Powerful Testimony On Exactly What Vladimir Putin Wanted From Trump And Why
By Walter Einenkel at Daily Kos
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/7/28/1684989/-William-Browder-breaks-down-exactly-what-Putin-wanted-from-Trump-and-why
"SNIP............
William Browder, CEO of Hermitage Management Capital, knows Vladimir Putin and his political machine very intimately. It was Mr. Browder’s former Russian lawyer—Sergei Magnitsky, killed by the Russian State apparatus under Putin’s control in 2009—that led to the passing of the Magnitsky Act under President Obama.
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Browder: Vladimir Putin, I believe him to be the richest person in the world, I believe him to be worth 200 billion dollars. That money is held in banks all over the world, in America and all over. The purpose of Putin’s regime has been to commit terrible crimes to get that money, and he doesn’t want to lose that money by having it frozen. So he personally is at risk of the Magnitsky Act. It’s a very personal, venal issue which is why, the first reason, he’s so upset.
The second reason is that in order to get that $200 billion, he has had to instruct people working for him—let’s say ten thousand people working for him—to do terrible things: to arrest, kidnap, torture, and kill to take people's property away. And as a result, the only way to get people to do such terrible things, is to say, if you do them, there will be no consequence. You will enjoy absolute impunity.
As a result of the Magnitsky Act, he can no longer guarantee absolute impunity, because all-of-a-sudden, we have created consequences in the West. I would not understate the value of the Magnitsky Act in terms of the consequences, because not only does it freeze the assets that are held in America, but the moment you get put on the Magnitsky List, you get put on the OFAC Sanctions List—which is a Treasury sanctions list. No bank in the world wants to be in violation of Treasury actions. And therefore, any bank, even if it is in South Korea or Dubai, if they see somebody on the Treasury sanctions list, [they] will close their account that day. And as a result, you basically become a financial pariah, and so it’s a real consequence.
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= new reply since forum marked as read
current shitstorm of "current events!! - but Mr. Browder's words literally changed my life...or my heart and brain, anyway. He's a singularly great man who has been through holy hell for years now in a relentless pursuit of justice.
Get this to the Greatest Page....
(Mr. Browder tells - in chilling, profoundly sad detail - the origins of the Magnitsky Act......Putin reacts
Putin was furious. Looking for ways to retaliate against American interests, he settled on the most sadistic and evil option of all: banning the adoption of Russian orphans by American families.
This was particularly heinous because of the effect it had on the orphans. Russia did not allow the adoption of healthy children, just sick ones. In spite of this, American families came with big hearts and open arms, taking in children with HIV, Down syndrome, Spina Bifida and other serious ailments. They brought them to America, nursed them, cared for them and loved them. Since the Russian orphanage system did not have the resources to look after these children, many of those unlucky enough to remain in Russia would die before their 18th birthday. In practical terms, this meant that Vladimir Putin sentenced his own, most vulnerable and sick Russian orphans to death in order to protect corrupt officials in his regime.
Why did Vladimir Putin take such a drastic and malicious step?
