Iranian agents posing as activists to 'take advantage' of anti-Israel protests, feds say
WASHINGTON (TND) — U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said Tuesday actors with connections to the Iranian government are using anti-Israel protests to sow discord in the U.S.
Hainesexplained in a statement these actors have been posing as activists online to "opportunistically take advantage of" protests, sometimes by offering financing. This approach, she said, borrows from “a playbook we’ve seen other actors use over the years.”
I want to be clear that I know Americans who participate in protests are, in good faith, expressing their views on the conflict in Gaza – this intelligence does not indicate otherwise,” the statement reads. “Moreover, the freedom to express diverse views, when done peacefully, is essential to our democracy, but it is also important to warn of foreign actors who seek to exploit our debate for their own purposes.”She continued, noting Americans who interact with these individuals often are not aware of the fact these individuals are tied to a foreign government. Haines urged Americans to “remain vigilant.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued a similar warningin April amid Columbia University's intense anti-Israel upheaval.
There are people who come, have nothing to do with the issue and they want to aggravate," Adams said. "But I believe there's a number of people who are really trying to use this as an opportunity to cause violence in our city.""We can't have outside agitators come in and be destructive to our city," Adams added.
Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., in June threatened to subpoena American Muslims for Palestine. He claimed to have “substantial evidence” the group was connected to the anti-Israel campus group Students for Justice in Palestine.
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