MATRIX MAG Special
Quite mind-boggling though not surprising at all what the EU Disinfo Lab has revealed in its fantastic research report the Indian Chronicles. A telling story of how a vast network of news outlets, information platforms were used after resurrecting dead media, dormant think-tanks and NGOs, and names of dead people like Professor Louise Sohn were used to lend authenticity to disinformation or fake news, mostly on Pakistan.
Last year, the EU DISINFO LAB had reported on a network of 265 fake media in 65 countries reproducing negative content about Pakistan online. “This network was created by malicious actors who were behind “EP Today”, a fake European Parliament magazine active in Brussels since 2006 that was serving as a “honeypot” for Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and other politicians who could publish their views, in particular views that would serve Indian interests and undermine Pakistan. Some of these MEPs and other politicians would then attend United Nations side-events, press conferences and demonstrations in Geneva with minority-rights NGOs set-up by the same actors, such as the European Organization for Pakistani Minorities. Another fake media – “Times of Geneva” – and a fake, allegedly Geneva-based press agency – 4 News Agency – would then produce written and video content that would be re-used online by NGOs, and disseminated via the global fake media network and/or via an Indian press agency (ANI). This operation was attributed to the New-Delhi based Srivastava Group that – in partnership with the Women’s Economic and Social Think-Tank (WESTT) – had sponsored the trip of 27 MEPs to visit Kashmir and had met with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” the report says.
The actors, the report says, even hijacked the names of others and tried to impersonate regular media and press agencies such as the EU Observer, The Economist and Voice of America. They used the letterhead of the European Parliament; registered websites under avatars with fake phone numbers; and provided fake addresses to the United Nations.
Indian Chronicles also organized supposedly multi-stakeholder events where – in essence – everyone speaking was tied to them. They used layers of fake media that would quote and republish one another. They used politicians who genuinely wanted to defend women or minority rights to ultimately serve geopolitical interests, and gave a platform to far right politicians when their objectives converged.
It reminds us of a similar campaign that the US CIA ran to support its military operations in Iraq.
The objective of the nearly $ 500 million was to run a top secret propaganda program including short TV segments made in the style of Arabic news networks and fake insurgent videos which could be used to track the people who watched them, according to a former employee.
Here are some Key Facts as revealed by The EU Disinfo Lab
· A 15 year-long operation running since 2005;
· 10+ UN Human Rights Council accredited NGOs, mostly resurrected;
· The resurrection of Prof. Louis B. Sohn, a prominent figure in human rights, deceased in 2006;
· Several identity thefts, including the name of Martin Schulz, former president of the European Parliament or the photo of James Purnell, a former UK Government minister;
· 750+ fake media outlets, covering 119 countries;
· 550+ domain names registered.
Key Objectives:
The operation’s mission is to discredit nations in conflict with India in Asia, in particular Pakistan but also China to a lesser extent. Its long-term objective is:
· In India, to reinforce pro-Indian and anti-Pakistan (and anti-Chinese) feelings.
· Internationally, to consolidate the power and improve the perception of India, to damage the reputation of other countries and ultimately benefit from more support from international institutions such as the EU and the UN.
Operations:
· The support to minority and human rights NGOs and think-tanks.
· The use of Members of the European Parliament to create a mirage of institutional support from European institutions to these minority groups, in favor of Indian interests and against Pakistan (and China).
· An active presence in Geneva and the United Nations’ Human Rights Council through:
1. side-events and demonstrations in support of minority rights;
2. Impersonation of extinguished UN-accredited NGOs or use speaking slots reserved to various NGOs whose original missions seem totally unrelated.
3. The creation of fake media in Brussels, Geneva and across the world and/or the repackaging and dissemination via ANI and obscure local media networks – at least in 97 countries – to multiply the repetition of online negative content about countries in conflict with India, in particular Pakistan.
4. Abuse search engines by reproducing the same content hundreds of times.
(Courtesy:Reddit.Com)
