Posted: 09 Apr 2014 03:11 PM PDT

American and British intelligence hope to take advantage of social media platforms, like Twitter, YouTube and Facebook, in an effort to spread disinformation and propaganda, as well as potentially foment public protests, recent Snowden leaks claim.
According to Glenn Greenwald, the journalist who first broke the news on the Snowden NSA leaks, an Orwellian-style dystopia is lurking on the horizon as western spy agencies see an opportunity for manipulating public opinion and disseminating state propaganda by exploiting global internet giants, such as Flickr, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
“These ideas – discussions of how to exploit the internet, specifically social media, to surreptitiously disseminate viewpoints friendly to Western interests and spread false or damaging information about targets – appear repeatedly throughout the archive of materials provided by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden,” Greenwald revealed in the online publication, The Intercept, where he is an editor.
While it is already known is that British analysts had instructed the NSA in 2012 how to conduct real-time surveillance on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, as well as collect the computer addresses of billions of the sites’ users, the new report shows the GCHQ has moved to actively push particular news stories into the public domain.
At the 2010 annual “SIGDEV” gathering of the “Five Eyes” surveillance alliance comprising the UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the US, discussion focused on developing methods for the purpose of “discrediting” foreign governments by secretly exploiting social media for “propaganda,” “deception,” “mass messaging,” and “pushing stories,” Greenwald reveals.
The leaked documents are from a GCHQ publication titled ‘Psychology: A New Kind of SIGDEV’ (Signals Development).
The document, presented by GCHQ’s Joint Threat Research Intelligence Group (JTRIG), outlines the goal of “using online techniques to make something happen in the real or cyber world,” including “information ops (influence or disruption).” The agency said its JTRIG and Computer Network Exploitation operations make up “5 percent of Operations” at GCHQ.
The annual SIGDEV conference, according to one NSA document released by The Intercept, “enables unprecedented visibility of SIGINT Development activities from across the Extended Enterprise, Second Party and US Intelligence communities.”
And for anybody who thought the mainstream media could not possibly become less independent, think again. The document details a practice called “credential harvesting,” which – in an earlier report drawn up by NBC – is described as an effort to “select journalists who could be used to spread information” advantageous to the government.
According to NBC, GCHQ operatives would use “electronic snooping to identify non-British journalists who would then be manipulated to feed information to the target of a covert campaign.” Then, “the journalist’s job would be to provide access to the targeted individual, perhaps for an interview.”
Anonymous sources quoted in the NBC report claimed at the time that GCHQ had not employed the technique.
Fomenting dissent one Tweet at a time
Communist-ruled Cuba has already been used as a testing ground for exactly such foreign infiltration. This week, the Associated Press revealed a clandestine operation – call it The Bay of Tweets – run by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to create “a Twitter-like Cuban communications network” to promote dissenting viewpoints among its audience.
The program, dubbed ZunZuneo (Cuban slang for a hummingbird’s tweet), operated in the shadows as a social media platform for more than two years, attracting tens of thousands of subscribers. Its audience, mostly young Cubans, had no idea the site was a product of USAID, nor that the social media platform was accumulating personal data about users “in the hope that the information might be used someday for political purposes,” AP noted.
By 2011, the documents revealed that USAID was paying “tens of thousands of dollars in text messaging fees to Cuba’s telecommunications monopoly routed through a secret bank account and front companies.”

By mid-2012, the shady new Cuban platform had vanished, while USAID, which relies on public trust to continue its operations in foreign countries, seems to have a lot of explaining to do. But it won’t be the first time.
In September 2012, Russia’s Foreign Ministry denied USAID permission to continue with its operations on the territory of Russia after 20 years, saying that the agency was seeking to manipulate the election processes in the country.
“The character of the agency’s work…did not always comply with the declared aims of cooperation in bilateral humanitarian cooperation,” the Foreign Ministry said. “We are talking about issuing grants in an attempt to affect the course of the political processes in the country, including elections at different levels and institutions in civil society.”
Meanwhile, revelations of USAID’s secret “Cuban Twitter” program come at a particularly curious time in global affairs, especially with ongoing civil strife in Ukraine. That ongoing political crisis witnessed Western-orientated protesters, which are strongly suspected of receiving Western support for their activities, engaging in violent anti-government protests in Kiev that ultimately forced democratically elected President Viktor Yanukovich to flee the country.
USAID, which has been operating in Ukraine since 1992, declares on its Ukrainian website that it is “partnering with Ukrainians for more participatory, transparent and accountable governance processes.” Whatever the validity of that mission statement may be, it is indisputable that the US State Department, as witnessed by comments by Viktoria Nuland in a leaked phone call with the US Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt, is certainly no disinterested spectator to the events unraveling on Russia’s border.
“I don’t think that (Vitaly) Klitschko should go into the government. I don’t think it is necessary. I don’t think it is a good idea,” Nuland reportedly said.
“In terms of him not going into the government, just let him stay out and do his political homework,” a male voice – believed to be Pyatt – replied. “In terms of the process moving ahead, we want to keep the moderate democrats together.”
Ukrainian opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk should be in charge of the new government, Nuland asserted, and Klitschko would not get along with him. “It’s just not going to work,” she said.
Whether USAID, with the complicity of the biggest names on the internet, were attempting to foment civil unrest in Ukraine and Russia remains unknown, but the details of its work in Cuba has dark connotations.
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Posted: 09 Apr 2014 02:41 PM PDT

Crimean Tatars say they will establish their own autonomous region on the Black Sea peninsula.
According to a Saturday vote by the Crimean Tatars’ assembly, the 300,000-strong Muslim minority will seek “ethnic and territorial autonomy.”
“In the life of every nation there comes a time when it must make decisions that will determine its future,” assembly leader Refat Chubarov told over 200 delegates.
Chubarov made the announcement during the second extraordinary session of the assembly in the city of Bakhchisaray in central Crimea.
“I ask you to approve … the start of political and legal procedures aimed at creating ethnic and territorial autonomy of the Crimean Tatars of their historic territory of Crimea,” he said.
Head of Russia’s semi-autonomous republic of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov and head of Russia’s Muftis Council Ravil Gaynutdin also attended the meeting.
“I think we should get closer together, be together,” Minnikhanov said at the meeting.
Crimea declared independence from Ukraine on March 17 and formally applied to become part of Russia. This came on the heels of a referendum a day earlier, in which 96.8 percent of Crimeans voted for reunion with Russia.
On March 21, Putin signed into law documents that officially made the Black Sea peninsula part of the Russian territory despite condemnation from the West and the new Ukrainian government.
The move sparked angry reactions from the United States and the European Union, both imposing punitive measures against a number of Russian officials and authorities in Crimea.
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Posted: 09 Apr 2014 02:24 PM PDT

Four parliamentary parties in Ukraine nominated candidates for the presidential election. Not all of these candidates are registered, but they are the most likely contenders. The Russian Federation was in a difficult situation. On the one hand, it is clear that the elections are illegitimate, on the other hand, it will be necessary to establish relationship with the new president.
Recognizing the election as illegitimate, Russia still needs to establish relationship with the new president and the government. The following questions are important for Russia: who is funding the campaign of a presidential candidate? How does this person see the relationship with Russia? What is their position on Crimea? Who will be able to curb the radicals?
Yulia Tymoshenko is a candidate from the “Fatherland.” She took the initiative not to spend much money on the campaign. “The “Fatherland” has people who have their own businesses, resources, well-developed regional structure, so the party will have no problems with financing,” told Pravda.Ru the director of the Kiev Agency for Modeling Situations, a political analyst Vitaly Bala. Today, de facto the “Fatherland” is at the steering wheel because Turchynov, Yatsenyuk, and Avakov are members of the party. However, this does not mean that Tymoshenko will win, on the contrary, if Avakov loses the war to the “Right Sector,” it will play against Tymoshenko.
The “Orange Lady” is aggressive towards Russia. “In the current circumstances it is necessary to integrate into the Western defense alliance, but at the same time, Ukraine is to continue to build an effective army. If the people elect me president, I will not give up without a fight and will not give up an inch of the Ukrainian land,” said Tymoshenko. She called the Russian demands on non-aligned status of Ukraine and the federalization of the country “a recipe for neocolonialism.” She believes it to be a direct path towards the destruction of the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine and other former Soviet countries,” said Tymoshenko. However, she has one serious “flaw” – the West does not support her, calling her a “politician of the past.”
The Congress of the Ukrainian “Party of Regions” has proposed the former governor of the Kharkiv region Mikhail Dobkin as a presidential candidate. Oleg Tsarev dropped out of the race (he was excessively pro-Russian) and Sergei Tihipko allegedly did not agree with the sponsors.
“Dobkin is not a poor man, he’s officially a millionaire. His candidacy was proposed and supported by the “Party of Regions” that has enough wealthy people, including Ukraine’s richest man Rinat Akhmetov. I do not think they will have problems with the financing,” told Pravda.Ru Vitaly Bala. In his keynote speech at the congress Dobkin spoke about federalization of Ukraine and cooperation with the Customs Union. Later he was corrected by his fellow party members and now his official statement on the site of his “Party of Regions” speaks of the country’s unitary form.
Speaking about Crimea, Dobkin said that Ukraine had to win over the hearts and minds of the residents of the peninsula, and then they will want to return to Ukraine. However, Dobkin was charged with incitement to separatism, is currently under house arrest, and may at any time be stripped off the opportunity to participate in the elections.
The candidate from “Udar” is a prominent businessman Poroshenko. Poroshenko and his party “Solidarity” gained about one percent of the vote in the last election, and now he is the main contender for the win. Vitali Klitschko also showed his inability to competently conduct a political campaign, and the creators of the Party, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, have likely advised him to give way to the oligarch. This step is not unexpected and is based on the point of view of the Germans.
“The campaign will be funded exclusively with my own money. I paid all taxes in full,” said Poroshenko. However, according to Vitaly Bala, financial advisors of a Ukrainian oligarch Dmitry Firtash also participate in the election campaign. The “Chocolate Lord” is truly wealthy. His fortune is estimated at $1.8 billion. He owns a chocolate factory “Roshen,” car factories, shipyards and private television station Channel 5. However, his political swings from Kuchma to Yushchenko (he funded the Orange Revolution and was a minister in the government), and then to Yanukovych (he is a co-founder of the Party of Regions, was a minister in the government) say that he is opportunistic.
“Ukraine will not be able to quickly free and regain control of Crimea,” said Poroshenko. “We need to use all measures. On the one hand, the sanctions by our international partners, on the other, firm position of Ukrainians and economic success. When residents of Ukraine demonstrate that they live much happier than residents of Crimea, I am sure that the Crimeans will be disappointed.” It is an amazing coincidence with Dobkin’s opinion. Poroshenko distanced himself from the extreme right, which is not surprising given that he is an active parishioner of one of the parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate.
The neo-Nazi party “Freedom” nominated Oleg Tyagnibok that his supporters call the only candidate from the Maidan. He as a sponsor, an oligarch and a member of the Parliament Igor Krivetsky, but his chances of winning are minimal. He is well aware of that. Otherwise, why would he welcome the alliance of Poroshenko and Klitschko? “We definitely support any integration processes that occur in the environment of the former opposition and the current government. We can only win together,” said Tyagnibok. He may even withdraw his candidacy after registration.
“Today, the leaders of the presidential race are Poroshenko and Tymoshenko. But we cannot say yet who will win because of the emotional background in the country,” told Pravda.Ru Vitaly Bala. “Any action can change the situation. This is evident by the change in the ratings of Klitschko and Poroshenko. They were completely reversed, and there has been a change in leaders. The most important thing is in the east 40 percent are still undecided whether they will participate in the elections. If they do, it will make significant adjustments to the results. It is interesting who will take third place, Tigipko or Dobkin. All candidates have approximately the same position regarding Russia – you give us Crimea back, we will engage in a dialogue. There is Dobkin who speaks about federalization and favors entry into the Customs Union. I wonder how many people will vote for him, and, hence, for the annexation of Crimea. He would be the best candidate for Russia. Crimea is a wound that will keep us separated for a long time.”
What do we have to work with? The pro-Western opposition tycoon and “orange princess” who emphasizes the militant rhetoric and has a reputation of the person who you can negotiate with? None of these candidates will meet the expectations of the Maidan. This is why the election in 2014 will not be the end of the Ukrainian coup, but its new stage. Another question is whether the “Right Sector” will let the election take place.
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Posted: 09 Apr 2014 01:56 PM PDT

A senior South Korean official says a surveillance drone, likely operated by North Korea, has flown over the presidential palace in Seoul.
South Korean authorities examined the wreckage of a crashed drone that was found on Baengnyeong Island near the disputed waters of the Yellow Sea.
The aircraft was one of the two suspected North Korean drones that crashed late last month in South Korean territory.
Seoul says the unmanned aircraft was equipped with a basic camera containing hundreds of aerial photographs, including some taken from directly above the presidential Blue House.
South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman, Kim Min-seok, said on Thursday that the drone did not have the capability to transmit the images back to North Korea.
“It is of primitive standard, and it would not have been easy to use it in an act of terror, or more precisely, it would not have been possible,” Kim stated.
However, intelligence and military experts say Pyongyang can likely produce much more sophisticated drones without much difficulty.
The developments come as South Korea and the United States are currently conducting annual joint military drills.
Tensions have recently been on the rise between the two Koreas as Pyongyang accuses its southern neighbor and Washington of “rehearsing for an invasion.”
North Korea says it will take additional measures to demonstrate its might as long as threats from the US persist.
Last year’s maneuvers fuelled tensions, with Pyongyang threatening a pre-emptive nuclear strike and US stealth bombers flying over the peninsula.
Rail lines and other contacts between the two sides were first severed during the 1950-53 Korean War. No peace deal has been signed since then, meaning that Pyongyang and Seoul remain technically at war.
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Posted: 09 Apr 2014 01:43 PM PDT

Ukraine’s self-imposed president Aleksandr Turchinov has ordered the protester-held local govt HQ in Donetsk to be taken under ‘state protection’ as armed personnel and armored vehicles have been reported moving into the eastern region of Ukraine.
According to a decree signed by Turchinov, the local administration building in Donetsk and surrounding territory is an “important government facility, which is a subject to state protection.”
The decree entered into force upon signature and Turchinov has already given Ukraine’s state security service appropriate directions, Itar-Tass reports.
Ukraine’s acting interior minister Arsen Avakov stated earlier on Wednesday that a “special police task force” had already arrived in Donetsk, Lugansk and Kharkov from western regions of Ukraine and was ready to take them under control within 48 – using force, if needed.
The buildings of power structures in the eastern cities of Donetsk and Lugansk remain under control of the protesters. While so far there have been no attempts to recapture the occupied buildings, activist continue building barricades preparing for a possible attack by forces shipped in from other regions of Ukraine.
Activists expect the military operation to take place overnight in Donetsk and Lugansk simultaneously. Local administration in Kharkov was already stormed on Tuesday by armed men without insignia and masked law enforcement officers, after the local police in Kharkov refused to fulfil orders from Kiev.

About a hundred fighters from the newly-formed Ukraine’s National Guard reportedly arrived in the airport of Donetsk, the deputy director of a local group called People’s Militia of Donbas, Sergey Tsyplakov, told Ria Novosti.
“In Donetsk airport about a hundred of people from the National Guard have been housed,” Tsyplakov said. “Around a hundred of Right Sector thugs are also in the city, as well as a hundred employees from a private US military company operating under contract with Kiev junta.”
“Totally around 300 professionals or well-trained and motivated fanatics,” Tsyplakov added. “This is a major force, but we are ready to fight.”

Earlier in the day, pro-federalization activists in Donetsk blocked two busses carrying unbadged armed men in camouflage near the military commissariat. According to Tsyplakov activists believe they were mercenaries but were unable to identify gunmen as they kept silent and refused to answer any questions.

In the meantime, Ukrainian personnel and armored vehicles were spotted moving closer to the city of Donetsk. In an amateur video posted on YouTube shows locals were trying to stop machinery from progressing further.



Activists were also posting photos of special trains reportedly carrying armored vehicles to Donetsk.

Protests against the new government in Kiev have been continuing in eastern Ukraine for weeks now. Avakov warned that the coup-imposed government is ready within the next 48 hours to use force in order to retake control of the local administrative buildings held by protesters.
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