Look to Cold War History to Confront Russian Meddling

Posted: October 25th, 2017

By Congressman Will Hurd

Will Hurd is the U.S. Representative for the 23rd Congressional District of Texas. He serves as Vice Chair of the Maritime and Border Security Subcommittee on the Committee for Homeland Security, and as the Chairman of the Information Technology Subcommittee on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Hurd is a former undercover CIA officer, entrepreneur, and cybersecurity expert.

Members of Congress have expressed deep concern over the Kremlin’s disinformation campaign in the 2016 election. They have even taken some action, most notably voting in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 to dramatically broaden the State Department’s Global Engagement Center (GEC) mandate to include countering propaganda and disinformation from state actors like Russia.

“First and foremost, Russia is our adversary, not our ally. Period. End of story,” Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) says. The United States needs a counter-covert influence strategy to take on Russian disinformation efforts, the former undercover CIA officer told The Cipher Brief.

Access all of The Cipher Brief’s national security-focused expert insight by becoming a Cipher Brief Subscriber+ Member.

Look to Cold War History to Confront Russian Meddling

By Congressman Will Hurd

Why the ‘Philadelphi Corridor’ May Derail a Gaza Deal

What the U.S. Military’s ‘Overwhelming Force’ Means for the Middle East

Russia’s Poltava Attack is a Double Disaster for Ukraine

How Russia’s Military Went From Feared Power to Failing Force

Taliban 3.0: The Terrorism Threat and a Humanitarian Nightmare

Is the Defense Department Ready for an Age of Disruption?