[Foreign Policy] Integrity Initiative is back - The Expose Network 2019-04-01

1. The Ukraine Narrative
2. The MH17 Connection
3. The EU's involvement

Leaked documents show that the British government has created a network to influence public discourse and policy makers. It describes how the public opinion is influenced. The Integrity Initiative was founded by the Institute for Statecraft. Both have the goal to counter disinformation, deceptions and lies.

To execute this the Institute for Statecraft has founded the Integrity Initiative. The plan is to build clusters of well-informed people from the political, military, academic, journalistic and think tank clusters.

According to documents released on March 25, 2019 the UK government is funding a program called "Expose Network". The goal is again to counter the supposed disinformation of the Russian government in Europe and to support existing structures. The "Expose Network" should serve as an umbrella organization under which these activities should be organized. This is to happen under the supervision of British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (UK FCO). [1] [2] [3]



These documents also include an extensive list of organizations to work with as part of the Expose Network. Among the organizations are British Bellingcat by Eliot Higgins, Digital Forensics Lab (DFRLab) from the Atlantic Council and Correctiv.org from Germany. It is also curious that on the map in which the concerned countries of the organizations are represented Ukraine represented without Crimea. As if Crimea is already recognized as part of Russia. [2,p.23] [2,p.74]

The Expose Network has applied for a disinformation discovery network in a call for tenders from the ritish Foreign and Commonwealth Office (UK FCO). The period is from August 2018 to March 2021 with a budget of 9,750,000 pounds sterling (about 11.3 million euros or 12.7 million US-dollars). [3]

CASE STUDY: Locally owned insights in Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus.
In 2018, the Consortium delivered audience insights and recommendations to increase reach and resonance of selected independent media outlets in Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus. The project design was co-developed with local beneficiaries and utilised a partnership model which the EXPOSE Network can build on. This partnership model ensured research outputs were co-owned and developed iteratively. As a result of this local ownership the insights were successfully integrated into the outlet’s strategic planning and actions to take in 2018-2019, resulting in an increased audience share across the board. [5,p.57]

And a report dated August 31, 2018 shows that Bellingcat, the Digital Forensics Lab (DFRLab), and others through the ZINC network have at least been in contact with the Integrity Initiative and the Institute for Statecraft. A direct payment is not apparent from the documents. And even Eliot Higgins of Bellingcat insisted in January 2019 that Bellingcat has not received any money from the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (UK FCO). [4] [5,p.60] [6]

Bellingcat hasn't received funding or information from the FCO, nor the Integrity Initiative. The document you're citing in the tweet was a proposal, one they didn't follow through on with Bellingcat.

— Eliot Higgins (@EliotHiggins) January 23, 2019

The Ukraine Narrative

The file also indicates that the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (UK FCO) was proposing two posts with a budget of 20,000 pound Sterling (about 23,400 Euros or 26,400 US-Dollar) and 250 pound Sterling (about 290 euros or 330 US dollars) per day. The goal is to determine the active measures Russia and determine whether a consistent strategy is behind it. It was intended to be outside the direct control of the government to minimize the allegation of direct government interference. At the same time the "Expose Network" propagates its own narrative about Ukraine. And after that Ukraine was among others attacked by Russia and Crimea was annexed by Russia. [4] [2,p.6] [2,p.105]

In fact a change of government took place in the Ukraine in 2014. President Viktor Yanukovych was voted out of office by the Ukrainian parliament. [7] [8] And that neo-Nazis in Ukraine played a role in the Ukraine in and since this change of government is visible from the beginning. [9] [10] The impeachment procedure under Article 108 however violated Article 111 because the Ukrainian Constitutional Court was not involved. [11] Meanwhile US diplomats Geoffrey Pyatt and Victoria Nuland bluntly planned the future government of Ukraine and expressed their stance on the EU as "Fuck the EU". [12] And Hunter Biden the son of former Vice President Joe Biden was elected to the board of directors of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma. [13] [14]

In der Zwischenzeit hat die Autonome Republik Krim gegen den Willen der Ukraine ihre Unabhängigkeit erklärt. %In the meantime the Autonomous Republic of Crimea has declared its independence against the will of Ukraine. [15] And shortly thereafter Russia conducted a referendum on its connection in the Crimea. It was not an annexation but the secession was not legally sound either. The mere presence of Russian forces outside their leased territory was in violation of international law. The status of the Crimea is therefore controversial the Ukraine and Russia are disagreeing on the legal status. [16]

With this in mind a partly redacted document stands out in particular. This commendably addresses an organization in which David Schraven works but whose name was redacted. After the described activity and the person of David Schraven it can only be Correctiv.org. And Correctiv.org is listed in the Expose Network and is praised several times for blaming Russia for the crash of the MH17. [2,p.23] [2,p.74] [17]

The MH17 Connection

Interestingly as with the Expose Network various organizations come together to share the same narrative of the crashed MH17. Flight 17 of Malaysia Airlines crashed on July 17, 2014 between 16:20 and 16:25 local time in eastern Ukraine. All 298 passengers deceased in the crash. Both British Bellingcat from Eliot Higgins and Correctiv.org from Germany blame the Russian government for the crash. [2,p.23] [2,p.74]

According to Bellingcat MH17 was shot down by separatists in eastern Ukraine. Based on public sources such as social media and press reports the separatists in eastern Ukraine have launched a Russian Buk anti-aircraft missile system. Bellingcat has been representing this theory since 9 November 2014. [18]

BELLINGCAT: MH17
Bellingcat, an online investigation website, was at the forefront of exposing what happened to the Malaysian airliner MH17. The website published photos that it alleged tracked the movement of a Russian missile linked to the downing of the aircraft. Its findings were examined by a Dutch-led team of investigators, who said that they had a ‘considerable interest’ in Bellingcat’s research output. Bellingcat has since published a comprehensive report that outlines the circumstances surrounding the incident and has gone further than official investigators in naming suspects. [2,p.13]

Correctiv.org from Germany joined this theory on January 9, 2015. Correctiv.org assumes as well that MH17 was shot down by separatists in eastern Ukraine with a Buk anti-aircraft missile system from Russian inventory. However Correctiv.org relies on anonymous testimonies for its own report. [19] [20]

Correctiv and Cicero both benefit from excellent reputations and are widely seen as highly effective organisations, perhaps the most impressive of all potential Network partners. [2,p.74]

The theory of Bellingcat was first adopted by Correctiv.org. The Bellingcat theory was later adopted by the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) under Dutch leadership. The Bellingcat report is questionable. What Correctiv.org has done is untrustworthy until they present their anonymous witnesses to the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) for an event in wich 298 people died. [21] [22] [23]

The EU's involvement

Covert operations to influence public opinion such as the Integrity Initiative should be seen with the fact in mind that the European Union is constantly calling for and promoting such measures. The "East StratCom Task Force" and its project "EU vs Disinfo" were founded with the aim of addressing alleged Russian disinformation and strategic communication. [24] [25]

Regularly it is warned that the alleged Russian disinformation represents an existential danger. The Ukraine, MH17 but also elections are supposedly recurring goals. The actions of the Integrity Initiative are indeed overreactions. But they fit with this strategy. [26] [27]

[1] Leaks Part 7 2019-03-25
https://www.cyberguerrilla.org/blog/operation-integrity-initiative-british-informational-war-against-all-part-7/
[2] Upskilling to Upscale: Unleashing the Capacity of Civil Society to Counter Disinformation June 2018
https://www.pdf-archive.com/2019/03/22/untitled-pdf-document-1/untitled-pdf-document.pdf
[3] Terms of Reference for contractors to develop a network of NGOs exposing disinformation
https://www.pdf-archive.com/2019/03/22/terms-of-reference/terms-of-reference.pdf
[4] Proposal to understand and counter Russian Active Measures
https://www.pdf-archive.com/2019/03/22/active-measure-proposal-14102018/active-measure-proposal-14102018.pdf
[5] A Network of NGOs - Technical Proposal
https://www.pdf-archive.com/2019/03/22/zinc-networktechnical-responsefinal/zinc-networktechnical-responsefinal.pdf
[6] Eliot Higgins: Bellingcat hasn't received funding or information from the FCO, nor the Integrity Initiative. The document you're citing in the tweet was a proposal, one they didn't follow through on with Bellingcat. 2019-01-23
https://twitter.com/EliotHiggins/status/1088014811353546752
[7] Ukrainian MPs vote to oust President Yanukovych 2014-04-22 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26304842
[8] Parliament votes 328-0 to impeach Yanukovych on Feb. 22; sets May 25 for new election; Tymoshenko free 2014-04-23 https://www.kyivpost.com/article/content/ukraine-politics/euromaidan-rallies-in-ukraine-feb-21-live-updates-337287.html
[9] Ukraine protests are no longer just about Europe 2014-01-22 https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/22/ukraine-protests-europe-far-right-violence
[10] Neo-Nazis and the Far Right Are On the March in Ukraine 2019-02-22 https://www.thenation.com/article/neo-nazis-far-right-ukraine/
[11] CONSTITUTION OF UKRAINE https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/eoir/legacy/2013/11/08/constitution_14.pdf
[12] Ukraine crisis: Transcript of leaked Nuland-Pyatt call 2014-04-07 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26079957
[13] Vice President Joe Biden's son joins Ukraine gas company 2014-05-14 https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-27403003
[14] Muted response to Biden son's Ukraine job 2014-05-16 https://www.dw.com/en/muted-response-to-biden-sons-ukraine-job/a-17641022
[15] Ukrainian prosecutors demand annulment of declaration of Crimea independence 2014-03-12 http://tass.ru/en/world/723101
[16] DIE KRIM UND DAS VÖLKERRECHT: Kühle Ironie der Geschichte 2014-04-08 http://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/debatten/die-krim-und-das-voelkerrecht-kuehle-ironie-der-geschichte-12884464.html?printPagedArticle=true#pageIndex_0
[17] 2018-05-31 LICHEN (DD, Addendum) - GEA 0006
https://www.pdf-archive.com/2019/03/22/ddredacted/ddredacted.pdf
[18] MH17: Source of the Separatists' Buk 2014-11-09
https://www.bellingcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Origin-of-the-Separatists-Buk-A-Bellingcat-Investigation1.pdf
[19] correctiv - Über Uns
https://correctiv.org/ueber-uns/
[20] FLUG MH17 - DIE SUCHE NACH DER WAHRHEIT 2015-01-09
https://mh17.correctiv.org/
[21] Bellingcat publishes photo of Buk 332 taken before MH17 tragedy 2017-06-05
https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/426269.html
[22] Foreign Ministry: MH17 investigation team ignored data gathered by Russia 2018-05-24
http://tass.com/politics/1006164
[23] Probe: Missile that downed MH17 came from Russia-based unit 2018-05-24
https://apnews.com/df74081e61374108bba11f39ed504fb9
[24] European Council Conclusions - 19 and 2015-03-20
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/21888/european-council-conclusions-19-20-march-2015-en.pdf
[25] Questions and Answers about the East StratCom Task Force 2018-12-05
https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/2116/-questions-and-answers-about-the-east-stratcom-task-force_en
[26] Next year's EU election at risk of Russian meddling 2018-01-18
https://euvsdisinfo.eu/about/
[27] EU vs Disinfo - About
https://euobserver.com/foreign/140598
[28] Don't be deceived: EU acts against fake news and disinformation 2017-09-19
https://eeas.europa.eu/topics/countering-disinformation/32408/dont-be-deceived-eu-acts-against-fake-news-and-disinformation_en