I was recently passed the image above on a Twitter dm from someone who was out in their neighborhood and saw the sticker above on the back of a sign. The source tapped me to get a translation of the Arabic script above the CIA emblem. The translation of the script is the first part of the “Shahada” “There is no god but Allah” which is usually seen on the top of the Da’esh black flag you all may have seen prominently online and in the news over the last ten years.
In this case though, the intent of having the Shahada over the CIA emblem was odd for me. This is the first time I have seen this image and certainly so for the sender. This sticker is located in Colorado and after making some inquiries it seems to be an image that has been seen being pushed by Russian disinformation campaigns circa 2016-2017 concerning the Iranian/Saudi/Yemen dynamic ongoing still today. Where the CIA is brought in on this is that the Russian disinformation campaign started on RT (Russia Today). The story goes like this; The CIA sold or gave weapons to Saudi Arabia and were then turned over (unsure how) to Da’esh and the intonation is that there is complicity on the part of the US/CIA/Saudi in arming ISIS as a larger Zionist scheme to destabilize the region. Of course this should be something that should give us pause because the House of Saud has members who funded and perhaps worked with directly the 9/11 hijackers and Bin Laden. This is a kooky little disinfo plot but one that many buy into.
This of course may be the case, that the CIA put weapons into the hands of Saudi Arabia and they did in fact end up in the hands of Da’esh, but, the campaign by Russia here is to keep all of the players in the Middle East off balance while Russia plays all the angles in weapons sales, training, and having their pieces played on the board in the region. On top of this, the secondary play here is also to offer those who are conspiracy driven to also ask the question is there a deal between the Saudi’s and Israel to work against Iran as well.
Interestingly enough, the Iranians are prone as a society to conspiracy belief, so this plays well with them and foments more ire. If indeed the CIA is part of a Zionist scheme, well, they are all over that shit because Iran and Israel, well, don’t get along as you may well know. So, the image first shows up in 2016 on RT and then makes the rounds in certain circles. Fast forward to today, the image turns up in the form you see at the top of the page. The original version is the following image below.
The persistence of the image has been propagated further from the Qanon groups picking it up and passing it around as well as other conspiracy sites. That it has now turned up in a sticker in Colorado is what is more of a mystery though is who had this made? Was it just a one off? Are there more on offer online? Most of all, what is the intent here by the poster of the sticker? Is this just a random image pasted on a sign by someone or does that person really believe the disinformation that RT posted and is still being passed around today in certain quarters?
The meaning of the imagery can be read in a few ways. The first to me would be an indemnification of the CIA and the US government. The thought being that the CIA and the US government are in on perpetuating Da’esh and the wars in the region as a Zionist plot with the House of Saud. The imagery of this simply seems to equate the CIA to Da’esh. In fact, there is a conspiracy video (linked here) that says that John Brennan became a Muslim and that Da’esh is actually akin to a mind control program like Jonestown.
… Jonestown? Really? Claims are even made that Jim Jones was a CIA agent.
I shit you not.
Yes, the former intelligence analyst (alleged) in the video and the host makes these claims. Now there is some conspiracy for ya! So, back to the sticker. If more show up perhaps there is an issue here. If anyone out there see’s more of these let me know. At the very least this is just another example for you all on how RU disinformation reaches out from sources like RT, to the net, to physical stickers placed on signs in places. Of course this showing up now, as we are potentially going weapons hot on Iran post the Saudi refinery drone attacks may be a coincidence, but, it is rather on the nose timing wise.
Honestly, if Russia is pushing these narratives again, it would make sense in that they are trying to stir the pot post the Trump administration’s pulling out of the JCPOA and tensions rising of late in the Straight of Hormuz. Very interesting times indeed. So, if you see one of these stickers or you see the imagery being used feel free to send me a note or a DM. In the meantime, keep an eye on the news because I sense things are going to get hairy in the near future.
~K.
