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A2 UP FRONT
Saturday 29 July 2017
Russia orders cut in US diplomats in reaction to sanctions

a new package of stiff fi- spokeswoman Maria Olson
nancial sanctions Friday could not immediately say
against Russia, Iran and how many people had to
North Korea and sent it to leave to meet Russia’s new
President Donald Trump to requirements.
sign. Olson said Ambassador
The legislation bars Trump John Tefft “expressed his
from easing or waiving the strong disappointment and
penalties on Russia unless protest” with the move and
Congress agrees. It is aimed passed the Russian gov-
at punishing Moscow for ernment’s notification to
interfering in the 2016 U.S. Washington for review.
presidential election and Russian Foreign Minister Ser-
for its military aggression in gei Lavrov told U.S. Secre-
Ukraine and Syria, where tary of State Rex Tillerson in
the Kremlin has backed a phone call later on Friday
President Bashar Assad. that Moscow was forced
The Russian Foreign Ministry to respond to what he de-
said, in response, it is order- scribed as “illegal sanc-
ing the U.S. Embassy in Rus- tions against Russia, libel-
sia to reduce the number ous statements against it, a
of its diplomats by Sept. 1. massive expulsion of diplo-
Russia will also close down mats and expropriation of
U.S. and Russian flags hung at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia, Friday, July 28, 2017. Russia’s the embassy’s recreational our diplomatic property.”
Foreign Ministry on Friday ordered a reduction in the number of U.S. diplomats in Russia and said it retreat on the outskirts of Lavrov added, however,
was closing down a U.S. recreation retreat in response to fresh sanctions against Russia.
(AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) Moscow as well as ware- that Moscow was ready to
house facilities. “normalize the bilateral ties
By NATALIYA VASILYEVA reduction in the number ational retreat in response The ministry said the num- with the U.S. and cooper-
Associated Press of U.S. diplomats in Russia to fresh sanctions against ber was being cut to 455 ate on important interna-
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s on Friday and said it was Russia. diplomats. U.S. Embassy tional issues.”q
Foreign Ministry ordered a closing down a U.S. recre- The U.S. Senate approved

North Korea 2nd ICBM test puts
much of US in its range: experts

Bruce Klingner, a Kore-
Continued from front
an and Japanese affairs
specialist at the Heritage
“We assess that this mis- Foundation think tank in
sile was an intercontinen- Washington, said, “It now
tal ballistic missile, as had appears that a significant
been expected,” Pen- portion of the continen-
tagon spokesman Navy tal United States is within
Capt. Jeff Davis said in range” of North Korean
Washington. missiles. Klingner recently
Analysts had estimated met with North Korean of-
that the North’s first ICBM ficials to discuss denuclear-
could have reached Alas- ization, the think tank said.
ka, and said Friday that the Washington and its allies
latest missile appeared to have watched with grow-
extend that range signifi- ing concern as Pyong-
cantly. yang has made significant
David Wright, a physicist progress toward its goal of
and co-director of the having all of the U.S. within
global security program at range of its missiles to coun-
the Union of Concerned ter what it labels as U.S. ag-
Scientists, said in Washing- gression. There are other
ton that if reports of the hurdles, including building
missile’s maximum altitude nuclear warheads to fit on
and flight time are correct, those missiles and ensuring
it would have a theoreti- reliability. But many ana-
cal range of at least 10,400 lysts have been surprised
kilometers (about 6,500 by how quickly leader Kim
miles). That means it could Jong Un has developed
have reached Los Ange- North Korea’s nuclear and
les, Denver and Chicago, missile programs despite
depending on variables several rounds of U.N. Se-
such as the size and weight curity Council sanctions
of the warhead that would that have squeezed the
be carried atop such a impoverished country’s
missile in an actual attack. economy.q