Emily Harding, former CIA operative: if we find a way to make the Russian population at home understand the costs of this conflict to them in their hometowns.
Emily Harding, former CIA operative: if we find a way to make the Russian population at home understand the costs of this conflict to them in their hometowns.
The CSIS International Security Program discussed the state of the war in Ukraine on the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion with the Honorable Michael Vickers.
The sentiment in Washington before the Moscow attack was that Russians needed to experience firsthand the impact of the war in Ukraine. This attitude intensified as US sanctions proved ineffective, Russian advancements in Ukraine quickened, and President Putin received a high level of support from the Russian population during recent elections.
Previous attempts to make Russians understand the war's effects included drone strikes on major city centers, attacks on infrastructure, and efforts to destabilize Russia's economy.
Has individual acts of terror upon a population ever done anything but radicalize a population against the perceived threat?
Like even in a practical point of view this is some truly fucking dumb shit from this CIA freak, I can tell why shes a former operative if this is the quality of her work.
Like even in a practical point of view this is some truly fucking dumb shit from this CIA freak, I can tell why shes a former operative if this is the quality of her work.
I've never believed that there's any such thing as "former" CIA.
I mean just look at the dudes who did the attack in Moscow. They went into actual Russian territory to do terrorism and their plan was to drive back to Ukraine? Like my guy your plan was to drive through the most surveilled warzone on the planet? Possibly the most surveilled area in human history?
Needless to say these people are not smart.
Yeah, they were likely never supposed to make it back alive. Their handlers just waved the promise of another $2.5k upon their return and they naively thought they were being 'looked after'.
"ISIS" doesn't really make me think of anything Russo-Ukraine War. I feel like it should make intuitive sense to Russians that this is just US-sponsored terrorism. Is there any information about the background of the perpetrators available yet? I am curious whether they were Levantine, Central Asian, Chechen or from somewhere else in Russia. Just wondering how far CIA had to go to assemble this death squad.
They managed to take all of them alive it seems, so I'm sure we'll be finding out a lot of details in the coming weeks. Incidentally, the fact that they tried to flee also strongly suggests against the ISIS theory given that when they do terror attacks it's a one way trip.
when they do terror attacks it's a one way trip
Would that really be the case though, or is it perhaps more that most people don't bother trying to apprehend them? When those guys back in France managed to kill Charlie Hebdo, they also tried to make a run for it. The guys who conducted the Boston marathon bombing (who I think I also recall hearing they swore allegiance to ISIS? Not sure though) also tried to make a getaway. I don't know anything about Russian police tactics, but it could be they're more likely to try and apprehend mass murderers alive when possible.
Besides which, if they survive they get to conduct more terror attacks. I don't think whoever's responsible for this attack counted on them being apprehended.
Disclaimer: I haven't followed this particular story very closely.
ISIS-K and American Intel have connections to say the least. It's plausible that a terrorist attack claimed by ISIS-K is also a CIA thing. I would not be surprised to find that some of the people there trained in Syria/Iraq and were active in Afghanistan. I wouldn't be surprised if there were a mix of people with similar backgrounds but different nationalities cobbled together for this relatively recently.
This is all speculation on my part of course. Just saying what wouldn't surprise me.
Things that make you go hmmmm pt. 803
If you do enough terrorism the people you target will eventually realise that you're the good guy and that their own leaders attempting to prevent the terrorism committed against them are the baddies!
...like didn't 9/11 generate an islamophobic and jingoistic backlash towards the rest of the world and immigrants. You are telling me, that Ukranian terrorist attacks are going to cause the opposite reaction in Russian citizens? I know it's all bullshit and they are all demons looking to inflict as much pain and chaos as possible; but at least lie to me better.
Right, I just can't see any logic in this besides malice for the sake of malice.