Discrediting one’s political opponents through false or misleading leaks to media is but one example of psychological warfare. Sowing division among various factions of a social movement through unsubstantiated rumors, and providing family, friends and employers with unfounded accusations are also standard gray operations (white ops being forthright, black ops counterfeit).
In the case of the gray ops against Idle No More celebrity Chief Spence, the pseudo scandal leaked to the press about financial mismanagement not only turned out to be untrue, but ignored the well-documented concerns of Canada’s Auditor General about the federal system itself creating conditions for accountability that are virtually impossible for First Nations to meet. As stated unequivocally in her June 2011 report, Auditor General Sheila Fraser critiqued the federal system imposed on First Nations as comprising “onerous paperwork, record-keeping and reporting.” Fraser went on to say that due to delays in funding from Ottawa — sometimes up to several months — First Nations at times have to reallocate monies from one account to another just to keep community services intact.
As Karl Nerenberg reports at rabble.ca, the federal system is scandalous, not the response by First Nations that find themselves in dire circumstances created and ignored by the Government of Canada.