Leaked docs expose massive Syria propaganda operation waged by Western govt contractors and media

Western government-funded intelligence cutouts trained Syrian opposition leaders, planted stories in media outlets from BBC to Al Jazeera, and ran a cadre of journalists. A trove of leaked documents exposes the propaganda network.

Leaked documents show how UK government contractors developed an advanced infrastructure of propaganda to stimulate support in the West for Syria’s political and armed opposition.

Virtually every aspect of the Syrian opposition was cultivated and marketed by Western government-backed public relations firms, from their political narratives to their branding, from what they said to where they said it.

The leaked files reveal how Western intelligence cutouts played the media like a fiddle, carefully crafting English- and Arabic-language media coverage of the war on Syria to churn out a constant stream of pro-opposition coverage.

US and European contractors trained and advised Syrian opposition leaders at all levels, from young media activists to the heads of the parallel government-in-exile. These firms also organized interviews for Syrian opposition leaders on mainstream outlets such as BBC and the UK’s Channel 4.

More than half of the stringers used by Al Jazeera in Syria were trained in a joint US-UK government program called Basma, which produced hundreds of Syrian opposition media activists.

Western government PR firms not only influenced the way the media covered Syria, but as the leaked documents reveal, they produced their own propagandistic pseudo-news for broadcast on major TV networks in the Middle East, including BBC Arabic, Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, and Orient TV.

These UK-funded firms functioned as full-time PR flacks for the extremist-dominated Syrian armed opposition. One contractor, called InCoStrat, said it was in constant contact with a network of more than international 1,600 journalists and “influencers,” and used them to push pro-opposition talking points.

Another Western government contractor, ARK, crafted a strategy to “re-brand” Syria’s Salafi-jihadist armed opposition by “softening its image.” ARK boasted that it provided opposition propaganda that “aired almost every day on” major Arabic-language TV networks.

Virtually every major Western corporate media outlet was influenced by the UK government-funded disinformation campaign exposed in the trove of leaked documents, from the New York Times to the Washington Post, CNN to The Guardian, the BBC to Buzzfeed.

The files confirm reporting by journalists including The Grayzone’s Max Blumenthal on the role of ARK, the US-UK government contractor, in popularizing the White Helmets in Western media. ARK ran the social media accounts of the White Helmets, and helped turn the Western-funded group into a key propaganda weapon of the Syrian opposition.

The leaked documents consist mainly of material produced under the auspices of the the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office. All of the firms named in the files were contracted by the British government, but many also were running “multi-donor projects” that received funding from the governments of the United States and other Western European countries.

In addition to demonstrating the role these Western intelligence cutouts played in shaping media coverage, the documents shine light on the British government program to train and arm rebel groups in Syria.

Other materials show how London and Western governments worked together to build a new police force in opposition-controlled areas.

https://thegrayzone.com/2020/09/23/syria-leaks-uk-contractors-opposition-media/

Part 1

>>10762375

ARK played a central role in developing the foundations of the Syrian political opposition’s narrative. In one leaked document, the firm took credit for the “development of a core Syrian opposition narrative,” which was apparently crafted during a series of workshops with opposition leaders sponsored by the US and UK governments.

ARK trained all levels of the Syrian opposition in communications, from “citizen journalism workshops with Syrian media activists, to working with senior members of the National Coalition to develop a core communications narrative.”

The firm even oversaw the PR strategy for the Supreme Military Council (SMC), the leadership of the official armed wing of Syria’s opposition, the Free Syrian Army (FSA). ARK created a complex PR campaign to “provide a ‘re-branding’ of the SMC in order to distinguish itself from extremist armed opposition groups and to establish the image of a functioning, inclusive, disciplined and professional military body.”

ARK admitted that it sought to whitewash Syria’s armed opposition, which had been largely dominated by Salafi-jihadists, by “Softening the FSA Image.”

ARK took the lead in developing a massive network of opposition media activists in Syria, and openly took credit for inspiring protests inside the country.

In its training centers in Syria and southern Turkey, the Western government contractor reported, “More than 150 activists have been trained and equipped by ARK on topics from the basics of camera handling, lighting, and sound to producing reports, journalistic safety, online security, and ethical reporting.”

The firm flooded Syria with opposition propaganda. In just six months, ARK reported that 668,600 of its print products were distributed inside Syria, including “posters, flyers, informative booklets, activity books and other campaign-related materials.”

In one document spelling out the UK contractors’ communications operations in Syria, ARK and the British intelligence cutout TGSN boasted of overseeing the following media assets inside the country: 97 video stringers, 23 writers, 49 distributors, 23 photographers, 19 in-country trainers, eight training centers, three media offices, and 32 research officers.

ARK emphasized that it had “well-established contacts” with some of the top media outlets in the world, naming Reuters, the New York Times, CNN, the BBC, The Guardian, the Financial Times, The Times, Al Jazeera, Sky News Arabic, Orient TV, and Al Arabiya.

The UK contractor added, “ARK has provided regular branded and unbranded content to key pan-Arab and Syria-focused satellite TV channels such as Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, BBC Arabic, Orient TV, Aleppo Today, Souria al-Ghadd, and Souria al-Sha’ab since 2012.”

“ARK products promoting HMG (Her Majesty’s Government) priorities by fostering attitudinal and behavioural change are broadcast almost every day on pan-Arab channels,” the firm bragged. “In 2014, 20 branded and un-branded Syria reports were produced on average by ARK each month and broadcast on major pan-Arab television channels such as Al Arabiya, Al Jazeera, and Orient TV.”

“ARK has almost daily conversations with channels and weekly meetings to engage and understand editorial preferences,” the Western intelligence cutout said.

The firm also took credit for placing 10 articles per month in pan-Arab newspapers such as Al Hayat and Asharq Al-Awsat.

Part 2

>>10762416

The leaked documents show ARK ran the Twitter and Facebook pages of Syria Civil Defense, known more commonly as the White Helmets.

ARK took credit for developing “an internationally-focused communications campaign designed to raise global awareness of the (White Helmets) teams and their life saving work.”

ARK also facilitated communications between the White Helmets and The Syria Campaign, a PR firm run out of London and New York that helped popularize the White Helmets in the United States.

It was apparently “following subsequent discussions with ARK and the teams” that The Syria Campaign “selected civil defence to front its campaign to keep Syria in the news,” the firm wrote in a report for the UK Foreign Office.

“With ARK’s guidance, TSC (The Syria Campaign) also attended ARK’s civil defence training sessions to create media content for its #WhiteHelmets campaign which launched in August 2014 and has since gone viral,” the Western contractor added.

In 2014, ARK produced a long-form documentary on the White Helmets, titled “Digging for Life,” which was repeatedly broadcast on Orient TV.

While it was running the White Helmets’ social media accounts, ARK bragged that it was boosting followers and views on the Facebook page for Idlib City Council.

The Syrian city of Idlib was taken over by al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, which then went on to publicly execute women who were accused of adultery.

While effectively aiding these al-Qaeda-aligned extremist groups, ARK and the British intelligence cutout TGSN also signed a document with the FCO hilariously pledging to follow “UK guidance on gender sensitivity” and “ensure gender is considered in all capacity building and campaign development.”

Setting the stage for lawfare on Syria

Another leaked document shows the Western government-backed firm ARK revealing that, back in 2011, it worked with another government contractor called Tsamota to help develop the Syrian Commission for Justice and Accountability (SCJA). In 2014, SCJA changed its name to the Commission for International Justice and Accountability (CIJA).

The Grayzone exposed CIJA as a Western government-funded regime-change organization whose investigators collaborated with al-Qaeda and its extremist allies in order to wage lawfare on the Syrian government.

ARK noted that the project initially worked “with seed funding from the UK Conflict Pool to support investigative and forensic training for Syrian war crimes investigators” and has since “grown to become a major component of Syria’s transitional justice architecture.”

Since the US, European Union, and their Middle East allies lost the military phase of their war on Syria, CIJA has taken the lead in trying to prolong the regime-change campaign through lawfare.

Part 3

>>10762446

Albany also coordinated communications between opposition media outlets and extremist Islamist opposition groups by hiring an “engagement leader (who) has deep credibility with key groups including (north) Failaq ash-Sham, Jabha Shammiyeh, Jaysh Idleb al Hur, Ahrar ash-Sham, (center) Jaysh al Islam, Failaq al Rahman, and (south) Jaysh Tahrir.” Many of these militias were linked to al-Qaeda and are now recognized by the US Department of State and European governments as official terrorist groups.

Unlike other Western government contractors active in Syria, which often tried to feign a semblance of balance, Albany made it clear that its media reporting was nothing more than propaganda.

The firm admitted that it trained Syrian media activists in a unique “newsroom process” that called to “curate” news by “collecting and organising stories and content that support and reinforce the core narrative.”

In 2014, Albany boasted of running the Syrian National Coalition’s communications team at the Geneva Peace talks.

Albany also warned that revelations of Western government funding for these opposition media organizations that were being portrayed as grassroots initiatives would discredit them.

When internal emails were leaked showing that the massive opposition media platform Basma Syria was funded by the United States and Britain, Albany wrote, “the Basma brand has been compromised following leaks about funding project aims.”

The leaks on social media “have damaged the credibility and trustworthiness of the existing branded platform,” Albany wrote. “Credibility and trust are the key currencies of the activities envisaged and for this reason we consider it essential to refresh the approach if the content to be disseminated is to have effect.” The Basma website was taken down soon after.

These files provide clear insight into how the Syrian opposition was cultivated by Western governments with imperial designs on Damascus, and was kept afloat with staggering sums of cash that flowed from the pockets of British taxpayers – often to the benefit of fanatical militiamen allied with Al Qaeda.

While Dutch prosecutors prepare war crimes charges against the Syrian government for fighting off the onslaught, the leaked files are a reminder of the leading role that Western states and their war-profiteering companies played in the carefully organized destruction of the country.

Part 4

End

Portland, Oregon (America's 33rd State) No Wonder She is Burning in Hell

2 Navy Super Hornets Catch Fire, Make Emergency Landings Within Weeks at Oceana

A Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet experienced an engine fire and was forced to land at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia, on Monday, less than two weeks after a nearly identical mishap at the same air station.

According to the Naval Safety Center, the two-seater aircraft made a safe arrested landing at the Virginia Beach air station.

Cmdr. Jennifer Cragg, a Naval Air Force Atlantic spokeswoman, told Military.com that the emergency landing took place around noon and involved a Super Hornet from Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11. The incident took place while training over the Virginia Capes, she said.

"The aircraft landed safely at NAS Oceana without incident. An aviation mishap investigation has been initiated to determine the cause of the incident," Cragg said in a statement. "There were no injuries."

The Navy is still investigating a Sept. 10 mishap involving a different F/A-18F Super Hornet, also based at Oceana. That aircraft, attached to VFA-103, experienced an engine fire, also in the Virginia Capes region, Cragg said.

The mishap took place around 5:30 p.m.

Cragg confirmed that the aircraft landed safely at Oceana in that incident as well and no injuries were sustained.

It's not clear yet whether there are any factors connecting the two recent Super Hornet mishaps.

"At this point, it is too early to speculate the causal factors for the in-flight engine fire with both VFA-103 and VFA-11, but an investigation will determine the contributing factors," Cragg said.

She added that ongoing training has so far not been affected by the incidents.

In total, it's the third engine fire mishap involving Navy and Marine Corps aircraft this month. On Sept. 3, a CH-53E Super Stallion assigned to Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina, made an emergency landing about 11 miles from the base following an in-flight fire that began shortly after the heavy-lift helicopter took off. All four Marines aboard at the time were safe and uninjured.

That incident is also under investigation.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/09/23/2-navy-super-hornets-catch-fire-make-emergency-landings-within-weeks-oceana.html

>>10762509

You want the world to wake up ARREST a big name and validate us!

>>10762509

Rabbi says (2019) Nothing will happen until after the election, if so it'll prove Trump is run by the cabal

CHABAD Rabbi says Trump has 4 tasks, that "are his Job"

Start at 14:45

1. Assist the Jewish people to get Israel back, Jerusalem, Golan, Jordan Valley…..

1. Protect the Jewish people from Anti-Semites,

1. Raise America back to Morale law, NOAHIDE LAWS.

1. Make Israel Great Again, not America.

>>10762656

ego look at me

‘Moving Goalposts’: Senate Probe of Biden-Burisma Corruption Disproved Claims Nobody Made - Analyst

On Wednesday, a hotly anticipated probe by Senate Republicans into corruption allegations against Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, reported no evidence of wrongdoing. However, one analyst told Sputnik that investigators arrived at this conclusion by “moving the goalposts.

The white-hot core of the impeachment of US President Donald Trump last December was his pushing the Ukrainian president to investigate the Bidens’ potentially corrupt behavior. Hunter Biden had become a board member of natural gas company Burisma Holdings, which does business in Ukraine, in the aftermath of the 2014 coup d’etat against Ukrainian President Vyktor Yanukovych, which was heavily supported by the United States.

Joe Biden was US vice president at the time of these events, and no probe of the situation had yet been completed when Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last spring.

However, the Senate’s investigation admitted that Hunter had “cashed in” on his father’s name during business negotiations and even found that his work at Burisma gave the appearance of a conflict of interest and had caught the eye of higher-ups in the administration of US President Barack Obama. Despite this, the report concluded there had been no corruption because there was no evidence that Vice President Biden had shaped US foreign policy to support his son’s ambitions.

Journalist and political analyst Caleb Maupin told Radio Sputnik’s Political Misfits on Wednesday that the report’s findings were “moving the goalposts” to disprove claims no one has made.

“The whole thing, if you look at it, just reeks of corruption,” Maupin told hosts Michelle Witte and Bob Schlehuber. “I think this is a benefit that Joe Biden’s son got out of” the 2014 US-backed coup in Ukraine, “and I think that if he were not Joe Biden’s son, he wouldn’t have gotten that position.”

“At the same time that the United States is involved in destabilizing Ukraine and toppling the government - you know about the Euromaidan event: billions of dollars from US NGOs sent to foment chaos in the streets and bring down the government of Yanukovych. You have the phone call leaked where it appears [then-Assistant Secretary of State] Victoria Nuland is almost selecting who becomes the new leader.”

“Amid all these events where the United States is meddling in Ukraine’s affairs, destabilizing the country, toppling the elected leader, putting in the government a lot of far-right-wing groups and ultra-nationalists involved in that … amid all of these events, somehow, the son of the vice president just ends up getting into the natural gas business with Burisma Holdings,” Maupin said, noting Hunter had no previous experience in the gas business.

“Now, that’s suspicious, and that’s a reason for people to look into this and say something’s not right here. Now, did it influence the policy? Do we think that the Obama administration and the whole government did this just so Hunter Biden can get the job? Clearly not, but it looks like some people were scratching each other’s backs, so to speak,” he said. “It doesn’t look good.”

https://sputniknews.com/analysis/202009231080554632-moving-goalposts-senate-probe-of-biden-burisma-corruption-disproved-claims-nobody-made—analyst/

>>10762889

>What could they be really up to that this is all distracting from?

final solution

>>10762918

http://www.freedom-school.com/the-secret-covenant.pdf

>>10763007

Former NSA Director and Commander of US Cyber Command Mike Rogers Joins Cybersecurity Foundry Team8 as a Senior Advisor

NEW YORK and TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct. 18th, 2018 /PRNewswire/ – Team8, the leading cybersecurity think tank and company creation platform, today announced the appointment of ex-NSA Director, Admiral Mike Rogers to its Board of Advisors.

Rogers brings a distinct perspective into cyber warfare and the most pressing challenges that companies face. For the last four years, Rogers served concurrently as Director of the National Security Agency (NSA), Commander of the US Cyber Command and Chief of the Central Security Service.

Aiming to empower enterprises to build resilience in the face of cyber attackers, Team8 builds cybersecurity companies from ideation to execution, leveraging the team's expertise of former leaders of Israel's elite technology & intelligenceUnit 8200.

As a senior advisor, Rogers will capitalize on his unique grasp of technology trends, the cyber threat landscape and the evolving tactics and tools used by cyber attackers to provide invaluable insight to both Team8's existing portfolio companies and those currently in development. Team8 opened its New York headquarters in September 2017 and Mike Rogers will be instrumental in helping strategize their US expansion.

"I've worked with the highly talented resources of Unit 8200 in the past and so when I had the opportunity to join Team8, I knew this was a rare and valued opportunity,' said Mike Rogers. "Alongside their know-how, foresight and extraordinary capabilities in aligning with leading global organizations, I'm most impressed with how Team8's model brings teams together to solve tangible problems that fundamentally make a difference to how enterprises operate in the face of cyber threats."

Rogers' appointment marks the latest company milestone, following recent acquisition of Team8 portfolio company Sygnia by global investment company Temasek for $250M and significant funding raises of its portfolio companies Claroty and Hysolate.

"We are thrilled to welcome Mike Rogers to the Team8 family," said Nadav Zafrir, CEO & Co-Founder of Team8 and former Commander of Unit 8200. "Mike will be an invaluable asset to Team8's company-building model, providing a fountain of knowledge for our existing portfolio companies, for the companies in development and to help identify technology gaps in the marketplace on which future companies could be built."

Team8 was founded by former leaders of Israel's military intelligence Unit 8200 including former Commander, Brig. Gen Nadav Zafrir, along with Israel Grimberg and Liran Grinberg. The leadership team also includes Executive Chairman Yuval Shachar, serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist, Assaf Mischari, former technology leader in Unit 8200 and Lluís Pedragosa, former Partner at Marker LLC. Team8 has launched four disruptive companies, each with an innovative approach for organizations to build resilience against cyber warfare and that today protect dozens of Fortune 100, 500 and other leading companies and have four more companies operating in stealth mode. With offices in Tel Aviv and New York City, the Team8 group has to-date raised $180 million and employs more than 370 people worldwide

About Team8

Team8 is a leading cybersecurity think tank and company creation platform, leveraging the expertise of formers leaders from Israel's elite military intelligence Unit 8200. Supported by an in-house team of top researchers, engineers and analysts, Team8 is focused on developing disruptive technologies and category-leading companies that enable businesses to reap the benefits of digital transformation in an agile and secure manner. Team8 is backed by some of the world's most renowned businesses including Cisco, Microsoft, AT&T, Accenture, Qualcomm, Nokia and Eric Schmidt's Innovation Endeavors. For more information, please visit www.team8.vc.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/former-nsa-director-and-commander-of-us-cyber-command-mike-rogers-joins-cybersecurity-foundry-team8-as-a-senior-advisor-300733619.html