Republican-led committee says Dakota pipeline protesters had Russian backing
Source: The Guardian
Republican-led committee says Dakota pipeline protesters had Russian backing
House lawmakers say Russia helped fund environmentalists and supported them on social media, but evidence is thin
Jimmy Tobias
Fri 2 Mar 2018 21.37 GMT Last modified on Fri 2 Mar 2018 21.38 GMT
A powerful US congressional committee has alleged that Russia financed major environmental organizations and used social media to support opponents of the Dakota Access pipeline, fracking and fossil fuels.
The Republican-controlled committee claimed in a new report that the Kremlin is attempting to make “‘useful idiots’ of unwitting environmental groups and activists” to further its global agenda.
“US energy exports to European countries are increasing, which means they will have less reason to rely upon Russia for their energy needs,” said Lamar Smith, the Republican chairman of the House committee on science, space and technology, in a statement. This helps explain “why Russian agents attempted to manipulate Americans’ opinions about pipelines, fossil fuels, fracking and climate change”.
A close reading of the report, however, reveals that many of the committee’s claims rely on meager evidence, not least its assertion that Russia has backed land and wildlife conservation organizations including the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/mar/02/dakota-access-pipeline-russia-congress
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