Information Operations; Influence Operations

Information Operations; Influence Operations

On September 4, 2024 it was reported that the United States Department of Justice as part of Operation Doppelganger seized 32 internet domains and indicted a number of individuals who were involved in creating websites that looked like legitimate news sites to spread “false narratives on social media.” All of this was designed and used to “covertly spread Russian government propaganda with the aim of reducing international support for Ukraine, bolstering pro-Russian policies and interests, and influencing voters in U.S. and foreign elections….” A number of companies were also named in the indictment as advancing these efforts, and these companies were under the direction of Sergei Kiriyenko, the first deputy chief of staff to Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation. The content had messaging that was intended to inflame passions of certain elements of the American populace as the topics dealt with things like race, “traditional values,” and political party loyalty. The Russian project that the DOJ busted was called “Good Old USA Project” which sent out messaging that consisted of focusing on “convincing the American public that the war in Ukraine is unwinnable and that the U.S. Spends too much money in support of Kyiv” and that the war should be ended “as soon as possible in exchange for territorial concessions.”¹

Russia is not alone in pushing divisive messaging. China is also engaged in influence operations on social media “in an attempt to exacerbate social divisions ahead of the 2024 presidential election.” The topics, discussed allegedly by accounts who claim to be by American voters and soldiers, post about “hot button topics including reproductive rights, homelessness, U.S. Support for Ukraine, and American policy toward Israel.” U.S. Intelligence agencies concluded that China was using social media activities, often with AI, to “portray the U.S. As this declining global power with weak political leadership and a failing system of governance….” The Chinese were building their “fake identities less around an individual party or individual party candidate and more around the idea of U.S. Patriotism or national pride.”²

All information operations or influence operations as well as psychological operations are best when they have an element of truth or if they are based on certain realities in society.  There is in America now a very strong isolationist faction which builds on the long-standing American desire to remain insular.  This faction or group sees the war in Ukraine as American aggression when it was Russia that fired the first shots, and this same faction seems to think that the world can do fine without American leadership.  This vision is short-sighted and inaccurate at best, and it serves the interests of foreign powers with a definite agenda.

Here is the beginning of my piece which you can find on Third Secret of Fatima website:

Anyone with a social media account like Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter) will see there are information and viewpoint battles underway. People or trolls or bots with fake names are posting about one issue or another and in doing so repeat certain themes that advance a certain position or narrative of events. By saying these things and repeating them often enough, people come to believe these narratives which affects how they look at current events if not also the world. That in turn affects actions or more directly, support for or against certain policy initiatives that a government and others may propose. In other words, someone else’s view of reality is being put forth regardless of whether or not it is true, or, regardless of whether it is or is not reality.

On February 29 the Atlantic Council published a report that explained Russia was engaged in influence operations, or information operations³ or information wars if you will, on social media platforms.⁴ Earlier this year there were also hearings before the United States Congress regarding the messaging put forth by the Russians and Chinese, and for the years running up to now the Congress has been examining information operations on social media.⁵ One think tank studying the situation with Ukraine has determined that Vladimir Putin and others have generated an alternative reality by which to “shape the will and the decisions” of the United States and the West, and that this alt reality is essential to Russian operations.⁶

One narrative or alternative reality that we keep hearing over and over is that Putin was provoked into a war, and that is supposed to excuse what he did or justify what he did. This narrative ignores quite a bit.

It goes like this — NATO expanded in contravention of the wishes of the Soviet Union and later the Russian Federation. Promises not to expand NATO made by US leadership beginning in February, 1990 are often alleged⁷ while at the same time the Belgrade Memorandum from December, 1994, which committed Russia to guaranteeing the sovereignty of Ukraine, are ignored.