Is That All There Is? Intel Community Releases Its Russia 'Hacking' Report

[Origanalist]

written by daniel mcadams
friday january 6, 2017

http://ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2017/january/06/is-that-all-there-is-intel-community-releases-its-russia-hacking-report/

http://ronpaulinstitute.org/media/120970/simonyan.jpg?width=361&height=270

Cartoon of RT editor Margarita Simonyan from today's Intelligence Community Assessment

The much-anticipated Intelligence Community report backing up its claims that the Russians hacked the US elections in November has just been released. Titled "Declassified Intelligence Community Assessment of Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections," the report is long on speculation and short on any evidence for the claims it was supposed to prove. It even came with a warning label stating that though the conclusions are reached with "high confidence," that "does not imply that the assessment is a fact or a certainty; such judgements may be wrong." We who lived through the 2002 "high confidence" in Iraqi WMDs remember this possibility well.

According to the report, the Russians conducted "cyber operations" against both major US political parties, used the Romanian hacker known as Guccifer 2.0, who they claim is "likely" Russian, "maintained access" to local electoral boards but "were not involved" in vote tallying, and used Russian state-run media to influence voters to vote for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton.

The Intelligence Community Assessment does not offer any evidence of Russian hacking of the DNC and thus provides nothing new to back its claims. Rather than explain the means used by the Russians to "hack" the US elections, the Assessment instead devotes most of the report to speculating about possible Russian motives for so doing. Thus it appears more a diversionary maneuver to compensate for bringing a whole lot of nothing new to the table.

Perhaps most surprising about the report -- and perhaps as a result of the paucity of evidence for the claims of "hacking -- is that a full third of its length is dedicated to quite unsophisticated criticism of the Russian television station RT.

What's the $80-plus billion dollar per year US Intelligence Community's big beef with RT? One of its big complaints is that RT undermined US democracy when it "broadcast, hosted, and advertised third-party candidate debates..." We are to believe that Russia undermined our political system by giving voice to official yet minor US political parties? Democracy is undermined when the democratic process is highlighted?

The Intelligence Community report also blamed two RT programs, "Breaking the Set" and "Truthseeker" for undermining Americans' confidence in US electoral processes. One problem: these programs have not been on television for more than a year.

RT is guilty of undermining US democracy, found the report, because an RT reporter traveled to the Ecuadorian embassy in London to interview Wikileaks editor-in-chief Julian Assange, who has received asylum there since 2012. Presumably this report was prepared before conservative Fox News personality Sean Hannity did the exact same thing this past week...or Hannity is going to have some explaining to do.

The Kremlin funds RT to the tune of $190 million per year, states the report, and its audience keeps growing. The report does not mention that the US government spends vastly more -- $780 million for 2017 -- on its worldwide propaganda effort through the government-funded Broadcasting Board of Governors. Do what we say but not what we do. But then again, as National Intelligence Director James Clapper told the Senate yesterday, pointing out US government hypocrisy is itself indicative of a Russian influence operation in action.

Another problem the US spy agencies have with RT is that it reports on the surveillance state created by those same spy agencies. The Report states, "RT's reports often characterize the United States as a 'surveillance state' and allege widespread infringements of civil liberties." So RT is guilty of being a Kremlin plot to undermine our freedom because it points out that the US government has already undermined our freedom?

RT is on the US Intelligence Community's bad list because, "Some of RT's hosts have compared the United States to Imperial Rome." Is this really such a shock to the delicate American viewer? According to a recent survey conducted by the Charles Koch Institute, most Americans oppose Washington's interventionist foreign policy. Are the Kochs also on the Kremlin payroll?

And RT is evil because it points out that the neocon project to import jihadists into Syria to overthrow that secular government was not such a great idea. Writes the Intelligence Report: "RT is a leading media voice opposing Western intervention in the Syrian conflict."

And how did the $80 billion dollar US spy industry come up with all this brilliant insight into the evils of Russia in general and RT in particular? As Wikileaks Tweets, the "US government's declassified 'Russian hacking' report has the curious disclaimer that it is based on watching TV and reading Tweets."

The classified version of this Intelligence Community Assessment must have been just as unconvincing as the version released to the rest of us, as after his special intelligence briefing today President-elect Donald Trump issued a statement that made no mention of a successful Russian hack of the US election. The furthest Trump would go was to say that "Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations" -- an assessment that would surprise no one, as these are the exact same activities carried on by intelligence agencies throughout the world.

Is the "Russia hacked our election" story finally dead and buried, then? Don't count on it.
Copyright © 2017 by RonPaul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
Please donate to the Ron Paul Institute


Copyright © 2017 by RonPaul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
Please donate to the Ron Paul Institute
http://ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2017/january/06/is-that-all-there-is-intel-community-releases-its-russia-hacking-report/

[Brian4Liberty]

Front page.

[AZJoe]

Excerpts:

http://ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2017/january/06/is-that-all-there-is-intel-community-releases-its-russia-hacking-report/

The report is long on speculation and short on any evidence for the claims it was supposed to prove. It even came with a warning label … that "does not imply that the assessment is a fact or a certainty; such judgements may be wrong." We who lived through the 2002 "high confidence" in Iraqi WMDs remember this possibility well. …

The Intelligence Community Assessment does not offer any evidence of Russian hacking of the DNC and thus provides nothing new to back its claims. … the Assessment instead devotes most of the report to speculating about possible Russian motives …

a full third of its length is dedicated to quite unsophisticated criticism of the Russian television station RT. What's the $80-plus billion dollar per year US Intelligence Community's big beef with RT? One of its big complaints is that RT undermined US democracy when it "broadcast, hosted, and advertised third-party candidate debates..." We are to believe that Russia undermined our political system by giving voice to official yet minor US political parties? Democracy is undermined when the democratic process is highlighted? …

RT is guilty of undermining US democracy, found the report, because an RT reporter traveled to the Ecuadorian embassy in London to interview Wikileaks editor-in-chief Julian Assange …

The Kremlin funds RT … The report does not mention that the US government spends vastly more -- $780 million (http://www.radioworld.com/business-and-law/0009/bbg-requests-7778m-budget-for-2017/338637) for 2017 -- on its worldwide propaganda effort through the government-funded Broadcasting Board of Governors. …

Another problem the US spy agencies have with RT is that it reports on the surveillance state … So RT is guilty of being a Kremlin plot to undermine our freedom because it points out that the US government has already undermined our freedom? …

most Americans oppose Washington's interventionist foreign policy. … And RT is evil because it points out that the neocon project to import jihadists into Syria to overthrow that secular government was not such a great idea. …

As Wikileaks Tweets (https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/817500610442522625), the "US government's declassified 'Russian hacking' report has the curious disclaimer that it is based on watching TV and reading Tweets." …

[KEEF]

Reading this makes me embarrassed to call myself American.

[dannno]

It's too bad the media isn't reporting what Guccifer actually refers too.. it's all in the pizzagate thread, the company Gusifer belongs to Podesta's cousin and it is essentially a legal child trafficking company. Doesn't make much sense that they would be Russian.

[Dark_Horse_Rider]

Excerpts:

http://ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2017/january/06/is-that-all-there-is-intel-community-releases-its-russia-hacking-report/

The report is long on speculation and short on any evidence for the claims it was supposed to prove. It even came with a warning label … that "does not imply that the assessment is a fact or a certainty; such judgements may be wrong." We who lived through the 2002 "high confidence" in Iraqi WMDs remember this possibility well. …

The Intelligence Community Assessment does not offer any evidence of Russian hacking of the DNC and thus provides nothing new to back its claims. … the Assessment instead devotes most of the report to speculating about possible Russian motives …

a full third of its length is dedicated to quite unsophisticated criticism of the Russian television station RT. What's the $80-plus billion dollar per year US Intelligence Community's big beef with RT? One of its big complaints is that RT undermined US democracy when it "broadcast, hosted, and advertised third-party candidate debates..." We are to believe that Russia undermined our political system by giving voice to official yet minor US political parties? Democracy is undermined when the democratic process is highlighted? …

RT is guilty of undermining US democracy, found the report, because an RT reporter traveled to the Ecuadorian embassy in London to interview Wikileaks editor-in-chief Julian Assange …

The Kremlin funds RT … The report does not mention that the US government spends vastly more -- $780 million (http://www.radioworld.com/business-and-law/0009/bbg-requests-7778m-budget-for-2017/338637) for 2017 -- on its worldwide propaganda effort through the government-funded Broadcasting Board of Governors. …

Another problem the US spy agencies have with RT is that it reports on the surveillance state … So RT is guilty of being a Kremlin plot to undermine our freedom because it points out that the US government has already undermined our freedom? …

most Americans oppose Washington's interventionist foreign policy. … And RT is evil because it points out that the neocon project to import jihadists into Syria to overthrow that secular government was not such a great idea. …

As Wikileaks Tweets (https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/817500610442522625), the "US government's declassified 'Russian hacking' report has the curious disclaimer that it is based on watching TV and reading Tweets." …

RT is telling the unapproved versions of events.

The MSM are all saying one thing and RT keeps ruining the propaganda machine.

Anyone else notice several years back when RT station was destroyed in Gaza ?

[enhanced_deficit]

http://ronpaulinstitute.org/media/120970/simonyan.jpg?width=361&height=270

Cartoon of RT editor Margarita Simonyan from today's Intelligence Community Assessment


Neocons really know how to distort a picture.

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/490152415513944064/BI_nPRDK.jpeg
RT editor Margarita Simonyan

[Origanalist]

Neocons really know how to distort a picture.

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/490152415513944064/BI_nPRDK.jpeg
RT editor Margarita Simonyan

http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/4/41760/1171768-boris_and_natasha_1.jpg

[KrokHead]

Thank you for the responsible journalism. I disliked Trump more than Hillary, which says a lot, but the whole 'Putin hacks the US election' scandal is irresponsible journalism. The more mainstream media lies the more the Trump-movement thrives. The older you get the more you realize that virtually everything you learn and read is a lie. The truth is really hard to find, and sometimes I feel like a fool for looking for it rather than accepting this world for what it is and embrace the apathy.

[AngryCanadian]

Here's more BS.


US intelligence report: Vladimir Putin 'ordered' operation to get Trump elected


Declassified assessment says Russia ‘had clear preference’ for Trump, who met with US intelligence chiefs on Friday but refused to endorse their findings

Source (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/06/vladimir-putin-us-election-interference-report-donald-trump?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+NEW+H+categories&utm_term=207338&subid=17471485&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2)

There is no evidence but an assessment lol.


“We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election. Russia’s goals were to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary [Hillary] Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump,” the agencies found in a long-awaited report that stands to hang over the head of the incoming Trump administration.



The report (pdf), for weeks the subject of leaks that have incensed and vexed Trump, contradicts the contention from his transition team that Russia did not prefer him in the 2016 election, as well as Trump’s insistence that the culprits behind the hacks of Democratic political figures are fundamentally unknowable.

A PDF is not evidence that Russia hacked the election let alone that same PDF looks like its made by bunch of high school kids.

[AngryCanadian]

Thank you for the responsible journalism. I disliked Trump more than Hillary, which says a lot, but the whole 'Putin hacks the US election' scandal is irresponsible journalism. The more mainstream media lies the more the Trump-movement thrives. The older you get the more you realize that virtually everything you learn and read is a lie. The truth is really hard to find, and sometimes I feel like a fool for looking for it rather than accepting this world for what it is and embrace the apathy.

Its not just irresponsible journalism but very dangerous and to this day they still have not provided any names nor evidence.

[goldenequity]

Tucker exposes and dismantles Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFhxD1Zgf5M

some bonus Tucker :)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxgX2_IZx8M

►TUCKER RAND PAUL INTERVIEW (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?506041-Tucker-Carlson-Rand-Paul-Interview-Repealing-Replacing-Obamacare-1-6-17)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odKZ2imyzAk

[ChristianAnarchist]

The sheeple will never read it, they will only blindly spout off that there is such a report and that the report "proves" the Russian involvement...

[AZJoe]

Latest Disinformation, er um "Intelligence" Report is a complete flop.

From Moon of Alabama
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2017/01/intelligence-report-on-russian-election-influence-is-a-flop.html


http://www.moonofalabama.org/images5/Harwood.jpg

This result surely shows the limits of power of the so-called Intelligence Community. But it is worse: yesterday's "Russian hacking" claims failed to convince even its most ardent and anti-Russian supporters.

Daily Beast: U.S. Spy Report Blames Putin for Hacks, But Doesn’t Back It Up (http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/01/06/u-s-spy-report-blames-putin-for-hacks-but-doesn-t-back-it-up.html)





Susan Hennessey (https://twitter.com/Susan_Hennessey/status/817479008124276736) (Lawfare, Brookings):

The unclassified report is underwhelming at best. There is essentially no new information for those who have been paying attention.



Bill Neely (https://twitter.com/BillNeelyNBC/status/817512606231646215) (NBCNews):

Lots of key judgements but not many key facts & no open proof in US Intell. report into alleged Russian hacking.



Stephen Hayes (https://twitter.com/stephenfhayes/status/817497766448472065) (Weekly Standard):

The intel report on Russia is little more than a collection of assertions. Understand protecting sources/methods, but it's weak.



Julia Ioffe (https://twitter.com/juliaioffe/status/817502551952289792) (The Atlantic):

It's hard to tell if the thinness of the #hacking report is because the proof is qualified, or because the proof doesn't exist JEFFREYGoldberg Have to say, though, I'm hearing from a lot of Russia watchers who are very skeptical of the report. None like Putin/Trump.



When you lost even Julia Ioffe on your anti-Russian issue ...
Clapper as DNI and Brennan as CIA chief should have been fired years ago. They will both be gone by January 20. The Intelligence Community will remember them as the chief-authors of this devastating failure.

[bunklocoempire]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7t5zbKnvQk

[Marenco]

http://izquotes.com/quotes-pictures/quote-our-government-has-kept-us-in-a-perpetual-state-of-fear-kept-us-in-a-continuous-stampede-of-douglas-macarthur-116443.jpg

[goldenequity]

Can Trump 'dodge' a Langley bullet?

(a serious question.. 'they' are facing a PURGE.. they KNOW it.. they face job loss, unemployment
and consider Trump a traitor..
and themselves PATRIOTS AND PROTECTORS (while performing 'Black Ops' in 'Jesus Name amen'.)

WaPo = Langley: (consider this OpEd in today's WaPo)


"On Thursday, James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence,
told the Senate Armed Services Committee
that the agency is “now even more resolute,”
and that Trump is damaging American intelligence
(not to be confused with the absence thereof, to wit, Trump).
To top things off, former CIA director James Woolsey
quit Trump’s transition team Thursday in protest
against being bypassed.

In sum, when the president-elect persists in a state of denial,
siding with the enemy
against his own country’s best interests,
one is forced to consider
that Trump himself
poses a threat to national security.

In Russia, they’d just call it treason."

HERE (http://archive.is/9Dx0y)



============

'Pleaser Priebus' Pacifies Pissy Political Pundits
13 minHá 13 minutos
Priebus: Trump "Accepts" US Intelligence Conclusion That Russia Played A Role In Hacking

('Everybody is hacking' was Trumps conclusion... he's right. so wat.)

[Brian4Liberty]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7t5zbKnvQk

Good info from McAfee, but damn, they hired that worn out douche-bag Ed Schultz?

[Yieu]

The sheeple will never read it, they will only blindly spout off that there is such a report and that the report "proves" the Russian involvement...

I have already seen that happen. Based on that reaction, it appears that at least some people on that side of things enjoy claiming science is "on their side" and "reality has a liberal bias", which sounds like being petty and egotistical about the "correctness" of their political opinions, while also making claims that have little or no evidence so long as it helps their Party's side. Party before principles. They will believe in a conspiracy theory, so long as the U.S. government sponsors the theory, regardless of how true it is. And they seem to want war with Russia, which means they are warmongers and value their candidate over so many lives that could be lost.

[Son_of_Liberty90]

http://izquotes.com/quotes-pictures/quote-our-government-has-kept-us-in-a-perpetual-state-of-fear-kept-us-in-a-continuous-stampede-of-douglas-macarthur-116443.jpg

Didnt crazy Mac also say to a bunch of West Point graduates that we would be fighting space aliens after WWII?

[Origanalist]

The sheeple will never read it, they will only blindly spout off that there is such a report and that the report "proves" the Russian involvement...

Guaranteed.

[nikcers]

The sheeple will never read it, they will only blindly spout off that there is such a report and that the report "proves" the Russian involvement... I don't believe that report has the true source of the governments findings. There has to be more for us to out right declare war. I believe that it's possible the government doesn't want to reveal their real information because it would plug the leak they have in the Russian government or possibly even their networks.

[ChristianAnarchist]

I don't believe that report has the true source of the governments findings. There has to be more for us to out right declare war. I believe that it's possible the government doesn't want to reveal their real information because it would plug the leak they have in the Russian government or possibly even their networks.

Need more to declare war?? You mean like a gulf of Tonkin incident maybe??

[AngryCanadian]

Need more to declare war?? You mean like a gulf of Tonkin incident maybe??

They are messaging forces near Russian borders hoping that Russia would respond. Basically they are provoking Russia.

[seapilot]

Didnt crazy Mac also say to a bunch of West Point graduates that we would be fighting space aliens after WWII?

Here is the quote from 1962.


You now face a new world, a world of change. The thrust into outer space of the satellite, spheres and missiles marked the beginning of another epoch in the long story of mankind - the chapter of the space age. In the five or more billions of years the scientists tell us it has taken to form the earth, in the three or more billion years of development of the human race, there has never been a greater, a more abrupt or staggering evolution. We deal now not with things of this world alone, but with the illimitable distances and as yet unfathomed mysteries of the universe. We are reaching out for a new and boundless frontier. We speak in strange terms: of harnessing the cosmic energy; of making winds and tides work for us; of creating unheard synthetic materials to supplement or even replace our old standard basics; of purifying sea water for our drink; of mining ocean floors for new fields of wealth and food; of disease preventatives to expand life into the hundred of years; of controlling the weather for a more equitable distribution of heat and cold, of rain and shine; of space ships to the moon; of the primary target in war, no longer limited to the armed forces of an enemy, but instead to include his civil populations; of ultimate conflict between a united human race and the sinister forces of some other planetary galaxy; of such dreams and fantasies as to make life the most exciting of all time.

[dannno]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0ZUAorP0b4

[Origanalist]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0ZUAorP0b4

Remind me to never, ever click a on another video posted by dannno.

[shakey1]

The Dems are scrambling to save face after the DNC hacks to distract the American people from content of the emails that were Wikileaked, exposing the seamy underbelly of the DNC beast... Dems now vilifying Russia to hide their own shame.

[AZJoe]

"After a multi-month, politically charged investigation, German intelligence agencies could find no good evidence (http://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/geheimdienste-bnd-keine-beweise-fuer-desinformations-kampagne-putins-1.3365839) of Moscow-directed cyber-attacks or a disinformation campaign aimed at subverting the democratic process in Germany. Undaunted, Chancellor Angela Merkel has commissioned a new investigation. ... German intelligence agencies rarely bite the hand that feeds them and realize that the most bountiful part of the trough is at the CIA station in Berlin with ultimate guidance coming from CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. But this time, in an unusual departure from past practice, analysts at the BND and BfV decided to act like responsible adults ... " https://consortiumnews.com/2017/02/15/german-intel-clears-russia-on-interference/

[Origanalist]

"After a multi-month, politically charged investigation, German intelligence agencies could find no good evidence (http://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/geheimdienste-bnd-keine-beweise-fuer-desinformations-kampagne-putins-1.3365839) of Moscow-directed cyber-attacks or a disinformation campaign aimed at subverting the democratic process in Germany. Undaunted, Chancellor Angela Merkel has commissioned a new investigation. ... German intelligence agencies rarely bite the hand that feeds them and realize that the most bountiful part of the trough is at the CIA station in Berlin with ultimate guidance coming from CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. But this time, in an unusual departure from past practice, analysts at the BND and BfV decided to act like responsible adults ... " https://consortiumnews.com/2017/02/15/german-intel-clears-russia-on-interference/

Ha ha ha ha, even these douche nozzles can't peddle this shit.