US Intelligence: UAE Cyberattack Sparked the Qatar Crisis
The Washington Post cited US intelligence officials as saying the UAE had orchestrated the posting of incendiary quotes attributed to Qatar's emir that he insisted were fabricated
Ami Rojkes Dombe
| 17/07/2017
https://goo.gl/YdWQmx
The United Arab Emirates hacked Qatari government news and social media sites in order to post incendiary false quotes attributed to Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani, in late May that sparked the ongoing upheaval between Qatar and its neighbors, US intelligence officials told The Washington Post.
According to the Post, officials became aware last week that newly analyzed information gathered by US 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.
In a statement released in Washington by its ambassador, Yousef al-Otaiba, the UAE said the Post article was "false." "The UAE had no role whatsoever in the alleged hacking described in the article," the statement said. "What is true is Qatar’s behavior. Funding, supporting, and enabling extremists from the Taliban to Hamas and Qadafi. Inciting violence, encouraging radicalization, and undermining the stability of its neighbors."
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment, as did the CIA and the FBI.
[Source: The Washington Post]
The Washington Post cited US intelligence officials as saying the UAE had orchestrated the posting of incendiary quotes attributed to Qatar's emir that he insisted were fabricated
https://goo.gl/YdWQmx
The United Arab Emirates hacked Qatari government news and social media sites in order to post incendiary false quotes attributed to Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani, in late May that sparked the ongoing upheaval between Qatar and its neighbors, US intelligence officials told The Washington Post.
According to the Post, officials became aware last week that newly analyzed information gathered by US 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.
In a statement released in Washington by its ambassador, Yousef al-Otaiba, the UAE said the Post article was "false." "The UAE had no role whatsoever in the alleged hacking described in the article," the statement said. "What is true is Qatar’s behavior. Funding, supporting, and enabling extremists from the Taliban to Hamas and Qadafi. Inciting violence, encouraging radicalization, and undermining the stability of its neighbors."
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment, as did the CIA and the FBI.
[Source: The Washington Post]
