Secret documents ... Fears of Russian interference hovering over the last days of the British elections

Al Jazeera Net - London

Accusations fluctuate between Moscow and Washington in connection with interference in the British elections scheduled for December 12, especially after the controversy that has arisen over the attempts of US President Donald Trump to interfere in British internal affairs.

The role comes this time for Russia, where it is being accused of influencing the conduct of the election campaign and directing the British voter.

These fears increased after secret government documents were leaked to the negotiations between the British and American governments, which were submitted by the Labor Party to public opinion and caused a stir because it revealed a US desire to negotiate investment in the British health sector.

Many questions arose about how the Labor Party accessed such sensitive documents that are classified as "highly classified," to announce that the American "Reedt" platform had deleted 61 accounts, including one under the name "Corrector", which published the secret report the first time before it arrived. For a number of journalists and for the Labor Party.

In this regard, the research firm "Graphica", which is specialized in social networking sites, published a study saying that if it did not succeed in linking the accounts that were deleted and the Russian authorities, it confirmed the methodology adopted in leaking this report.

And it turned out to be very similar to the methodology that was adopted in a process called "Inversion" that appeared to be related to Russia, in which social media is used to spread false news.

No leaking piracy
For his part, the Information Security professor at East London University excludes the Prince of Nimrats that there is indeed a piracy of government data and its diversion by Moscow, stressing that through his follow-up to all phases of this issue he did not find concrete evidence confirming the involvement of an external country in leaking these documents.

In his interview with Al-Jazeera Net, the expert in fighting cyber crime distinguishes between the political context that makes a country like Russia have an interest in interfering in the British elections and directing the voter to what it considers to be in its favor. “Moscow has an interest in the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union.”

He explained that, from the political viewpoint, there is an attempt to link Jeremy Corbin and Russia, in response to the charges against Boris Johnson that he has a strong friendship with US President Donald Trump.

As for the technical aspect, Al-Nimrat believes that it is difficult for Russia to "venture at the level of piracy of government data and leak it into the sites," adding that "the limits of what Moscow can do is focus on social media, but without risking and taking a catastrophic step like this". ".

For him, the near scenario remains that what happened is an internal leak, which a government member can stand behind. "There are many conservatives and ministers who are opposed to Boris Johnson's policies and his handling of the Brexit and have an interest in sounding the alarm about what is being secretly negotiated in trade between London and Washington. ".

Nimrat stresses that the security and intelligence services are mobilized to monitor any attempts of foreign interference, "especially since the study of the Brexit referendum was eloquent to officials in the country."

Serious information
These reports did not go unnoticed for the British Intelligence, according to security sources who spoke with the Financial Times. The intelligence services are closely following this file and investigating the leak of a secret government file.

The newspaper confirmed that the British Center for Information Security is investigating the possibility of evidence of the involvement of Russian pirates in the leak of secret government documents.

Despite the absence of any official accusation against Russia of trying to interfere in the elections, Culture Minister Nikki Morgan described in her interview with BBC Radio the information that was disclosed as "very serious", adding that what he had received from the experts' conclusions that the leak method bore signs of interference external.

Johnson reassures
On the other hand, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tried to calm the fears of Russian interference, stressing that "there is no evidence of Russia's success in interfering on any democratic occasion in our country."

Johnson's attempts to reassure him come after increasing pressure on him from members of his party, as well as from the Labor Party, to reveal the content of a report prepared by a parliamentary committee on Russian interference in previous electoral events, despite the passage of months after the completion of drafting the report.

More than a parliamentary leader, including those who participated in drafting the report, renewed their call to reveal the findings of the parliamentary committee, and to reveal the reasons for Johnson's procrastination in publishing the report.

However, Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbin considered calling the topic of Russian interference in the elections in this particular circumstance part of the "conspiracy theory", an attempt to deflect discussion of the contents of the documents and the Americans' pursuit of placing the British health system on the table of trade negotiations between the two countries.