US-Russia Relations:Russia Reacts to Closure San Francisco consulate: “We warned earlier that every action will elicit a response"

The United States on Thursday ordered the closure of a Russian consulate, describing it as a response to “unwarranted” actions taken by Moscow.

The order will see Russia's San Francisco consulate shuttered and embassy operations scaled back in Washington D.C. and New York by Sept. 2.

"The United States has fully implemented the decision by the government of the Russian Federation to reduce the size of our mission in Russia," the U.S. Department of State announcement says. "We believe this action was unwarranted and detrimental to the overall relation between our countries."
 
Read more: Russia Reacts to the Closure of Its San Francisco Consulate “We warned earlier that every action will elicit a response."

USA: Qatar blockade exposes rifts in Trump administration's 'peculiar' foreign policy - by Julian Borger

The crisis created by the ultimatum delivered to Qatar by the Saudi-led Gulf coalition has been deepened by mixed messages from Washington.

While Donald Trump has declared himself wholeheartedly behind the blockade on Qatar, the state and defense departments have been sharply critical of the move, in private and in public.

The defence secretary, James Mattis, rushed to assure Doha of continuing support, mindful that US air operations in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan fly out of the al-Udeid base, just outside the Qatari capital. Six days after Trump joined Riyadh in denouncing Qatar as a “funder of terrorism at a very high level”, Mattis signed a $12bn arms deal with the Qataris.

The state department issued a stinging rebuke of the behaviour of the Saudis and their Egyptian, Emirati and Bahraini allies, with the secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, warning them to make their demands on Qatar “reasonable and actionable”.

Now that the list of 13 demands has been presented and Qatar has been given 10 days to comply, much will depend on what is seen as being reasonable and actionable.

On Thursday, state spokeswoman Heather Nauert would not be drawn on the question. “I think that they [the Gulf protagonists] will know exactly what things are reasonable and what things are actionable,” she said.

In reality, both sides in the dispute are accustomed to looking to the US for guidance. However, guidance from Washington has seldom been less clear.

Different parts of the US executive have often had very different approaches to foreign policy problems. During the Obama administration, for example, the White House was far more risk-averse and non-interventionist than the Pentagon and the state department over Syria. But rarely, if ever, have the disagreements been so open, and the signalling so chaotic. The result has been to increase the risk of miscalculation in an already dangerous row.

The immediate crisis can be traced back directly to Trump’s first trip abroad as president, to Riyadh on 20 May, when he was feted and showered with flattery. Trump vaunted Saudi leadership and decisively sided with the Sunni Gulf states against Iran. Less publicly, Trump appears tacitly or explicitly to have given the green light to the Saudi royals to go on the offensive against its truculent neighbour.

When the Qatar blockade was declared, Trump cheered it on in tweets, triggering alarm and countervailing moves from the Pentagon and state department.

Read more: Qatar blockade exposes rifts in Trump administration's 'peculiar' foreign policy | US news | The Guardian

US State Dept. reverses visa revocations, allows banned travelers to enter U.S. - by R. Barnes, M.Zapotosky and A.Gearan

The US State Department says previously banned travelers will be allowed to enter the United States after a federal judge in Washington state on Friday temporarily blocked enforcement of President Trump’s controversial immigration ban.

“We have reversed the provisional revocation of visas under” Trump’s executive order, a State Department spokesman said Saturday. “Those individuals with visas that were not physically canceled may now travel if the visa is otherwise valid.”

Department of Homeland Security personnel “will resume inspection of travelers in accordance with standard policy and procedure.”

Immigrant advocates said they were encouraging travelers from the affected countries to get on planes as soon as possible, since the Trump administration has said it plans to appeal the stay on the travel ban.

Read more: State Dept. reverses visa revocations, allows banned travelers to enter U.S. - The Washington Post

Russia: US State Department on Sochi: 'Remain alert' - by Jose DelReal

The State Department released a travel alert Friday ahead of the Sochi Olympics, which begin Feb. 7, cautioning travelers on a number of topics ranging from the untested medical infrastructure in Sochi to heightened concerns of terrorism in Russia.

“U.S. citizens planning to attend the Games in Sochi should remain alert regarding their personal security at all times,” the State Department advised in the statement. “U.S. citizens are urged to remain vigilant and exercise good judgment and discretion when using any form of public transportation. When traveling, U.S. citizens may wish to provide a friend, family member, or coworker a copy of their itinerary.”

In addition to issuing general travel precautions, the department also warns that the medical infrastructure in Sochi is untested on a large scale and that events such as the Olympics are “attractive targets” for terrorism. This warning follows several violent attacks in the country since October that raised questions about the overall safety of the Sochi games.

“Russian authorities have indicated that they are taking appropriate security measures in Sochi in light of this. Acts of terrorism, including bombings and hostage takings, continue to occur in Russia, particularly in the North Caucasus region,” the statement read. “There is no indication of a specific threat to U.S. institutions or citizens, but U.S. citizens should be aware of their personal surroundings and follow good security practices.”
State also cautions LGBT travelers to remain mindful of Russia’s anti-gay propaganda law, explaining that the law also applies to American citizens.

Note EU-Digest: often statements like this do more harm than good when it concerns a major sport event.

Read more: State Department on Sochi: 'Remain alert' - Jose DelReal - POLITICO.com