RTFri, 04 Mar 2022 09:29 UTC
© Getty Images/LeemageThe death of Julius Caesar in the Roman Senate - painting by Vincenzo Camuccini (1771-1844)
Napoli, Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham pleaded on Thursday for
"somebody in Russia" to "step up to the plate" and assassinate President Vladimir Putin, and who would thus do the country and the world "a great service."The Russian ambassador to Washington has rebuked the remarks, calling them
"unacceptable and outrageous."The South Carolina senator advocated assassinating Putin during an appearance on Fox News, and
cited historic examples of plots to kill famous political leaders, including Julius Caesar and Adolf Hitler.
Graham inquired:
"Is there a Brutus in Russia? Is there a more successful Colonel Stauffenberg in the Russian military? The only way this ... ends, my friend, is for somebody in Russia to take this guy out."
Commenting on the remarks,
Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov called them "unacceptable and outrageous." He said it showed that
"Russophobia and hatred in the United States towards Russia" had gone off-scale and asserted that Graham was de facto advocating an act of terrorism
to further Washington's political goals.Moscow was fearful for the future of the American nation, considering that people like the senator are at its helm, the Russian diplomat added.
Attempts to kill foreign leaders are not unheard of in US foreign policy.
Cuba's revolutionary leader Fidel Castro was arguably the most famous example. He was targeted by multiple plots hatched by the CIA, as revealed by the Church Committee in the 1970s.
A more recent example was
Libya's Muammar Gaddafi. He was personally targeted by NATO airstrikes during the bloc's 2011 air campaign to destroy the country's military and secure a victory for anti-government forces. He was ultimately captured by the rebels after his fleeing motorcade was hit by an airstrike, and was summarily executed.
Comment: It is clear unhinged members of the US government have a drum to beat and an outcome to orchestrate - the opposite of governance.
US Senator Lindsey Graham has been driven crazy by the ongoing tensions between Moscow and the West, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov implied, following calls from the politician for the assassination of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Not everyone can remain cool-headed these days, some [people] lose their senses," Peskov told a press conference, commenting on Graham's statements.
Peskov pointed to the "hysterical stirring-up" of anti-Russian sentiment in the US, calling it a "Russophobic meltdown" of sorts. Moscow has demanded an official explanation from the US over what it called de-facto advocating an act of terrorism.
Moscow maintains its military offensive in Ukraine is a "special operation" aimed at the "demilitarization" and "denazification" of the nation in the name of protecting the people of the two Donbass republics Russia has recently recognized.
Johnson, at least, suggested a trial first:
Britain's prime minister does not support the idea of trying to kill Russian President Vladimir Putin, a spokesperson for Boris Johnson said on Friday. Asked by reporters whether he agrees with US Senator Lindsey Graham, the spokesperson firmly rejected the idea:
"No. We stand with the Ukrainian people in demanding the immediate end to the Russian invasion. We have said before that Putin must be held to account before an international court for the horrific acts he has committed."
The open call for the assassination of the Russian president provoked fury in Moscow, with Russia's Embassy in the US strongly condemning such statements, as well as demanding Washington to hold the official accountable for his remarks. Russia's Ambassador in the US Anatoly Antonov said:
"The degree of Russophobia and hatred towards Russia is going through the roof in the United States. It is unbelievable that a senator from a country that preaches its moral values as a 'guiding light' for all of mankind could allow himself call for terrorism as a means to achieve Washington's goals on the international stage."
Comment: It is clear unhinged members of the US government have a drum to beat and an outcome to orchestrate - the opposite of governance. Johnson, at least, suggested a trial first: