Comment by pphysch | Hacker News Reader

Comment by pphysch | Hacker News Reader

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Aaron Maté has done a lot of investigative journalism[1] into them.

Basically, Bellingcat is an "intelligence launderer" for the NATO-aligned IC. Agencies can feed them real or bogus intel and they will gladly publish it in return for $$$ and media clout. In some cases, they even fabricate propaganda as in the case of their collaborations with Navalny's team. I think they are closer to "useful idiots" rather than actual intelligence operatives, though.

What they are not is a largely independent OSINT group a la WikiLeaks. Bellingcat is firmly aligned with the most powerful government intelligence agencies on the planet and a darling to their media. They can be counted on to never undermine NATO's agenda (which Julian Assange is suffering immensely for doing), and are ostensibly compensated well for that.

[1] - https://thegrayzone.com/2021/03/24/author-bellingcat-opcw-wh...

Citing a site full of anti NATO crap hardly makes your point.

I did not cite a "site", I cited a specific article which makes strong claims backed by evidence. I welcome your counterarguments.

You are citing Max Blumenthal's website :-(

This in not much of a proof. Max has been a regular contributor to Russia Today, the infamous tarpit of journalism.

To be clear, by deflecting are you implying that Bellingcat is not closely aligned financially and operationally with the NATO intelligence/media apparatus?

I don't see where he said that. He said basically that it's questionable to try to prove one entity is "aligned financially and operationally" with a bad actor by citing another entity that is "aligned financially and operationally" with a different bad actor. If they are so obviously bad, your case would be better made by not citing a source that is an unabashed and uncritical mouthpiece for a particular government.

You don't need to trust the Grayzone, or the Russian government (or Syrian or Iranian or Venezuelan or Chinese, whichever one is the most convenient to pin Grayzone to today) to see the though the smokescreen of Bellingcat's claim to being an independent "intelligence agency for the people". It's a total farce.

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