Kamala Harris Defends Policy Stance in Heated Fox News Interview

[webfact]

Exclusive - Putin-linked think tank drew up plan to sway 2016 U.S. election: documents

By Ned Parker, Jonathan Landay and John Walcott

REUTERS

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev (not pictured) in Moscow's Kremlin, Russia April 5, 2017. REUTERS/Pavel Golovkin/Pool

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Russian government think tank controlled by Vladimir Putin developed a plan to swing the 2016 U.S. presidential election to Donald Trump and undermine voters’ faith in the American electoral system, three current and four former U.S. officials told Reuters.

 

They described two confidential documents from the think tank as providing the framework and rationale for what U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded was an intensive effort by Russia to interfere with the Nov. 8 election. U.S. intelligence officials acquired the documents, which were prepared by the Moscow-based Russian Institute for Strategic Studies [https://en.riss.ru/], after the election.

 

The institute is run by retired senior Russian foreign intelligence officials appointed by Putin’s office.

 

The first Russian institute document was a strategy paper written last June that circulated at the highest levels of the Russian government but was not addressed to any specific individuals.

 

It recommended the Kremlin launch a propaganda campaign on social media and Russian state-backed global news outlets to encourage U.S. voters to elect a president who would take a softer line towards Russia than the administration of then-President Barack Obama, the seven officials said.

 

A second institute document, drafted in October and distributed in the same way, warned that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was likely to win the election. For that reason, it argued, it was better for Russia to end its pro-Trump propaganda and instead intensify its messaging about voter fraud to undermine the U.S. electoral system’s legitimacy and damage Clinton’s reputation in an effort to undermine her presidency, the seven officials said.

 

The current and former U.S. officials spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the Russian documents’ classified status. They declined to discuss how the United States obtained them. U.S. intelligence agencies also declined to comment on them.

 

Putin has denied interfering in the U.S. election. Putin’s spokesman and the Russian institute did not respond to requests for comment.

 

The documents were central to the Obama administration's conclusion that Russia mounted a “fake news” campaign and launched cyber attacks against Democratic Party groups and Clinton's campaign, the current and former officials said.

 

“Putin had the objective in mind all along, and he asked the institute to draw him a road map,” said one of the sources, a former senior U.S. intelligence official.

 

Trump has said Russia’s activities had no impact on the outcome of the race. Ongoing congressional and FBI investigations into Russian interference have so far produced no public evidence that Trump associates colluded with the Russian effort to change the outcome of the election.

 

Four of the officials said the approach outlined in the June strategy paper was a broadening of an effort the Putin administration launched in March 2016. That month the Kremlin instructed state-backed media outlets, including international platforms Russia Today and Sputnik news agency, to start producing positive reports on Trump’s quest for the U.S. presidency, the officials said.

 

Russia Today did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Sputnik dismissed the assertions by the U.S. officials that it participated in a Kremlin campaign as an “absolute pack of lies.” “And by the way, it's not the first pack of lies we're hearing from 'sources in U.S. official circles'," the spokesperson said in an email.

 

PRO-KREMLIN BLOGGERS

 

Russia Today and Sputnik published anti-Clinton stories while pro-Kremlin bloggers prepared a Twitter campaign calling into question the fairness of an anticipated Clinton victory, according to a report by U.S. intelligence agencies on Russian interference in the election made public in January. [http://bit.ly/2kMiKSA]

 

Russia Today’s most popular Clinton video - “How 100% of the 2015 Clintons’ ‘charity’ went to ... themselves” - accumulated 9 millions views on social media, according to the January report. [http://bit.ly/2os8wIt]

 

The report said Russia Today and Sputnik “consistently cast president elect-Trump as the target of unfair coverage from traditional media outlets."

 

The report said the agencies did not assess whether Moscow’s effort had swung the outcome of the race in Trump’s favour, because American intelligence agencies do not “analyse U.S. political processes or U.S. public opinion.”

[http://bit.ly/2kMiKSA]

 

CYBER ATTACKS

 

Neither of the Russian institute documents mentioned the release of hacked Democratic Party emails to interfere with the U.S. election, according to four of the officials. The officials said the hacking was a covert intelligence operation run separately out of the Kremlin.

 

The overt propaganda and covert hacking efforts reinforced each other, according to the officials. Both Russia Today and Sputnik heavily promoted the release of the hacked Democratic Party emails, which often contained embarrassing details.

Five of the U.S. officials described the institute as the Kremlin’s in-house foreign policy think tank.

 

The institute’s director when the documents were written, Leonid Reshetnikov, rose to the rank of lieutenant general during a 33-year-career in Russia’s foreign intelligence service, according to the institute’s website [http://bit.ly/2oVhiCF]. After Reshetnikov retired from the institute in January, Putin named as his replacement Mikhail Fradkov. The institute says he served as the director of Russia’s foreign intelligence service from 2007 to 2016. [http://bit.ly/2os4tvz]

 

Reuters was unable to determine if either man was directly involved in the drafting of the documents. Reshetnikov’s office referred questions to the Russian institute.

 

On its website, the Russian institute describes itself as providing “expert appraisals,” “recommendations,” and “analytical materials” to the Russian president’s office, cabinet, National Security Council, ministries and parliament. [http://bit.ly/2pCBGpR]

 

On Jan. 31, the websites of Putin’s office [http://bit.ly/2os9wMr] and the institute [http://bit.ly/2oLn9Kd] posted a picture and transcript of Reshetnikov and his successor Fradkov meeting with Putin in the Kremlin. Putin thanked Reshetnikov for his service and told Fradkov he wanted the institute to provide objective information and analysis.

 

“We did our best for nearly eight years to implement your foreign policy concept,” Reshetnikov told Putin. “The policy of Russia and the policy of the President of Russia have been the cornerstone of our operation.”

 

(Reporting by Ned Parker and Jonathan Landay, additional reporting by Warren Strobel and Arshad Mohammed; Editing by David Rohde and Ross Colvin)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-04-20

[darksidedog]

So Russia did, despite Donald Trump denying it, try to influence the election in his favour, thinking he would be easier to deal with than Hilary.

Sadly we will never know how much influence their activities played in the final result as the agencies do not “analyse U.S. political processes or U.S. public opinion.”

Sneaky Russian <deleted>.

 

[thaibeachlovers]

Were any of those US officials in the room at the time? I doubt it. We are supposed to believe that Putin et al are so stupid they leave the evidence lying around for it to be conveniently found by US spies.

Does no one remember that we were duped by Bush's "evidence" on Iraq's WMDs? 

Are the "officials" pro or anti Trump? 

Edited April 20, 2017 by thaibeachlovers

[Crowes]

Good thing the US has never meddled in other countries elections..... /end sarcasm.

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

So people think the American people are to stupid to know HC is a corrupt political hawk ? Or is the American people smart enough to know that the MSM is beating war drums and they don't want more war and voted for someone they thought will be less likely to start WWIII. How can the Russians influence +-110 million voters when the international media is controlled by 6 liberals. Everything is used as reason why the witch lost except the real reason - arrogance.

[Trouble]

Sounds like they were doing just what the US has been guilty of in many foreign elections over the years.  What goes around, comes around.

[Redline]

4 hours ago, SOUTHERNSTAR said:

So people think the American people are to stupid to know HC is a corrupt political hawk ? Or is the American people smart enough to know that the MSM is beating war drums and they don't want more war and voted for someone they thought will be less likely to start WWIII. How can the Russians influence +-110 million voters when the international media is controlled by 6 liberals. Everything is used as reason why the witch lost except the real reason - arrogance.

You might want to do some research, instead of asking and believing other people spoon-feeding you

[Redline]

1 hour ago, Trouble said:

Sounds like they were doing just what the US has been guilty of in many foreign elections over the years.  What goes around, comes around.

All major powers play the same game.  All major powers do what is in their interest.  All major powers kill people.  All major powers oppress people.  That's why there are always repercussions, war, starvation...

There is no free ticket.  This is humankind.  This never changes.

[Redline]

6 hours ago, Crowes said:

Good thing the US has never meddled in other countries elections..... /end sarcasm.

All major powers play the same game.  All major powers do what is in their interest.  All major powers kill people.  All major powers oppress people.  That's why there are always repercussions, war, starvation...

There is no free ticket.  This is humankind.  This never changes.  Get used to it

[selftaopath]

8 hours ago, darksidedog said:

So Russia did, despite Donald Trump denying it, try to influence the election in his favour, thinking he would be easier to deal with than Hilary.

Sadly we will never know how much influence their activities played in the final result as the agencies do not “analyse U.S. political processes or U.S. public opinion.”

Sneaky Russian B@stards.

 

Trump is The Mother of All Liars (MOAL). If Republicans loved America as much as their party they would unite with all others to find more facts/traitors and punish them. This could also help in future Russian attempts to destabilize U.S. and world democracies. 

[craigt3365]

7 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Were any of those US officials in the room at the time? I doubt it. We are supposed to believe that Putin et al are so stupid they leave the evidence lying around for it to be conveniently found by US spies.

Does no one remember that we were duped by Bush's "evidence" on Iraq's WMDs? 

Are the "officials" pro or anti Trump? 

Perhaps the evidence wasn't found by spies. Info like that is worth a lot of money. 

 

What's  WMD got to do with this? That's another topic, another century. 

 

Too many dots are connected for this to be easily dismissed. And considering what happened,  makes perfect sense.  It will be interesting to see where this all ends up. 

[IAMHERE]

So, how will the USA prevent attempts like this in the future; that Russia may just get better at electing POTUS.

[Srikcir]

16 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Does no one remember that we were duped by Bush's "evidence" on Iraq's WMDs?

Just to clarify that 'Bushes "evidence" on Iraq's WMD's was not from American intelligence agencies. it was from his own imagination.

"According to the newly declassified NIE, the intelligence community concluded that Iraq "probably has renovated a [vaccine] production plant" to manufacture biological weapons "but we are unable to determine whether [biological weapons] agent research has resumed." The NIE also said Hussein did not have "sufficient material" to manufacture any nuclear weapons and "the information we have on Iraqi nuclear personnel does not appear consistent with a coherent effort to reconstitute a nuclear weapons program." https://news.vice.com/article/the-cia-just-declassified-the-document-that-supposedly-justified-the-iraq-invasion

The intelligence analysis was at best inconclusive, based on unconfirmed sources and did not support Bush's justification for attacking Iraq. Still Bush managed to dupe the majority of the Senate, his own Secretary of State and the UK in believing that Iraq had WMD's.

[iReason]

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Were any of those US officials in the room at the time? I doubt it. We are supposed to believe that Putin et al are so stupid they leave the evidence lying around for it to be conveniently found by US spies.

Does no one remember that we were duped by Bush's "evidence" on Iraq's WMDs? 

Are the "officials" pro or anti Trump? 

Oh so many questions...

 

But when the answers come that the Trumpeteers don't like, they come up with a pile of pointless, speculative misdirection and deflection.

SAD.

But predictable... Yawn.

 

"U.S. intelligence officials acquired the documents, which were prepared by the Moscow-based Russian Institute for Strategic Studies [https://en.riss.ru/], after the election."

 

"...it was better for Russia to end its pro-Trump propaganda and instead intensify its messaging about voter fraud to undermine the U.S. electoral system’s legitimacy and damage Clinton’s reputation in an effort to undermine her presidency, the seven officials said."

 

Seven.

[mrwebb8825]

On 4/20/2017 at 6:17 AM, webfact said:

the hacked Democratic Party emails, which often contained embarrassing details.

And just exactly whom do you suppose was stupid enough to have put those "embarrassing details" into those hacked emails? It sure as hell wasn't any Russians working for Clinton and company. 

[mtls2005]

What's really amazing is how easy it was to do, and how inexpensive it was.

 

Hacking Facebook data, profiling people, feeding them stories, cranking up bots, targeted depression of voting/getting Trump vote out in four key states.

 

Cambridge Analytica, Giles-Parscale Inc., et al. did a bang up job. Not sure it can be so effectively replicated in any country/situation though?

 

There was obviously collusion but not sure that it reaches up to Trump, Jared definitely.

[craigt3365]

4 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

What's really amazing is how easy it was to do, and how inexpensive it was.

 

Hacking Facebook data, profiling people, feeding them stories, cranking up bots, targeted depression of voting/getting Trump vote out in four key states.

 

Cambridge Analytica, Giles-Parscale Inc., et al. did a bang up job. Not sure it can be so effectively replicated in any country/situation though?

 

There was obviously collusion but not sure that it reaches up to Trump, Jared definitely.

What's really amazing is how easy it is to fool many people. The editors at Sputnik News probably laugh like heck when their propaganda gets shared on social media. 

[baboon]

On 20/04/2017 at 9:21 AM, SOUTHERNSTAR said:

So people think the American people are to stupid to know HC is a corrupt political hawk ? Or is the American people smart enough to know that the MSM is beating war drums and they don't want more war and voted for someone they thought will be less likely to start WWIII. How can the Russians influence +-110 million voters when the international media is controlled by 6 liberals. Everything is used as reason why the witch lost except the real reason - arrogance.

Yeah, Rupert Murdoch is a real danger, him and his FOX news and SKY, plus his assorted 'newspapers'. There's real liberal stuff.

But of course you won't have it. People like you never do. Your mind is made up and that's it, despite any evidence to the contrary.

[Johpa]

On 4/19/2017 at 7:21 PM, SOUTHERNSTAR said:

So people think the American people are to stupid to know HC is a corrupt political hawk ? Or is the American people smart enough to know that the MSM is beating war drums and they don't want more war and voted for someone they thought will be less likely to start WWIII. How can the Russians influence +-110 million voters when the international media is controlled by 6 liberals. Everything is used as reason why the witch lost except the real reason - arrogance.

 

Not that I can fully parse your post, but may I point out that to influence a close election one need not influence all 110 million voters but only those few million undecided on the margins.  But then if you actually believe the media is controlled by a cabal of 6 liberals, I suspect you may be one of those targeted. At least you got the arrogance aspect of HRC's personality right, but referring to her as a witch does take away from your single correct point.

[craigt3365]

Just now, Johpa said:

 

But then if you actually believe the media is controlled by a cabal of 6 liberals, I suspect you may be one of those targeted. 

Spot on. It's these types that fall for the fake news. LOL

[mtls2005]

What's really amazing is how easy it is to fool many people.

 

Well, they say that as the landscape becomes more polarized people are really looking for reinforcement of their pre-existing "belief".

 

I think the whole big-data/FB and Twitter-bot angle allowed much better targeting of messages. People "thought" they were getting the "real" (from RT) news because it looked like it was coming from "real people" whom they thought they "knew". 

 

It's a bit depressing to read about what Cambridge Analytica and Giles-Parscale were able to do re: psychometrics. And they were crowing about it publicly (G-P anyway) for a while after the election, but then went dark. 

 

 

Edited April 22, 2017 by mtls2005

[boomerangutang]

No problem for Trump.  He will do two things in response:  First, he'll claim it's all fake news.  That's what he does when any news surfaces that is non-praising of him.  All his fans will smile knowingly.  Then, Trump will seek who is leaking, and try to shut them down.  Thieves and cheats hate leaks.

[boomerangutang]

On 4/20/2017 at 0:10 PM, Trouble said:

Sounds like they were doing just what the US has been guilty of in many foreign elections over the years.  What goes around, comes around.

Did your mom ever teach you; 'two wrongs don't make a right'

 

7 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

What's really amazing is how easy it is to fool many people. The editors at Sputnik News probably laugh like heck when their propaganda gets shared on social media. 

                   Trump was reading articles directly from Sputnik (the Kremlin's official newspaper) during his campaign stump speeches.  BTW, everyone in the know knew the articles were factually wrong, but a proven lies have never stopped Trump from barreling forward with his vindictive ways.

 

                   Impeachment won't happen with butt-licking Republican majorities in Congress.  But that's ok.  The American people should by-pass impreachment and go straight for the jugular:  Put Trump and every one of his treasonous buddies behind bars in a regular prison.  Even Kushner and Ivanka were dallying in piles of nefarious activities, some of which tied-in with mafia dons in Kazhakstan and Iran.   I think one of the things Trump and his minions are most afraid of - are proofs of their money laundering activities.  

 

             Unless Republican congresspeople + Trump's insiders are successful at continuing to hide things and divert (with MOABs and Tomahawks and fake military deployment announcements) .....then we, the public, will be hearing lots of scintillating details of Trump's (and Ivanka's and Jared's) money laundering. 

[selftaopath]

8 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

What's really amazing is how easy it is to fool many people. The editors at Sputnik News probably laugh like heck when their propaganda gets shared on social media. 

Yes and another one laughing - all the way to the bank - is the Mother of All Liars (MOAL) Trump.

 

He is one of the most corrupt men in America. No wonder he thinks so fondly of Putin. Rachel Maddow on MSNBC depicts many of his and his defenders/team antics.

[selftaopath]

8 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

No problem for Trump.  He will do two things in response:  First, he'll claim it's all fake news.  That's what he does when any news surfaces that is non-praising of him.  All his fans will smile knowingly.  Then, Trump will seek who is leaking, and try to shut them down.  Thieves and cheats hate leaks.

True and a way toward dictatorship is to dismantle fact based journalism. I think Trump uses Putin's way of taking over a country. The Republicans are more interested in party than U.S. Democracy. I hope there are enough patriots left to keep us from being fully taken over by the Mother of All Liars (MOAL) and his family.

[selftaopath]

8 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

Did your mom ever teach you; 'two wrongs don't make a right'

 

                   Trump was reading articles directly from Sputnik (the Kremlin's official newspaper) during his campaign stump speeches.  BTW, everyone in the know knew the articles were factually wrong, but a proven lies have never stopped Trump from barreling forward with his vindictive ways.

 

                   Impeachment won't happen with butt-licking Republican majorities in Congress.  But that's ok.  The American people should by-pass impreachment and go straight for the jugular:  Put Trump and every one of his treasonous buddies behind bars in a regular prison.  Even Kushner and Ivanka were dallying in piles of nefarious activities, some of which tied-in with mafia dons in Kazhakstan and Iran.   I think one of the things Trump and his minions are most afraid of - are proofs of their money laundering activities.  

 

             Unless Republican congresspeople + Trump's insiders are successful at continuing to hide things and divert (with MOABs and Tomahawks and fake military deployment announcements) .....then we, the public, will be hearing lots of scintillating details of Trump's (and Ivanka's and Jared's) money laundering. 

Oh thank you for suggesting this. How I hope ALL traitors go to jail. 

[Johpa]

14 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

I think one of the things Trump and his minions are most afraid of - are proofs of their money laundering activities. 

 

And international money laundering is the criminal nexus tying this scandal together.  Putin and his crony oligarchs need to launder vast amounts of money.  Big oil anointed rulers and their close confidants in natural resource rich despotic nations ranging from Azerbaijan to Nigeria need money laundering services.  And those of us with long ties to Thailand know that one of the primary means to launder money is through resorts and hotels. And add to the mix Kushner's proximity to money laundering circles (where is his kipa?).  On the other hand there is keen competition to receive that same laundered money by the big banks so don't expect to see too much pressure placed upon your neighborhood prosecuting attorney.

 

[ilostmypassword]

22 minutes ago, Johpa said:

. And add to the mix Kushner's proximity to money laundering circles (where is his kipa?).  

 

Another piece of anti-semitic drivel.

[Johpa]

5 hours ago, ilostmypassword said:

Another piece of anti-semitic drivel.

 

What?!?  You doubt some dossim are involved in money laundering? Even my local Chabad rebbe got caught.

 

Of course it is not just the Dos.  If you read David Cay Johnston's biography on Trump you will learn Trump has long been involved with the mob,  another group that is perhaps even more heavily involved in money laundering.  But that is just anti-Italian drivel

 

The point is that the nexus of all these nefarious undercurrents is money laundering.

[ilostmypassword]

47 minutes ago, Johpa said:

 

What?!?  You doubt some dossim are involved in money laundering? Even my local Chabad rebbe got caught.

 

Of course it is not just the Dos.  If you read David Cay Johnston's biography on Trump you will learn Trump   that is just anti-Italian drivel

 

The point is that the nexus of all these nefarious undercurrents is money laundering.

No. The point is that Kushner's religion is completely irrelevant. And to bring it up is clearly anti-semitic.