GCHQ JRIG
Broken Glass | 21.03.2014 12:28 | Analysis | Policing | Repression | Liverpool | London
The recent revelations confirm for many, what they had already suspected. Since 2010/11 GCHQ and the secret state has been engaged in covert operations to 'Infiltrate the Internet to Manipulate, Deceive, and Destroy Reputations'
Source:
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/02/24/jtrig-manipulation/
A story broke yesterday, although some of the information was already available, that #NSA and #GCHQ are specifically targeting system administrators.
When you combine this two stories, it goes some way to explaining the trolls attracted to indymedia and the attempts to smash the collective by focusing on one or two individuals. However this article I hope will help begin somesort of discussions as to why there are so many other attacks on groups, collectives and individuals.
Source:
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/03/20/inside-nsa-secret-efforts-hunt-hack-system-administrators/
It could be argued that the first signs of this battle online began in 2011 with the attacks n Julian Assange. We now know thanks to the Snowden leaks that Assange, Wikleaks, Anonymous and other hacktivists/activists were the targets of online campaigns to destroy reputations and to create as split in the activist movement, which still continues to fester until this day.
In the case of Assange the beginning of these attacks started with blog posts with titles such as “I think Julian Assange is a rapist. I still like Wikileaks” or the most recent one of “I still think Julian Assange is a rapist” The other element of these attacks were directed against what was described as “the human network that supports Wikileaks.”
Were the attacks on Ciaron O'Reilly planned and executed by the secret state? “the human network that supports Wikileaks.”? I would argue than in fact the difficulties experienced by Ciaron and others was related to a plan to attack anyone supporting either Chelsea Manning, Wikileaks or Julian Assange.
Source:
https://indymedia.org.uk/en/2013/11/513614.html
https://indymedia.org.uk/en/2013/10/513250.html
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/02/18/snowden-docs-reveal-covert-surveillance-and-pressure-tactics-aimed-at-wikileaks-and-its-supporters/
“Write a blog purporting to be one of their victims” GCHQ JRIG
These blogs posts became a regular feature of 2012, from the Angry Women of Liverpool launching allegations against an activist online to the targeting of a peace activist by Libcom.org and Alarm anarchist group in London.
Source:
http://angrywomen.wordpress.com/2012/06/13/awol-statement-on-sexual-harassment-in-activist-spaces/
http://libcom.org/blog/warning-tout-03092012
All of these scenarios were all carried out using the same tactic developed over many years by the secret state, however the implementation of those tactics has changed and the battle field is much more different.
At the moment the #spycops story is in the headlines and rightly so, but we must always be mindful that the information we have at hand is historic, there may very well be still #spycops embedded within and around the wider activist networks. That being so, its is very clear that the nature of covert operations against dissent has evolved and we need to develop skill sets in dealing with these threats, because at the minute we are losing.
What is the purpose of this article? Well I believe its very much time that we attempt to gain back the momentum within activism. At the time of writing there are still those attempting to cause division with the activist movement with the targeting of a political party, although I would not share the same values of that group, I recognise that we are basically on the same side. In addition it has not went unnoticed that the same people seem to be involved in all these attacks.
Broken Glass