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Twitter Executive is Psy-Op Soldier – Middle East Eye

Image source – warfare.today

Middle East Eye are reporting a striking story that, if true, should be circulated widely as possible. It sheds a whole new light on just how deeply interwoven the Social Media monoliths and the Deep State truly are:

The senior Twitter executive with editorial responsibility for the Middle East is also a part-time officer in the British Army’s psychological warfare unit, Middle East Eye has established.

Apparently, Gordon McMillan – twitter’s head of editorial for Europe, Middle East and Africa – not only works for the British government, but is a reservist in the 77th Brigade.

In case you don’t know what the 77th Brigade is, it’s a “counter-intelligence” unit set up to “combat disinformation” on social media.

Translation: They spread pro-Western propaganda on Twitter and Facebook. The unit was announced in 2015, in response – you can imagine – to a series of losses on the information warfare front, mainly re: Syria and Ukraine.

The Guardian happily reported it at the time, calling them “Facebook Warriors”:

The British army is creating a special force of Facebook warriors, skilled in psychological operations and use of social media to engage in unconventional warfare in the information age.

Whereas Sky News went with “Twitter Troops”, in a piece that has since disappeared from their website, but is thankfully still available as an archive {our emphasis]:

Using creative thinking it is hoped that 77 Brigade will influence the minds and shape the behaviour of the enemy and local populations.

This has led to the early nickname “Twitter troops” for the Brigade, which will be formally created on 1 April.

America has their own unit launched in 2011, and Israel has one too. These are not state secrets, but widely reported.

None of this counts as foreign intervention. Three whole armies never influenced and election, but 13 Russians did.

However, that Twitter is actually literally employing officers from this corps as executives is more brazen and unpleasant than many would expect.

Ian Cobain’s piece is meticulously sourced and cited, and a must-read.

It should be on the front page of every newspaper and website in the country, it’s the kind of journalism you just don’t get in the mainstream anymore.

Go here, digest it all, and share it widely. It deserves it.

[We would also recommend downloading a copy of the LinkedIn screencap, it’s important direct evidence that they are trying to memory hole]

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Graft
Graft
Oct 3, 2019 4:30 AM

Quite a few 77th brigade trolls end up here and i think i know their online handles here too

Yarkob
Yarkob
Oct 2, 2019 11:26 AM

“Translation: They spread pro-Western propaganda on Twitter and Facebook.”

well, that makes it one of the easiest propaganda campaigns to nullify. Why people still need to be told not to use these sites is beyond me.

If you do still use them, you deserve what you get, good and hard
(props to HL Mencken)

ZigZag Wanderer
ZigZag Wanderer
Oct 1, 2019 2:42 PM

Today General Sir Nick Carter the UK chief of defence staff thinks he is already at war …. and he’s backed up by Jens Stoltenberg who says an attack on one NATO state is an attack on all.

Russia seems to be the patsy .. Magic money tree being vigorously shaken ..
https://www.scmagazineuk.com/cyber-eliminates-distinction-war-peace/article/1661103

RogerK
RogerK
Oct 1, 2019 5:49 AM

The sky article has been moved, not taken down. You should do a site specific search with the headline

https://news.sky.com/story/cyber-warfare-army-creates-twitter-troops-10373249

Stephen Morrell
Stephen Morrell
Oct 1, 2019 12:49 AM

This is telling: “Using creative thinking it is hoped that 77 Brigade will influence the minds and shape the behaviour of the enemy and local populations.”

Local populations are regarded the same as the enemy.

Where to?
Where to?
Oct 1, 2019 5:45 AM

And one of the questions is: Why we, the plebs are the enemy?

Despite all the glamour in Murdoch’s magazines, and all the bragging about democracy and freedom, we are ruled by bloodthirsty psychos.

andyoldlabour
andyoldlabour
Oct 1, 2019 7:34 AM

Anyone capable of critical thinking is branded “enemy”, anyone who goes against the MSM is a fully paid up “Russian troll”.

Gezzah Potts
Gezzah Potts
Sep 30, 2019 11:47 PM

The bloody Guardian would happily report Anything that supported the Establishment narrative and the Empire’s activities. As do others like ABC and SBS in Australia.
As more people walk away from the fake news of the mainstream presstitutes, is it any surprise that this would happen? Those who serve the 0.01℅ will do anything to maintain narrative control.
On many Facebook posts, and sites like ours, you can actually spot who the trolls are, and who is spreading disinformation on behalf of their masters.
There’s a number who pollute the pages of OffGuardian, tho they’ve been a bit quiet lately.

MASTER OF UNIVE
MASTER OF UNIVE
Oct 1, 2019 12:45 AM
Reply to  Gezzah Potts

Off-G is crawling with them for sure. 77th Brigade Information Operations! And those are the counter-intel psychological warfare IOs they are willing to tell us about willingly on MSM, of course.

I always knew they were benevolent enough to make us all feel warm & fuzzy inside.

MOU

Gezzah Potts
Gezzah Potts
Oct 1, 2019 3:35 AM

Sites like this that speaks truth to power, and exposes the high criminality of the Empire and the 0.01℅ will always be targeted by trolls along with cyber attacks or starved of funds.
I try and ignore the trolls – don’t read, don’t reply, don’t give them oxygen, tho some are quite devious. Sooner or later tho, they give themselves away.

milosevic
milosevic
Oct 1, 2019 3:59 AM
Reply to  Gezzah Potts

I try and ignore the trolls – don’t read, don’t reply, don’t give them oxygen, tho some are quite devious.

You’re replying to one right now, haven’t you noticed?

MASTER OF UNIVE
MASTER OF UNIVE
Oct 1, 2019 4:09 AM
Reply to  Gezzah Potts

I’m from Toronto originally and learned to fight at a young age. I’m usually the type that will fight with anyone at the drop of a hat. That’s why I like politics. Fighting trolls & the inane is a drag I agree.

Assange is from Oz and one of the best ever fighters against corrupt states. At some point the trolls & detractors are just part of the fight. Ignoring them is not always possible as they are usually online for disinformation purposes. If the blog is left oriented they will undermine any & all productive discourse unrelentingly.

Off-G is most definitely a targeted site.

Systematically destroying left leaning blogs or blogs that purport to be left seems to be the goal.

As a Marxist I see this sort of regression all the time on blogs.

cheers, MOU

Frank Speaker
Frank Speaker
Oct 1, 2019 6:02 AM
Reply to  Gezzah Potts

Can you name them please?

Thought Provoker
Thought Provoker
Sep 30, 2019 7:30 PM

Here’s a thought:

If 7 billion people were not shepherded there would be anarchy.

Discuss…

Gwyn
Gwyn
Sep 30, 2019 9:11 PM

If 7 billion people were not shepherded, there might, indeed, be anarchy (which would be a desirable state of affairs, as opposed to the chaos which we’ve currently got in the world).

”Anarchy” has become a dirty word (for those who run the world). Mainly because its original meaning is ”without chiefs/rulers.”

nottheonly1
nottheonly1
Sep 30, 2019 10:04 PM
Reply to  Gwyn

Yes, obviously part of the gigantic re-programming effort by the elites. A leaderless society – as in ‘Nature’ – would spell doom for those who sell themselves as indispensible to the gullible masses, who crave a ‘strong leader’. ‘The Führer’ has not been retired at all. Eyes get all glossy looking up to the perfect Führer. Homo Sapiens certainly needs some more evolving done.

RobG
RobG
Sep 30, 2019 11:43 PM
Reply to  nottheonly1

We have always been ruled by complete psychopaths.

Information technology means that more and more people are waking up to this fact.

The psychos – terrified of losing their hold – are now employing huge numbers of people (mostly paid for by tax payer’s money) to stamp out all real information/realisation.

What could possibly go wrong…

nottheonly1
nottheonly1
Oct 1, 2019 2:23 AM
Reply to  RobG

We have always been ruled by complete psychopaths.

It just dawned upon me that there has to be a reason for that. Because it is the truth. So, could it be that the masses prefer a psychopath of which they know that he will go the extra mile for them if necessary? Maybe the masses believe that the psychopath adds an extra layer of protection? Like “Nobody will mess with our Führer”? It is really odd, that there does not seem to have been a real benevolent leader for the masses – no matter where they are – for the longest time.

Maybe in the old Middle East and East Asia? These regions do have some very old philosophies regarding life per se. And considering Sun Tzu and his ‘The Art of War’ (and the I Ching), there might have been some rather great leaders ‘over there’. Maybe it is really the West that is thoroughly effed up? For lack of philosophy for the masses? The only European leader I can think of (based on what is known) is Karl the Great. That qualifier must have a reason beyond uniting a large area and creating something akin of the first Nation state. Although, I wasn’t there, or not that I remember. But other than Charles, it doesn’t look that good in European history. A bunch of massive failures for sure.

Gerda Halvorsen
Gerda Halvorsen
Oct 1, 2019 1:11 PM
Reply to  nottheonly1

Yes, it does seem to be the truth. And it starts early. Remember in primary school, where there were always a few bullies wanting to control the playground or neighbourhood? They always seemed to attract a swarm of wannabe bully underlings, who, by themselves would never rise above pulling wings off flies. Fast forward a few decades and the game is the same, just with higher rewards for the bullies and their minions, and more than just black eyes for the rest of us.

Where to?
Where to?
Sep 30, 2019 9:35 PM

It is GROTESQUE that a bunch of psychopathic subhumans decide that THEY are the rulers and want to dictate to everyone else what to do and whether to live or die.

RobG
RobG
Sep 30, 2019 10:50 PM

Here’s a thought:

If 7 billion people were not shepherded there would be anarchy.

I would venture that you’ve got this the wrong way around; ie, if 7 billion people were not shepherded there would be calm, because the vast amount of humans intrinsically know what’s right and wrong.

‘Thought Provoker’ I guess that you live in the propaganda soaked western world, where black is white, down is up, etc, etc. A totally crazy world soaked in blood and hatred, etc, etc.

But it ain’t the real world.

Jen
Jen
Sep 30, 2019 11:32 PM

Parts of the Middle East and North Africa already have anarchy as a result of being “shepherded” by NATO countries and their allies in Israel and Turkey.

Why should societies need shepherding anyway and why would a multi-polar world inevitably be an anarchic world and not a peaceful world?

RobG
RobG
Oct 1, 2019 12:04 AM
Reply to  Jen

Thailand is one of the few countries in the world that never came under European colonisation (I won’t go into the reasons for this here; suffice to say that altruism doesn’t come into it).

Just about every other country, on all the inhabited continents, has been raped and plundered by the Europeans, and their psycho mongrel dog, the Americans.

This continues to this day.

A resurrected Russia, and a rising China, is starting to overturn all this. The psychos in the West won’t let go easily, and I fear that it will conclude in only one way.

Dungroanin
Dungroanin
Oct 1, 2019 1:18 PM
Reply to  RobG

Have an uptick Rob – though i don’t agree about the Siamese not coming under Anglo Imperialist control – from basic geographical position- between Burma and Malay and adjoining French Indo China, is enough of a clue to that. Never mind the Golden Triangle and Air America.

Berlin beerman
Berlin beerman
Oct 1, 2019 1:30 PM
Reply to  RobG

The Siamese have always been under control. They allowed their neighbour’s to be bombed and decimated by western powers with no problem at all. They are devious little bastards.

nottheonly1
nottheonly1
Oct 1, 2019 2:34 AM
Reply to  Jen

…why would a multi-polar world inevitably be an anarchic world and not a peaceful world?

That is a widespread misunderstanding about ‘Anarchy’. And the reason – considering the 40 hour work week of the twats in question – may well lie in the constant barrage of misinformation. Alone wikipedia has turned into the elites’ brain washer and people still go there ‘to find information’…

Anarchy is just leaderless. And having said that, the Middle East is not known for leaderlessness. Look around – it’s almost as everyone is a leader of sorts. But when we speak of the Middle East, we speak of Hussein, Assad, MbS, Netanyahoo, Quaddafi and so forth. It might just be a way the MSM mentions leaders, but not the countries in question. Well, as long as they have not been butchered, that is.

nottheonly1
nottheonly1
Sep 30, 2019 4:49 PM

Israel Recruits ‘Army of Bloggers’ to Combat anti-Zionist Web Sites

Translation:

Israel Recruits Army of Sockpuppets to Combat anti-war crimes/anti-genocide/anti-racist/anti-fascist Web Sites

That’s what it really is. These modern Nazis have a problem with any- and everybody that does not care for their fascist policies of illegal land grab, illegal wars for resources, murdering of innocent women, children and the elderly and the fomenting of environmental destruction on a large scale for the sole benefits of the decrepit and degenerate tip of the owner class pyramid.

In that lies also the reason for the attacks on OffGuardian – both via DDOD and aforementioned sockpuppets who are pathetic in their attempts to disrupt the real conversation about what ails humanity and how to go about a remedy.

Unfortunately, it is the gullibility of the masses (globally) that allowed for this development to occur (globally) in the first place and it is the exact same gullibility of the masses (globally) that allows it to continue (globally).

And since the Ukraine is also on board in all of this, one is advised to watch ‘Ukraine on Fire’ to get a different perspective as to who are the U.S.’ favorite Nazibrothers in arms.

nottheonly1
nottheonly1
Sep 30, 2019 5:18 PM
Reply to  nottheonly1
binra
binra
Sep 30, 2019 4:44 PM

Off Guardian COULD run an educational service of articles and links for detecting and discerning of weapon-speak – No less in our own inherited and acquired thought and speech.

From my point of view the barrage of systemic and pervasive deceits and obfuscation demand a re-education or else become the proxy mind-capture of illusions that care nothing for you, your life and your love – apart from can be used or sucked out for their sustainability at your expense.

Illusions that are deemed too big to fail are like tares so entangled in the establishment that they become necessary evils, collateral damage, side-effects and standard of care if not mandatory sacrifice of the living to knowingly false gods…. for sustainability and persistence of a false narrative identity.

A headline today – “Britain is ‘at war every day’ due to constant cyber attacks, Chief of the Defence Staff says”. But WHO decides what is a threat to whose security? And how much of the degradation of quality is the result of a kind of auto-immune syndrome or self-attack?

Honesty or transparency of account cannot be allowed because ‘too big to fail’ so lie management operates as The Economy. Truth’s crucifiction is thus nailed to the daily post.

The attempt to change OTHERS cannot exceed their willingness to know. Any means of seeming to change others by coercion and deceit comes back in our face. Firstly in an immediate loss of integrity or self-honesty that passes as elitist self exceptionalism. But later as the backlog of consequence set in motion – against which a ‘survival’ in terms of lie and conflict management seeks sustainability by means of inducing others to BUY or even die for its toxic debt – cunningly repackaged to carbon credits and get
out of jail free cards.

Where to?
Where to?
Sep 30, 2019 4:38 PM

Moron definition updated:

Someone who eats factory meat and uses a cell phone.

I mean, meat is full of poisons and a cell phone is effectively a control device. A leash goes around the neck, but cell phone wraps around the brain. Wraps the brain in 2 ways: 1. radiation 2. addictive misinformation.

Secret programs always exceeded expectations. Isn’t it possible today that they are using (or at least testing on us) radiation as a mind-control tool to implant thoughts in selected groups?

Robbobbobin
Robbobbobin
Sep 30, 2019 10:10 PM
Reply to  Where to?

“…meat is full of poisons and a cell phone is effectively a control device. A leash goes around the neck, but cell phone wraps around the brain. Wraps the brain in 2 ways: 1. radiation 2. addictive misinformation.”

I once knew someone who carried his cellphone on a leash around his neck.

Where to?
Where to?
Sep 30, 2019 4:23 PM

What is Obama’s real job? Master of deception with a smile?

DeepChange
DeepChange
Oct 2, 2019 6:01 PM
Reply to  Where to?

Every single president. Not just Obama.

Where to?
Where to?
Sep 30, 2019 4:17 PM

This civilisation of ours, rendered substance-less, still has 2 legs to stand on:

– Nuclear Weapons
– Psyops *

If psyops fail, are they going to use nukes?

* Psyops definition: military operations usually aimed at influencing the enemy’s state of mind through noncombative means.

Influencing the enemy? What would be the definition of enemy, here? Are Off-Guardian readers ‘enemies’?

MASTER OF UNIVE
MASTER OF UNIVE
Sep 30, 2019 3:00 PM

First off, if MI-6 & CENTCOM actually were caught for running Information Operations on the twittersphere we could have them serially charged for manipulating the economies of the world to such an extent that global stock markets have flash crashed on news disseminated via the twittersphere.

Libor manipulation by the marque Bank Holding Companies has been prosecuted in the courts, and felony charges have been levied to yield monetary penalty in the form of industry fines.

When the Intelligence networks of Five Eyes Intelligence Officers utilizes Information Operations via public platforms like Twitter they are liable for damages whether financial or political. If Five Eyes ever gets caught they will be legislated out of the business.

No evidence of MI-6 involvement will ever be forthcoming, and this article is mere conjecture, and likely adjunct propaganda disseminated by Information Operations at yet another level of Internet mass propaganda campaigning that will also never be disclosed or forthcoming via evidence of any sort.

Rumour, innuendo, & disinformation is the stock & trade of Information Operations & propagandists.

MOU

Gary Weglarz
Gary Weglarz
Sep 30, 2019 3:51 PM

MASTER OF UNIVE – not sure what “universe” you’re living in, but it certainly isn’t the one I’m familiar with.

You – “When the Intelligence networks of Five Eyes Intelligence Officers utilizes Information Operations via public platforms like Twitter they are liable for damages whether financial or political.”

Laughing out loud at such complete nonsense. Yeah, and if you kill a half-a-million Iraqi children and then defend this slaughter as “worth it” on live national television in the U.S. you’ll be charged as a member of a mass murdering cabal of war criminals- right? Well, at least in your “universe.”

MASTER OF UNIVE
MASTER OF UNIVE
Sep 30, 2019 4:02 PM
Reply to  Gary Weglarz

Libor manipulation was prosecuted, man. Non-Prosecution Agreements-NPAs are commercial & governmental arbitrage tools today in contemporary bureaucracy. Sovereign nations & governments are state actors and as such are identifiable and subject to indictment if evidence exists to process convictions.

Libor is real, and so was the manipulation that was prosecuted in this universe of jurisprudence.

Read a book and perhaps your reading comprehension level will improve somewhat, GW.

MOU

Gary Weglarz
Gary Weglarz
Sep 30, 2019 4:12 PM

I’m always curious what kind of person shoves their head up the arse of power, and then finds the ambience and view to their liking. I mean “other than” the government trolls and the complete idiots. The rule of international law is violated each and every day to the tune of endless suffering and death and profit, all around the globe, by the cabal of completely lawless Western nations you proclaim to be subject to “indictment” in your magical “universe of jurisprudence.” It is truly a fascinating “universe” you inhabit. I only wish I could locate it on a map of some sort.

nottheonly1
nottheonly1
Sep 30, 2019 4:59 PM
Reply to  Gary Weglarz

Preemptively asking for forgiveness, but you inspired the response to your question:
The location of said “universe” is up in the arse of power. That is from where it is unfolding in its decrepit ways.

MASTER OF UNIVE
MASTER OF UNIVE
Sep 30, 2019 5:22 PM
Reply to  Gary Weglarz

Pithy stuff but I was raised pretty much by power as I come from the servant class to the halls of power. I am not exactly from the working class of the Western empire. I was raised by a Federal Government of CANADA civil servant father. Being raised by a civil servant that was servant class to the halls of power
is the social station I was allotted in life.

Viewing the world outside of the perspective I was enculturated with & indoctrinated by is logically impossible for myself, and I understand the bias.

Point well taken vis-a-vis the rarified air I breathe in our nation’s capital.

I’ll entertain your witticisms for entertainment purposes, on advisement.

MOU

Ramdan
Ramdan
Sep 30, 2019 7:17 PM

“is logically impossible”……only cause you believe it to be impossible, then it becomes impossible…
you just need to change your departing premise: believe it is possible, and the the bias will wash away and a balance perspective outside of said indoctrination, will grow.

Robbobbobin
Robbobbobin
Sep 30, 2019 10:32 PM

“Viewing the world outside of the perspective I was enculturated with & indoctrinated by is logically impossible for myself, and I understand the bias.”

“Logically.” “Scientifically” “My valuable time” Can’t spell “universe”? Snicker.

MASTER OF UNIVE
MASTER OF UNIVE
Sep 30, 2019 10:58 PM
Reply to  Robbobbobin

Passive aggressive much?

MOU

Robbobbobin
Robbobbobin
Sep 30, 2019 10:21 PM
Reply to  Gary Weglarz

“I’m always curious what kind of person shoves their head up the arse of power, and then finds the ambience and view to their liking.”

Q: Why is it useless to tell a gradiloquent to get his head out of his arse?

A: Beacause of topology. His arse is in his head.

Jen
Jen
Oct 1, 2019 3:29 AM
Reply to  Gary Weglarz

Gary, when you talk to MOU, you are talking to someone who seriously believes Chrystia Freeland is one of the greatest beings to walk the planet since the person who invented sliced bread.

MASTER OF UNIVE
MASTER OF UNIVE
Oct 1, 2019 4:16 AM
Reply to  Jen

MP Freeland is professional in approach but she did not invent sliced bread. Historically she is not my favorite Production Engineer, quite correct, Jen.

MOU

milosevic
milosevic
Oct 1, 2019 3:49 AM
Reply to  Gary Weglarz

I’m always curious what kind of person shoves their head up the arse of power, and then finds the ambience and view to their liking.

Why, one who is paid to, of course.

I mean “other than” the government trolls and the complete idiots.

But you already knew that.

Dungroanin
Dungroanin
Oct 1, 2019 1:22 PM

MOU,

The correct formulation is 5+1 eyes.

Can we all use it properly please?