Document:FCO Skripal twitter sample 23.3.18

A Twitter roundup from II. The contents are fairly standard fare, but which users II chose to follow is very interesting, and some are indeed "other users in our field"

 Twitter roundup  by Chris Hernon dated 23 March 2018

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Subjects: Skripal, Integrity Initive network, Elliot Higgins, Veli-Pekka Kivimäki, Henrik Breitenbauch, Hans de Vreij, Committee to Investigate Russia, Garry Kasparov, Mig Greengard, Edward Lucas, J.S. Lindley-French, Stiftung Leo Strauss, Jimmy Rushmore
Example of: Integrity Initiative/Leak/3
Source: 'Anonymous' (Link)

the layout has been slightly simplified

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SKRIPAL TWITTER ROUNDUP 23.03.18

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Chris Hernon

• Stephen Davies letter still getting play

• New ‘proof’ there was no nerve agent is that Nick Bailey isn’t dead or seriously incapacitated

• Backlash against Russia and those who congratulated Putin - Lithuania considering expelling Russians

‘Proof’

Search on ‘Stephen Davies Salisbury’ https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=default&q=stephen%20davies%20salisbury&src=tyah

 Jimmy @JimmySecUK Corbyn supporters are now slandering and mocking Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey for the crime of not being sufficiently injured whilst serving the public. https://twitter.com/JimmySecUK/status/976902098209181699

“It was a mafia group that bought it in the 90s”

 Leo Strauss @DrLeoStrauss As both Mirzayanov & V. Uglev, from GOSNIIOKNT, have explained in public: various #Novichok strains suffer rapid decomposition, making specialized storage more difficult than creation. Novichok agents from mid 1990s long since would be inert/ineffective for use today. 
 https://twitter.com/DrLeoStrauss/status/976890101618892800

The line about the Skripals probably having “limited mental capacity” after the attack seems to have got good traction

Investigate Russia @InvestigateRU 3h3 hours ago Russian agent may have limited mental capacity after nerve attack http://reut.rs/2G50PkO https://twitter.com/InvestigateRU/status/977047710061682688

 Hans de Vreij @hdevreij „An unidentified doctor who is treating the Skripals said they were both heavily sedated and unable to communicate, and that it was not possible to assess when or to what extent either may regain mental capacity.‟ 

 Reuters Top News @Reuters
 Russian agent may have limited mental capacity after nerve attack http://reut.rs/2pyCiO9 https://twitter.com/hdevreij/status/976953816179408896 Thread by 

Kasparov aide Mig Greengard

 https://twitter.com/chessninja/status/977049371379425280 

Including

 Mig Greengard @chessninja As if the US or Ukraine or whoever would risk the incredible blowback risk of getting caught KILLING PEOPLE IN THE UK WITH A NERVE AGENT just to pin one more murder on Putin. 

 Mig Greengard @chessninja Or for the next-level pros, "Yes it was Russian intelligence, but a rogue group! Putin is losing control!" Sure. The Tsar knows all, but the Tsar knew nothing. 

Backlash

 Rikard Jozwiak @RikardJozwiak 14h14 hours ago a dozen MEPs have written to @JunckerEU questioning the way he congratulated #Putin after his election win & noted that he missed an opportunity to remind the leader of #Russia about the illegal annexation & occupation of #Crimea #Ukraine 

https://twitter.com/RikardJozwiak/status/976876949124583425

 Edward Lucas @edwardlucas This is vital test of whole international system. If you know politicians in Sweden, France, Canada, Estonia, Latvia, Germany or Norway please urge them to follow Lithuania‟s brave lead http://bit.ly/2pCj0r0 https://twitter.com/edwardlucas/status/976846950799761412 

 Fabrizio W. Luciolli @FWLuciolli Now is the moment for the friends of #Russia "to demonstrate their influence in and over Moscow and convince President #Putin of the benefits of cooperation with #Europe and the West. Equally, the same friends need to be clear about the implications of failure." @FrencLindley 

 J.S. Lindley-French @FrencLindley Blog Times for Russia's 'Friends' to Face Hard Truths. Just how qualified is EU 'unqualified support' for UK post Skripal. If Russia's Euro 'friends' have any influence on Putin time they used it. Read more http://www.lindleyfrench.blogspot.nl/2018/03/time-for-russias-friends-to-face-hard.html … https://twitter.com/FWLuciolli/status/976909696530571264

 Bill Browder @Billbrowder Thank you Iain Duncan Smith MP for a great meeting in parliament to discuss Magnitsky sanctions and how to hold Putin to account after his terrorist attack using chemical weapons on U.K. soil. https://twitter.com/Billbrowder/status/976907689790930944 

 Heather Nauert @statedeptspox Mar 21 Today, a Russian Foreign Ministry official said that “logic suggests” the #UK was behind the nerve agent attack on #Salisbury. That‟s absurd. Logic and evidence actually show #Russia was behind the attack. @mfa_russia 

 Henrik Breitenbauch @breitenbauch 13h13 hours ago We need knowledge, defence/deterrence and outreach to deal with Putin's Russia. Clearsighted analysis on Western options by @CER_IanBond http://www.cer.eu/in-the-press/west-too-soft-putin … https://twitter.com/breitenbauch/status/976896963852537856 

Rogue state Russia, in decline

 Photoshopped Hat � @sapient_ape Why is Russia showing aerial footage of @PHE_uk (Public Health England) and claiming it‟s Porton Down? Are they attempting to put staff there at risk or something?

 Eliot Higgins@EliotHiggins The new construction at Porton Down Russia is claiming in its press conference are new labs are part of Project Helios, which is hardly a state secret, details of it is on the UK government's website https://www.gov.uk/government/news/building-state-of-the-art-facilities-at-dstl … 

https://twitter.com/sapient_ape/status/976901828615995397

Guccifer 2.0 turning out (surprise surprise to be a Russian GRU officer)

 Veli-Pekka Kivimäki @vpkivimaki "But on one occasion... Guccifer failed to activate the VPN client before logging on. Working off the IP address, U.S. investigators identified Guccifer 2.0 as a particular GRU officer working out of the agency‟s headquarters on Grizodubovoy Street in Moscow." 
 The Daily Beast @thedailybeast EXCLUSIVE: "DNC hacker" Guccifer 2.0 was, in fact, an officer of Russia's military intelligence directorate http://thebea.st/2FXFPAu

https://twitter.com/vpkivimaki/status/976958938599100416

 Foreign Policy Verified account @ForeignPolicy Mar 22 Russia's economy is stagnating and Putin isn't doing anything about it.

http://bit.ly/2pyBn0W https://twitter.com/ForeignPolicy/status/976730313815724032

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