### U.S. Intelligence Warns of Escalating Foreign Influence Operations Ahead of Election

With the election fast approaching, U.S. intelligence agencies are raising alarms about increased efforts by Russia, Iran, and China to exacerbate divisions among Americans and sow doubt about the election's integrity. Geoff Bennett recently spoke with Graham Brookie, vice president for technology programs and strategy at the Atlantic Council, to delve into these concerns.

Brookie noted that these foreign states have long engaged in influence and interference operations in the U.S., especially around election cycles. The intelligence community has been proactive in issuing assessments related to potential foreign interference, updating their evaluations at 90, 60, and 30 days before the election.

What makes the current warning noteworthy is its particular focus on the period immediately before and after Election Day, extending to the time between Election Day and the final inauguration. The community foresees more aggressive tactics from these adversaries, potentially escalating from broad influence campaigns to actions intended to incite or encourage political violence and disrupt electoral processes.

As a concrete example, Brookie pointed to a recent fake video targeting Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz, purportedly created by Russian operatives. This particular effort, described as a "cheapfake," included just enough elements of truth to seem credible while pushing false narratives designed to mislead the public.

Each of these countries has different goals and methods when conducting influence operations. Russia is detailed in its understanding of American societal issues and works to exploit those to drive divisions. China, conversely, aims to cast the U.S. negatively while portraying itself positively on the world stage. Iran operates as a spoiler, often the quickest to shift from mere influence to direct interference.

Importantly, Brookie emphasized that there is no evidence suggesting any of these countries are planning significant attacks on U.S. election infrastructure to alter the vote's outcome. The U.S. electoral system remains secure and decentralized, thus safe against such widespread tampering. The current foreign efforts are more about swaying public opinion and possibly provoking actions rather than directly changing voting results.

While the threat of foreign influence is real, Brookie concluded by noting that its perceived impact often outweighs its actual effectiveness. Despite the ongoing efforts by these foreign states, they have not consistently achieved their disruptive goals.