APRIL 2017

LatestWikiLeaksreleaseshowshowthe
CIAusescomputercodetohidethe
originsofitshackingattacksand
'disguisethemasRussianorChinese
activity'
ByMailOnlineReporter
Published:12:02,31March2017|Updated:19:17,31March2017

WikiLeakshaspublishedhundredsmorefilestodaywhichitclaimsshowtheCIAwenttogreatlengthsto
disguiseitsownhackingattacksandpointthefingeratRussia,China,NorthKoreaandIran.
The676filesreleasedtodayarepartofWikiLeaks'Vault7trancheoffilesandtheyclaimtogivean
insightintotheCIA'sMarblesoftware,whichcanforensicallydisguiseviruses,trojansandhacking
attacks.
WikiLeakssaysthesourcecodesuggestsMarblehastestexamplesinChinese,Russian,Korean,Arabic
andFarsi(theIranianlanguage).
WikiLeaks,foundedbyJulianAssange(pictured),claimsitsVault7filescomefromtheCIA'sCenterfor
CyberIntelligence

Itsays:'Thiswouldpermitaforensicattributiondoublegame,forexamplebypretendingthatthespoken
languageofthemalwarecreatorwasnotAmericanEnglish,butChinese.'
ThiscouldleadforensicinvestigatorsintowronglyconcludingthatCIAhackswerecarriedoutbythe
Kremlin,theChinesegovernment,Iran,NorthKoreaorArabicspeakingterrorgroupssuchasISIS.
WikiLeaks,whosefounderJulianAssangeremainsholedupintheEcuadoreanEmbassyinLondon,said
Vault7wasthemostcomprehensivereleaseofUSspyingfilesevermadepublic.
EarlierthismonthWikiLeakspublishedthousandsofdocumentsclaimingtorevealtopCIAhacking
secrets,includingtheagency'sabilitytoinfiltrateencryptedapps,breakintosmartTVsandphonesand
programselfdrivingcars.
ItalsoclaimstheCIAcanbypasstheencryptionofWhatsapp,Signal,Telegram,Wiebo,Confideand
Cloakmanbyhackingthesmartphonestheapplicationsrunon.
TheCIAwasalsolookingathackingthevehiclecontrolsystemsusedinmoderncarsandtrucks,
WikiLeaksclaims.
Wikileakssaidthereleaseofconfidentialdocumentsontheagencyalreadyeclipsesthetotalnumberof
pagespublishedoverthefirstthreeyearsoftheEdwardSnowdenNSAleaks.
Expertswho'vestartedtosiftthroughthematerialsaiditappearedlegitimateandthatthereleasewas
almostcertaintoshaketheCIA.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4367746/WikiLeaks-
says-CIA-disguised-hacking-Russian-activity.html
MoscowslamsNATOstraditionalanti
Russiaritualdancefeaturingdebutant
Tillerson
1 Apr, 2017 / Virginia Mayo / Reuters / RT
RexTillersonarrivedinBrusselstoanexpectantcrowdofNATOforeignministers,whoeagerlywaitedto
heartheUSapproachtomaintainingthefutureofthealliance.BesidesurgingNATOmembersto
contribute2percentoftheirGDPoncollectivedefense,theUS'stopdiplomatreassuredcolleaguesthat
WashingtonwillbackNATOagainstRussia.
TheUScommitmenttoNATOisstrongandthisallianceremainsthebedrockfortransAtlanticsecurity,
TillersonsaidathisfirstevermeetingatNATOheadquartersinBrussels.TheNATOallianceisalso
fundamentaltocounteringbothnonviolent,butattimesviolent,RussianagitationandRussian
aggression.

Duringhisdebutspeech,thenewlyappointedUSSecretaryofStatealsoemphasizedthattheUnitedStates
iscommittedtosupportingNATOscapabilitiesinthecollectivedefense.Separately,Tillersonalsomet
withtheNATOUkraineCommission,wherehepromisedtomaintaintheRussiansanctions.

Tillerson'sremarkspromptedastrongreactionfromtheRussianForeignMinistry,whichsaiditwas
baffledbytheSecretarysrhetoric,especiallyconsideringthetimingoftheremarkswhichcameaday
aftertheambassadorialmeetingoftheRussiaNATOCouncilthefirstsuchcontactsinalmostthree
years.
Theyalwayshaveonethingontheirmind:theRussianthreatmyth,Russianaggressionslanderand
endlessmantrasabouttheneedtoconfrontitcollectively,theMinistrysaid.

TheministryexpresseddisappointmentthatNATOdecidedtoperformthetraditionalantiRussiaritual
danceadayafterSecretaryGeneralJensStoltenbergcalledthetalkswithMoscowfrankand
constructive.
DuringthemeetinginBrussels,NATOmembersagreedonadualtrackapproachtoRussia.Suchan
approach,accordingtoStoltenberg,meansmaintainingastrongNATOwithcredibledeterrenceand
defenseasaplatformforengagingwithRussiainapoliticaldialogue.
StoltenbergacknowledgedduringthepressconferenceonFridaythatthemilitaryallianceimplemented
thebiggestreenforcementtoourcollecteddefensesincetheendoftheColdWar,bytriplingthesize
oftheNATOresponseforceinEurope,whichsawthedeploymentoffourbattlegroupstoPolandandthe
Balticcountries.

WehaveestablishedeightnewheadquartersintheeasternpartoftheAllianceandweareincreasing
defensespending.So,wearedeliveringondeterrenceanddefense,thestrengthpillar,saidthe
Norwegian.
Commentingonthetwotierapproach,Moscowsaidthatit'sessentiallybeingforcedtoassumea
confrontationalstanceinrelationswithNATO.

Wehavealegitimatequestion:canweexpectanyconstructiveapproachesintheRussianNATO
relationswhentheallianceisstubbornlystickingtoitsoldpatterns,whentheUnitedStatesanditsallies
areobsessedwithbuildinguptheirmilitarypresenceatourbordersjustifyingitwiththenecessityof
containingRussia?,theministrynoted.
Infact,wearebeingdrawnintoaconfrontationalparadigmofrelationsbasedonthelogicofmilitary
confrontation,theministrysaid.
Furthermore,theministrynotedthatitseesnosignsthatNATOiswillingtoresumepractical
cooperationinareaswherecommoninterestsoverlap,suchassecuritychallengesandterroristthreats.
TheforeignministrystatementsummarizedalltheRussianconcernsvoicedonThursdayleadinguptoand
followingtheNATORussiaCouncilmeeting,wheretheissuesofUkraine,NATO'smilitarybuildup,and
widerEuropeansecuritywerediscussed.
Moscow,forinstance,briefedNATOonthedeploymentoftwodivisionsintheWesternMilitaryDistrict
inadditiontoamechanizedinfantrydivisionintheSouthernMilitaryDistrict.NATOforitspartprovided
informationontheimplementationoftheplanconcerningtheforwarddeploymentonNATOseastern
flank.

Lastmonth,NATOmembernationsalsoagreedtoexpandthealliancespresenceintheBlackSea.Atthe
sametime,apartfromdeployingtroopstoEasternEuropeandPoland,theUSandNATOhaveactively
builtupantiballisticmissile(ABM)systemsinEuropeandonwarshipspatrollingRussiasborders.

MoscowsenvoytoNATOinsistedthatbuildingbilateralconfidenceinsuchanenvironmentisnot
possibleuntilthealliancestopsthreateninganddropsitspolicyofrestrainingRussia.
ItisnotpossibletobuildconfidenceuntilNATOabandonsitsmilitarydominationpolicy,Russias
PermanentRepresentativetoNATOAlexanderGrushkosaidonThursday,accordingtoTASS.
NATOmemberswereunabletoanswerthequestionhowtocombinethat[securityconfidencebuilding
measures]withtheirpolicyaimedatrestrainingRussiaanddemonstratingtheirmilitarycapabilitiesnear
ourborders,theenvoysaid.
Dialogueforthesakeofdialoguewillnotproduceanyresultsifnospecificdecisionsaremadeandno
stepsaretaken,headded.
Priortothemeeting,RussiasForeignMinisterSergeyLavrovwarnedthatBrusselsmightusethe
CouncilsplatformtoengageinconfrontationalgameswithMoscow.
However,ifourcounterpartsinthealliancetelluseverytime,Yes,wewillgatherintheNATORussia
Council,butwewillonlydiscussUkraine,thatwillbeacontinuationofthisparanoidaggressivepolicy.
NATOhasnothingtodowitheffortsontheUkrainiansettlement,LavrovsaidaccordingtoTASS.Ifthe
essenceoftheseideasisusingtheNATORussiaCouncilforanotherconfrontation,wedonotwantto
indulgeinsuchgames.
https://www.rt.com/news/383037-moscow-nato-ritual-
dance/?
utm_source=browser&utm_medium=aplication_chrome&utm
_campaign=chrome

Syria'chemicalattack'downtoAssad,
USsays
32 minutes ago
From the section Middle East
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Syrian civil war
Media captionRescue workers said many children were
among those killed or injured in the attack
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TheWhiteHousesaysitis"confident"BasharalAssad'sgovernmentwasbehindanapparentchemical
attackthatkilledatleast58peopleinnorthwestSyria.
TheSyrianObservatoryforHumanRightsreportedthatstrikesonKhanSheikhounbySyriangovernment
orRussianjetshadcausedmanypeopletochoke.
Later,aircraftfiredrocketsatlocalclinicstreatingsurvivors,medicsandactivistssaid.
Syria'sarmydeniedthegovernmenthadusedanysuchweapons.
WhiteHousespokesmanSeanSpicercondemnedwhathecalled"theseheinousactionsbytheBasharal
Assadregime",andsaiditwasinthebestinterestsoftheSyrianpeopleforPresidentAssadtoleave.
HewasjoinedinhiscondemnationbytheUK,UnitedNationsandFrance,amongothers.
Ifconfirmed,itwouldbeoneofthedeadliestchemicalattacksinSyria'scivilwar.
What witnesses saw
Media captionVictims were treated for injuries, including
asphyxiation
ThewarplanesarereportedtohaveattackedrebelheldKhanSheikhoun,about50km(30miles)southof
thecityofIdlib,earlyonTuesday,whenmanypeoplewereasleep.
Hussein Kayal, a photographer for the pro-opposition
Edlib Media Center (EMC), told the Associated Press
that he was awoken by the sound of an explosion at
about 06:30 (03:30 GMT)
When he reached the scene, there was no smell, he
said, and he found people lying on the floor, unable to
move and with constricted pupils
 Mohammed Rasoul, the head of a charity ambulance
service in Idlib, told the BBC his medics had found
people, many of them children, choking in the street
The UK-based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights (SOHR), quoted medics who had
treated people for fainting, vomiting and foaming at the
mouth
An AFP news agency journalist saw a young girl, a
woman and two elderly people dead at a hospital, all
with foam still visible around their mouths
The journalist also reported that the same facility was
hit by a rocket on Tuesday afternoon, bringing down
rubble on top of doctors treating the injured.
Thesourceoftheprojectilewasnotclear,buttheEMCandtheoppositionLocalCoordination
Committees(LCC)networksaidwarplaneshadtargetedseveralclinics.
ThespectreofnerveagentsinSyriaagain
WhyisthereawarinSyria?
Progovernmentjournalistslatercitedmilitarysourcesassayingtherehadbeenanexplosionatanal
QaedachemicalweaponsfactoryinKhanSheikhounthatwascausedeitherbyanairstrikeoranaccident.
ThedefenceministryofRussia,PresidentAssad'sally,insistedithadnotcarriedoutanyairstrikesinthe
vicinity.
How many victims are there?
TheSOHRputthedeathtollat58,including11children,butMrRasoulreportedthat67peoplehadbeen
killedand300injured.
TheprooppositionStepnewsagencysaid100haddied.
Oneaidagency,theUnionofMedicalCareandReliefOrganisations(UOSSM),putthedeathtollatmore
than100.
TheEMCsaidithadstoppedcountingthevictimsbecausethereweresomany.
What substance was used?
Media captionThe BBC spoke to one witness and a pro-Assad
MP about the alleged attack
TheSOHRsaiditwasunabletosaywhatexactlywasdropped.
However,theEMCandLCCsaiditwasbelievedtobethenerveagentSarin,whichishighlytoxicand
considered20timesasdeadlyascyanide.
ChemicalweaponsexpertDanKaszetasaidthatdeterminingwhetherSarinwasinvolvedsimplyby
examiningvideoclipsisproblematic.
HeaddedthatTuesday'sattackcouldhavebeentheresultofoneofanynumberofchemicalagentsasthey
tendto"behavethesameintermsoftheirphysiologicaleffectsonthehumanbody".
Sarinisalmostimpossibletodetectbecauseitisaclear,colourlessandtastelessliquidthathasnoodourin
itspurestform.
Syria'sarmy,inastatementpostedonstatenewsagencySana,saiditneverhadandneverwoulduse
poisongas.
Read more: Why Sarin is so deadly
Has Sarin been used in Syria before?
Image copyright Reuters Image caption A Syrian military
source insisted it "does not and has not" used chemical
weapons
ThegovernmentwasaccusedbyWesternpowersoffiringrocketsfilledwithSarinatrebelheldsuburbsof
DamascusinAugust2013,killinghundredsofpeople.
PresidentAssaddeniedthecharge,blamingrebelfighters,buthedidsubsequentlyagreetodestroySyria's
chemicalarsenal.
Despitethat,theOrganisationfortheProhibitionofChemicalWeapons(OPCW)hascontinuedto
documenttheuseoftoxicchemicalsinattacksinSyria.
InJanuary2016,itsaidbloodsamplestakenfromthevictimsofoneunspecifiedattackshowedvictimshad
beenexposedtoSarinoraSarinlikesubstance.
Otherreporteduseofchemicalagents:
A joint investigation with the UN concluded in October
that government forces had used chlorine as a weapon
at least three times between 2014 and 2015
It also found Islamic State militants had used the blister
agent sulphur mustard
Human Rights Watch also recently accused government
helicopters of dropping bombs containing chlorine on
rebel-held areas of Aleppo
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Human Rights Watch
said helicopters dropped chlorine bombs over rebel-held
Aleppo last year
What has been the reaction?
"Today's chemical attack in Syria against innocent
people, including women and children, is reprehensible"
- White House spokesman Sean Spicer
UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said it was a
"horrific" attack and that there should be a "clear
identification of responsibilities and accountability" for
it; the UN Security Council is to hold an emergency
meeting on Wednesday
"Once again the Syrian regime will deny the evidence of
its responsibility for this massacre," French President
Francois Hollande said
UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said that President
Bashar al-Assad would be guilty of a war crime if it were
proved his regime was responsible
The OPCW said it was "seriously concerned", adding
that it was "gathering and analysing information from
all available sources".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-39493854