Iran encourages Gaza war protests in US to stoke outrage and distrust, intelligence chief says
UNB
Publish: 10 Jul 2024, 04:15 PM
WASHINGTON,
July 10 (AP/UNB) - The Iranian government is covertly encouraging American
protests over Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza in a bid to stoke outrage
ahead of the fall election, the nation's top intelligence official said
Tuesday.
Using social media
platforms popular in the U.S., groups linked to Tehran have posed as online
activists, encouraged protests and have provided financial support to some
protest groups, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said in a
statement.
"Iran is becoming
increasingly aggressive in their foreign influence efforts, seeking to stoke
discord and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions," Haines
said.
This effort noted by the
top U.S. intelligence official is the latest evidence that America's
adversaries are harnessing the internet to warp domestic debates and widen
political divides ahead of the election.
White House press
secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said it was important to warn Americans to help
them "guard against efforts by foreign powers to take advantage of or
coopt their legitimate protest activities."
She also warned Iran
that "meddling in our politics and seeking to stoke division is
unacceptable."
In recent years, Iran,
Russia and China have all refined their abilities to use online bots and
networks of fake social media accounts to amplify divisive debates within the
U.S. over immigration, shootings by police, COVID-19, environmental
catastrophes, and even Chinese spy balloons.
In most cases, these
influence campaigns exploit existing social conflicts, and Haines noted Tuesday
that Americans participating in protests over Israel's conduct in Gaza have a
right to express their views. But she said Americans need to know when foreign
actors are trying to meddle in domestic American politics.
"Americans who are
being targeted by this Iranian campaign may not be aware that they are
interacting with or receiving support from a foreign government," Haines
said.
Demonstrations over
Israel's offensives in Gaza emerged on university campuses across the country
in recent months. The protests quickly became a factor in political campaigns
and prompted concerns about antisemitism and the role of "outside
agitators " as well as worries about a larger regional conflict between
Israel and Iran.
Iran isn't the only
nation seeking to influence American discourse ahead of the 2024 election.
During a briefing with reporters Tuesday, intelligence officials said America's
adversaries will look to harness the latest artificial intelligence to
dramatically expand the reach and penetration of election misinformation.
The officials - from agencies
including the FBI and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence -
spoke with reporters on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the
office of the director.
Russia remains the
greatest threat, according to the officials, who said the Kremlin is mounting a
government-wide effort to spread election disinformation ahead of the 2024
race. Russia has already sought to exploit debates over immigration as part of
its strategy to undermine international support for Ukraine.
Russia is also seeking
to cover its tracks by laundering its disinformation through supposedly
independent news sites and American influencers who may not know they are
parroting Russian talking points.
The officials declined
to answer directly when asked if Russia preferred a particular presidential
candidate but pointedly noted that the country's preference remained unchanged
from prior election cycles, when Russia was assessed by the U.S. intelligence
community to have worked to try to get Republican candidate Donald Trump
elected.
While China mounted a
sprawling disinformation campaign ahead of Taiwan's recent election, the nation
has been more cautious in its use of disinformation targeting Americans this
year. Officials said Tuesday that China shows no indication that it will try to
influence the presidential race.
China, one official
said, doesn't see a benefit in choosing between candidates who are both seen as
trying to curb its power.
Sen. Mark Warner,
chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has said the U.S. may be more
vulnerable to foreign disinformation this year than it was before the 2020
election. He thanked the intelligence community for holding Tuesday's briefing
as a way to inform the public about the threat.
"Social media, in
particular, continues to be a popular vector for foreign covert influence
attempts, and our adversaries remain focused on stoking social, racial, and
political tensions among Americans," said Warner, D-Virginia.
END/UNB/AP/PR