McCain says Russian cyber attacks against US an 'act of war'
Senior US Senator and former presidential candidate John McCain says Russia's alleged cyber attacks against political organizations to influence the 2016 presidential election amounted to an "act of war."
McCain, a Republican from Arizona, has scheduled a hearing for next week on foreign cyber attacks targeting the US, which will also focus on Russian hacking.
He has invited Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, Director of the National Security Agency Mike Rogers and Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Marcel Lettre, to next week's hearing
McCain, who is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is one of Washington's most well-known foreign policy hawks.
"When you attack a country, it's an act of war," McCain said of the recent hackings on Ukrainian TV while on a visit to Kiev.
"And so we have to make sure that there is a price to pay so that we can perhaps persuade Russians to stop this kind of attacks on our very fundamentals of democracy," he said.
McCain and other top congressional leaders have pledged to press legislation next year on sanctions against Russia in addition to those announced by President Barack Obama this week. The senator has criticized the recent sanctions as insufficient and overdue.
However, incoming President Donald Trump has repeatedly questioned the accuracy of US intelligence pointing to Russia’s responsibility for the hacks and has said it was time to "move on."
The US claim has been rejected by Moscow. Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, which published the stolen emails, has denied that the Russian government provided the files.
Obama took unprecedented steps Thursday to retaliate against alleged Russian interference in this year’s presidential election, including expelling 35 Russian diplomats from the US.
Democrats 'risk losing' election for backing Israeli war on Gaza, Lebanon: US journalist
Microsoft fires employees for organizing vigil for Gaza victims
G7 leaders decide to give $50bn to Ukraine from frozen Russian assets
2 more Israeli forces killed in N Gaza: Reports
Iran relies on natural gas for nearly 90% of its power production: Expert
US embassy in Beirut blocks Iraq-Lebanon humanitarian air bridge
VIDEO | UK's Starmer targets journalists
Israel plans to displace Palestinians in occupied West Bank: Hamas
Iranian airlines ramp up Istanbul route flights after EU sanctions
British protesters slam UK’s complicity in Gaza genocide on Balfour day
US surgeon haunted by Gaza children with ‘single gunshot wounds to head’
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
