Biden asking for ‘9/11 style attack’ by not responding ‘forcefully’ to Russian cyberattacks: Kirk Lippold

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Ex-USS Cole commander says Biden must respond 'forcefully' to Russian cyberattacks

Kirk Lippold discusses the president's impending meeting with Vladimir Putin on 'Your World'

Former USS Cole Commander Kirk Lippold told "Your World" Joe Biden will embolden Vladimir Putin if he does not "clearly" respond to the Russian government for "state-sponsored" cyberattacks on American businesses.

LIPPOLD: When Biden’s Secretary of Commerce [Gina Raimondo] makes the statement to American businesses these [cyber] attacks are here to stay, and if anything will intensify, with no plan to do anything. You have to remember American businesses are prohibited by law from responding to these attacks. That's a U.S. government responsibility and Secretary Raimondo has essentially abdicated any leadership role and told businesses the U.S. government is going to do nothing to protect you. It's your responsibility to protect yourself. So on one hand, while the president may say, "Hey, Vladimir, you can't do these things," when you have an acceptance by a cabinet official that is accepting of what is happening, and then they say to businesses it's your responsibility to protect yourself. Those are two different approaches. I think that is asking for a 9/11 style attack. Would we be the same kind of accepting if we told Bin Laden don't worry about World Trade Center One? Don't worry about the embassy bombings. Don't worry about the attack on the U.S.S. Cole. It emboldened them. If we don't respond clearly and forcefully to the Russians, and by that I mean the government of Russia, these are state-sponsored attacks because they're happening in Putin's country. He doesn't allow things to happen unless he knows about it. So I think we're setting ourselves up for failure with that type of attitude.

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