May 2018 Elizabeth Vos
Disobedient Media previously reported our conversation with British political analyst Chris Blackburn, whose research raises serious questions about media portrayal of the 'Maltese' scholar, 'as the main pillar of the Trump-Russia collusion scandal. This article continues the conversation between this author and Blackburn, with a particular focus on media response and his absence of information provided by Chris in our previous report.
Media Uncompliance: You have shown that journalists already know the connection between Mifsud and Claire Smith, Pittella and others. Do you care to comment on members of the founding media who know about the relevant facts around this matter but keep silent?
Chris Blackburn: "When the story of George Papadopoulos broke out in October, The Washington Post was in contact with Joseph Mifsud. They have received an email between 'professor' and former campaign adviser for Donald Trump. The Post is also the first media organization to name Mifsud publicly. I would be interesting to know who leaked the investigation before FBI Special Agent Robert Gibbs filed an indictment against George Papadopoulos for lying to the FBI. Mueller's team is often called leak free. "
"In a rush, American and European journalists began digging into Joseph Mifsud. Reporting is great for getting started. Because the Washington Post had a long start, they first focused on Mifsud's relationship with Italy, 'Mifsud helped set up in Rome [Link Campus] with a senior Italian politician involved in a series of scandals. . The university then withdrew its participation. 'But they failed to explain the scandal or the fact that they involved the Italian intelligence service. Mifsud is clearly more than a humble academic. "
"The Guardian then took it, 'Link Campus has a reputation for being closely connected with some elements in the Italian intelligence service.' That's an understatement.Campus Campus is the center of intelligence.This attracts foreign intelligence organizations.The CIA works there. "
"While the legacy press foamed at the mouth over the new Watergate-style scandal. I loosely collaborate with Jon Worth, a European blogger and Brian Whitaker, former Middle East editor at The Guardian. Worthy is blogging about Joseph Mifsud and getting the mainstream media heads way. He made a chart to show Mifsud's relationship with politicians. "
"I found the Mifsud link for Gianni Pittella and the Democratic National Committee on November 3 and tweeted for a BBC correspondent. Jon wrote 'Gianni Pittella and' caro amico 'Joseph Mifsud' on his blog a few days later. Journalists are interested in our loose alliance because we are struggling with a great deal of relationships and stories that have not been covered. But interest in Mifsud's relationship with European intelligence figures began to decline rapidly. "
"Luke Harding of The Guardian wrote a profile at Simona Mangiante in January. He is connected with Gianni Pittella, George Papadopoulos, and Joseph Mifsud. He wanted to examine the claims on the Jon Worth blog and my research that Pittella was the fulcrum, 'He was introduced to Mifsud in about 2012 by Gianni Pittella, the famous Italian MEP who in 2014 became president of the Socialist and Progressive Democrats. "I always see Mifsud with Pittella" claiming Mangiante, he also said the London Center for International Law Practice Mifsud is a "facade. "I never met the Russians there ... But the center is definitely not what pretend" Harding tries to make LCILP sound like a Russian front, "he admitted to the Guardian that he might have accidentally been sucked into the Russian intelligence plot. . '
Chris continued: "The problem is there is nothing Russian about the LCILP or the London Diplomacy Academy; both organizations have links with the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Pittella's relationship with the Democratic National Committee is famous for 'Mifsud scholars' in Europe, so why is Harding omitting a rather relevant part of the story and pushing it toward Russia? "
"Harding is the author of Collusion: Secret Meeting, Dirty Money, and how Russia helps Donald Trump Win. He is also closely associated with Chris Steele, a former MI6 officer and a famous 'Steele dossier' editor, whose contents are still contested and screened in the US Congress. "
Disobedient Media: What do you do from Buzzfeed's latest effort to save Mifsud-as-Russia-spy narrative by claiming he visited Russia just before being named (but not indicted) by Robert Mueller?
Chris Blackburn: "Alberto Nardelli from Buzzfeed has come up with some amazing stories. He also wrote that Guardia in Finanza pursues Joseph Mifsud for alleged financial crimes. What he does not tell his readers is that Colonel Cosimo di Gesu, head of Guardia in Finanza, Italian financial crime and anti-mafia agent, is a member of the Link Campus faculty with Mifsud, Gianni Pittella, and Enzo Scotti. "[Emphasis added]
"Nardelli's spectacular reporting on Italy's Mifsud relationship is starting to look rather suspicious. Former former Mifsud colleague is now required to hunt him down? It's like Tom Clancy's novel 'The Hunt for Red October', but swapping the Russian submarine with the Maltese academy. "
"This new story is the same. Buzzfeed hired Anthony Ferrante, a former FBI agent who also served on the National Security Council under President Obama to inspect Russiagate and Steele dossier. Ferrante helped Buzzfeed fend off lawsuits against them in London. Ferrante has attended several conferences with Link Campus officials last year. Maybe they told him about the CIA and FBI training programs at Link Campus. "
Disobedient Media: "Is there an additional aspect of this story that has been reported in a very reckless way?"
Chris Blackburn: "Simona Mangiante has become a darling medium, confronted with soft-ball questions when interviewed by George Stephanopoulos (ABC News) and then Ari Melber (MSNBC). More importantly, Mangiante has been interviewed by Robert Mueller's team. His relationship with Gianni Pittella and Mifsud is highly suspect. Did he know Pittella attended the launch of the DNC presidential campaign for Hillary? "
Media Unconditional: Does it surprise you to see zero coverage or responses to the story, despite its obvious implications and also in the face of tweets by Wikileaks, making ignorance seem unlikely?
Chris Blackburn: "I think this is a big jump for many people. I'm not surprised or worried. However, I got a fantastic response from journalists and academics personally. I think Wikileaks will get a boost because Mifsud is the zero point for Russiagate. Adam Schiff, Trey Gowdy, and Devin Nunes all say Joseph Mifsud is the beginning along with the Trump Tower that meets. If the collusion narrative should be kept alive - Mifsud is the key. The media must keep returning to it. "
Chris continued: "The lawsuits by DNC are also focused on Mifsud and George Papadopoulos. Journalists do not like messy stories that go against the popular narrative. They are also hostile to the understandable Donald Trump. Unfortunately, they will only show their profession in a bad light with misconstring facts in this way. If Trump is not a divisive figure with a controversial policy, this Russiagate story will probably fail at the first hurdle. The media, the shocked Democrat and former intelligence leader (potentially involved in a dirty campaign) seem to be the one who gave him oxygen to survive. "
Disobedient Media: "Many of them are consistently calling attention to serious problems in the various Trump-Russian collusions and the story of Russian hacking is not particularly a supporter of Trump. The significance of this fact is that their objections are not based on ideological reasons, but derived from a commitment to truth.
Disobedient Media: What does the whole manipulation of the story tell the press about the state of the press?
Chris Blackburn: "I think Russiagate is a unique story. It can only happen in America. Former President Obama highlighted the lobby as the most corrosive factor in the American political system and promised to arrange it in his second term. He was shot down by lobbyists. "
"All aspects of American political life have been touched by Russiagate. It has shown striking media bias, unpublished lobbying, money laundering, pay to play, law enforcement corruption, corruption handling errors, leaks, manipulations have it all. "
"A well-balanced and balanced journalist in short supply. Investigative journalism is dying in the legacy press because it is expensive, but it is levied by an independent party. That is a good sign. But how long it can be maintained. "
"We live in the Wiki world now. The digital age makes it easy for anyone to check the accuracy of a story. WikiLeaks and others have shown that poor policies and actions can be exposed easily. Julian Assange is made to pay a high price. Political actors of all sides have tried to resist or manipulate this new reality. "
"We need honest media and honest policymakers to get this program. Democracy will die if we do not do it. Public has now been enabled and hungry for information. Governments, districts, and local councils open up by digitizing it all. Openness and accountability into a new reality, realpolitik and manipulation need to resign to the history books. Hopefully, the fall of Russiagate can begin to begin the process. "
In closing, this author would like to thank Chris Blackburn for the generosity of time spent researching and articulating facts related to Mifsud's overwhelming relationship with Western intelligence. The Non-Compliance Media will continue to report media intrigue around Joseph Mifsud when they appear.
