A year ago it was impossible to imagine that the leaders of the Republican party acted in fact as collaborators in the intervention of Russia in the political system of the United States. However, surprisingly, this is precisely the role currently played by the Republicans.
US intelligence agencies have concluded that the Russian government intervened in the elections in the United States with the intent to tip the scales in a certain direction. With some caution in such judgments manifests the intelligence community, and given the importance of this finding, the evidence must have been extremely convincing. Any sane person would have at least come to the conclusion that for starting serious and extensive investigation, the evidence is sufficient. According to the results of public opinion polls, most Americans would like that this investigation was conducted.
At this stage, the intense political conflict the main thing — not to lose sight of the most important issue. Questions about whether met some representatives of the new administration with officials from Russia, and could those meetings lead to significant consequences, are secondary, and as reference of the investigation, it may find itself. The main question is whether Russia is able to manipulate the elections. It’s not a question of politics as such. It is a matter of national security. If the Russian government did not interfere in the electoral process in the United States in 2016, so it has the potential to do the same in the future. It turns out that Russia possesses weapons that are more effective and dangerous than warships, tanks or bombers. Neither Russia nor any other potential enemy can not harm U.S. political system with the tools of war. However, by sowing doubts about the legality, integrity and reliability of the electoral process in the United States, Russia could shake the system to its foundations.
The United States was not the only victim of Russia. Statements that were made by some members of the Obama administration, that last year’s intervention was expected retribution for past political actions of the United States, is not tenable, since Russia also intervenes in the course of the upcoming elections in France and Germany, has already intervened in the recent referendum in Italy, and a number of elections across Europe. Russia uses the weapons against the greatest possible number of democratic countries, to undermine the credibility of democratic institutions.
Democratic countries will have to decide how to respond to these steps of Russia. And given the fact that the next Congressional elections will be held within 20 months, it is extremely important to know the full picture of what Russia has done and may do in the future — and as soon as possible. The longer the American public will be unaware of the manipulations of Russia, the longer it will be exposed to them. The longer Congress will pass up the opportunity to obtain the necessary information, the harder it will be to take measures to respond to the threat. Sorry, currently we do not have to rely on the fact that the current administration will be able to do it yourself.
There is no need to ask what Republicans would do if “the Shoe was on the other foot” — that is, if Russia interfered with the election for the election of the democratic candidate. They would demand the creation of a bipartisan special congressional Committee or an expert group, empowered to hear that case. They would insist that even only for reasons of national security it is important to establish exactly what happened: what Russia did, how she did it and how you can prevent it to do the same next time. And if the result of this investigation, it was determined that some U.S. officials somehow participated in or facilitated this operation Russia, the Republicans began to insist that the information made public and to begin the relevant legal proceedings. And if the Democrats tried to slow down the investigation, or block the establishment of special committees or expert groups, or to insist that the investigation was conducted by special commissions of the intelligence services, which are not dedicated to the public in the course of its proceedings and its findings, Republicans immediately accused them of harboring the crime and that they subjected the country to new shocks. And would be absolutely right.
Meanwhile, now that the Republicans are engaged in a cover-up. The current party leader and the President of the United States — questioning the results of the work, the motives and honesty of the intelligence structures. Republican leaders in Congress oppose the creation of any investigative commissions, in Congress and beyond. They insisted that the investigation was conducted by representatives of the two committees on intelligence. However, the Chairman of the house Committee on intelligence said that he did not see any special urgency in the investigation, and questioned the seriousness and the veracity of the charges. The Chairman of the Senate Committee on intelligence — also a Republican — has started to fulfil its obligations with great reluctance. The investigation will go, probably with a big delay, will not allow to collect sufficient amount of information and leave the public in the dark. Pretty hard not to conclude that this is the goal of the leadership of the Republican party as the White house and in Congress.
Such an approach not only undermines the national security of the United States, but also puts the Republican party in a very unpleasant position. If the Republicans prevent to conduct a thorough, transparent and prompt investigation, after the fact, they become complicit in Russia. Of course, they do not want. No one in the Republican party does not want to help Russia in its efforts to harm the U.S. and its democratic institutions. However, the Republicans need to face the truth: slowing, limiting, or otherwise interfering with the conduct the most comprehensive investigation, that’s what they do.
It’s time for the Republican party to put national security interests above the interests of the party. Its leaders must, as soon as possible to appoint members of the special Commission or to gather a group of independent experts. They should give this Commission the appropriate job and to provide her with all necessary means to ensure that she could find out what really happened in 2016. After this you need to start looking for means of defending the country against a new weapon that threatens to weaken American democracy. The stakes are too high to pursue a policy in the old way.
