Thread by @SethAbramson

This is how terrified the Kremlin is of PROOF OF CONSPIRACY. They're using a Sputnik blogger, Angus Gallagher, who the BBC found (link: bbc.com/news/blogs-tre…) to be part of a Kremlin "misinformation machine," to spread lies about it.

I've never even *met* a person from Qatar.

https://twitter.com/AngusGallagher3/status/1162369026405937153

1/ As we approach the release of PROOF OF CONSPIRACY, this Sputnik writer tied to the Kremlin "misinformation machine" has been furiously tweeting out bizarre conspiracy theories about me that would be hilarious if they weren't—as I said—part of a Kremlin misinformation campaign.

2/ RT—the Kremlin's multimedia organ—has been obsessed with me a *long* time, ever since I published PROOF OF COLLUSION. In the last year (I signed on to write PROOF OF COLLUSION a year ago) they've written about me at least 5 times. So I'm on their radar: rt.com/search?q=seth+…

3/ The hope—as ever—is to get purely fantastical misinformation into the conservative jetstream just as conservatives are realizing how damaging PROOF OF CONSPIRACY is to Trump. This is just the start. "Angus Gallagher" is as near to a bot as an feed can be without yet being one:

4/ But let's be clear: the nations most aligned against Qatar are the ones now blockading it—Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt, which are established in the book as the three primary actors in the "Red Sea Conspiracy." These nations are also known for having their own troll armies.

5/ The book discuss in detail the operations of THE LORD OF THE FLIES, the nickname (yes, really!) for the right-hand man of Trump and Kushner's friend MBS (who Trump calls "our man," and who himself claims he has Kushner "in his pocket"). THE LORD OF THE FLIES is called that...

6/ ...because he has a "digital army" of "virtual flies"—what we'd call trolls, bots, or trollbots in America, though there are also some actual human fanatics in the bunch—who spread propaganda for MBS, which propaganda is increasingly (and the book explains why) tied to Russia.

7/ Beginning a few weeks ago, I started to be followed by key figures—with large followings—in the Middle East. One new follower (who actually has far fewer followers than the others) is @Ams_qatar, who was CEO for the Qatar Investment Authority (discussed in detail in the book).

@Ams_qatar 8/ It's clear the book's content—which Qatar will be no happier about than Trump, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, Hungary, the UAE, or Russia—has begun making the rounds in the Middle East. It was at that moment "Angus Gallagher" showed up spinning wild conspiracy theories.

@Ams_qatar 9/ But "Angus Gallagher" is likely just the start. THE LORD OF THE FLIES is still out there, and (as I said) Qatar won't like the book, either. Nor the Kremlin. Nor anyone who participated in the Red Sea Conspiracy to illegally aid Trump's election. Just wanted everyone to know.

@Ams_qatar 10/ There's certainly a chance the book comes out and these folks realize the truth—this is a story that can't be put back in its bottle, and making up insane conspiracy theories about a professor in New Hampshire won't cut the mustard. But if things get strange—now you know why.

@Ams_qatar PS/ Just for fun, here's *my* trollbot rating. If and when you see people going insane about me or PROOF OF CONSPIRACY, if you use the @BotSentinel extension on Chrome or Firefox I encourage you to look them up. 40% is about the *lowest* rating you'll see—most will be far higher.

@Ams_qatar @BotSentinel PS2/ Apropos of my references to the Saudis, Emiratis, and Egyptians here and in the book—three-fourths of what's called (with the Bahrainis) the "Saudi Quartet"—notice how quickly "Gallagher" turns to focusing on "America's Arab allies" when called out.

https://twitter.com/AngusGallagher3/status/1162384535159525377

@Ams_qatar @BotSentinel PS3/ America's chief *Arab* ally in the Middle East has long been Qatar, inasmuch as we've located our largest base in the region there (which *deeply* angered Saudi Arabia). And now Saudi Arabia is *blockading* America's chief ally in the region—so of course they demonize Qatar.

@Ams_qatar @BotSentinel PS4/ That said, as I noted, Qatari officials won't like this book either. My point is that ex-SoS Rex Tillerson prevented MBS from a *ground invasion* of Qatar—the tiny nation our largest Middle East base is in!—and that intervention is what got him fired. theintercept.com/2018/08/01/rex…

@Ams_qatar @BotSentinel PS5/ So if/when you see Saudi, Egyptian, Emirati, or Russin bloggers/trolls attacking me or PROOF OF CONSPIRACY—a book that significantly takes to task Russia, Israel, and Qatar, too—remember that the first three are *essentially making war on* our *top ally* in the Middle East.

@Ams_qatar @BotSentinel (NOTE: There was a time other nations might have been considered our "top ally" in the Middle East. Pre-MBS, a case could've been made for Saudi Arabia; pre-Sisi, a case could've been made for Egypt; obviously Jordan is a *major* ally; but we chose to put our *troops* in Qatar.)