U.S. officials contact wrong embassy about Russian citizen's detention

CNN ^ | 22 July 2010 | CNN Wire Staff

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U.S. officials contact wrong embassy about Russian citizen's detention

By the CNN Wire Staff

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Russian officials were not granted immediate access to a Russian citizen in U.S. custody
• U.S. officials notified the wrong embassy about K.V. Yaroshenko's detention
• Yaroshenko was detained in Liberia in late May as part of U.S. anti-drug efforts
• Moscow contends U.S. officials kidnapped Yaroshenko, violating international law

(CNN) -- Russian officials did not receive immediate consular access to a Russian citizen now in American custody because U.S. officials notified the wrong embassy, a State Department spokesman said Thursday.

K.V. Yaroshenko is one of five defendants arrested in late May in Liberia under a Drug Enforcement Administration operation designed in part to stem the shipment of cocaine from West Africa, according to a Justice Department news release.

Justice officials have described Yaroshenko, 41, as an "aircraft pilot and aviation transport expert who transported thousand-kilogram quantities of cocaine throughout South America, Africa, and Europe." He is currently in a New York prison.

"We tried to do everything we were supposed to do," a senior administration official said. "They just pressed the wrong button on the fax machine and sent it to different embassy. ... They aimed for the Russia button. They hit a different button."

There was a "process failure," the official said.

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said the U.S. government has apologized to Moscow. "Normally, we try to arrange these consular notifications within 72 hours," he said. "We didn't discover our error until it was after that period of time."

Russian officials have argued that Yaroshenko's apprehension and incarceration "directly violate norms of international law."

"We are talking about kidnapping of a Russian citizen on the territory of a third country," a Russian Foreign Ministry statement said

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What the fax is going on around here?

[LucyT]

[ridesthemiles]

Another example of Dems not knowing what they are doing.

Maybe they got geography advice from the dame in Milwaukee who is Hispanic & does NOT think Arizona shares a border with Mexico.

Tenure for teachers is rearing it’s ugly head, IMO. They don’t teach a thing.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Wouldn’t you think the country’s embassy that did get the letter would have fired a speedy reply back to Washington “what the heck is this about”? Unless they were just snickering, at the US or Russia or both.

Mashing a wrong button on a fax speed call list, that’s pretty lame.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Oh! You had an ingrown toenail? Gee, I’m sorry, somebody mashed the wrong button and we gave you a new heart.

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I'd like to know who received the fax? Perhaps someone will ask Gibby.

Here's a link to his Twitter page.

PressSec

Actually as Secretary of State, perhaps it's a question for Hillary ?