REMINDER: Bette's Tuesday Happy Hour with Dietmar Pichler’s update on Europe increasing prosecutions of ‘throwaway agents’ — hosted by Heidi & Mo’
Bette members: please register for Bette’s Happy Hour, where Mo’ & I will be joined by Vienna-based disinformation analyst Dietmar Pichler, noon Pacific, Tuesday, November 4, on breakers from EU & US
***Bette members will find the registration link below the paywall. To join our community events and to help support independent investigative journalism in a time of grave peril, please upgrade to a paid membership. All new investigative content at Bette Dangerous is free, and your paid memberships make that possible.***
Bette members are invited to our Tuesday Happy Hour, November 4, Noon Pacific, 3 pm Eastern, where EuroFile’s Monique Camarra will be joining me from Italy to co-host this event, featuring Dietmar Pichler, a disinformation analyst from Vienna, Austria.
Among the topics we’ll be discussing is this EuroNews report, featuring quotes from Dietmar:
We have invited Dietmar to speak to our community about the concept of ‘throwaway agents’ frequently, and this subject will only grow in relevance until the punishment meted out to those working for the terrorist mafia state of Russia exceeds the sums paid to commit acts of sabotage. One Russian agent just received a 17-year sentence, and that strikes me as an appropriate deterrent. Dietmar took the time to write this thoughtful essay for us in advance of our meeting:
The Threat of “Disposable Agents” in Europe
By Dietmar Pichler
No matter if you want to call them “throwaway agents,” “disposable agents,” or “low level agents,” these are foreign civilians without intelligence training, recruited via social media channels for small sums of money. These agents can be used for spying, spreading propaganda on social media, or carrying out sabotage and provocations in public spaces (for instance, graffiti).
In Austria, there was a case where such a group sprayed “pro Ukrainian” slogans combined with far right symbols as a false flag operation to make Ukraine supporters appear “fascist.” These agents commit arson, are responsible for explosive attacks, and especially now, authorities are worried they could create chaos by operating drones. It is difficult to trace who hired or paid them, or even to catch them at all. There are known cases where Kremlin backed oligarchs financed such operations.
The German government has launched an awareness campaign to inform the population about these strategies, to warn citizens not to get involved, and to report such offers rather than accept them. Now Europe is developing strategies to protect critical infrastructure against these so called hybrid threats, which include the urgent issue of how to respond to drone sightings as well as other forms of sabotage.
For some years there was an illusion that everything threatening us from Russia or other foreign actors was limited to the cyber world. This mainly included disinformation via social media and websites and cyberattacks such as hacking. Now we see that there are many activities taking place in the real world. What remains almost a taboo topic is the amount of pro Russian or pro Chinese propaganda spread offline, also disseminated by so called “agents of influence.” Compared to low level agents, these are influential and often well known people who spread Russian propaganda and lobby for Russian interests.
What do low level agents and agents of influence have in common? They are financed by the Kremlin’s proxies, and their purpose is to divide our societies and weaken our resilience.—Dietmar Pichler for Bette Dangerous
It’s vitally important to see European nations striking back against Russian-paid operatives on their soil.
Currently, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced a “new comprehensive action plan“ to counter hybrid threats, under review by the National Security Council.
In the US, pro-Russian provocateurs walk the halls of Congress and hold the highest offices. It’s our job to call them out for who and what they are, and it’s much easier when we can clearly define their actions and motivations as part of hybrid warfare.
Expect lots of news from around the world, as Bette’s All-Stars offer their profound expertise and insights to help our community see our way through the Great Propaganda Wars more clearly.
In addition to Monique and Dietmar’s updates, I will update you on my latest report in Byline Supplement, which focuses on how Musk is gaming the internet for fascism.
I will also offer commentary on this post:
And Monique will give you a preview of a report she is delivering this week on how Russia is implementing grey zone warfare tactics in Italy.
I look so forward to seeing everyone as Mo’, Dietmar, and I dish news.
More info about our guests:
Dietmar Pichler is a disinformation analyst, advisor for strategic communication, founder of the Disinformation Resilience Network, and editor at Inved.eu.
Monique Camarra writes EuroFile, which brings daily news on the war in Ukraine, as well as global breaking news. She served as co-host of the Kremlin File, which focused on Russia and the spread of authoritarianism throughout the world. She is based at the University of Siena.
A note for new members: the Happy Hour began two and a half years ago, when I noticed many Bette members in despair. I thought a weekly wellness checkin for newsies was in order, and it evolved into a session where global guests offer news from around the world. The title was always meant to be ironic, but I know I feel better when our community comes together.
Lastly, a heartfelt thank you to those of you who are renewing your memberships and those who continue to support me at the Founding Member level. Your support means everything to me.
Keep scrolling below the paywall for the registration link.
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More info about Bette Dangerous - This magazine is written by Heidi Siegmund Cuda, an Emmy-award winning investigative reporter/producer, author, and veteran music and nightlife columnist. She is the cohost of RADICALIZED Truth Survives, an investigative show about disinformation and is part of the Byline Media team. Her Hot Type column appears in Byline Supplement. Thank you for your support of independent investigative journalism.
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