We seem to have 1200 "diplomats" inside Russia when the Russians only have 455 "diplomats" inside the US. More confusing, the State Department is claiming that many of the US diplomats are actually local hires. How does that work really? Do local hires get diplomatic immunity? US diplomatic passports? And how do we do background checks on Russian nationals in Russia?
Leaving that aside, what are 1200 diplomats doing inside Russia? Other than drawing their pay that is. All I can think of is intelligence gathering, which surely the Russians call espionage. I am surprised that the Russians let the 455 to 1200 diplomat count in our favor last as long as they did. Maybe CIA will finally stop covering their agents as diplomats, which has got to be ineffective. Surely the Russians surveil and target anyone associated with the US embassy. The CIA would do better and gather more real intel with agents covered as businessmen, reporters, writers, students, anything other than US diplomats. And it will make CIA duty a little more sporting (dangerous) for agents lacking diplomatic immunity.
Anyhow Putin has given us until September to cut our diplomat count down to parity, 455, which means expelling 750 of them. That's a lot.
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