[Dossier] Integrity Initiative en

Tags:
Institute Statecraft , Integrity Initiative

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. [1] [2] [3]

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 the documents there are clusters in Germany, France, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Serbia and Spain which should inform the decision-makers about the events.

[1] Leaks
http://syriapropagandamedia.org/working-papers/briefing-note-on-the-integrity-initiative#acknowledgements
[2] Leaks alt
https://williambowlesnet.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/IntegrityInitiative.zip
[3] The Integrity Initiative: Defending Democracy against Disinformation
https://www.statecraft.org.uk/projects-programmes/integrity-initiative-defending-democracy-against-disinformation
  1. Authenticity
  2. The individual aims
    1. The Skripal narrative
    2. Mobilising muslims
    3. Project Iris
    4. Confronting Russia
  3. The individual cluster
    1. The german cluster
  4. Expose Network
    1. The Ukraine Narrative
    2. The MH17 Connection
  5. The EU's involvement

Authenticity

The Institute for Statecraft claims to be an independent organization. It is funded by the British Government. Thus the Integrity Initiative is also funded by the British Government. For the period from March 2018 to March 2019 alone a budget of approximately 2 million british pound is available. The UK Government confirmed this on December 3, 2018 by a request from Chris Williamson (Labor). [1,S.8] [2] [3]
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has (a) funded, (b) provided contracts to and (c) procured the services of the Integrity Initiative in each financial year since 2015/16. [2]
The Institute for Statecraft is an independent, Scottish, charitable body whose work seeks to improve governance and enhance national security. They launched the Integrity Initiative in 2015 to defend democracy against disinformation.
In financial year 2017/18, the FCO funded the Institute for Statecraft's Integrity Initiative £296,500. This financial year, the FCO is funding a further £1,961,000. Both have been funded through grant agreements.
At the Eastern Partnership Summit in November 2017, the Prime Minister announced that the UK Government has committed £100m over five years to tackling this threat internationally.
Such funding furthers our commitment to producing important work to counter disinformation and other malign influence. [2]
In a handbook of May 2018 it is planned to unite the people who understand the threat posed by the Russian disinformation and the hybrid warfare. For this purpose the Integrity Initiative wants to coordinate a Western position in which NATO plays an important role. The plan is to build groups called clusters. These clusters will consist of well-informed people from the political, military, academic, journalistic and think tank sectors. The members of these clusters should then inform the decision makers in their countries about the events. According to the documents there are such clusters intended in Germany, France, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Serbia and Spain. Interestingly William (Bill) Browder is also in the British Cluster. Browder has become known for accusing the Kremlin of murdering his former accountant Magnitiski and tax crime. [4] [5] The authenticity of the documents was confirmed by the Integrity Initiative itself. It was publicly announced that the documents had been stolen. And it has not had time to examine all documents for manipulation. Many of the persons were allegedly only planned to join. [6]

Meanwhile Labor MP Chris Williamson is seeking clarification. He sees the Integrity Initiative as a repetition of the CIA operation Mockingbird. In Operation Mockingbird in the early 1950s and the hight of the Cold War journalists were won over to influence the public through reporting. [7]

The Institute for Statecraft is therefore an alleged non-governmental organization that is committed to educate people. In fact it is covertly receiving funds from the British government and obscuring exactly who it is working with. [1] Integrity 2018 Activity Budget v3 .pdf
https://www.pdf-archive.com/2018/11/02/integrity2018activitybudgetv3/
https://www.pdf-archive.com/2018/11/02/integrity2018activitybudgetv3/integrity2018activitybudgetv3.pdf
[2] Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Integrity Initiative:Written question - 196177 2018-11-27/2018-12-03
https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2018-11-27/196177/
[3] Urgent question on the Institute for Statecraft 2018-12-12
https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2018/december/urgent-question-on-the-institute-for-statecraft/
[4] II handbook v2
https://www.pdf-archive.com/2018/11/02/iihandbookv2/
https://www.pdf-archive.com/2018/11/02/iihandbookv2/iihandbookv2.pdf
[5] UK Cluster
https://www.pdf-archive.com/2018/11/02/uk-cluster/
https://www.pdf-archive.com/2018/11/02/uk-cluster/uk-cluster.pdf
[6] Integrity Initiative
https://www.integrityinitiative.net/
https://www.integrityinitiative.net/articles/statement-russian-media-publication-hacked-ii-documents
[7] The chilling manipulations of the Institute for Statecraft are straight out of the cold war playbook 2019-01-02
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/chilling-manipulations-institute-statecraft-are-straight-out-cold-war-playbook

The individual aims

The Skripal narrative

The reactions due to the attack on Skripal against Russia is not new. Among the documents is a detailed script with a narrative to blame Russia and demands on how to damage to Russia. After that Russia commenced a brutal attack as with Litvinenko in 2006 to protect the Putin administration and its wealth acquired through corruption. [2]

[1] Leaks https://www.cyberguerrilla.org/blog/operation-integrity-initiative-british-informational-war-against-all-part-4/
[2] Sergei Skripal Affair: What if Russia is Responsible?
https://www.pdf-archive.com/2018/12/13/sergei-skripal-affair-ii-response-110318/sergei-skripal-affair-ii-response-110318.pdf

Mobilising muslims

The reactions due to the attack on Skripal against Russia is not new. Among the documents is a detailed script with a narrative to blame Russia and demands on how to damage to Russia. That's why British Muslims are to be raised against Russia because of the situation of Muslims on the Crimean peninsula. [2]
Engage with British Muslims to publicise what has been happening with their Muslim brethren in Crimea since the Russian invasion [2]


[1] Leaks https://www.cyberguerrilla.org/blog/operation-integrity-initiative-british-informational-war-against-all-part-4/
[2] Sergei Skripal Affair: What if Russia is Responsible?
https://www.pdf-archive.com/2018/12/13/sergei-skripal-affair-ii-response-110318/sergei-skripal-affair-ii-response-110318.pdf

Project Iris

The so-called Project Iris was apparently also introduced. It analyzed how the case was reported in the mainstream and social media and where there are shortcomings in anti-Russian reporting. [2]
This report aims to provide an initial analysis of mainstream and social media reporting as it developed, following the poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, Wiltshire on 4th March 2018. [2,S.3]
There was also an attempt to bring together the Skripal narrative with allegations of the gas attacks in Douma and Ghouta. For this the White-Helmets should be presented positively and the allegations against them should be portrayed as Russian propaganda. [3]
This e-mail focussed on the Russian disinformaton campaigns surrounding the chemical attack in Douma, subsequent military acton, the Salisbury incident and the subsequent investgaton. It is not intended to cover Russian responses as a whole but deliberate distortons and obfuscaton of the facts by the Russian state and its proxies. Please use as background for your own work and only share it with trusted colleagues and partners. [3,S.1]


[1] Leaks https://www.cyberguerrilla.org/blog/operation-integrity-initiative-british-informational-war-against-all-part-4/
[2] Mainstream and Social Media Analysis following Poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal
https://www.pdf-archive.com/2018/12/28/110418---op-iris---report/110418---op-iris---report.pdf
[3] [EXTERNAL]FCO Disinformation update: Salisbury and Syria
https://www.pdf-archive.com/2018/12/28/salisbury-and-syria-8/salisbury-and-syria-8.pdf

Confronting Russia

That's why it was suggested to boycott the Football World Cup as well as Putin officials, to exclude Russia from the SWIFT payment system and to prevent the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The dismissal of Russian diplomats and the disturbance of the Russian stations RT and Sputnik are also included in the narrative and are already been carried out.

A report of October 12, 2016 between ex-General Richard Barrons and the co-founder of the Institute of Statecraft Christoph Donelly shows that the situation has potential for conflict. According to it both have discussed the condition of the defense and security forces in the United Kingdom and NATO and consiered them as catastrophic. Russia and China are seen as the great enemies against which there is no military advantage. The military has too little money, the material is not good and the staff is not ready to fight. [3]
It is very important not to be lulled into a false sense of security. The West no longer has a military edge on Russia. There are challenges to National security and defence we cannot now counter. The UK homeland can now be held at risk at no notice, by Russian cyber and missiles etc for the first time in the past 30 years. [3,S.2]


[1] Leaks https://www.cyberguerrilla.org/blog/operation-integrity-initiative-british-informational-war-against-all-part-4/
[2] Sergei Skripal Affair: What if Russia is Responsible?
https://www.pdf-archive.com/2018/12/13/sergei-skripal-affair-ii-response-110318/sergei-skripal-affair-ii-response-110318.pdf
[3] Private discussion with Gen Sir Richard Barrons
https://www.pdf-archive.com/2018/12/28/richard-barrons-oct-2016/richard-barrons-oct-2016.pdf

The individual cluster

The german cluster

The members of the German cluster are Klaus Naumann, Wolf-Ruediger Bengs, David T. Killion, Gebhardt von Moltke, Roland Freudenstein, Hubertus Hoffmann, Bertil Wenger, Beate Wedekind, Klaus Wittmann, Florian Schmidt and Norris von Schirach.

Klaus Naumann and Klaus Wittmann are both retired generals of the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces). Wittmann is also a member of the Aspen Institute Germany in Berlin. The Aspen Institute organizes conferences and meetings for executives on current issues of the economy, politics and culture and is one of the transatlantic think tanks. [4] David T. Killion was US ambassador to UNESCO under Obama. Killion has represented the US on humanitarian issues there. Gebhardt von Moltke is a former diplomat and was Chairman of the Deutsch-Britischen Gesellschaft (German-British Society) from 2003 to 2013. The Deutsch-Britischen Gesellschaft (German-British Society) was founded in 1949 to promote German-British relations in all matters of public and cultural life. [5] Roland Freudenstein is policy advisor at the Wilfried Martens Center for European Studies. The Wilfried Martens Center for European Studies is the official think tank of the conservative party family in the European Parliament. [6] Hubertus Hoffmann, Norris von Schirach and Beate Wedekind are authors for various newspapers in german. [7] And Bertil Wenger is head of the CDU's office for foreign affairs. Wenger is thus a close advisor to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and CDU chairman Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. [8] As promised the German cluster consists of well connected, experienced and high-class decision-makers and those who influence them.

[1] Leaks
http://syriapropagandamedia.org/working-papers/briefing-note-on-the-integrity-initiative#acknowledgements
[2] Leaks alt
https://williambowlesnet.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/IntegrityInitiative.zip
[3] Urgent question on the Institute for Statecraft 2018-12-12
https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2018/december/urgent-question-on-the-institute-for-statecraft/
[4] Annual Report 2015-2016
http://www.aspeninstitute.de/wp-content/uploads/Aspen_Institute_Germany_Annual_Report_15-16.pdf
[5] Gebhardt von Moltke
https://www.debrige.de/2003/01/01/gebhardt-von-moltke/
[6] Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies
https://www.martenscentre.eu/people/roland-freudenstein
[7] ENTTARNUNG EINES PSEUDONYMS: Wer ist Arthur Isarin? 2018-10-21
https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/buecher/autoren/wer-steckt-hinter-dem-schriftsteller-pseudonym-arthur-isarin-15846774-p4.html
[8] Organigramm des Konrad-Adenauer-Hauses
https://www.cdu.de/system/tdf/media/dokumente/160607-organigramm-02.pdf?file=1

Expose Network

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]

[2,p.23]

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]

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]

[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

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. [1] [2] 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. [3] [4]

[1] 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
[2] Next year's EU election at risk of Russian meddling 2018-01-18
https://euvsdisinfo.eu/about/
[3] EU vs Disinfo - About
https://euobserver.com/foreign/140598
[4] 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