U.S., Russia interfering in Alberta separatist debate, study says
Foreign adversaries are meddling in the Alberta separatist debate in ways that threaten Canada’s sovereignty and national security, warns a report released Wednesday.
The study by leading information researchers said American and Russian actors were playing a dangerous role in the province’s dispute over seceding from Canada.
“While homegrown, the movement has become an attractive target for foreign exploitation,” said the study, “National Unity Under Threat: Foreign Interference, Cognitive Sovereignty and the Alberta Referendum.”
As they amplify separatist voices and normalize American annexation of Canada, these outside forces are posing a direct threat to Canada’s “democratic integrity,” it said.
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Moscow has a long history of peddling disinformation that aims to undermine Canada, but U.S. officials and influencers aligned with President Donald Trump have now joined in, it said.
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“The danger is not the existence of that debate,” said the study backed by five think tanks, including DisinfoWatch and the Global Centre for Democratic Resilience.
“The danger is that foreign governments, state-aligned media, ideological networks, and profit-driven manipulation systems are seeking to distort it.”
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The authors ... said Canada was vulnerable to such interference and urged Ottawa to act quickly. To “inoculate the public against manipulation,” the federal government needs to begin preparing before an Alberta referendum campaign gets underway, they said.
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The study by leading information researchers said American and Russian actors were playing a dangerous role in the province’s dispute over seceding from Canada.
“While homegrown, the movement has become an attractive target for foreign exploitation,” said the study, “National Unity Under Threat: Foreign Interference, Cognitive Sovereignty and the Alberta Referendum.”
As they amplify separatist voices and normalize American annexation of Canada, these outside forces are posing a direct threat to Canada’s “democratic integrity,” it said.
...
Moscow has a long history of peddling disinformation that aims to undermine Canada, but U.S. officials and influencers aligned with President Donald Trump have now joined in, it said.
...
“The danger is not the existence of that debate,” said the study backed by five think tanks, including DisinfoWatch and the Global Centre for Democratic Resilience.
“The danger is that foreign governments, state-aligned media, ideological networks, and profit-driven manipulation systems are seeking to distort it.”
...
The authors ... said Canada was vulnerable to such interference and urged Ottawa to act quickly. To “inoculate the public against manipulation,” the federal government needs to begin preparing before an Alberta referendum campaign gets underway, they said.
...