Part 2. The separatist from Oplot (Corriere della Sera)

From the series “How to use sloppy thinking for disinformation”. This series contains the following blogposts:

Part 1, preface: Generating “mounting evidence” in 5 examples

Part 2. The separatist from Oplot (Corriera della Sera)

Part 3. The separatists at the crashsite (BBC video)

Part 4. The Leonid Kharchenko intercepts

Part 5. Jérôme Sessini, photographer for Paris Match.

In the information war that was ignited moments after MH17 crashed, a lot of stories appeared in (pro)western mainstream and social media in which statements from separatists were misinterpreted. This was done to construct a story that actually an implicit admission of guilt was conveyed. Actually in all cases the conclusion was based on rather biased and sloppy thinking or even on deceitful intentions.

How to use sloppy thinking for disinformation Part 1

Part 1, preface: Generating “mounting evidence” in 5 examples

In the information war that was ignited moments after MH17 crashed, a lot of stories appeared in (pro)western mainstream and social media in which statements from separatists were misinterpreted. This was done to construct a story that actually an implicit admission of guilt was conveyed. Actually in all cases the conclusion was based on rather biased and sloppy thinking or even on deceitful intentions.

In a series of blogposts I will show 5 examples of this way of thinking. Topic of the first part, in this blogpost, will be a brief explanation how biased, sloppy and unsound reasoning was used to create evidence against the separatists. Of course, the quintessential example will be mentioned shortly – the famous retracted message about a downing of an AN-26 on a message board that was in name dedicated to DPR commander Igor Strelkov.

Also the interview Vice reporter Simon Ostrovksy had with Cossack commander Nikolay Kozytsin will be reviewed in this first part of the series. Kozytsin played his part in that other famous cornerstone of the “fatal mistake narrative”, the video of the Ukrainian secret service (SBU) with intercepted calls, published 6 hours after MH17 crashed..

 

This series “How to use sloppy thinking for disinformation” also contains the following blogposts:

Part 2. The separatist from Oplot (Corriere della Sera)

Part 3. The separatists at the crashsite (BBC video)

Part 4. The Leonid Kharchenko intercepts

Part 5. Jérôme Sessini, photographer for Paris Match

JIT presser: Target is Kremlin

‘New pieces of the puzzle’ have led the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to accuse four senior military men of the shooting down of Flight MH17 and the murder of 298 passengers. There is even mention of the Kremlin’s direct involvement. In this piece I give an assessment of what the conclusions in the JIT press conference of June 19 last are worth.

Zie hier voor de Nederlandse versie

Persco JIT: Kremlin is feitelijke doelwit

“Nieuwe puzzelstukjes” hebben het JIT ertoe gebracht 4 hoge militairen aan te klagen voor het neerschieten van MH17 en moord op de 298 inzittenden. Er wordt zelfs direct naar het Kremlin gewezen.

See here for English version

Ukrainian-western propaganda tries to influence decisionmaking in Dutch Senate

 

Cold wars are often characterized by armed conflicts at the fringe and intensified propaganda efforts at the core to capture “hearts and minds” of the people to support the status quo and bolster attempts to gain territory and influence. Ukraine would set an example after the 2014 Maidan coup shifted the sphere of influence in favor of the US-led (pro)western bloc at the expense of the Russians.

Open letter to the White House

Several independent journalists, bloggers and MH17 citizen- investigators have sent a letter to the White House to urge president-elect Donald Trump and his new administration to use their powers to push for a reopening of the investigations regarding the crash of flight MH17 of Malaysia Airlines on July 17, 2014. I signed the letter too.

JIT comes up with crap launch site (and gets away with it)

Swirls of political dust surrounding the MH17 case have subsided after a carefully designed media spectacle resulted in a clear climax assigning blame. Most people and journalists have taken up other interests and will be satisfied with the conclusions of the Prosecutor’s investigation. Unfortunately they will miss the fact the JIT results pinpointing an exact Buk launch site were actually not that convincing. The investigators might even have bent the truth a bit.

Een spoor van vervreemding

MH17: Oekraïense slager keurt eigen vlees goed – JIT pers presentatie 28.9.2016

 

Naast het beginsel dat de aanklager altijd gelijk heeft, lijkt nog een ander principe de politieke en journalistieke begeleiding van het JIT-onderzoek te beheersen, namelijk de gedachte dat veel zwak bewijs een sterke zaak zou maken.

Zie mijn commentaar op Ravage webzine

 

The relation between lies, disinformation and ever changing stories: The Ukrainians

Some people say lying, promoting disinformation and publication of mystifying scenarios with all kinds of versions of the truth is a sign of guilt… especially when the Russians are concerned. But what did the Ukrainian regime or people close to them exactly do the first days after MH17 was downed?

Dating the undated “evidence” and showing a broken trail– the Snizhne Buk video

 

Researching alleged evidence about a possible weapon and crime scene regarding the downing of flight MH17 as gathered from social media postings, it becomes clear the standing narrative – also pursued by the official investigators office – shows severe difficulties. Trying to verify the date of a video of a Buk missile launch system, allegedly driving from the rebel held Ukrainian city of Snizhne towards an alleged launch site southwards, sheds light on the way dots of information were suggestively interpreted and connected.