Secret data: the Russians wanted to organize a pan-African state in the southern United States

The Russians discussed ambitious plans to incite unrest and even violence in the United States after the 2018 presidential election, according to internal documents of the Russian “troll factory” obtained by journalists. NBC News.

Фото: Depositphotos

These documents describe a new conspiracy, the purpose of which is to manipulate and radicalize African Americans.

The plans show that the Internet Research Agency, also known as the troll factory, led by oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is close to Vladimir Putin, sought to exploit racial tensions in the United States through social media and disinformation related to the 2016 elections. .

The documents were obtained through the Dossier Centre, a London-based investigative project funded by Russian opposition figure Mikhail Khodorkovsky. NBC News did not independently verify the materials, but a forensic examination conducted by the Dossier Center confirmed the accuracy of the troll factory's internal documents.

One document said the election of President Donald Trump had "exacerbated conflicts in American society" and suggested that, if successful, Russia's 2018 influence and conflict-mongering project would "undermine the country's territorial integrity and its military and economic capabilities."

This information appeared against the background of the reports of the American special services about Russia's possible interference in the election of 2020.

The documents proposed several ways to exacerbate racial strife in the United States, including a proposal to recruit African Americans and transport them to camps in Africa "for combat training and preparation for sabotage." These recruits would then be sent back to America, incite violence, and work to create a self-proclaimed state in the southern United States, including the territories of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

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There is no indication that this plan, which is spelled out in great detail, was ever introduced into life. But he gives new reasons to think about how Russia tried to sow discord in the United States.

The project, called the “Strategy for the Development of a Pan-African State in the United States,” was based on the idea of ​​​​involving poor ex-convict African Americans “with experience in organized crime groups,” as well as members of “radical black movements” to participate in acts of civil disobedience.

The goal was to “destabilize the internal situation in the United States.”

Frank Figluzzi, a former assistant director of counterintelligence at the FBI and an employee of NBC News, who was looking through the documents, said that such plans are alarming.

“The unfortunate reality is that we have an adversary who is willing to do almost anything to get what they want, and if it means violence or dividing America along racial lines or undermining our trust in institutions, they will do it.” , said Frank Figliuzzi.

Some of the documents were sent by Jeyhun "Jay" Aslanov, an employee of the troll factory, to his colleagues. The organization played a key role in Russia's campaign to interfere in the 2016 US elections. Aslanov was one of 13 Russians accused by Muller in meddling in US elections in February 2018 of the year.

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According to NBC News, the plan was passed on to Russian businessman Mikhail Potepkin, who then distributed it to employees of the troll factory.

Both Aslanov and Potepkin had ties to Prigozhin, the Russian catering magnate often referred to as "Putin's chef." Prigozhin is also accused by Mueller of financing a campaign to interfere in the US elections.

The Muller report tells how Russian trolls hired by Prigogine’s employees deliberately incited racial tension, spreading false stories about African Americans through social networks. Among the targets was the suppression of Black’s turnout to the US 2016 election of the year.

Another recently obtained document is a map of the United States with information on the number of African Americans in seven southern states. It also included the number of followers on websites and social networks that were created by Russian trolls.

Democrat Val Deings said the information underscores how current US racial problems can be used for misinformation.

“Russia understands how important the African American vote is in determining the outcome of elections,” said Demings, a member of the House Intelligence Committee. “And because we have failed to address racism ourselves, I believe we have left ourselves vulnerable to foreign powers like Russia.”

The documents also discuss ways for Russia to expand its influence on the African continent and win business there, from arms sales to mining contracts. The document outlines propaganda efforts aimed at Africans.

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According to Andrei Soldatov, an expert on Russian intelligence and author of the book "Red Web", about information warfare in Russia, developing complex intervention schemes is standard practice in Prigozhin's circle.

“This is typical of the work of Prigozhin and his team,” Soldatov said. “They come up with and discuss many possible ideas, and then send a list of ideas to the Kremlin for approval or rejection. This is their procedure."

The idea of ​​African-American nationhood has intellectual precedent in Russia. In the early 20th century, communists in America proposed forming a "Black Belt" nation in the South. Some party members even went to the Soviet Union for training.

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