#The Independent

New Post has been published on (An expert s guide to Putin s propaganda playbook)

An expert s guide to Putin s propaganda playbook

Mark Galeotti is a chief analysis adolescent at the Institute of International Relations Prague and an able on Russian adopted and aegis affairs. Formerly assistant of all-around diplomacy at New York University, he is now arch administrator of Mayak Intelligence. The opinions in this commodity accord to the author. The Russian bamboozlement apparatus will bang into overdrive now that Dutch prosecutors accept delivered their address on Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, attempt bottomward over eastern Ukraine in July 2014. The report s allegation were clear: A Russian missile supplied by the Russian aggressive and accursed from breadth captivated by Russia s bounded proxies downed the plane, killing all 298 bodies aboard. In response, activity from Vladimir Putin s playbook, we can apprehend a furious, relentless, adroit and audacious advertising attack that will apparently abide indefinitely, acquisitive to coffin the accuracy in a mudslide of cabal theory, abnegation and rumor.Is the accuracy out there?The aim is not to prove any specific another theory, so abundant as to actualize the apparition of uncertainty.Every arm of the Russian accompaniment is alleged on to comedy its allotment — and they accept been advancing for this report s absolution for some time.Almaz-Antey, the association that congenital the acute Buk missile, appear a address this ages claiming the missile charge accept been accursed from an breadth captivated by Ukrainian government troops. It was blithely best up by official accompaniment media.Meanwhile, Russian trolls took aim at Bellingcat, the aborigine announcer accumulation accomplishing abundant to accumulate affirmation of Moscow s captivation in accessible sources. It was accused of actuality a Russophobic advertising outfit, of peddling fakes, and an alignment calling itself anti-Bellingcat alike that angry out to be partly run by an official from the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, a anticipate catchbasin abutting to Moscow s Adopted Intelligence Service.Instead, Russia s agog propagandists came up with all kinds of theories — from the faintly believable to the gruesomely bizarre.The alike was attempt bottomward by a Ukrainian jet (even admitting the aircraft could not accept accursed a missile to that altitude) or because it was mistaken for Putin s presidential plane, or alike that it was already abounding of corpses, or silicon dummies.None of these angle up to scrutiny, but that s not the point. The aim is to brownnose to those artlessly agnostic of the alleged boilerplate media and to accomplish abundant abashing and ambiguity that bodies activate to anguish of anytime absolutely alive the truth.A five-step planThis is, afterwards all, the playbook we ve apparent the Kremlin accept in crisis afterwards crisis — from the activity of Crimea to the Olympic doping scandal: deny, counter-attack, confuse, equate, repeat.First, flatly abjure everything, behindhand of how absolute the affirmation looks. Those soldiers demography over Crimea aren t Russians, for all they action the latest Russian kit!Counter-attack: Question others motives, affirmation and interpretation. Proclaim that this is an anti-Russian smear, a provocation. (If annihilation else, this goes bottomward able-bodied at home.) Angry about the bombing of civilians in Aleppo? You charge abutment ISIS!Try to abash the affair as abundant as possible. Throw out as abounding battling theories and explanations as possible, about ludicrous. The United States blew up the Aleppo aid accompany as a provocation! Someone will accept anything, and truths can be absent in the blast of lies.Fourth, as a fallback, affirmation that alike if the allegations are accurate (though of advance they re not), anybody abroad does it, too — abnormally the Americans. Everyone s athletes dope, but alone Russians are victimized!Finally, accumulate on accomplishing this. It is a close confidence of the Kremlin, not after some justice, that the West is an attention-deficit ataxia association that can be affronted by article today yet balloon it tomorrow back some new crisis or aspersion catches its attention.Barring some accord accord over Ukraine s active Donbas region, at which point Moscow could conceivably duke over some scapegoats as allotment of a deal, the bamboozlement attack will abide as continued as bare until it becomes article for the historians to altercate over.The agitation is that Putin s Russia has one abstruse advantage: Opinions about it in the West are already appealing fixed. Back best governments and experts don t accept you, what allurement do you accept not to abide to lie, circuit and stonewall? There is a aberrant abandon in already actuality advised one footfall abbreviate of a abomination regime.

New Post has been published on (Putin s party wins majority in parliamentary elections)

Putin s party wins majority in parliamentary elections

Russian President Vladimir Putin s political party, United Russia, has won a majority in the country s aldermanic elections.According to a address from Russian state-run account bureau Tass, United Russia won 54.28% of the vote, with 93% of all votes counted. Tass says basic after-effects from the Central Acclamation Commission suggests the affair will win 343 seats of the 450 on offer.The Communist Affair is accepted to win 42 seats with 13.54% of the votes, advanced of the Liberal Democratic Affair on 39 seats and the Fair Russia Affair on 23.Turnout for the State Duma vote was 47%, according to Tass — able-bodied bottomward on the 60% bristles years ago.Head of the CEC Ella Pamfilova told reporters Monday that she did not apprehend any cogent changes in the results. Of course, there can be some accessory changes in the results, but on the accomplished the CEC believes that no above changes are expected. In fact, the after-effects are rather bright and definitive, she was quoted as adage by Tass. I achievement these after-effects appropriately reflect absoluteness and if addition has any doubts they can appear to us, they are welcome. I am abiding that best associates of the Commission didn t apprehend such a result, it came as a abruptness to us in abounding ways. The Putin factorThe aftereffect signals an advance for United Russia, which won 49% of the vote and 238 seats during the 2011 election.A accretion of 105 seats agency United Russia has inflicted abundant losses on its opponents.The Communists accept absent 50 seats, Liberal Democratic Affair accept absent 17, and A Just Russia absent 41. The affair has benefited badly from its affiliation with Putin, who has spent the accomplished 17 years as either Prime Minister or President.Putin s abutting ambition is the presidential acclamation in 2018.Sebastian Shukla in Moscow contributed to this report.

New Post has been published on (Clinton to Fallon: Trump Putin have the most famous bromance going )

Clinton to Fallon: Trump Putin have the most famous bromance going

New York Hillary Clinton declared Donald Trump s accord with Russian Admiral Vladimir Putin as a bromance during an account that aired Monday, authoritative ablaze of a affiliation that she has derided during the 2016 presidential campaign.Clinton, during an account taped Friday for NBC s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, was presented with a amber cardboard bag abounding of items that the host said Trump larboard for her aback he appeared on Thursday s show.One of the items: A account of Putin in a red-heart shaped frame. Yeah, the best acclaimed bromance going, right? Clinton said with a smile. Besides me and (Justin) Timberlake, you apperceive what I mean, Fallon said, referencing the pop brilliant and Grammy Award-winner. But, but Justin s aces of your attention, Clinton said. Because aftermost I checked, he hadn t, you know, dead off his adversaries. The bag additionally included a Pink Floyd The Wall CD — a advertence to Trump s admiration to body a bank forth the U.S.-Mexico bound and a bag of softballs, a antic about Fallon s account style. This is a appealing exhausted up bag. It s like a abandoned person s bag, Clinton said about the channelled amber bag.Clinton has approved to accomplish Trump s aglow comments about Putin an affair in the 2016 election, arguing that if the Republican appointee is elected, he would be accession the Russian admiral could manipulate. Every day that goes by, this aloof becomes added and added of a absoluteness television show, Clinton said afterwards Trump appeared on RT, a cable approach in the United States that is an arm of the government-run account bureau Russia Today. It is not a austere presidential attack and it is above one s acuteness to accept applicant for admiral praising a Russian absolutist like Vladimir Putin and throwing his lot in with him, she said.Trump has said aback a apple baton adulation him, as Putin has, he will acclaim them back. Trump has additionally argued that Putin is a bigger baton than Admiral Barack Obama, citation his approval appraisement central the country.His affection for Putin has been criticized by abounding Republican hawks such as Sen. John McCain, in accession to Clinton and Democrats.Clinton s account with Fallon comes as the Democratic presidential appointee is aggravating to advance a added aspirational bulletin on the attack trail, touting her behavior and ethics added than activity afterwards Trump. Aides feel backward night interviews like the one with Fallon advice abate Clinton to voters. Friday s taping apparent her third account with Fallon.The appointment allows Clinton to let apart and acquaint belief she doesn t usually use in accepted interviews. For example, Clinton acclimated this actualization to acquaint Fallon about arena aerial academy softball. I am not the greatest athlete, but I admired arena sports aback I was growing up, Clinton said, anecdotic how the aggregation she played on — the Acceptable and Plenty s — was sponsored by a bounded bonbon distributor.Fallon started the account with Clinton by badinage about her contempo pneumonia diagnosis, which kept her off the attack aisle for three days.The late-night host put on a surgical affectation and acclimated duke sanitizer on his easily afterwards high-fiving the Democratic nominee.Clinton said she was activity bigger and aback asked whether above Admiral Bill Clinton was a acceptable nurse, the above secretary of accompaniment said he was actual solicitous. He was really, he was absolutely actual sweet, actually, Clinton said. My dogs were great, too.

New Post has been published on (Vladimir Putin s party winning in Russian parliamentary elections)

Vladimir Putin s party winning in Russian parliamentary elections

Moscow Russian President Vladimir Putin s United Russia affair is acceptable Sunday s aldermanic elections, admitting the attendance of hundreds of action candidates on the ballot.Russia s Central Acclamation Commission arise Monday that with 50% of the ballots counted, the United Russia affair has 53.54% of the votes, according to accompaniment account bureau TASS. The Communist Affair won 14% and the Liberal Democratic Affair took 13.9%, TASS reported.Opposition candidates got air time on accompaniment TVIn accomplished votes, best action candidates accept been blocked or excluded. But in Sunday s election, hundreds of Kremlin critics were accustomed to run for appointment — although some accept complained of threats and harassment. Some were alike accustomed air time on Kremlin-controlled accompaniment television, which is commonly chargeless of any action voices. [The authorities] anticipate they should actualize some affectionate of account that elections are chargeless and fair in accordance with all-embracing standards, said Mikhail Kasyanov, baton of the PARNAS action party. But that account is not accurate, say critics. Sinister videosKasyanov, a above prime abbot angry articulate analyzer of Putin, has been targeted repeatedly. In one incident, bent on camera, he was attacked in a restaurant by two men wielding a chrism pie. In what critics say was addition bid to abase and discredit the above premier, a secretly-filmed sex band was additionally broadcast assuming the action baton in a compromising embrace with a affiliated associate. And it gets added sinister: One video acquaint online showed Kasyanov and addition action amount in the cross-hairs of a sniper s rifle.The arch of the Chechen republic, Ramzan Kadyrov — a key Putin accessory — said he acquaint the clip, insisting it was a joke. But in a country area critics of the Kremlin are commonly murdered, it is no bedlam matter.Opposition amount killedIn February 2015, addition arch Russian action figure, Boris Nemtsov, was gunned bottomward on a arch abreast the Kremlin, as he absolved home from a restaurant. Kasyanov and Nemtsov were abutting associates. In May aftermost year, addition action figure, Vladimir Kara-Murza, fell berserk ill and was initially diagnosed with poisoning. After actuality arise from hospital, Kara-Murza said he believed he had been targeted by Kremlin supporters. These canicule in my country, unfortunately, anybody should be afraid about the behavior of the authorities or added people, Kasyanov told at his affair headquarters. Me too. I am a accustomed person, that is why I am additionally afraid and I can apprehend article to arise to me and my family. But I accept to abide this mission, this job, which we are already committed to do, he added.Rare television debateDespite the ratcheting up of burden on activists, Kasyanov says the accepted official alertness to acquiesce Kremlin critics to angle for acclamation and be accustomed air time is an befalling for the political opposition. He was afresh arrive to booty allotment in a attenuate televised agitation on accompaniment television, area best Russians get their news. In a achievement during the alive proceedings, a pro-Kremlin applicant buried a US banderole on Kasyanov s lectern, shouting that it was a admonition of which country s interests Russia s action defended. But Kasyanov says the actuality he was on accompaniment television at all is what is important. Up until that debate, he said, he had not been arrive to arise on civic television for about a decade. It s angering some people, but others are starting to deathwatch up, said Kasyanov says. They deathwatch up and say it is accessible — alike in a bearings area aggregate seems to be beneath absolute ascendancy of Putin — to arise on the aboriginal channel. And they started cerebration that article could be afflicted in the country. s Matthew Chance arise from Moscow, with Sara Mazloumsaki advertisement from Atlanta.

New Post has been published on (Vladimir Putin s opponents run in Russian elections)

Vladimir Putin s opponents run in Russian elections

Moscow As millions of Russians vote in aldermanic elections this weekend, one of the stand-out appearance of the attack has been the attendance of the opposition. In accomplished votes, best action candidates accept been blocked or excluded. But in this election, demography abode on Sunday, hundreds of Kremlin critics accept been accustomed to run for office. Some accept alike been accustomed air time on Kremlin-controlled accompaniment television, which is commonly chargeless of any action voices. [The authorities] anticipate they should actualize some affectionate of account that elections are chargeless and fair in accordance with all-embracing standards, said Mikhail Kasyanov, baton of the PARNAS action party. But that account is not accurate, say critics. Action abstracts accept complained of threats and harassment. Sinister videosKasyanov, a above prime abbot angry articulate analyzer of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been targeted repeatedly. In one incident, bent on camera, he was attacked in a restaurant by two men wielding a chrism pie. In what critics say was addition bid to abase and discredit the above premier, a secretly-filmed sex band was additionally broadcast assuming the action baton in a compromising embrace with a affiliated associate. And it gets added sinister: One video acquaint online showed Kasyanov and addition action amount in the cross-hairs of a sniper s rifle.The arch of the Chechen republic, Ramzan Kadyrov — a key Putin accessory — said he acquaint the clip, insisting it was a joke. But in a country area critics of the Kremlin are commonly murdered, it is no bedlam matter.Opposition amount killedIn February 2015, addition arch Russian action figure, Boris Nemtsov, was gunned bottomward on a arch abreast the Kremlin, as he absolved home from a restaurant. Kasyanov and Nemtsov were abutting associates. In May aftermost year, addition action figure, Vladimir Kara-Murza, fell berserk ill and was initially diagnosed with poisoning. After actuality arise from hospital, Kara-Murza said he believed he had been targeted by Kremlin supporters. These canicule in my country, unfortunately, anybody should be afraid about the behavior of the authorities or added people, Kasyanov told at his affair headquarters. Me too. I am a accustomed person, that is why I am additionally afraid and I can apprehend article to arise to me and my family. But I accept to abide this mission, this job, which we are already committed to do, he added.Rare television debateDespite the ratcheting up of burden on activists, Kasyanov says the accepted official alertness to acquiesce Kremlin critics to angle for acclamation and be accustomed air time is an befalling for the political opposition. He was afresh arrive to booty allotment in a attenuate televised agitation on accompaniment television, area best Russians get their news. In a achievement during the alive proceedings, a pro-Kremlin applicant buried a US banderole on Kasyanov s lectern, shouting that it was a admonition of which country s interests Russia s action defended. But Kasyanov says the actuality he was on accompaniment television at all is what is important. Up until that debate, he said, he had not been arrive to arise on civic television for about a decade. It s angering some people, but others are starting to deathwatch up, said Kasyanov says. They deathwatch up and say it is accessible — alike in a bearings area aggregate seems to be beneath absolute ascendancy of Putin — to arise on the aboriginal channel. And they started cerebration that article could be afflicted in the country.