US-based Stratfor spied on Bhopal activists for Dow Chemicals

US-based security think-tank Stratfor spied for the Dow Chemicals on the activists of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, WikiLeaks alleged on Monday as the whistleblower website started publishing millions of confidential emails of this prominent private intelligence analyst group.

The e-mails date between July 2004 and late December 2011, WikiLeaks said.

"They reveal the inner workings of a company that fronts as an intelligence publisher, but provides confidential intelligence services to large corporations, such as Bhopal's Dow Chemical Co, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and government agencies, including the US Department of Homeland Security, the US Marines and the US Defence Intelligence Agency," WikiLeaks alleged.

Stratfor was not immediately available for its reaction on the allegations by WikiLeaks. But the website of this Texas-based organisation said that it is offering all its contents for free.

"I wanted to warn you that individuals continue to send out false communications that appear to be from Stratfor.

These spam emails may contain malware and attachments, and may attempt to lead you to websites that look like our own. They may also attempt to convince you to provide your private information," says Stratfor CEO George Friedman on its website.

The emails posted by WikiLeaks on its website, revealed that Stratfor not only provided to Dow Chemicals and Union Carbide the analysis of the daily developments on the case related to the Bhopal Gas tragedy in Indian courts, but also the activities including the travel plans and like where they are staying or what they plan to do.

Media has not been able to independently verify the authenticity of these emails.

The correspondence also contains code names for people of particular interest such as 'Hizzies' (members of Hezbollah), or 'Adogg' (Mahmoud Ahmedinejad), WikiLeaks alleged.

The whistleblower website said that Stratfor did secret deals with dozens of media organisations and journalists.

WikiLeaks, claimed, to have also obtained Stratfor's list of informants and, in many cases, records of its payoffs, including USD 1,200 a month paid to the informant "Geronimo" , handled by Stratfor's Former State Department agent Fred Burton.

WikiLeaks has built an investigative partnership with more than 25 media organisations, including The Hindu from India. The organisations were provided access to a sophisticated investigative database developed by WikiLeaks and together with WikiLeaks are conducting journalistic evaluations of these emails.