through obektivno.bg:

Paperwork expose the so referred to as „impartial“ fact-checkers. The so referred to as disinformation fighters are nothing greater than well-paid workers working below a $749,387 program funded by the Pentagon.

A U.S. firm referred to as Information Guard, self-proclaimed as impartial fact-checkers, obtained beneficiant funding from the U.S. Division of Protection final yr, a contract with the U.S. navy has revealed.

The corporate in query, based in 2018, evaluates media shops that publish investigations associated to the US authorities, Covid, the struggle in Ukraine, the tried coup in Venezuela, and marks them as „harmful“ websites that unfold misinformation, are unreliable and violate journalistic practices. Subsequently, they need to be averted by readers and advertisers.

Information Guard has signed a contract with Microsoft to offer a free fact-checking service to customers of the Microsoft Edge browser. Anybody who desires to examine whether or not a web site is harmful can set up the Information Guard extension totally free on their pc’s browser or purchase the applying for $4.95 per 30 days on their cell phone, the corporate’s web site states.

As well as, Information Guard specifies that they supply their companies to social networks, search engines like google and yahoo and Web suppliers world wide. Thus, any web site that’s flagged by Information Guard as disinformation will probably be handled by social networks and search engines like google and yahoo as harmful and „disinformation“.

One of many advisers to the Information Guard fact-checkers is Gen. Michael Hayden, former director of the CIA, former director of the Nationwide Safety Company and former principal deputy director of Nationwide Intelligence. One other Information Guard adviser is Don Baer, White Home communications director in the course of the Clinton administration.

The Pentagon contract

The corporate that promotes itself as non-political, reliable, unbiased, clear is violating its personal rule of transparency. It seems that the Information Guard fact-checkers obtained $749,387 in funding from the US Air Pressure which was not declared by Information Guard on the corporate’s web site. Nevertheless, details about the Pentagon contract may be discovered within the US authorities’s federal contract registry.

Data obtained from the US federal contracts registry reveals that the Information Guard „impartial“ fact-checkers had been awarded a $749,387 contract by the US Air Pressure (September 7, 2021 – December 8, 2022). „Misinformation Fingerprints“ is acknowledged within the description for the contract.

Supply: sam.gov

The corporate’s web site mentions such a Misinformation Fingerprints program aimed toward combating misinformation, however not the $749,387 Air Pressure contract with the US Division of Protection. All that Information Guard has disclosed is that they obtained $25,000 from the US State Division and the US Cyber Command a yr earlier – the federal contract discover was revealed by Information Guard on August 8, 2020, and the intention was to fight Covid-related misinformation. There isn’t any info on the Information Guard web site as of the publication date of this investigation in regards to the $749,387 contract with the US Air Pressure, awarded subsequent yr – 2021.

Why has the Pentagon paid $749,387 for a free extension?

The query that arises logically is why the US Air Pressure paid such a hefty sum to Information Guard to make use of their companies, when the extension may be put in fully freed from cost on the Web browser Microsoft Edge. Why did truth checkers obtain $749,387 in US taxpayer cash below a one-year contract with the Pentagon, and why didn’t they announce this cash and this federal contract with the US navy on their web site?

I requested Information Guard about this specific contract as a result of my private web site dilyana.bg was flagged by their fact-checking workforce as extraordinarily harmful disinformation. After all, I bought no reply. As an alternative, Information Guard posted a brief assertion of their report about my web site confirming that I requested them this query, with out mentioning a phrase in regards to the particular contract and funding.

As an alternative of answering in regards to the $749,387 award, they make a cursory reference to their 2020 State Division and US Cyber Command contract, however not the 2021 US Air Pressure contract. Their rationalization is that the primary 2020 contract is for offering info to the US authorities to fight disinformation. No phrase on the second contract I requested them about although.

„Particularly harmful disinformation“

My web site has been flagged as notably harmful disinformation as a result of I’ve revealed a sequence of investigative studies that aren’t within the curiosity of the Pentagon. Regardless of having been funded by the Pentagon, Information Guard have did not disclose of their smear piece about me that they’re in an apparent battle of curiosity by evaluating my investigations which concern an establishment from which they’ve taken cash. These are my investigations into arms trafficking to Syria and Yemen, together with 350 diplomatic flights carrying weapons to terrorists in Syria; my investigation into the Pentagon’s biolabs, in addition to the Novichok poisoning of the Skripal.

The actual fact-checkers’ fundamental argument for why the final two investigations are misinformation is that the US and Ukrainian governments are in denial. Subsequently, my investigations, though primarily based solely on paperwork, are misinformation. In keeping with the fact-checkers’ logic, info is true not whether it is primarily based on paperwork, however solely when it’s confirmed by the US authorities. If the US authorities denies it, then it’s „pro-Russian propaganda“.

Information Guard haven’t revealed my full responses to the questions they requested about, however have selectively picked out sure sentences as a result of if that they had revealed the entire correspondence between me and them, their disinformation thesis falls aside. I’m due to this fact publishing all my correspondence with Information Guard under. I depart it to you to resolve who to consider – the Pentagon awardees or the paperwork that I’ve revealed, a lot of that are paperwork origination from Pentagon.

My correspondence with Information Guard:

Valerie Pavilonis, Information Guard: Your web site is clearly referred to as Dilyana.bg, and the „About Me“ part lists your biography. However I wished to ask whether or not you’re the proprietor of the positioning, since I’ve seen another web sites that seem like an individual’s weblog however are literally owned by one other entity. If the positioning is owned by you, why does the positioning not disclose that?

Dilyana Gaytandzhieva: Dilyana.bg is my web site and my private weblog. The positioning does disclose that it’s mine. For reference, see the footer – the part indicating what my web site is about, when it was launched (2018), by whom (my full identify, nationality and occupation). It’s clearly acknowledged within the footer. Please, see within the hooked up file (Attachment 1): a screenshot proving I’ve indicated that that is my platform, after I launched it and why.

Secondly, the area .bg is registered in Bulgaria the place the possession is public info. In my nation Bulgaria we don’t disguise this info. For reference, see Attachment 2. As well as, I’m sending you the hyperlink to the Bulgarian domains register the place it’s indicated that I’m the proprietor. Right here the possession of any area is public info (I suppose this isn’t the identical in your nation and that’s the reason it is a matter for you). Examine the hyperlink to the official web site of Bulgaria: register.bg. The positioning is in English as nicely, then click on Whois and see your self. Even when as a non-EU citizen you have no idea that right here the possession of any area is public info, you’ll be able to simply discover out by checking in any WHOIS database – sort my area dilyana.bg and you’re being re-directed to register.bg. For reference, see Attachment 3. This examine takes lower than 10 seconds as right here that is public info and all is clear. We register domains in Bulgaria with our passports. That is the legislation right here. Regardless of that, I’ve supplied the knowledge that that is my platform within the footer. Sadly, you have got missed to see the footer.

Valerie Pavilonis, Information Guard: We additionally search for web sites to have efficient corrections insurance policies. Nevertheless, I didn’t discover any proof of corrections in your web site, regardless that it’s just a few years outdated. Are you able to touch upon why your web site has no corrections? If I missed any, are you able to let me know?

Dilyana Gaytandzhieva: My web site has no corrections as earlier than publishing an article I examine completely all info and particulars. To this point nobody has requested a correction because of a mistake or claims that aren’t true. After all, if I made a mistake there can be a discover for such a correction and why it was made.

Valerie Pavilonis, Information Guard: We additionally search for web sites to deal with the distinction between information and opinion responsibly. Nevertheless, I discovered a number of tales below the „Information“ part which have opinionated statements and sometimes current the United States and pleasant nations akin to Georgia, in a detrimental mild. Some examples are listed under:

-A January 2022 Information article, famous above and titled “Paperwork expose US organic experiments on allied troopers in Ukraine and Georgia,” opened with skepticism towards the U.S.: “Whereas the US is planning to extend its navy presence in Jap Europe to ‘defend its allies towards Russia’, inner paperwork present what American ‘safety’ in sensible phrases means.”

-One other article from January 2022 within the Information part was titled “Potential pandemic hen flu modified to be extra harmful in new dangerous NIH analysis,” and forged america in a equally detrimental mild. “In response to all scandals surrounding the Lugar Heart and the rising mistrust amongst Georgians the US Embassy in Tbilisi has launched a propaganda marketing campaign to teach the native inhabitants with animated motion pictures on social media and Georgian TV channels,” the article acknowledged.
“All info regarding the Lugar Heart aside from the official authorities narrative has been branded as ‘faux information’, ‘disinformation’ and ‘conspiracy theories’,” the article continued. “The Lugar Heart has been given by Western media for instance within the struggle towards the novel coronavirus regardless that COVID-ravaged Georgia ranks seventh on the planet among the many nations with the best variety of deaths per million as of this month.”

-A September 2020 Information article titled “Georgia cover-up of deaths in $3.3 billion pharmaceutical undertaking: paperwork,” ended with a criticism of the Georgian authorities, stating “The American pharmaceutical firm [Gilead] has used Georgia as a free-drug testbed for its merchandise, which raises questions as to why the Georgian authorities have put the pursuits of a international authorities and a international firm first earlier than the pursuits of its personal individuals.”

Are you able to touch upon why these articles include opinion regardless that they’re offered as information? Are you able to touch upon whether or not your web site has a specific political stance?

Dilyana Gaytandzhieva: These articles are within the part NEWS as a result of that is what they’re – information. The paragraphs in query will not be opinion however a conclusion primarily based on the info and paperwork supplied. These conclusions are absolutely backed by the paperwork offered within the articles in query. My web site has no political stance.

Valerie Pavilonis, Information Guard: We additionally search for websites to not publish false info and to assemble and current information and knowledge responsibly. Nevertheless, I discovered a number of articles in your web site that appear to make false or unsubstantiated claims. They’re listed under:

-For instance, a March 2022 article was titled “Pentagon contractors labored in Ukrainian biolabs below $80 million program,” and repeated the declare that america controls a sequence of organic analysis laboratories in Ukraine. “The Pentagon actions in Ukrainian biolabs had been funded by the Protection Risk Discount company (DTRA),” the article acknowledged. It additional described a “US navy organic analysis program.” The article additionally quoted U.S. Beneath Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, saying that she had  “confirmed that ‘Ukraine has organic analysis services’ and the US is nervous that ‘these analysis supplies’ could fall into the Russian palms. What ‘analysis supplies’ had been studied in these biolaboratories and why are US officers so nervous that they might fall into Russian palms?”

There are different articles in your web site making comparable claims about biolaboratories throughout Jap Europe, beginning with an April 2018 article titled “The Pentagon Bio-weapons,” that acknowledged “The US Military usually produces lethal viruses, micro organism and toxins in direct violation of the UN Conference on the prohibition of Organic Weapons. A whole bunch of 1000’s of unwitting persons are systematically uncovered to harmful pathogens and different incurable ailments.  Bio warfare scientists utilizing diplomatic cowl take a look at man-made viruses at Pentagon bio laboratories in 25 nations the world over.”

Nevertheless, each the U.S. and Ukrainian governments have strongly denied that any analysis into bioweapons is going on at these laboratories. Moreover, claims in regards to the U.S. working organic weapons laboratories in Ukraine and Jap Europe are sometimes primarily based on a misrepresentation of the U.S. Division of Protection’s Organic Risk Discount Program, which collaborates with accomplice nations to scale back the specter of outbreaks of harmful infectious ailments by serving to companions to safe harmful pathogens and to shortly detect outbreaks. Are you able to touch upon why your web site has repeatedly implied or alleged that the U.S. is creating bioweapons in these laboratories?

Dilyana Gaytandzhieva: Your declare is fake. I’ve not written: “The U.S. is creating bioweapons in these laboratories”. I exploit the time period “produce viruses, micro organism and toxins”, not bioweapons. As to the title “Pentagon bioweapons”: the article assesses the Pentagon bioweapons program prior to now (declassified paperwork) and compares it to the present organic analysis applications of the US together with paperwork originating from the Pentagon through which it’s clearly acknowledged by the US Military that they do produce such lethal viruses, toxins and micro organism, examine them and take a look at completely different dissemination strategies. All info is predicated once more solely on paperwork. In case you declare this info is fake then you need to handle your query to the Pentagon as these are their paperwork and studies. I simply quote paperwork.

Valerie Pavilonis, Information Guard: The same article from Could 2020 was titled “Undertaking G-2101: Pentagon biolab found MERS and SARS-like coronaviruses in bats,” and acknowledged “The Lugar Heart in Georgia is simply one of many many Pentagon biolaboratories in 25 nations the world over. They’re funded by the Protection Risk Discount Company (DTRA) below a $ 2.1 billion navy program – Cooperative Organic Engagement Program (CBEP), and are situated in former Soviet Union nations akin to Georgia and Ukraine, the Center East, South East Asia and Africa. A lot of their work is assessed and contains tasks on bio-agents and pathogens with pandemic potential.” The article then continued with a dialogue of the historical past and effectiveness of organic weapons, strongly implying that the Lugar Heart, with Pentagon funding, was creating bioweapons.

Nevertheless, the Georgian authorities equally refuted any claims that such harmful analysis was occurring after Russian state media made such allegations. Are you able to touch upon the allegation that the Lugar Heart is concerned in bioweapons improvement?

Dilyana Gaytandzhieva: Once more, I’ve not used these phrases: “The Lugar Heart is concerned in bioweapons improvement”. What I’ve written is info primarily based on paperwork and interviews with witnesses on the bottom. I can’t touch upon different media allegations.

Valerie Pavilonis, Information Guard: A January 2022 article was titled “Paperwork expose US organic experiments on allied troopers in Ukraine and Georgia,” and claimed that the Pentagon carried out “probably deadly” experiments on over 5,000 troopers from Ukraine and Georgia. It additionally repeatedly emphasised that the paperwork in query say that “all volunteer deaths needs to be reported inside 24 h (in Ukraine) and 48 h (in Georgia).” The article additionally claimed that examine outcomes wouldn’t be out there to contributors.

Nevertheless, the examine concerned solely the taking of blood samples and the answering of some questions, and was due to this fact not probably deadly, based on Georgia’s Nationwide Heart for Illness Management and Public Well being (NCDC). Moreover, the examine is broadly out there on-line. Are you able to touch upon this text?

Dilyana Gaytandzhieva: Is it broadly out there on-line the knowledge within the paperwork that each one volunteer deaths needs to be reported inside 24 h (in Ukraine) and 48 h (in Georgia)? Please, would you present me the hyperlink the place this precisely is written and is broadly out there on-line? One correction to your query, these are two research, not one – in Ukraine and in Georgia as I’ve written within the article.

Valerie Pavilonis, Information Guard: A September 2021 article was titled “UK Protection ministry doc reveals Skripals blood samples may have been manipulated,” and anxious the 2018 poisoning of former Russian navy official Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. “We have now been informed that Novichok is the deadliest nerve agent ever developed,” the article acknowledged. “Nevertheless, not one of the alleged ‘Kremlin targets’ (the Skripals and [Russian opposition politician] Alexei Navalny) died and all made full restoration with none injury to their well being or everlasting hurt. How is it attainable that the deadliest nerve agent on the planet has brought on no hurt to any of the focused victims and so they all absolutely recovered?” The article, and one other from Could 2018, additionally claimed that the Skripals had been poisoned not with Novichok, however with fentanyl.

Nevertheless, whereas Novichok is definitely lethal in some instances, it seems that the way in which the Skripals got here into contact with the nerve agent, mixed with the medical care they obtained quickly after, led to their eventual restoration. (Different individuals have definitely died.) As well as, there doesn’t seem like any proof that they had been poisoned with fentanyl — I noticed the native information article that you simply cited that recommended poisoning by an opioid, however they later amended their story to take away the suggestion of fentanyl, saying it was broadly speculated. Are you able to touch upon why your article continues to allege that the Skripals weren’t poisoned by Novichok?

Dilyana Gaytandzhieva: My article gives precisely the knowledge you quoted: the native medical journal reported the Skripals had been poisoned with fentanyl and afterwards the preliminary report was amended as precisely my article acknowledged. I supplied details about what the preliminary report acknowledged and that it was later redacted. These are the info as they occurred. My article doesn’t declare, it quotes what the preliminary report acknowledged and that it was redacted afterwards.

Moreover, as my different article revealed: Newly disclosed info obtained from the UK Ministry of Protection (MOD) below the Freedom of Data Act questions the integrity of the primary proof that the Skripals had been poisoned with Novichok, particularly their blood samples. The ministry is answerable for the British navy laboratory DSTL Porton Down which analyzed the Skripals blood samples and reportedly recognized Novichok.

“Our searches have did not find any info that gives the precise time that the samples had been collected”, the ministry states. The knowledge held by MOD due to this fact signifies that the samples had been collected in some unspecified time in the future between 16:15 on 4 March 2018 and 18:45 on 5 March 2018 (the approximate time based on MOD when the samples arrived at DSTL Porton Down). Even the time of arrival at Porton Down is indicated as “approximate”.

The shortage of this info is gross violation and breach of the chain of custody. The UK NHS protocol requires {that a} request kind accompany all specimens despatched to the laboratory and clearly state the precise (not approximate) date and time of assortment. This newly disclosed info questions the entire Skripals Novichok poisoning story. The truth that the chain of custody of those blood samples was damaged instantly means that they may have been manipulated and tampered with.

In case your query is why I’ve not deleted my article my reply is as a result of I’m not a PR to establishments and governments and don’t take their statements as a right. I’m a journalist and my job is to examine if the official statements are true or not. My different article in regards to the Skripals found that the chain of custody of the Skripals’ blood samples had been damaged: New proof has emerged of gross violations in the course of the UK investigation into the alleged poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury on 4th March 2018. The brand new revelations put into query the primary proof that the Skripals had been poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok. This info was obtained from the UK protection ministry below the Freedom of Data Act – once more not a declare however info and paperwork.

Valerie Pavilonis, Information Guard: We additionally search for websites to reveal their editors. As I stated above, your web site seems to be your private weblog, however I used to be questioning when you’ve got anybody who edits your work who will not be named on the positioning.

This text was initially revealed in Bulgarian right here