Historian and U.K. analyst Mark Curtis checks out the Twitter accounts of journalists whose names have been associated with the Integrity Initiative, a British “counter disinformation” program.
By
Mark Curtis
Part
2 - Linking Corbyn to Russia
The
Integrity Initiative said in a tweet, “we are not
‘anti-Russian’ and do not ‘target’ Mr Corbyn.” However,
that tweet was preceded by the following tweets:
“Skripal
poisoning: It’s time for the Corbyn left to confront its Putin
problem.”
“An
alleged British Corbyn supporter wants to vote for Putin.”
“’Mr
Corbyn was a ‘useful idiot’, in the phrase apocryphally
attributed to Lenin. His visceral anti-Westernism helped the Kremlin
cause, as surely as if he had been secretly peddling Westminster
tittle-tattle for money.’” This tweet was a quote from an
article by Edward Lucas in The Times, “Corbyn’s
sickening support of Soviet Empire.”
Here are
examples of tweets from the 11 individuals.
Times
columnist Edward Lucas has published an article on the Integrity
Initiative website and been quoted as saying that his work with
the Initiative has not been paid or involved anything improper. On
Twitter, he has accused Corbyn of having “blind spots on Putin’s
plutocracy and Kremlin imperialism.”
In which I blast @jeremycorbyn for his blind spot on Putin's plutocracy http://t.co/UOWeAaOilL— Edward Lucas (@edwardlucas) August 26, 2015
Lucas
has also tweeted:
“Why
does Corbyn not see that Russia is imperialist and Ukrainians are
victims?” and “It’s not just Corbyn. Here’s Swedish
leftie @AsaLinderborg explaining why Nato not Putin is the real
threat to peace” – linking to the latter’s article in a
Swedish newspaper.
“German
hard-leftist GDR-loving wall-defending @SWagenknecht congratulates
Corbyn on win” [in the Labour leadership contest]
“More
excellent stuff on Corbyn’s love of plutocrats so long as they are
Russian.”
In
another tweet, he praised as brilliant an article about Corbyn
“playing into Russia’s hands on the Scribal poisoning.”
Deborah
Haynes, until recently defence editor of The Times and now
foreign affairs editor at Sky News, has tweeted:
. @jeremycorbyn talking tough, v quick to demand end to UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia after #Khashoggi death in stark contrast to his feeble response towards Russia over #Skripal attack— Deborah Haynes (@haynesdeborah) October 22, 2018
Haynes
has also tweeted about Corbyn “displaying staggering naivety and
a complete failure to understand this state-sponsored attack by
Russia on the UK. Appalling. Is he for real?”
Haynes
has also tweeted: “Incredible that @jeremycorbynis attempting to
score party-political points in wake of hugely significant statement
by @theresa_may on Skripal attack by Russia.”
Washington
Post columnist Anne Applebaum has tweeted that Corbyn is a
“useful idiot” of Russia; about a “precise echo of
Kremlin propaganda from Corbyn,” and that “Surprise!
Russia sides with Corbyn against Cameron.”
Below is
another.
Jeremy Corbyn isn’t anti-war. He’s just anti-West https://t.co/2Z5Qp3qBds— Anne Applebaum (@anneapplebaum) November 19, 2015
David
Clark, a former adviser to the late Labour PM, Robin Cook, has
tweeted that Corbyn is an “apologist” for Putin. Below is
another of Clark’s tweets.
Anders
Aslund of the Atlantic Council in the U.S. has tweeted, referring to
Corbyn: “Once a communist always so.”
His
colleague at the Atlantic Council, Ben Nimmo, sent the following
three tweets on Corbyn’s candidacy for the Labour leadership in
August 2015:
“Why
Russia loves Corbyn, in one headline”
“Russia’s
certainly pushing Corbyn’s candidacy”
“From
Russia with coverage – how RT is campaigning for Jeremy Corbyn.”
Here’s one more, promoting a piece he wrote for the Daily Beast:
Natalie
Nougayrede, Guardian columnist and on its editorial board, has
tweeted this:
"the time for equivocation, given the sinister nature of Mr Putin’s regime, is over"— Natalie Nougayrède (@nnougayrede) March 15, 2018
Guardian editorial on shameful #Corbyn &Co reaction to #Russia behaviour & chemical weapon use https://t.co/ALmpGCoKh5
Nougayrede
also retweeted an article by Nick Cohen, headlined “Jeremy Corbyn
isn’t anti-war. He’s just anti-West.”
Three
Guardian/Observer-linked journalists were invited to speak at
an Integrity Initiative event in London in November 2018:
Carole Cadwalladr, Nick Cohen and James Ball.
Cadwalladr
has tweeted that “Labour has a Russia problem,” that
Corbyn adviser Seumas Milne is “pro-Putin” and that
“Milne’s support for Putin has made him a Russian propaganda
tool.” One of Cadwalladr’s tweets noted:
“Here’s
Corbyn’s principal advisor Seamus Milne on RT explaining why it was
the fault of NATO aggression that Russia invaded Ukraine.”
Another
by Cadwalladr:
"What he has done, wittingly or unwittingly, is to work with the Kremlin’s agenda." Extraordinary quote from MP & expert on Russian active measures @IoWBobSeely in this incredible in-depth profile on Seamus Milne - @jeremycorbyn's chief advisor https://t.co/NNc9verN57— Carole Cadwalladr (@carolecadwalla) November 25, 2018
Nick
Cohen has tweeted that “Labour is led by Putin fans” and:
“What is worse? Farage and Corbyn and twitter trolls divert
attention from Russia’s political assassinations because they
believe Putin is innocent or because they are morally corrupt?”
He has also retweeted an Observer article of his claiming that
Labour leaders have promoted “endorsements of Russian
imperialism” and that Corbyn’s policy has given Russia “a
free pass” in Syria.
Here is
another:
Here's the political problem. Tories don't want to investigate Russia/Brexit because it undermines the referendum result. Labour doesn't because it is led by Putin fanshttps://t.co/MFZwBmmkqA— Nick Cohen (@NickCohen4) January 11, 2018
James
Ball has tweeted a link to his own article in the New Statesman
saying that Corbyn is “playing into Russia’s hands on the
Skripal poisoning” and accusing Corbyn to the effect that he
“took money from Russia Today.”
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