Iran says US-backed cyber network busted
In 2006, the US Congress allocated 400 million dollars to former US President George W. Bush to increase covert operations against Iran, according to the New Yorker’s Seymour Hersh.
The Judiciary said Saturday it has identified and dismantled a US-backed cyber network, which was set up to gather information on the country’s nuclear scientists and spread unrest after the presidential election.
In a statement, the Judiciary said the group had been established by anti-Iran groups, including the terrorist Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO). It added that some of the prime suspects linked to the group were identified and about 30 of them have been arrested.
According to the New Yorker’s Seymour Hersh, former US President George W. Bush funded a major escalation of covert operations against Iran, allocating up to four hundred million dollars to "destabilize the country’s religious leadership."
The Judiciary said, under Bush’s Presidential Finding, a new campaign in the intelligence front — called the "cyber war" — was set up to engage Iran, with the help of the MKO, pro-monarchy groups and other anti-Iran cells.
One of the main projects of the campaign, the statement said, was a program called "Iran Proxy," which received a funding of 50 million dollars from the CIA and the US State Department.
The program, which allowed Iranians bypass the state’s filtering system and access the Internet, was designed to "obtain personal and family information" of its users and pass them along to US spy agencies, the statement said.
Another major project of the campaign, it said, was a network called "Human Rights Activists," which was led by Keyvan Rafiei, Jamal Hosseini and Ahmad Batebi.
The network was tasked with recruiting people and sending them to an MKO camp in Iraq and other countries, where they would receive training, the statement said.
The network was also in close cooperation with "Lawyers Committee" and "Harana News service," it said.
The network, according to the confession of its arrested members, was also tasked with inviting people to attend illegal rallies and riots in the aftermath of the presidential election in June.
They also spread rumors about the number of people who were killed during the unrest, saying there had been seventy-two victims.
The network also sought to provide cover for armed acts against the Islamic Republic establishment, the statement said.
The Judiciary added that the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) had been briefed on the situation and key members of the campaign, who reside in the United States, had been introduced to the force.
