FAKE NEWS(MEN): We learned this week (from the BBC) that a Russian television news channel is using a robot to anchor some of its newscasts. The experiment, using what years ago Walt Disney dubbed “audio animatronics” involves a robot called “Alex” reading news items on topics ranging from agriculture to nuclear technology. Currently, Alex can only move his head and face but soon he will be able to do things like move his arms – and presumably give the one finger salute to the human news readers on the Rossiya 24 network. It seems his builders have given anchorman Alex a large ego. BBC quoted him (or it?) as saying: "I should note that at a technological innovations exhibition, the main hero was me, robot Alex." So, in that respect, he does sound a lot like some of his human counterparts.
IN OTHER (RUSSIAN) NEWS: Human Moscow TV monitor Julia Davis reports that Russian state TV re-broadcast Fox News Sean Hannity’s commentary attacking the Mueller report as “the left’s big lie.” Well, if Russia says it was fake news – I guess that settles it. The Daily Beast (for which Davis is a contributor) picked up on this too – noting that TV network Rossiya 1 called the Mueller report a “bestseller about the absence of collusion between Trump and Russia.”
IN OTHER, OTHER, RUSSIAN NEWS: Cipher Brief expert John Carlin, former assistant attorney general in the Obama administration, was featured on CBS News’ 60 Minutes April 20th in a segment about the growing partnership between the Russian government and cybercriminals.
AGENCY INSTAGRAM – In a recent speech at Auburn University, CIA Director Gina Haspel announced that the Agency would soon launch its own Instagram account. Now its official. The new account is in addition to CIA’s hugely popular Facebook and Twitter accounts. “Joining Instagram is another way we’re sharing CIA’s stories and recruiting talented Americans to serve here." says CIA Press Secretary Timothy Barrett. "Through the account, we’ll give a peek into Agency life, but we can’t promise any selfies from secret locations. We’re looking to spark the curiosity of Instagram’s users about the many ways CIA’s global mission has us going where others cannot go and doing what others cannot do.”
NOT A FOLLOWER - Not everyone is expected to be a CIA Instagram follower though – fugitive from Justice Edward Snowden griped from his Russian hideout that the Agency sets up social media accounts with “puppies and everything like that, because they want to be friendly. They want to be on your side.” Snowden is thankful for the protection of Vladimir Putin, BTW, telling the CYBER podcast that without Russian asylum he “would be in Guantanamo or dead.”
CONFIRMED: COUNTRY’S INTELLIGENCE SERVICE SPIED ON THE NOW-PRESIDENT: No, not THAT country…and not THAT president. On April 16th, Mexico released files collected by the country’s former domestic intelligence agency showing that they spied on Andrés Manuel López Obrador when he was a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party in the 1970’s and ‘80s. López Obrador became president of Mexico on December 1, 2018 and dissolved the agency…which replaced the one…which spied on him back in the day. Of course, allegations of intelligence services spying on political candidates are not foreign to the U.S. On Wednesday morning, President Trump tweeted that “Former CIA analyst Larry Johnson accuses United Kingdom Intelligence of helping Obama Administration Spy on the 2016 Trump Presidential Campaign.” Trump apparently heard Johnson say this on the “One America News Network.” Johnson, who was at the CIA in the mid-1980s, is best remembered by some of his former colleagues, as the guy who wrote OPEDs shortly before 9/11 saying that the U.S. was making too big a deal about this Bin Laden fellow and Americans have little to fear from terrorism.
GAME OF THRONES CAMEO: Former CIA deputy director David Cohen had a cameo appearance on “Game of Thrones” this past Sunday. The Agency’s twitter account teased the upcoming cameo with a grim-faced Cohen in light disguise carrying a bowl of soup. In keeping with his past role – Cohen was silent on camera. After his appearance – word got out that Cohen’s brother-in-law is a showrunner on the HBO program, which helped him get the gig. Want more intel on how it all came together? Check out How the CIA Penetrated Winterfell, in The Cipher Brief.
GAMES AND CHRYSANTHEMUM THRONE: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has invited President and Mrs. Trump to visit Japan at the end of May. Trump would be the first foreign leader to pay a call on the country’s new emperor. Crown Prince Naruhito is getting promoted to emperor next week – when his 85-year-old father steps down. The presidential visit will also reportedly include an opportunity for Trump to attend the final day of a sumo wrestling tournament and present a trophy to the winner. The president is also expected to play golf while in Japan (shocker!) and possibly make a visit to the naval base in Yokosuka where the Japanese are modifying a destroyer into an aircraft carrier. This may give Trump ideas for the U.S. Navy – since he is already on record of having strong feelings about the catapult systems being deployed on modern American carriers.
POCKET LITTER: Bits and pieces of interesting /weird stuff we discovered:
UNTIMELY DEATH (NOTICE): The Washington Post recently noted the passing for former CIA employee James McCord who was convicted for taking part in the Watergate break in, in 1972. What made the obituary particularly noteworthy – was that McCord died June 15, 2017. Apparently, McCord did a much better job of keeping his passing quiet – than he did of hiding his dirty work when he was working for CREEP – the Committee to Reelect the President.
BAD COOKIE: Hollywood and literature are full of stories about Navy SEALS who go bad and drift to the dark side – but Navy Times this week reported on a real-life sailor who has been booted from the service and sent to the brig for “running with an outlaw motorcycle gang and distributing cocaine.” This guy was no special warrior – he was a cook. Former Culinary Specialist 1st Class Jason Thompson (now a Seaman Recruit) – was sent to the slammer for participating with the criminal gang known as the “Thunderguards Motorcycle Club.” The image of military cooks is generally somewhat genial – but this guy sounds like the Soup Nazi.
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING: Got any tips for your friendly neighborhood Dead Drop? Shoot us a note at TheDeadDrop@theCipherBrief.com.
