https://sputnikglobe.com/20240816/dimitri-k-simes-they-wanted-to-block-any-attempt-to-have-a-russian-american-dialogue-1119796256.html
Dimitri K. Simes: 'They Wanted to Block Any Attempt to Have a Russian-American Dialogue'
Dimitri K. Simes: 'They Wanted to Block Any Attempt to Have a Russian-American Dialogue'
Sputnik International
Russian TV Channel One presenter and founder of the US-based think tank Center for the National Interest, Dimitri K. Simes, shared his thoughts on the current state of the US law enforcement and on how the authorities treat dissenters in the United States nowadays in an interview with Sputnik.
2024-08-16T18:23+0000
2024-08-16T18:23+0000
2024-08-16T18:27+0000
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Russian TV Channel One presenter and founder of the US-based think tank Center for the National Interest, Dimitri K. Simes, shared his thoughts on the current state of the US law enforcement and on how the authorities treat dissenters in the United States nowadays in an interview with Sputnik.Sputnik: You are a prominent member of the expert community, both in Russia and the US. And still you were subjected to this kind of treatment by the US state. Your home was searched by the FBI, your property rights were violated. And what about an average American who is less of a public figure than you? Isn't your example supposed to show that he or she can be subjected to the state's pressure, even for a smaller digression from the mainstream views, not necessarily on Russia?Dimitri K Simes: You know about what happened to a certain Donald Trump, who was also subjected to searches both at his residence in Florida and in a number of other places. You know about searches made at Rudy Giuliani's place of residence or Paul Manafort’s. A number of prominent Americans were subjected to searches or even put in jail, or made bankrupt. So, this is the way American law enforcement is working today. If somebody goes against the political mainstream, in particular against the Biden administration, the punishment may be very swift. And, in the case of Donald Trump, for instance, you could see that they were literally creating new laws or new interpretations of existing laws. Interpretations which have never existed before.My lawyers thought that I was quite safe as far as American law enforcement is concerned, and they did not think that they would run into any kind of trouble [working for me]. You can see that they were wrong. It clearly is an attempt to intimidate, not only somebody from Russia, but just anyone who goes against official policies and particularly against the deep state.Sputnik: It is obvious that you didn't do anything legally wrong. So you are being punished for your opinions. What will be your next steps in this situation? Does it make sense to resist, to seek the defense of the law?Dimitri K Simes: Well, let me start by saying that I do not know what I am being charged with. I don't even know if I am being charged with anything. Is it the FBI [pursuing me], or am I charged by the Department of Justice or any other US government agency? They did not notify me or my lawyers about what is going on, or about any problems they may have with me.The only comment we have from them so far is a comment they made to a local paper in Rappahannock County where the house is located and they told the paper that, indeed, they're conducting a law enforcement investigation, and they are not in a position to say anything more because the investigation is not complete. This is the fourth day of their operations in the house already. We're being told that they're moving things out of the house. What are they doing? Which things are they moving? I have no idea. It is suffice to say that I was not in the house. I have not been to the United States since October 2022. So there is absolutely nothing that can be there that is connected to my current professional life or my other activities.It was reported to me by the neighbors, who were not on my territory themselves, but who observed it from the outside, that there was quite a crowd [during the raid]. About 40 people, perhaps more. And, what was remarkable, many, even most of them, have arrived in private cars, which obviously is against the rules.Normally you would not have an FBI agent arrive at a [facility] he or she is going to search in a private car. Because if they use private cars, these FBI people would be very easily identified and suffer [the] consequences.So, I really would be curious to know who these people are. These people could actually be not FBI agents, but some kind of anti-Russian Ukrainian activists. We did have a precedent before when these [so-called activists] tried to enter my property, but because they were not with the FBI, these people were stopped. That happened in the past. If needed, I obviously will defend my interests. I will do it quite aggressively, but I repeat: it will be done if needed.There were a lot of fairly good paintings. Some of them belonged to my late parents. These were gifts from prominent Russian avant-garde artists. And, obviously, if they were taking them during the search, I would consider it theft. Well, if they just took the paintings for examination, I think it would be totally inappropriate and unnecessary. But if they would try to keep the paintings, most definitely it would be theft, in my view.As for my bank accounts, it's an interesting story. They froze my accounts last night but today one of these accounts, which I use to receive my Social Security pension, was, unfrozen. So, I can receive my small Social Security pension. But my main account, which I use to pay for my activities in the United States, the most important account for my family, it stayed frozen. I use it to pay my mortgage.Therefore I cannot pay for my house. There are a few instances, it happens rarely in the United States and Britain that the authorities would freeze accounts so that people would not be able to pay their mortgages. For that matter, you may become unable to pay for your utilities. When this happens, people’s private house get in total disarray.This did not happen yet to me. But they clearly are trying to create a situation in which I will be unable to return. They're not luring me to come back to the United States to face their justice system. But, on the contrary, they're doing everything possible to make it very difficult or indeed impossible for me to come to the United States. That clearly cannot be right.Sputnik: For many years, you were an important figure in the Russian-American dialogue. You advised President Richard Nixon on Russia and you were an important voice in the United States advocating negotiations between our two countries. And there are still many people in the US establishment who speak out against the current US policy of burning bridges with Russia. Can we say that Washington wants to intimidate these people? And this action against you – is it a part of that campaign of intimidation?Dimitri K Simes: There is no question about that. I assume that this is what the whole action is about. If they just wanted to do something against me, they don't need to move things out in trucks, take my belongings from my property and to create this unsavory spectacle.But they want to intimidate other people too, not just me. Particularly they want to intimidate the people in the American foreign policy community. You have mentioned my participation in Russian-American dialogue. Yes, I played a certain role in this dialogue before. I received several invitations to have meetings in the United States, to see, whether we could try to create, to establish at least some form of a professional, unofficial dialogue. At this stage, when there's almost no official dialogue of any kind. And, my suspicion is, this is what they were doing in my house. I cannot be categorical, but this is my suspicion, that they, instead of trying to get me to come to the United States and to interrogate me or even to arrest me, their real purpose is different. They want to make sure that I would not come to the United States, and they want to block any attempt to have a Russian-American dialogue. At least, that is my strong suspicion.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240816/fbi-says-raid-at-us-home-of-journalist-dimitri-simes-court-authorized-gives-no-details-1119793774.html
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Dimitri K. Simes: 'They Wanted to Block Any Attempt to Have a Russian-American Dialogue'
18:23 GMT 16.08.2024 (Updated: 18:27 GMT 16.08.2024) The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raided a property in Rappahannock County, Virginia, belonging to Russian-American political analyst Dimitri K. Simes this week.
Russian TV Channel One presenter and founder of the US-based think tank Center for the National Interest, Dimitri K. Simes, shared his thoughts on the current state of the US law enforcement and on how the authorities treat dissenters in the United States nowadays in an interview with Sputnik.
Sputnik: You are a prominent member of the expert community, both in Russia and the US. And still you were subjected to this kind of treatment by the US state. Your home was searched by the FBI, your property rights were violated. And what about an average American who is less of a public figure than you? Isn't your example supposed to show that he or she can be subjected to the state's pressure, even for a smaller digression from the mainstream views, not necessarily on Russia?
Dimitri K Simes: You know about what happened to a certain Donald Trump, who was also subjected to searches both at his residence in Florida and in a number of other places. You know about searches made at Rudy Giuliani's place of residence or Paul Manafort’s. A number of prominent Americans were subjected to searches or even put in jail, or made bankrupt. So, this is the way American law enforcement is working today. If somebody goes against the political mainstream, in particular against the Biden administration, the punishment may be very swift. And, in the case of Donald Trump, for instance, you could see that they were literally creating new laws or new interpretations of existing laws. Interpretations which have never existed before.
My lawyers thought that I was quite safe as far as American law enforcement is concerned, and they did not think that they would run into any kind of trouble [working for me]. You can see that they were wrong. It clearly is an attempt to intimidate, not only somebody from Russia, but just anyone who goes against official policies and particularly against the deep state.
Sputnik: It is obvious that you didn't do anything legally wrong. So you are being punished for your opinions. What will be your next steps in this situation? Does it make sense to resist, to seek the defense of the law?
Dimitri K Simes: Well, let me start by saying that I do not know what I am being charged with. I don't even know if I am being charged with anything. Is it the FBI [pursuing me], or am I charged by the Department of Justice or any other US government agency? They did not notify me or my lawyers about what is going on, or about any problems they may have with me.
The only comment we have from them so far is a comment they made to a local paper in Rappahannock County where the house is located and they told the paper that, indeed, they're conducting a law enforcement investigation, and they are not in a position to say anything more because the investigation is not complete. This is the fourth day of their operations in the house already. We're being told that they're moving things out of the house. What are they doing? Which things are they moving? I have no idea. It is suffice to say that I was not in the house. I have not been to the United States since October 2022. So there is absolutely nothing that can be there that is connected to my current professional life or my other activities.
It was reported to me by the neighbors, who were not on my territory themselves, but who observed it from the outside, that there was quite a crowd [during the raid]. About 40 people, perhaps more. And, what was remarkable, many, even most of them, have arrived in private cars, which obviously is against the rules.
Normally you would not have an FBI agent arrive at a [facility] he or she is going to search in a private car. Because if they use private cars, these FBI people would be very easily identified and suffer [the] consequences.
So, I really would be curious to know who these people are. These people could actually be not FBI agents, but some kind of anti-Russian Ukrainian activists. We did have a precedent before when these [so-called activists] tried to enter my property, but because they were not with the FBI, these people were stopped. That happened in the past. If needed, I obviously will defend my interests. I will do it quite aggressively, but I repeat: it will be done if needed.
There were a lot of fairly good paintings. Some of them belonged to my late parents. These were gifts from prominent Russian avant-garde artists. And, obviously, if they were taking them during the search, I would consider it theft. Well, if they just took the paintings for examination, I think it would be totally inappropriate and unnecessary. But if they would try to keep the paintings, most definitely it would be theft, in my view.
As for my bank accounts, it's an interesting story. They froze my accounts last night but today one of these accounts, which I use to receive my Social Security pension, was, unfrozen. So, I can receive my small Social Security pension. But my main account, which I use to pay for my activities in the United States, the most important account for my family, it stayed frozen. I use it to pay my mortgage.
Therefore I cannot pay for my house. There are a few instances, it happens rarely in the United States and Britain that the authorities would freeze accounts so that people would not be able to pay their mortgages. For that matter, you may become unable to pay for your utilities. When this happens, people’s private house get in total disarray.
This did not happen yet to me. But they clearly are trying to create a situation in which I will be unable to return. They're not luring me to come back to the United States to face their justice system. But, on the contrary, they're doing everything possible to make it very difficult or indeed impossible for me to come to the United States. That clearly cannot be right.
Sputnik: For many years, you were an important figure in the Russian-American dialogue. You advised President Richard Nixon on Russia and you were an important voice in the United States advocating negotiations between our two countries. And there are still many people in the US establishment who speak out against the current US policy of burning bridges with Russia. Can we say that Washington wants to intimidate these people? And this action against you – is it a part of that campaign of intimidation?
Dimitri K Simes: There is no question about that. I assume that this is what the whole action is about. If they just wanted to do something against me, they don't need to move things out in trucks, take my belongings from my property and to create this unsavory spectacle.
But they want to intimidate other people too, not just me. Particularly they
want to intimidate the people in the American foreign policy community. You have mentioned my participation in Russian-American dialogue. Yes, I played a certain role in this dialogue before. I received several invitations to have meetings in the United States, to see, whether we could try to create, to establish at least some form of a professional, unofficial dialogue.
At this stage, when there's almost no official dialogue of any kind. And, my suspicion is, this is what they were doing in my house. I cannot be categorical, but this is my suspicion, that they, instead of trying to get me to come to the United States and to interrogate me or even to arrest me, their real purpose is different. They want to make sure that I would not come to the United States, and they want to block any attempt to have a Russian-American dialogue. At least, that is my strong suspicion.
