In the run-up to the midterm elections, Jack Bryan’s documentary film about the Russian attack on the 2016 election (directed by Jack Bryan, written by Bryan and Marley Clements), Active Measures, did not receive the attention it deserves. (It is currently available on Amazon Prime.) “Active measures” refers to Russian agents obtaining, generating, and systematically using false, misleading, or compromising information to conduct war. These agents then target opinion-makers, such as political leaders, media, influential people in business and the public at large. They bombard them with this information after they have weaponized it and thus shape and circumscribe opinion-makers’ decision making to benefit Russia. Russian agents obtain information in a variety of legal and illegal ways and then weaponize through forging documents, audio recordings, and videotapes and hacking information on computers. While Russia has used variations of active measures for decades, social media has increased its destructive potential. Russians now use active measures to weakening opposition governments and a precursor to actual war.
As the 2016 election day approached, James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence released a report that accused Russia of having launched an active measures attack against the U.S. This report, however, was obscured by the release of the Access Hollywood recording in which Trump admitted sexually assaulting women. Nonetheless, following the release of this report, some members of the media began to uncover disquieting facts about key figures in Trump’s campaign. Retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, a close Trump’s adviser during the campaign, and the National Security Adviser during the first weeks of the Trump administration, lied about secret contacts with the Russians and was forced to resign. Jefferson Sessions, another close campaign aid, and Trump’s Attorney General lied during his confirmation hearing and was forced by the Ethics Officer of the Department of Justice to recuse himself from the Russia investigation.
As the 2016 election day approached, James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence released a report that accused Russia of having launched an active measures attack against the U.S. This report, however, was obscured by the release of the Access Hollywood recording in which Trump admitted sexually assaulting women. Nonetheless, following the release of this report, some members of the media began to uncover disquieting facts about key figures in Trump’s campaign. Retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, a close Trump’s adviser during the campaign, and the National Security Adviser during the first weeks of the Trump administration, lied about secret contacts with the Russians and was forced to resign. Jefferson Sessions, another close campaign aid, and Trump’s Attorney General lied during his confirmation hearing and was forced by the Ethics Officer of the Department of Justice to recuse himself from the Russia investigation.
