Secretary of State Antony Blinken briefed reporters extensively at the State Department yesterday on U.S. sanctions and related penalties against RT, and its owner Rossiya Segodya and other entities and persons. He made charges against the media group (formerly “Russia Today”), and reported on the U.S. intentions to go after “malign” media networks around the globe. He spoke in thick, self-righteous jargon. “First, we’re building a more resilient global information system, where objective facts are elevated and deceptive messages gain less traction.”
Blinken continued: “Second, we’re working to expose, to disrupt, to deter disinformation,” through the Global Engagement Center, Foggy Bottom’s propaganda and hit squad agency. “Third, we’re taking steps to hold accountable those who weaponize disinformation to undermine our democracy,” he said, referring to sanctions the U.S. issued against RT last week.
“We took these steps based on our conclusion that Rossiya Segodnya and these five subsidiaries are no longer merely firehoses of Russian government propaganda and disinformation; they are engaged in covert influence activities aimed at undermining American elections and democracies, functioning like a de facto arm of Russia’s intelligence apparatus,” Blinken droned on.
“Today, we’re announcing that these Kremlin-backed media outlets are not only playing this covert influence role to undermine democracy in the United States, but also to meddle in the sovereign affairs of countries around the world. Thanks to new information—much of which originates from RT employees—we know that RT possessed cyber capabilities and engaged in covert information and influence operations and military procurement. As part of RT’s expanded capabilities, the Russian government embedded within RT a unit with cyber operational capabilities and ties to Russian intelligence. RT’s leadership had direct, witting knowledge of this enterprise….”
