U.S. intelligence agencies have issued a warning that Russia and Iran may attempt to incite violent protests in the United States following the November 5 election, as results are being processed and certified. The countries could encourage or escalate threats against election workers, politicians, and others in the weeks after the election, especially leading up to the January 20 presidential inauguration. Russian-backed groups are expected to challenge election outcomes and potentially intensify their actions, particularly if Kamala Harris defeats Donald Trump.
A declassified intelligence report highlighted that some foreign actors might disrupt or delay the critical post-election processes. These actors have the capability to instigate protests, commit violent acts, and execute cyberattacks on election systems. The report provides examples of past attempts by Russia and Iran to shift from online influence efforts to instigating physical actions within the U.S. Iranian intelligence previously used social media to engage an American in a pro-Palestinian protest in Washington, while a Russian military unit tried recruiting an American to organize protests.
Russian influence operations have included social media claims of illegal voting by undocumented immigrants and people impersonating the deceased. The report also revealed that Russia fabricated and amplified false content about alleged illegal activities by Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz. Despite these threats, U.S. agencies assess that it is highly unlikely that Russia, Iran, or any foreign entities can covertly manipulate the election outcome. Even if attempts were made, the foreign actors would likely fail to influence the presidential election results on a significant scale without being detected.
Original Story https://www.livemint.com/news/world/russia-iran-seen-by-us-as-spurring-violence-postelection-11729622887040.html
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