US Accuses Russia of Cyber Attacks to Disrupt Election Washington Vows Reponse
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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2016 INTERNATIONAL Mexico’s masked wrestling heroes train police MEXICO CITY: Wearing colorful masks, two pro Feeling Healthier wrestlers show off their moves to a crowd, but this The wrestlers come twice a week to train the offi- time it’s not in an arena: They’re teaching Mexico cers in the densely populated borough, where mur- City police officers how to subdue villains. “How are ders are up this year with 150 people killed so far. you doing?” Dragon Rojo Jr, wearing a red mask with “You go into your patrol car and the truth is that yellow horns and a crest, shouts at the 190 men and your get rusty,” said officer Joel Garcia, who admit- women at the courtyard of a police station in ted that a suspect got away from him once. “With Iztapalapa, a crime-plagued borough of the mega- this you get more active, you start running, feeling capital. “Good!” the officers reply in chorus before better, lighter and healthier,” he said as he worked the ring gladiators lead them through a series of out following a 24-hour shift. stretches, push-ups, squats and situps, making many Garcia grew up admiring Lucha Libre legends sweat and pant heavily (while some take a break). such as El Santo, Blue Demon and El Matematico. After warming up, Dragon Rojo (Red Dragon) and Now he was trying to imitate his idols. With the his fellow “Lucha Libre” star Polvora, whose ring deliberate motion of a rookie wrestler, Garcia name means Gunpowder in English, demonstrate crossed his arms and raised them to block his smil- one of their moves. The burly Polvora lunges for- ing colleague from fake-stabbing him in the head. ward with a stabbing motion, but Red Dragon grabs Captain Alfredo Alvarez, a former marine, had the his assailant’s arm, twists it, pins him down and idea of bringing luchadores to train officers after he places a knee on his chest to immobilize him. The took over as the police station’s coordinator three “Lock 4” submission was among the clutches, holds months ago and realized that his colleagues were and other moves that the pro wrestlers presented to “somewhat sedentary.” The station commander, the officers, who then practiced the move against Israel Rodriguez, told him he knew Dragon Rojo Jr each other on the concrete. and Polvora because they were both from But snatching suspects is not the only benefit to Iztapalapa. “All the special police forces in the world this intense training. “We are proud to change an have their specialty: Russia has sambo, Brazil has image of the Mexican police that is not very good: capoeira, China has kung-fu, Japan has karate. In Fat, short, unfit,” said Polvora, who grew up in Mexico, our martial art is lucha,” Alvarez said. The Iztapalapa. “We are trying to make a contribution to wrestlers agreed to provide free lessons to some 380 MEXICO CITY: World wrestling champion Red Dragon Jr (left) and Polvora train local police in change this image,” he said through a mask decorat- officers every week out of “friendship and commit- the Iztapalapa neighborhood to help them subdue suspects without using weapons on Oct 6, ed with golden and red flames. ment” to their borough, Alvarez said. — AFP 2016. — AFP US accuses Russia of cyber attacks to disrupt election Washington vows reponse WASHINGTON: US officials formally accused USA, but we do not blame the White House or Jason Healey, a former White House director the Russian government Friday of trying to Langley each time.” of critical infrastructure protection who is now a “interfere” with the American presidential elec- The American statement said the disclosures researcher at Columbia University and with the tion, and vowed to respond at an undisclosed of alleged hacked emails on WikiLeaks and oth- Atlantic Council, said the US has tools to time and place. The assertion against Russia er websites and by the online persona “Guccifer respond. “The initial response will be to protect comes with relations already frayed over NATO 2.0” were “consistent with the methods and and thwart what the other side wants to do,” defenses and stalled efforts to end the bloody motivations of Russian-directed efforts”. “These Healey told AFP. Healey said Washington is also civil war in Syria. A joint statement from the thefts and disclosures are intended to interfere capable of “counteroffensive cyber actions” Department of Homeland Security and Office of with the US election process,” the statement which can limit or deter attacks. “Don’t attack the Director of National Intelligence was the said. The statement, however, stopped short of them back but use our own cyber capabilities to first official accusation by Washington against accusing Russia in the recent cyber attacks on disrupt them,” he said. “I would not call that NEW YORK: In this July 18, 2015 file photo, a demonstrator holds a sign call- Moscow in the spate of cyber attacks, although state election databases. “Some states have also offensive, it’s counteroffensive.” many analysts had said the hacks appeared to recently seen scanning and probing of their The FBI has been investigating a leak of ing for justice during a rally where several hundred people rallied outside be from Russia. election-related systems, which in most cases Democratic National Committee emails, which the federal courthouse in Brooklyn to demand action in the fatal chokehold A US administration official said Washington originated from servers operated by a Russian were published by WikiLeaks in July. A hacker death of Eric Garner by a white police officer. — AP would respond to the cyber attacks, without company,” the statement said. “However, we are group using the name Guccifer 2.0 has also offering details. “We will take action to protect not now in a position to attribute this activity to released leaked emails and has claimed to have Public can watch NYPD our interests, including in cyberspace, and we the Russian government.” hacked into the Clinton Foundation, led by for- will do so at a time and place of our choosing,” It was not immediately clear how mer US president Bill Clinton, whose wife Hillary the official said. “The public should not assume Washington would respond in the matter. is the Democratic presidential nominee. trials, can’t get results that they will necessarily know what actions Officials have in the past said any cyber attacks But the US statement said that “it would be have been taken or what actions we will take.” on important US institutions would prompt a extremely difficult for someone, including a NEW YORK: Each day in a drab set of Garner in a fatal chokehold in 2014. A The official statement said the US intelli- response, which could take the form of diplo- nation-state actor, to alter actual ballot counts courtrooms, anybody can sit and watch grand jury declined to indict the officer on gence community “is confident that the Russian matic or economic sanctions, or possibly cyber or election results by cyber attack or intrusion”. New York City police officers face adminis- criminal charges, but he’s still the subject of government directed the recent compromises measures. That is because of the decentralized nature of trative trials accusing them of misconduct an administrative case that could end his of emails from US persons and institutions, the US election system, which is operated by ranging from disobeying orders to aggres- police career. including from US political organizations”. “We ‘Strong Response’ thousands of state and local government enti- sive arrests resulting in a suspect’s death. Around the time the city filed its appeal, believe, based on the scope and sensitivity of US Senator Dianne Feinstein, who last month ties. “States ensure that voting machines are not But most outcomes of such trials - whether the NYPD stopped providing the outcomes these efforts, that only Russia’s senior-most offi- said she and other lawmakers believed Moscow connected to the Internet, and there are numer- an officer is reprimanded, docked pay or of administrative proceedings to the media, cials could have authorized these activities,” it was seeking to disrupt the election, said the ous checks and balances as well as extensive put on probation - are not disclosed. The which it had previously done for decades. added. The Kremlin labeled the allegations as new statement “conveys the seriousness of the oversight at multiple levels built into our elec- secrecy is the result of a state law protect- Department lawyers justified both moves “rubbish”. “Every day (President Vladimir) Putin’s threat” to the vote. “Attempted hacking of our tion process,” the statement said. “Nevertheless, ing the privacy of officer disciplinary by saying they needed stricter compliance website gets attacked by several tens of thou- election system is intolerable, and it’s critical to DHS continues to urge state and local election records, and a recent city decision to with a state law meant to protect the priva- sands of hackers,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry convince the Russian government to cease officials to be vigilant and seek cybersecurity adhere to the confidentiality rules more cy of police officers, jail guards and fire- Peskov told Russian news agency Interfax. “A lot these activities,” the California senator said. “If it assistance from DHS. A number of states have closely - a move that puts America’s largest fighters - a position strongly backed by of these attacks are traced to the territory of the does not, we must develop a strong response.” already done so.” — AFP police force at odds with a national move- police unions. ment to make law enforcement more In response to an outcry by politicians transparent to the public.