Coming at a "sensitive" moment for US-Russian hacking diplomatic relations, on Friday Foreign Policy reported that emails belonging to a senior US State Department intelligence official involved in Russian affairs have been leaked by a hacker known as "Johnnie Walker." The official, whose work is focused on Russian domestic affairs and who was described to FT as “probably the top intelligence guy in the entire U.S. government on Russia [who] knows more than anybody about what’s going on there,” is said to have been particularly interested in Russian media and government reshuffling.
The emails which were sourced from a hacked nongovernmental account over a two-year period, were sent to “an unknown number of recipients" and while the leaks were first released on July 10, they did not gain widespread attention until Friday when both FP and Newsweek commented on the hack.
In a letter announcing the alleged hacking, Johnnie Walker said that the leak would provide evidence for establishing what was called “agenda formation in many countries worldwide, especially where the situation is insecure.” The sender also claimed that the US State Department official was in contact with various intelligence agencies, including the CIA, as well as “mainstream media, NGOs, and international funds.”
Although the alleged hacking victim holds “a senior position in the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research” and while name was disclosed in the leaked emails, Foreign Policy outlet did not disclose the name, citing a request from the state department, which has so far neither confirmed nor denied the hack. The leaked correspondence was released online on Pastebin although its authenticity remains unclear for now. The description to the three archives available for download also adds the name of the alleged agent.
As part of his introduction to the leaked emails, the mysterious hacker says that “perhaps you know that the U.S. State Department has a direct bearing on the agenda formation not only at home but throughout the world. Now you can make sure it’s true." Below is the preface that "Johnnie Walker" posted on the pastebin:
Perhaps you know that the U.S. State Department has a direct bearing on the agenda formation not only at home but throughout the world.
Now you can make sure it's true. Let me show you the correspondence between the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency Robert P. Otto and his colleagues, CIA officers and other intelligence agencies, as well as representatives of mainstream media, NGOs, international funds and think tanks.
With the respect for privacy I've deleted his correspondence with his wife and relatives. The rest of emails will give evidence of who is responsible for different information campaigns, the so-called mythmaking and essentially engaged in the promotion of "American values" throughout the world.
As a reminder, two days before the find round of the French election, a dump of internal documents of then-French presidential hopeful Emmanuel Macron was also released on Pastebin, although it is unclear if the two releases are related. Apart from the name of the hacker’s target, the content of the letters has not been published in the Western media, although Russia's Kommersant claims it has access to the files.
The Russian newspaper says that the intel official sent his colleagues links to articles from different Russian news outlets, including Novaya Gazeta, The New Times, Vedomosti, and RBK, among others. Among the topic of particular interest for the State Department official were social media accounts of Russian officials, staff re-shuffling in governmental bodies, and the influence of some state officials. According to the report, it is also unclear if it was a single leak or only one in a series of hacking attacks.
As Redditor NathanOhio summarized overnight, the facts so far appear to be as follows:
- A hacker going by the name "Johnnie Walker" has hacked a senior state department official's personal Gmail account.
- The official has not been publicly named, but is claimed to be the foremost expert on Russia.
- Two years worth of emails were stolen and include exchanges between the victim and "CIA officers and other intelligence agencies, mainstream media, NGOs and international funds” that would “give you evidence of who is responsible for agenda formation in many countries worldwide, especially where the situation is insecure.”
- A link to the email cache has been published by "an obscure website in Crimea" that the MSM claims is "financed by the Russian secret service, and its topics assigned by top political leadership in Moscow."
In retrospect, it appears that the email contents are relatively innocuous: as the Redditor notes:
Reading through some of the messages, it seems they are mostly discussions between various neocon academics and forwarding of articles. Most of these people rather than experts seem to be groupthinkers endlessly building up the walls of their own echo chamber.
Found a couple of things that are interesting. A Russian scholar "Valery Solovei" is sending Robert Otto a monthly report on Russia. Also, Otto and his buddies HATE John Kerry and continually refer to him as an idiot!
With the Trump administration neck-deep in Russia-hacking drama, we expect that this story, which somehow failed to make last week's news cycle will be among the main topics in the days ahead, with questions (and predetermined answers) over the identity (and nationality) of Johnnie Walker among the most discussed items.
I rate this CIA operation 9/11.
.
---- Johnny Walker Black ?
---- Johnny Walker Red ?
blue
Best line: "Otto and his buddies HATE John Kerry and continually refer to him as an idiot!" Sip that Kerry. Looks like your legacy is truly on the rocks. Keep pouring, Johnnie!
Oh come on! John Kerry did get a Purple Heart in Vietnam for cutting his his fingers on a beer tab.
"discussions between various neocon academics"
Neocons is CODE for Jews.
I just refer to them as "Ziocons"
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Oh yeah? I'm making over $28k a month working full time having little shits like you post these fake comments all over the web. Sucker!
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.
Very nice but prostitution is illegal in my country.
"discussions between various neocon academics"
Neocons is CODE for Jews. They are driving the conflict with Russia. https://goo.gl/nKJndT
Yeah, this will make the news cycle, NOT! It's defamatory against the Ds, so it won't make the cut...
John Kerry should return his undeserved Purple Heart in exchange for a rightful purple eye.
I've heard that he did return all of his medals by throwing them over the fence at the white house during a protest. I guess the army just forgot to process the paperwork.
When I read "A hacker going by the name "Johnnie Walker" has hacked a senior state department official's personal Gmail account", the first thought that came to mind was why does a high ranking State Department Official have a GMAIL account?
HOW ABSOLUTELY STUPID CAN PEOPLE BE?????? Of course this was at a time of EPIC STUPIDITY in America during the OBAMA/CLINTON/KERRY reign of terror.
It really is time to start arresting and indicting people who have committed high crimes of TREASON.
It's the one thing everybody can agree on.
YES ! Just go Blue...no other color compares.
Green .
Johnny Walker Lindh???
I'll take both
Lets not bring color into this ....
Dats racis!
Johnny Walker Blue, please.
But that's only because you're buying.
Green! Prefer single malt.
The DOS would like to send the leaker a case of Black Label.
Along with a typed Arkancide note.
The "mainstream media" part could be interesting.
Download links are here,
https://pastebin.com/5Jr2tnu3
John Kerry is an idiot. Huh. Who knew?
Stupid people are perfect for his position. They don't have the capacity to think about the right and wrong of what they are ordered to do.
He has been keeping an extremely low profile since leaving State. I wonder where they are keeping him?
Yawn.
"I smell bullshit on the poop deck!" - Captain Morgan
Max Boot, can we get a comment? "Russia! Russia! Russia!"
Hillary, how bout you? "I don't recall but probably Russia!"
Former FBI Director Mr.Intent, any thoughts? "Russian memos!"
Senator McCain? "Clearly Russia & ISIS!!!"
Jill Stein, how about you? "You're standing in my sun on my new deck."
You're going to doubt 17 intelligence agencies' findings?
Maxwell Smart: Would you believe 10?
Chief: No
Maxwell Smart: Would you believe one?
Chief: No
Maxwell Smart: Would you believe Joe and Mika playing detective using cans connected by a string?
Missed it by THAT much!
Totally KAOtic!
HAHAHAHAHHa they just won;t give up.. Deep state/CNN RAT we the people know who leaked it.... LOL
Any high ranking US government official without extensive Russian contacts should be fired. She is not doing due diligence. Now contact with hedge fund billionaires should be prosecuted with extreme prejudice.
If we see any collusion in these with the liberal democrat scumbags, it will not only get pushed aside, it will be said that its not trustworthy information. Because that's how the government works they spin it into a UFO story, character assassination is their opposition playbook.
" leaked by a hacker known as "Johnnie Walker.""
That drunk from the 19th century is hacking now ? Amazing World :-)
How Israel operates and the relationship to 911. Directly financed by Washington:
https://www.rt.com/shows/crosstalk/396315-uss-liberty-attack-aircraft/
Israel does the bidding of the vatican...
This anti-Semitic anti-papist rhetoric just climbed up its own asshole
No. The power behind both the Jesuits and the Zionists ... is ...
Oprah.
Russian Ties anyone?
Russian ties?
Only if it involves a 4 poster bed, and a Russian babe.
If I wore ties, I would want a "Russian Tie" tie.
unless there are links yo interference in foreign government elections by the CIA - this looks like a "most senior officer" paying a russian MSM news aggregator getting paid top fiat dollars, because the "most senior officer" hd no first order research of his own and can't be bothered gathering second order MSM news (or can't translate russian).
hmmm.. i wonder if all foreign government intel is based on the NYT, WAPO, BBC, FT, the Economist and MSM tv - hahhahaha - now that woUld be seriously dumb of foreign governments hey? getting dumbed down by MSM all over the world!