Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Questions for the Electors on Russian Hacking by Andrew Cockburn from CounterPunch


Questions for the Electors on Russian Hacking

It is being reported that John Podesta, Chairman of the defeated $1.2 billion Clinton presidential campaign, is supporting the call by various officials, including at least forty Electors, that the members of the Electoral College be given a classified intelligence briefing on the alleged Russian hacking before the College votes on December 19.
In the event such a briefing comes to pass, it might be helpful if the Electors had some informed questions to ask the CIA.
1/ The DNC hackers inserted the name of the founder of Russian intelligence, in Russian, in the metadata of the hacked documents.  Why would the G.R.U., Russian military intelligence do that?
2/ If the hackers were indeed part of Russian intelligence, why did they use a free Russian email account, or, in the hack of the state election systems, a Russian-owned killchain2server?  Does Russian intelligence normally display such poor tradecraft?
3/ Why would Russian intelligence, for the purposes of hacking the election systems of Arizona and Illinois, book space on a Russian-owned server and then use only English, as documents furnished by Vladimir Fomenko, proprietor of Kings Servers, the company that owned the server in question, clearly indicate?

4/ Numerous reports ascribe the hacks to hacking groups known as APT 28 or “Fancy Bear” and APT 29 or “Cozy Bear.” But these groups had already been accused of  nefarious actions on behalf of Russian intelligence prior to the hacks under discussion.  Why would the Kremlin and its intelligence agencies select well-known groups to conduct a regime-change operation on the most powerful country on earth?
5/ It has been reported in the New York Times, without attribution, that U.S. intelligence has identified specific G.R.U. officials who directed the hacking. Is this true, and if so, please provide details (Witness should be sworn)
6/ The joint statement issued by the DNI and DHS on October 7 2016 confirmed that US intelligence had no evidence of official Russian involvement in the leak of hacked documents to Wikileaks, etc, saying only that the leaks were “consistent withthe methods and motivations of Russian-directed efforts.”  Has the US acquired any evidence whatsoever since that time regarding Russian involvement in the leaks?
7/ Since the most effective initiative in tipping the election to Donald Trump was the intervention of FBI Director Comey, are you investigating any possible connections he might have to Russian intelligence and Vladimir Putin?
Andrew Cockburn is the Washington editor of Harper’s Magazine.  An Irishman, he has covered national security topics in this country for many years.  In addition to publishing numerous books, he co-produced the 1997 feature film The Peacemaker and the 2009 documentary on the financial crisis American Casino.  His latest book is Kill Chain: The Rise of the High-Tech Assassins (Henry Holt).
More articles by:
bernie-the-sandernistas-cover-344x550
zen economics
December 14, 2016
Jeffrey St. Clair
The Empire Has No Clothes: Trump’s Class War Cabinet, the F-Word, and the Coming Resistance
Andrew Cockburn
Questions for the Electors on Russian Hacking
L. Michael Hager
The Demise of Conflict of Interest
Michael J. Sainato
Why the Focus on Regime Change in Syria Undermines Effort to Defeat ISIS and Prolongs the War
Patrick Cockburn
If Assad Takes Eastern Aleppo He Will Think He’s Won the War
Dan Kovalik
Colombia: Peace in the Shadow of Genocide
Jonathan Michael Feldman
Donald Trump, High Plains Drifter and the Politics of Obituaries: Towards a Political Economy of Reconstruction
Robert Fisk
There is More Than One Truth to Tell in the Terrible Story of Aleppo
Tom Clifford
The US Mustn’t Turn Its Back on China
Abel Cohen
Don’t Fear the Russian Reaper
Ellen Lindeen
The Future of the U.S. and the World is in the Hands of the Electors
Gabriel Leão
Intolerants Abroad: Welcome to the New American Nightmare
Andre Vltchek
Fidel and Asia
Leo W. Girard
False Hope Hurts More: Trump’s Promises to the Working Class
December 13, 2016
Jeffrey Sommers
Curious Alliances: Truth as Casualty in the US Presidential Election
Stan Cox
The Ascendance of Trump Makes Broad-Based Climate Action Essential…and Achievable
Ralph Nader
Trump Trumpets His Real Plans
Mike Whitney
The Corporate Media’s Assault on Free Speech: an Interview with Jeffrey St. Clair
Bill Blunden
The Media’s Emphasis on Russian Hacking is a Diversion
Christy Rodgers
A Massacre in the Rear View Mirror: El Mozote at 35
Franklin Lamb
What is Becoming of Syrian Families Fleeing East Aleppo?
Chris Floyd
Message From the Future: Your Acceptance of Evil Has Condemned Us All
Colin Todhunter
Entrenching Capitalist Agriculture in India Under the Guise of Development
Thomas Knapp
Trump on Military Spending: an Encouraging Sign
Binoy Kampmark
The Momentum of Populism: the Fall of Italy’s Demolition Man
Mark Weisbrot
The Deep Economic Roots of Italy’s Political Troubles
Rodolfo Acuna
Pass the Buck
Dan Corjescu
Donald Trump: Simulacrum in Chief
Lawrence Wittner
Scapegoating by the Political Right: A Mask for Privilege
Rev. John Dear
Pope Francis Calls Us to Practice Nonviolence
B. R. Gowani
She Was Not That Woman
December 12, 2016
David Price
Historical & Structural Reasons for Skepticism of CIA Claims: Remaining Agnostic on Claims of Russian Hackers
Michael J. Sainato
Trump and Goldman’s Revolving Door
Dave Lindorff
The Fake Campaign to Blame ‘the Russians’
Fran Shor
A Real Basket of Deplorables: Donald Trump’s Cabinet Nominees
Mike Whitney
The Democrats “Russia Hacking” Campaign is Political Suicide
David Swanson
The CIA Never Ever Lies
Patrick Cockburn
Britain is Wading into a Dangerous Sectarian Conflict
Sarah Waters
Protest and Suicide at French Postal Services
Marc Norton
Telling Lies About Fidel
John Feffer
Can Europe Resist the Trump Tide?
Piero Falci
Nonviolent Lives: Stories For Teaching Nonviolence
Kathy Kelly
Human Rights Day, A Call to Care

Brett Warnke
Romney’s Ruin
Colin Todhunter
Double Whammy On Farmers

1 comment:

  1. ll such proteins and vitamins are effortlessly to be had within the dietary supplements nowadays.
    http://musclegainfast.com/ef13-muscle-supplement/

    ReplyDelete