UAE hacked Qatari government sites, sparking regional upheaval, according to U.S. intelligence offic
Source: Washington Post
The United Arab Emirates orchestrated the hacking of Qatari government news and social media sites in order to post incendiary false quotes attributed to Qatars emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani, in late May that sparked the ongoing upheaval between Qatar and its neighbors, according to U.S. intelligence officials.
Officials became aware last week that newly analyzed information gathered by U.S. intelligence agencies confirmed that on May 23, senior members of the UAE government discussed the plan and its implementation. The officials said it remains unclear whether the UAE carried out the hacks itself or contracted to have them done. The false reports said that the emir, among other things, had called Iran an Islamic power and praised Hamas.
The hacks and posting took place on May 24, shortly after President Trump completed a lengthy counterterrorism meeting with Persian Gulf leaders in neighboring Saudi Arabia and declared them unified.
Citing the emirs reported comments, the Saudis, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt immediately banned all Qatari media. They then broke relations with Qatar and declared a trade and diplomatic boycott, sending the region into a political and diplomatic tailspin that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has warned could undermine U.S. counterterrorism efforts against the Islamic State.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/uae-hacked-qatari-government-sites-sparking-regional-upheaval-according-to-us-intelligence-officials/2017/07/16/00c46e54-698f-11e7-8eb5-cbccc2e7bfbf_story.html?pushid=596be9094c39092800000020&tid=notifi_push_breaking-news&utm_term=.795e778aa220
Much more at link.
IronLionZion
(45,380 posts)and this is the biggest asshole of them all:
Asked about the U.S. military base in Qatar, Trump said he was not concerned.
Well be all right, he said. Look, if we ever have to leave the base, we would have 10 countries willing to build us another one, believe me. And theyll pay for it.
janx
(24,128 posts)My god.
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(107,766 posts)is proud of his ignorance
janx
(24,128 posts)UAE was responsible, but did they farm it out?