon to Foggy Bottom, the White House to Embassy Row, for The Cable.
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