The Russians Are Here

For John, BLUF:  As Saint Paul told the Thessalonians, "but test everything; hold fast what is good." (1 Thess 5:21)  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Russian trolls’ post-election task: Disrupt Florida and other U.S. energy pipelines

From McClatchy, by Mr Greg Gordon (ggordon@mcclatchydc.com), 1 May 2018.

Here are the first four paragraphs:

A television crew from Russia’s largest state-backed network swooped into downtown Miami two days before New Year’s Eve, 2016, on a curious mission.

RT, the network formerly known as Russia Today, was there to provide global news coverage of one of five unremarkable rallies across Florida that day aimed at turning the public against the nearly completed, $3 billion Sabal Trail Pipeline designed to carry natural gas to the state from Alabama.

What the demonstrators didn’t know was that so-called Russian internet trolls had been busy for two weeks encouraging people to turn out for the protests with posts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. They used phony, American-sounding identities -- names such as Steven Cook and Amalie Baldwin.

Russia’s hidden hand in the Florida pipeline protests was extensive, according to sources familiar with the operations. At least eight Russian accounts, most tied to the troll farm known as the Internet Research Agency, sent at least 16 social media messages excoriating the Sabal Trail pipeline or retweeting messages from one of its most prominent opponents, a frequent guest on RT. The tweets were sent to a total of more than 40,000 followers as well as anyone else who saw them via hashtags.

Law Prof Glenn Hard Reynolds suggests:

SO I GUESS THIS MEANS WE NEED A SPECIAL COUNSEL TO INVESTIGATE RUSSIAN COLLUSION WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT.

Fair is fair.

The Professor follows up with:

It’s a problem in Canada, too. Hug a fracker — and be very suspicious of people opposing domestic energy production, because apparently Russian agents are everywhere.

One thing to note is that Russia doesn't wish to reduce US energy production to save the environment, but rather reduce the economic impact on Russia of increased US oil production.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff