American investigators believe Russian hackers broke into the website of the Qatari state news Agency and threw down a fake message that contributed to the crisis between the closest U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf. This was reported by American officials familiar with the investigation.
Recently the FBI sent to Doha a group of investigators to help the Qatari government to investigate the alleged hacking incident, said representatives of the Qatari and American governments. Collected by us intelligence services data indicate that the hacking, which the Qatari government announced two weeks ago, the hackers from Russia. On the territory of Qatar is one of the region’s largest us military bases.
The alleged involvement of Russian hackers are increasing fears of the U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies regarding the fact that Russia continues to be used against American allies the methods of cyber warfare that, as suggested by U.S. intelligence, she has applied to intervene in the elections of 2016.
American officials say that Russia’s goal, apparently, is to cause divisions between the U.S. and its allies. In recent months, cyber-attacks, for which I suspect the Russians, including stuffing fake news, come amid elections in France, in Germany and in other countries.
It is unclear who, exactly, the United States suspected of hacker attacks against Qatar Russian criminal gangs or intelligence agencies of this country, that accusations of meddling in the American elections. One official representative observed that if we start from the previously obtained intelligence information, it becomes clear that “in this country, very little happens without the blessing of the authorities.”
The FBI and the CIA declined to comment. Press Secretary of the Qatari Embassy in Washington said that there is an investigation, the results of which will be reported in the near future.
The government of Qatar stated that on may 23 Qatar News Agency in its announcement attributed to the ruler of the country fake statements friendly to Iran and Israel, and also no doubt that President Donald trump will last long in power.
Qatari foreign Minister Shaykh Muhammad bin Abdurrahman al-Thani (Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani) told CNN that the FBI has confirmed that a hacking and stuffing information.
“Everything that was thrown in as charges, based on misinformation, and we believe that this entire crisis based on misinformation, said the Qatari Minister Becky Anderson (Becky Anderson) from CNN. — It all started with the fabricated news that was embedded in our national news Agency, subjected to hacker hacking, as proven by the FBI.”
Director of Qatar State of the communication Department, Sheikh Saif bin Ahmed al-Thani (Ahmed Bin Saif Al-Thani) confirmed that the Ministry of internal Affairs of his country with the FBI and the UK National Agency for combating crime conducts investigation into hacking Qatar News Agency. “The Ministry of internal Affairs will publish the findings of the investigation when it is completed,” he told CNN.
Responding to false reports in the media, the neighbors of Qatar, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates broke with the country economic and diplomatic relations, thereby causing a serious crisis.
Fake news appeared at a time of tensions due to accusations that Qatar is funding terrorism.
On Tuesday, trump made on Twitter criticizing Qatar, echoing the Saudis and other countries in the region, which has long been expressed against the foreign policy of this state. About a fake news report he has not said a word.
“As well, a visit to the king of Saudi Arabia, has already yielded dividends — announced trump in their tweets. They say they will take a tough stance in the question of financing extremism, and all their links pointed to Qatar. Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end of the horrors of terrorism!”
In a tweet, trump has expressed support for regional blockade of Qatar, referring to the fact that this country is funding terrorist groups. Qatar denies the accusations.
Shortly after the speech, trump tweeted the US state Department said that Qatar had made progress in curbing terrorist financing, but much work remains.
The US government and European countries for years have complained that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries are funding extremists. 15 of the 19 terrorists who hijacked the September 11 planes were citizens of Saudi Arabia.
Last year during Obama’s visit to Saudi Arabia, his administration raised the question that Riyadh is funding the construction of mosques in Europe and Africa, although those do help to preach an ultraconservative version of Islam.
American intelligence agencies have long been concerned that Russian authorities are able to carry out stuffing of fake news published by a credible media.
This concern in recent months has increased, as evidenced by the briefings addressed the Congress, former FBI Director James Comey.
As Komi said the legislators, he decided to act outside of their leaders from the Ministry of justice, when it was announced that in the case of Hillary Clinton’s use of private email server has not been charged, for a very simple reason. Komi was afraid of fakes of Russian intelligence. Intelligence suggested that the Russians have information showing how former attorney General Loretta Lynch (Loretta Lynch), assured Democrats that will not allow you to bring the investigation into Clinton to the charges.
The FBI considered the information fake, but still scared that the Russians can make it public to discredit the role of the Ministry of justice in this investigation.
