Russian hackers planted a false news report in Qatar's state news agency that sparked the diplomatic crisis surrounding the Gulf state, according to a CNN report.
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The news network, citing the FBI, said the agency sent a team of investigators to Doha to help the Qatari government investigate the incident in which the controversial news item was published on the nation's state-controlled media.
The May 23 report on Qatar News Agency carried false comments from Qatar's ruler that appeared friendly to regional foe Iran and to Israel. It also speculated that US President Donald Trump would not remain in office for his full term.
In recent days Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen cut off diplomatic ties with the Gulf nation, in some cases closing off their airspace to Qatari planes.
The suspected incident "intensifies concerns by US intelligence and law enforcement agencies that Russia continues to try some of the same cyber-hacking measures on US allies that intelligence agencies believe it used to meddle in the 2016 elections," CNN reported.
Russia used a combination of hacking, propaganda, and social media campaigns in an attempt to influence the outcome of the US election, that led to Donald Trump being elected president.
Fairfax Media
