Historian and U.K. analyst Mark Curtis checks out the Twitter accounts of journalists whose names have been associated with the Integrity Initiative, a British “counter disinformation” program.
By Mark Curtis
British Foreign Policy Declassified
The U.K.-financed Integrity Initiative, managed by the Institute for Statecraft, is ostensibly a “counter disinformation” program to challenge Russian information operations. However, it has been revealed that the Integrity Initiative Twitter handle and some individuals associated with this program have also been tweeting messages attacking Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. This takes on special meaning in light of the numerous U.K. military and intelligence personnel associated with the program, documented in an important briefing by academics in the Working Group on Syria Propaganda and Media.
Several journalists have been named as associated with the Integrity Initiative, either in program “clusters” or having been invited to an Integrity Initiative event, in the documents that have been posted online. (For more on this see section 7.1 of this briefing note, the “UK” section of the “Xcountry” document and journalists invited to speak at an Integrity Initiative event in London in November 2018.)
Corbyn: Under Twitter attack. (Global Justice)
Analysis of 11 of these individuals has been undertaken to assess to what extent their tweets have linked Corbyn unfairly (for a definition see below) to Russia. The results show two things:
- first, the smearing of Corbyn about Russia is more extensive than has been revealed so far;
- second, many of the same individuals have also been attacking a second target – Julian Assange, trying to also falsely link him to the Kremlin.
Many of these 11 individuals are associated with The Times and The Guardian in the U.K. and the Atlantic Council in the U.S. The research does not show, however, that these tweets are associated with the Integrity Initiative (see further below).
Linking Corbyn to Russia
The Integrity Initiative said in a tweet, “we are not ‘anti-Russian’ and do not ‘target’ Mr Corbyn.” However, that tweet was preceded by the following tweets:
- “Skripal poisoning: It’s time for the Corbyn left to confront its Putin problem.”
- “An alleged British Corbyn supporter wants to vote for Putin.”
- “’Mr Corbyn was a ‘useful idiot’, in the phrase apocryphally attributed to Lenin. His visceral anti-Westernism helped the Kremlin cause, as surely as if he had been secretly peddling Westminster tittle-tattle for money.’” This tweet was a quote from an article by Edward Lucas in The Times, “Corbyn’s sickening support of Soviet Empire.”
Here are examples of tweets from the 11 individuals.
Times columnist Edward Lucas has published an article on the Integrity Initiative website and been quoted as saying that his work with the Initiative has not been paid or involved anything improper. (See section 7.1.3 of this briefing note.) On Twitter, he has accused Corbyn of having blind spots on Putin’s plutocracy and Kremlin imperialism.”
In which I blast @jeremycorbyn for his blind spot on Putin's plutocracy http://t.co/UOWeAaOilL
— Edward Lucas (@edwardlucas) August 26, 2015
Lucas has also tweeted:
- “Why does Corbyn not see that Russia is imperialist and Ukrainians are victims?” and “It’s not just Corbyn. Here’s Swedish leftie @AsaLinderborg explaining why Nato not Putin is the real threat to peace” – linking to the latter’s article in a Swedish newspaper.
- “German hard-leftist GDR-loving wall-defending @SWagenknecht congratulates Corbyn on win” [in the Labour leadership contest]
- “More excellent stuff on Corbyn’s love of plutocrats so long as they are Russian.”
In another tweet, he praised as brilliant an article about Corbyn “playing into Russia’s hands on the Scribal poisoning.”
Deborah Haynes, until recently defence editor of The Times and now foreign affairs editor at Sky News, has tweeted:
. @jeremycorbyn talking tough, v quick to demand end to UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia after #Khashoggi death in stark contrast to his feeble response towards Russia over #Skripal attack
— Deborah Haynes (@haynesdeborah) October 22, 2018
Haynes has also tweeted about Corbyn “displaying staggering naivety and a complete failure to understand this state-sponsored attack by Russia on the UK. Appalling. Is he for real?”
Haynes has also tweeted: “Incredible that @jeremycorbynis attempting to score party-political points in wake of hugely significant statement by @theresa_may on Skripal attack by Russia.”
Washington Post columnist Anne Applebaum has tweeted that Corbyn is a “useful idiot” of Russia; about a “precise echo of Kremlin propaganda from Corbyn,” and that “Surprise! Russia sides with Corbyn against Cameron.”
Below is another.
Jeremy Corbyn isn’t anti-war. He’s just anti-West https://t.co/2Z5Qp3qBds
— Anne Applebaum (@anneapplebaum) November 19, 2015
David Clark, a former adviser to the late Labour PM, Robin Cook, has tweeted that Corbyn is an “apologist” for Putin. Below is another of Clark’s tweets.
It is an article of ideological faith for Corbyn and people like him that everything wrong with the world is the fault of the capitalist West. Therefore, nothing can be the fault of anyone else.
— David Clark (@David_K_Clark) September 6, 2018
Anders Aslund of the Atlantic Council in the U.S. has tweeted, referring to Corbyn: “Once a communist always so.”
His colleague at the Atlantic Council, Ben Nimmo, sent the following three tweets on Corbyn’s candidacy for the Labour leadership in August 2015:
- “Why Russia loves Corbyn, in one headline”
- “Russia’s certainly pushing Corbyn’s candidacy”
- “From Russia with coverage – how RT is campaigning for Jeremy Corbyn.” Here’s one more, promoting a piece he wrote for the Daily Beast:
How #Putin's @RT_com is backing Jeremy Corbyn – my piece in @thedailybeast http://t.co/PqNcPYMRQu pic.twitter.com/irIa8kIrcZ
— Ben Nimmo (@benimmo) August 17, 2015
Natalie Nougayrede, Guardian columnist and on its editorial board, has tweeted this:
"the time for equivocation, given the sinister nature of Mr Putin’s regime, is over"
Guardian editorial on shameful #Corbyn &Co reaction to #Russia behaviour & chemical weapon use https://t.co/ALmpGCoKh5— Natalie Nougayrède (@nnougayrede) March 15, 2018
Nougayrede also retweeted an article by Nick Cohen, headlined “Jeremy Corbyn isn’t anti-war. He’s just anti-West.”
Three Guardian/Observer-linked journalists were invited to speak at an Integrity Initiative event in London in November 2018: Carole Cadwalladr, Nick Cohen and James Ball.
Cadwalladr has tweeted that “Labour has a Russia problem,” that Corbyn adviser Seumas Milne is “pro-Putin” and that “Milne’s support for Putin has made him a Russian propaganda tool.” One of Cadwalladr’s tweets noted:
- “Here’s Corbyn’s principal advisor Seamus Milne on RT explaining why it was the fault of NATO aggression that Russia invaded Ukraine.
Another by Cadwalladr:
"What he has done, wittingly or unwittingly, is to work with the Kremlin’s agenda." Extraordinary quote from MP & expert on Russian active measures @IoWBobSeely in this incredible in-depth profile on Seamus Milne – @jeremycorbyn's chief advisor https://t.co/NNc9verN57
— Carole Cadwalladr (@carolecadwalla) November 25, 2018
Nick Cohen has tweeted that “Labour is led by Putin fans” and: “What is worse? Farage and Corbyn and twitter trolls divert attention from Russia’s political assassinations because they believe Putin is innocent or because they are morally corrupt?” He has also retweeted an Observer article of his claiming that Labour leaders have promoted “endorsements of Russian imperialism” and that Corbyn’s policy has given Russia “a free pass” in Syria.
Here is another:
Here's the political problem. Tories don't want to investigate Russia/Brexit because it undermines the referendum result. Labour doesn't because it is led by Putin fanshttps://t.co/MFZwBmmkqA
— Nick Cohen (@NickCohen4) January 11, 2018
James Ball has tweeted a link to his own article in the New Statesman saying that Corbyn is “playing into Russia’s hands on the Skripal poisoning” and accusing Corbyn to the effect that he “took money from Russia Today.”
Linking Assange to the Kremlin
Many of the same individuals have also been tweeting false statements about Julian Assange and Russia.
The Integrity Initiative twitter site itself retweeted a Guardian smear article about a lawyer, Adam Waldman, visiting the Wikileaks founder.
US lobbyist for Russian oligarch visited Julian Assange nine times last year https://t.co/pcvsATION0
— Integrity Initiative (@InitIntegrity) June 20, 2018
It also tweeted: “If you still believe Assange is some kind of hero, you deserve pity at best.”
Anders Aslund has tweeted that Assange “represents certain Russian agencies” that “Wikileaks, Assange & Snowden are nothing but highly successful Russian special operations” and “Kremlin agents” and that “Assange is collaborating w[ith] Russia Today as program host. Would be strange if not full-fledged agent.”
Cadwalladr has also sought to overtly link Assange to the Kremlin. She has tweeted that “Assange & Milne… are both Russian propaganda tools,” that Assange is a “special friend” of Russian intelligence and that Wikileaks has “colluded with…the Kremlin.”
In addition, Cadwalladr has tweeted several times that “Assange was in direct communication with Russian intelligence in 2016” and that “Wikileaks sought assistance from Russian intelligence officers to disrupt the US presidential election.” Cadwalladr is here claiming that Wikileaks knowingly colluded with Russian intelligence by releasing the files on the Democratic Party in 2016: in fact, this is not known or proven at all, while numerous media outlets also published or had contacts with Guccifer 2.0 and DCLeaks in 2016 – though do not figure as targets in her attacks.
Nick Cohen has also made many smears against Julian Assange, variously calling him a “Russian stooge,” a “Putin agent,” “pro-Putin,” a “Russian toady”, that he “works for Russia propaganda machine” while “Wikileaks will think whatever Putin tells it to think.”
David Leask, chief reporter of The Herald (Scotland), has described Assange as a “Kremlin proxy” while Anne Applebaum tweeted: “’Wikileaks is a front for Russian intelligence,’” linking to an article of the same headline. Edward Lucas retweeted his Times article suggesting that Assange and Wikileaks are part of the “Kremlin-loving camp”while David Clark has tweeted that “Assange is an active accomplice” of autocrats such as Putin.
Need for further research
There are some key points to be made about this analysis.
First, some of the tweets made by these individuals on Corbyn and Assange, not all of which are included here, are fair comment, even if, in my view, they are usually wrong. But others go beyond this, inferring that Corbyn (and Assange) are in effect agents of Russia and/or are willingly and knowingly amplifying Russia’s agenda, as little more than “tools” – with no evidence provided (understandably, since there is none). There is also sometimes the association of Corbyn with former communists. These areas are held to constitute smearing.
Second, it is not known and certainly not proven that these tweets are associated with the Integrity Initiative. Little is known of the internal workings of the Initiative. It is possible that some of the individuals may have been chosen by the Integrity Initiative to be associated with it precisely because of their pre-existing criticism of Russia or their willingness to accuse figures such as Corbyn with association with Russia. While I am not suggesting that these individuals’ tweets are necessarily linked to their role in the Integrity Initiative, there does appear to be something of a pattern among these people of smearing both Corbyn and Assange.
Third, and equally important, this is not a full analysis of these individuals’ outputs: it is limited to their tweets. Neither is it a full analysis of the false linking to Russia by individuals associated with the Integrity Initiative: several other journalists and figures named in the documents are not analysed here. Again, further research is needed.
Mark Curtis is an historian and analyst of U.K. foreign policy and international development and the author of six books, the latest being an updated edition of “Secret Affairs: Britain’s Collusion with Radical Islam.”
This longish article examines the II’s implications for our understanding of the events in Salisbury. I guarantee you’ll have read less useful things: http://only9sixty.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-gaslighting-initiative.html
I don’t understand why some of the tweets against Corbyn aren’t slander or defamation of character? If they aren’t they come pretty close to being so. BTW. If anyone wants to read Integrity Initiative tweets don’t respond to them in a negative way or they will block you. I did and it wasn’t anything bad, but I’m blocked.
Integrity Initiative as well as NewsGuard and others of their ilk are straight out of Orwell’s 1984 aren’t they? The government really doesn’t want people to read the truth about the things they are doing. We’re going to have to find a way to boycott websites that allow NewsGuard on them.
Daily Kos used to be a decent website for progressives to keep up with the news, but the owner has decided to put NewsGuard in charge of moderating what is true or not on his site instead of leaving it up to the members. There is a disclaimer on every diary there now that states that it was created by a community member and not read by the staff. NewsGuard had him put that on their content so that it would get by its censors. Outsourcing moderation on a so called progressive website. How very sad.
It would seem to me that News Guard would break some kind of monopoly law because it is forcibly installed and likely undeleteable, but then I supposed the neocons want a video game/movie style rating system for news that reeks of 1950s era paranoia. The Comics Codes in the USA were created amid anti-communist moralising and fearmongering, but if there had been “news labels” then they would be rightly seen as totalitarian. Now, they are seemingly accepted (witness fawning NYTimes profile on News Guard and Ben Nimmo)
Soon we’ll all be safe as this app called NewsGuard is slipped into all our new devices to sanize the news for our protection!
https://opensociet.org/2019/01/13/how-a-neoconservative-fact-checker-called-newsguard-is-set-to-insert-itself-into-everything/
If Corbyn seeks the collapse of capitalism, I’m all for it! Alas, I don’t think he is that radical…
As for Assange, yes, I’m sure he’s been “Putin’s buddy” for years now, helping the Great Evil Vladimir in his sinister plot to topple the Western liberal, rules-based, Democratic Way Of Life.
Assange’s record has never been bettered by any journalist. His leaks and documents published have all proved to be true. Do provide some evidence or curl up and die.
Part of the propaganda scheme is to paint Russia’s agenda as inherently evil without ever analyzing it. Russia’s agenda is to have it’s sovereignty respected, and to be able to engage in fair trade with the rest of the world. The empire’s agenda is to make Russia into another vassal to be controlled and looted. You are not necessarily a “Kremlin stooge” to be in favor of seeking peaceful coexistence in a multi-polar world. Putin enjoys sizable popular support inside Russia. That should tell anyone with a lick of sense that he is doing a good job, and that those demonizing him have an agenda other than the welfare of the Russian people.
Skip – “You are not necessarily a “Kremlin stooge” to be in favor of seeking peaceful coexistence in a multi-polar world. ”
Ah Skip, I see you’re attempting to bring sane rational thought and logic into a media debate where such things are most definitely unwelcome. :)
Several years ago while residing for an extended period in rural France I noticed an interesting media phenomenon. The phrase “Putin’s useful idiot” suddenly began to appear everywhere, as if on cue. From U.S. media, to French, German and U.K. media, suddenly anyone and everyone who dared to question the government approved narratives on Ukraine or Syria were designated as “Putin’s useful idiot.” Sort of an updated version of the CIA term “conspiracy theorist” I suppose.
Strange how Russia was considered just fine when it acted simply as a resource colony to be looted and plundered by Western interests in the 1990’s, but now has magically morphed into an “existential danger” to the U.S. by regaining it’s sovereignty under Putin. What can one say about a collective mind-set in Washington and other Western capitals in which seeking “peaceful co-existence” with the world’s other major nuclear armed power is considered somehow completely unacceptable if not outright treasonous?
That was just a pause in the plan to overthrow Russia during Yeltsin’s rein. After Vladimir threw the USA out of Russia the plan went back into effect.
I completely agree with you. Ideological fraud master Alexander Reid-Ross has successfully been able to associate “multipolarism” with the far-right and thus propelled nonsense theory into the information bloodstreams of many even on the left. Just yesterday Redfish, a pro-protest, insurrectionist, and pro-socialist media organization that does not hide its connections with RT, was smeared in the Times, with Integrity Initiative trolls once again trying to push the narrative that “if you work at or appear on RT (or Redfish) you should be ostracised from the rest of the media.” A great way to keep the debate within corporate parameters; as Redfish has focused on radical activism the MSM would never cover.
And if we allow these “NATO stooges” to push us away from attempting detente, we are looking at a potential nuclear holocaust. I have never understood how anyone with any sense could back hostility between nuclear armed states (including China here too!) instead of peace, which is in the interests of everyone except the capitalists and the professional anti-Russia public relations industry, proud members of which include Vice and the Daily Beast.
My shit list is getting cumbersome.
Great reporting. Yes, it is obvious that the MSM and social media is completely infiltrated by intelligence operatives who are pushing for a new war on Russia in order to justify their bloated budgets. And this “intelligence” operation seems to be working very effectively on many people because there is no counter-intelligence. No good will come of this and it will only tear the West apart.
Assange is critical of Putin too! Wikileaks posts illegal things Putin does, like evidence of the Surpal nerve agent poisoning and the Panama Papers! Assange wouldn’t post such true leaked evidence if he supports Putin!
Link please! When has WikiLeaks published anything substantial, that’s damaging to Russia, and namely Dear Leader Putin. Everyone knows Assange works for Russia.
The problem with people like you along with those under the oxymoron title of “Integrity Initiative” is that all never have an argument that stands up under any examination as anything more than generating false memes, facts don’t matter, and show no awareness of the danger to the whole world of stoking anger against the largest nuclear armed Country in the world.
Your comment shows you know nothing about Wikileaks other than the memes that have been spread by others before you or you would’ve gone to a Wikileaks link to verify what you say first or maybe you did and are just lying.
In a matter of minutes on Wikileaks you can get “Spy Files Russia” (surely Putin was anxious to get this out to the public).
https://wikileaks.org/spyfiles/russia/
Something else with which you and those of the same frame of mindlessness should think about because will not be something that happens ‘over there’ but coming right to YOUR residence. It has
almost’ happened too many times.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nuclear_close_calls
Julian Assange: “We have published about 800,000 documents of various kinds that relate to Russia. Most of those are critical; and a great many books have come out of our publications about Russia, most of which are critical. Our [Russia] documents have gone on to be used in quite a number of court cases: refugee cases of people fleeing some kind of claimed political persecution in Russia, which they use our documents to back up.”
They released internal Syrain government documents with ties to Russia, etc. It is true that RT and Sputnik feature WikiLeaks more than the mainstream media since 2016 but that’s only because there’s been an effective blacklisting of them ever since they spoiled the party of Hillary Clinton. Before then, they were featured regularly. https://wikileaks.org/Syria-Files-RU.html
‘“’Mr Corbyn was a ‘useful idiot’, in the phrase apocryphally attributed to Lenin. His visceral anti-Westernism helped the Kremlin cause, . . . ‘
The ‘true’ helpers of the ‘Kremlin cause’?
“ His book tells at least part of the story of the Soviet Union’s reliance on Western technology, including the infamous Kama River truck plant, which was built by the Pullman-Swindell company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a subsidiary of M. W. Kellogg Co. Prof. Pipes remarks that the bulk of the Soviet merchant marine, the largest in the world, was built in foreign shipyards. He even tells the story (related in greater detail in this book) of the Bryant Chucking Grinder Company of Springfield, Vermont, which sold the Soviet Union the ball-bearing machines that alone made possible the targeting mechanism of Soviet MIRV’ed ballistic missiles. “
http://www.crowhealingnetwork.net/pdf/Antony%20Sutton%20-%20The%20Best%20Enemy%20Money%20Can%20Buy.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sah_Xni-gtg
A quite excellent report. Thank you for posting this. The Integrity Initiative story is HUGE and it goes to the heart of understanding our ever evolving Western transnational police state. As this article shows there is certainly an absolutely limitless supply of actual real life (“useful idiots”) available to chose from in the news media, all dutifully reporting deep state propaganda and nonsense, while making it a point to fancifully attack the few in public life who show actual ethical integrity (i.e. Corbyn and Assange) in standing up to the West’s absolutely insane military madness and war mongering.
It used to be one might wonder who in the MSM was on the CIA or other intelligence agency payroll. Now it would appear that the entire corporate MSM constellation essentially (“is”) simply part of the Western intelligence apparatus. How else to explain the post-reality, surreal, fact-free reporting spanning the Atlantic ocean from the NYT’s and the WAPO to the Guardian and the BBC, and of course including all the major TV networks? Were Orwell still with us he would indeed find our now over the top almost slap-stick “news” reporting in the West quite, well, “Orwellian.”
Speaking of Orwell, remind me again please, were we “always at war with Eastasia?” or were we “never at war with Eastasia?” I just can’t seem to keep these details straight anymore. Oh, never mind. I’ll just tune in to Rachel Maddow and enjoy another foaming at the mouth spittle-fest episode of our never ending celebration of “hate week.”
“It used to be one might wonder who in the MSM was on the CIA or other intelligence agency payroll. Now it would appear that the entire corporate MSM constellation essentially (“is”) simply part of the Western intelligence apparatus.”
Gary Weglarz, I hope you and other commentators will bear with me as I attempt to make a salient point about the use of Media In formal government disinformation. I had the same feeling while reading about FBI disinformation regarding the Assassination Of Martin Luther King, the creating of the Legend of James Earl Ray. The point is: Corruption in Government is incapable of self-correcting, it must be highlighted and made part of an accurate History Project. I know that you know this, but many do not.
The book to read is: “The Plot To Kill King” by William Pepper.
And this too…
https://theintercept.com/2019/01/14/the-fbis-investigation-of-trump-as-a-national-security-threat-is-itself-a-serious-danger-but-j-edgar-hoover-pioneered-the-tactic/
Bob – “The point is: Corruption in Government is incapable of self-correcting, it must be highlighted and made part of an accurate History Project.”
I quite agree. This is precisely why the history of the assassinations of the 1960’s is still incredibly important to understanding the world today. It is why we must attempt to more deeply examine Operation Gladio (to the extent that is possible given the complicity of Western governments) if we are to understand the use of “false-flag” terror by our own governments. It is why it is so important to continue to support the grand jury process regarding 9/11, etc.
Although I’ve read interviews with Pepper, the book has remained on my future reading list. I will make it a point to get to it sooner rather than later. Thanks for the recommendation Bob.
It has been noted that most people and military people in particular, continue to prepare for the LAST war, not the next one.
On the other hand it is an open secret that the next war (or the current war) is an INFORMATION WAR. It is on for young and old, and all’s fair in love and war! We must not expect old ethics and strategies such as lining up in straight rows to be shot. Breaking rules and ethics only applies to those who HOLD those ethics. We must deal with those that don’t.
You have a typo:
“playing into Russia’s hands on the Scribal poisoning.”
False equivalences. We have zero evidence that Russia was involved in the Skripal poisonings but we do have evidence that Saudi Arabia executed Koshoggi. On the other hand, anytime the government feels a need to ensure you understand what the official line is and massage the message with useful idiots in the press, you know you’re screwed.
The author is rightly caution about the connection between those who merely support Integrity Initiative and those who are part of it. But the result is the same for Integrity Initiative since those folks do what it wants. Since Blair played the poodle for us, and personally profited thereby, Britain behavior toward America must be an embarrassment to many Brits, just as our behavior toward Israel is to millions in America. Like the author’s caution, I really don’t know how many consider our behavior that way, but it is to be hoped they do.
There are others. These are just the high profile culprits.
Check out Oliver Bullough for example.
It should be pointed out that the Integrity Initiative recently claimed on Twitter that some of the documents leaked in batch #4 were not theirs and had been misrepresented as part of the organisation. It doesn’t really matter, though: all that we know, anti-socialist shills writing propaganda on behalf of II (Nimmo, Cohen, Reid-Ross) have confirmed their own roles, and the Twitter account was proven to have pushed out slanderous material on Jeremy Corbyn. Note that “misrepresented” could have referred to the inclusion of the Corbyn slide show document which was presented at but created by the II. This organisation and all of those part of it should be treated as enemies of the people, as they have attacked, disingenuously and using smears,
-Yellow Vests
– Jill Stein
-Jeremy Corbyn
-George Galloway
-Seuams Milne
-German Left Party
-French Left Party
-French Communist Party
-Greek Communist Party
-Podemos
-Norwegian Red Party
-Norwegian Socialist Left Party
-Swedish Left Party
-Swedish Greens
-International Anti-NATO Groups
-Greyzone Project
-Julian Assange
-MintPressNews
Via
-Infiltrating Corbyn and Sanders campaigns
-Inserting propaganda anonymously into local media including the Daily Beast, Buzzfeed, The Times, the Guardian, and more
-Using social media to orchestrate hate and dismissal campaigns against those mentioned above
-Hosting events for collaboration between members
-Building online “clusters” to deploy and shape discourse in the media and elsewhere
By repeating or openly collaborating with:
-Ben Nimmo
-Oz Katergi
-Anne Applebaum
-Peter Pomerantsev
-Bellingcat
-Atlantic Council
-Carole Cadwalladr
-David Aaronovitch
-Center For A Stateless Society
-PropOrNot
-Alexander Reid-Ross
-Nick Cohen
-Michael Weiss
-Jamie Fly
-Jamie Kirchick
Directed by:
-Tory Government
-NATO
-Facebook
-German Multinationals
It is not just progressive anti-neoliberal people, groups and actions these State players have attacked. The related New Knowledge group, former members of the US State Department, target Trump and brought down Roy Moore. I suspect they are actively undermining Bernie Sanders, AOC and Tulsi Gabbard as well. It is not so much an ideology as it is the Establishment, the status quo, which must be maintained for maximal profits and pushing long-term agendas. Even on occasion when you could support the outcome, “the end does not justify the means”, and silencing voices on either side of debate is not the same as winning the debate. There is the impression that to many involved that this is a great game and their side must win, the public be damned.
I believe you are completely correct on New Kowledge, that is one of a series of interlocking centrist groups including Center for American Progress, Progressive Centre UK, American Enterprise Institute, More in Common and Terra Nova which have collaborated to find ways to attack so called populism, all under the watchful eye of the National Endowment for Democracy, Google, and the World Economic Forum.
Bravo to Consortium News and Mark Curtis for this excellent piece on the ‘Integrity Initiative’. So good to see this important story being exposed. As stated by Mark Curtis, ‘further research is needed. For those interested, also check out John Helmer’s latest – ‘Operation Integrity Initiative – British Intelligence Celebrates a Century of Russia Lies and Self-Deception.’
Excellent, very comprehensive article! Thanks, Mark!
“UK Section” link is broken (as below).
https://www.cyberguerrilla.org/blog/operation-integrity-initiative-british-informational-war-against-all-parts-1-3-combined-docs/
I read on RT this morning that Bellingcat tried to get Twitter to ban Stephen McIntyre (a Canadian blogger who highlighted some of the connections to integrity initiative) and whilst Twitter did ban him for a day or so, they reinstated him after he appealed. When Bellingcat wanted him banned for something else Twitter ignored them. The problem with these subversive outfits isn’t that they exist, because it was ever thus. The real problem is that they are being funded by our taxes through a dubious outfit like the British foreign office. Even worse, is the fact that the MSM (including the so called independent BBC) never mention or even elude to this scandal. Our wretched British government are not satisfied that they all but own the MSN, they want to push their dishonest message by paying outfits like Bellingcat to operate in the internet space as well.
Terrific report and commentary.