© AP Photo / Jacquelyn Martin
Originally appeared at RIA, translated by Olya Kay exclusively for SouthFront
Director of the central intelligence agency of the U.S., Mike Pompeo, thinks that Russia wants to “stick it to the U.S.”
Pompeo, speaking at the security forum in Colorado, stated that Russia is involved in Syria partly because it “loves to stick it to America”. The duty of the latter is to resist and the new administration of the White House has been tougher with Moscow, added the director.
“They search for any place where they can make our lives difficult”, – Pompeo said, citing the Washington Examiner. When questioned if Russia is an enemy of the U.S., he responded by saying that “it is a complicated question”.
The head of the department hopes to develop Russian-American cooperation in their fight against terrorism. At the same time, Pompeo doubts that the purpose of Moscow’s presence in Syria is to fight the militants of the “Islamic State”. He called Russia’s contribution in fighting IS “minimal”.
In his speech, the director of the CIA did not forget the to address the topic of “Russian interference” with U.S. elections. Pompeo is confident that Moscow interfered in the last three polls at a minimum, and efforts to sway the electoral process date back to the 1970s.
At the request of the Syrian government, Russia regularly strikes positions of the “Islamic State”, a terrorist organization banned in Russia. The U.S. and its allies conduct similar operations in Syria, but without authorization from the local government. The United States and Russia established channels of communication in Syria, to prevent incidents of simultaneous operations in the country.
U.S. special services accuse Russia of interference with 2016 presidential elections. Investigations are being conducted by the FBI, special prosecutor Muller, and the intelligence committees of both chambers of Congress. Russia utterly rejects these statements. In addition, the investigation is exploring any ties between Donald Trump, his team, and his past business partners with Russia. Kremlin and the White House deny these allegations.
