What do World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) President Craig Reedie and U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller have in common?
Well, for one thing, they both are responsible for enforcing laws and rules.
As WADA chief, Reedie is, of course, responsible for investigating violations of anti-doping regulations in international sports.
And Mueller, a highly respected former FBI director, is heading up an independent investigation into allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
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And this week, we learned that they might have something else in common as well.
According to a report yesterday in RBK, both may be subject to Russian sanctions.
RBK is reporting, citing unidentified officials, that Reedie and Mueller are on a sanctions list being prepared by the Federation Council.
Now, the report is unconfirmed and it is based on anonymous sources.
But the pro-Kremlin daily Izvestia last week did cite Andrei Klimov, the chairman of the Federation Council’s Committee for the Protection of State Sovereignty and Prevention of Interference in Russia’s Internal Affairs, as saying the upper chamber of parliament was indeed discussing possible sanctions against WADA officials.
Specifically, those responsible for getting Russia banned from this year's Winter Olympics in South Korea for doping.
Now, this is all pretty revealing.
The individual Russian officials who have been subject to Western sanctions have been those who have done things like violate human rights, violate Ukraine's sovereignty, or facilitate illegal practices like doping or money laundering.
The West's sanctions have targeted rule breakers. And Moscow's have targeted rule and law enforcers.
This is the Kremlin's idea of reciprocity -- and it speaks volumes.
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