Newly declassified US intel claims Russia is laundering propaganda through unwitting Westerners

[Beastly Boy]

It's not just trolls. A lot of times it's useful idiots.

US intelligence agencies believe that the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) is attempting to influence public policy and public opinion in the West by directing Russian civilians to build relationships with influential US and Western individuals and then disseminate narratives that support Kremlin objectives, obscuring the FSB’s role through layers of ostensibly independent actors.

“These influence operations are designed to be deliberately small scale, the overall goal being US [and] Western persons presenting these ideas, seemingly organic,” a US official authorized to discuss the material told CNN. “The co-optee influence operations are built primarily on personal relationships … they build trust with them and then they can leverage that to covertly push the FSB’s agenda.”

The campaigns have sometimes been effective at planting Russian narratives in the Western press, according to the intelligence.

https://news.yahoo.com/newly-declassified-us-intel-claims-142734560.html

[flamingdem]

1. Vivek for example

Another Putin rear kisser

[QED]

2. Empty Green

[tblue37]

6. Tucker Carlson.

[yardwork]

9. That woman who accused Biden of sexual misconduct, then ran off to Russia.

Where she was welcomed by the Russian spy who was close to Trump. I mean, how much more obvious does it have to be?

Or Charles McGonigal, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Counterintelligence Division in New York, who pleaded guilty to being a Russian spy? He just happened to be the person who pushed Comey to investigate Hillary Clinton, weeks before the 2016 election. Where did that story go?

[Walleye]

3. I have heard normal American politicians repeating, word for word, Russian propaganda

[JHB]

4. Lots and lots of useful idiots

[niyad]

5. The moscow8 come immediately to mind.

[yardwork]

7. We saw this unfold in real time on DU. It started in 2014 when Russia invaded Crimea.

What I saw was a combination of posts from probable Russian trolls and posts from "ordinary people" who had been influenced by Russian propaganda.

This ramped up during 2015 and 2016 (support for BREXIT, a highly toxic primary season, and lots of negativity about the Democratic nominee, culminating in Trump's win.) Some DUers formed another site dedicated to trashing the Democratic nominee for president. Posts there were non-stop propaganda and dissemination of lies.

I noticed at the time that wording in many posts was "off." For instance, "Hillary was anointed!" Americans usually don't use the word anointed. That word has specific historical and cultural connotations. Where did that phrase come from? Where did the funds for internet sites promoting lies about Democrats come from?

[dmr]

22. Great post, yardwork!

You have an awesome memory.

[yardwork]

23. I have PTSD!

[BComplex]

8. One reason why we need to be repeating over and over again that the russians, chinese, and saudis

are spreading propaganda to break up the USA. We really do need to keep repeating it over and over and over until it actually penetrates!

[Recycle_Guru]

11. and it is not too farfetched they could provoke a US civil war

in wake of J6 and our hyper partidan/toxic environment.

It means we should be wary of repeating secessionist talking points ourselves (let the west coast states form their own country!)

Somehow, we have to see our opponents as actual people who are being misled.

[BComplex]

13. I totally agree.

Maybe if we start emailing the pundits to talk about this interference, and attempts at dividing us, it would start to get through.

[Recycle_Guru]

14. we should. this will be more reminiscent of '16 than '20

Chaos candidate who gets tons of free publicity while his allies work overtime to erode trust in Dem leaders and US institutions.

Only advantages are Biden is running as incumbent and people now know the damage Trump causes as Resident Evil.

[JohnSJ]

10. Glenn Greenwald, Matt Taibbi, etc

[dalton99a]

12. Kick

[KentuckyWoman]

15. Kick.

Interesting read.

[MagickMuffin]

16. That last sentence was something I was going to ask

How many are talking heads on cable news?

[Cheezoholic]

17. Is?

Thanks. Had no clue this has been going on... since at least WWII.

[CanonRay]

18. Make that "witless" rather than unwitting

[republianmushroom]

19. Do they mean like the trump and republican party ?

[NowISeetheLight]

20. Speed Dial

I’m inclined to believe they must have Tucker and Elon on speed dial.

[MontanaMama]

21. Newly declassified US intel claims Russia is laundering propaganda through

Dimwitted Westerners. I fixed it.