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talkpoliticsThe bombers from Moscow were fleeing to Ukraine, and the USA and Israel have pulled the strings of the Islamic State - these are some of the conspiracy theories that have been on the wires in the wake of the horrible terror act in Moscow the other day. Is anyone surprised that most of these have sprung from Putin's mouth itself?
https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/2024-03-24/ty-article/.premium/putin-blames-ukraine-for-isis-massacre-in-moscow-many-putinists-blame-israel/0000018e-6d06-dfa8-a98e-6f0f8c8f0000
The fire in the Crocus City Hall near Moscow had not yet been extinguished when the first assumptions and even unconfirmed conclusions about the attack started appearing on the social networks. Some claimed Ukraine was behind the attack, and the supposed proof was that a minibus with Ukrainian license plates was found not far from the hall. Numerous social media pundits claimed the US was behind the attack, as the US embassy in Russia had warned of a possible terrorist attack (which Putin denied publicly, just to remind).
Such a warning was issued on March 7. Then the embassy announced that the US had information that "extremists have immediate plans to attack large gatherings of people in Moscow, including concerts".
On Friday evening, the Islamic State militia released a statement claiming responsibility for the attack, which killed more than 130 people. Experts believe the message to be authentic as it was circulated through multiple known channels of the terrorist organization. Numerous users on the social networks, however, are already pointing to the US and Israel as the actual organizers.
In this regard, the words of the former American president and candidate Donald Trump are repeatedly quoted, dating back from August 2016. Then he stated the following: "The Islamic State honors President Obama. He is the founder of ISIS. He created ISIS. And I would add that he was helped by the corrupt Hillary Clinton. She is a co-founder."
These accusations by Trump are now being used as alleged evidence to blame the US for the attack in Moscow. The mostly pro-Russian social media accounts claim that ISIS is a tool of the White House and is being used as a weapon against Moscow. However, Trump's claims are very odd from a historical point of view, having in mind that experts date the roots of ISIS in the period 1999-2003, and in 2006 ISIS was officially proclaimed in Iraq - three years before Barack Obama became president of the USA.
In addition, Trump later flip-flopped on his claims saying his words about Obama and ISIS had just been sarcasm. But even 8 years later, what he said back then continues to be used online to point the blame for this new terrorist attack in Moscow. This example shows in an impressive way how false claims can have a toxic effect in the long term and can be deliberately misleading.
Besides the US, Israel is also being accused of being behind ISIS. According to radical anti-Israel profiles on "X" and other platforms, the Jewish state was pulling the strings behind the scenes, which is completely in line with the ongoing line of spreading anti-Semitic myths. In addition, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is being portrayed as a jihadist, and the Israeli flag is often Photoshopped in combination with ISIS symbols.
Numerous publications also claim that Israel has never been attacked by ISIS. This is being used as "proof" that the terrorist group is being led by Mossad. In fact, ISIS has claimed responsibility for a number of deadly attacks in Israel, such as in Hadera in 2022, where two Israeli policemen were shot dead.
Numerous posts have also appeared showing a doctored image purporting to show Israeli soldiers posing alongside Islamist fighters with both Israeli and ISIS flags. In fact, the original photo shows soldiers of the Israeli army during the multinational military exercise "African Lion" in Morocco. But who cares. Details.
In Russia, meanwhile, an increasing chorus of voices, including from official sources, are pointing the finger at Ukraine as the culprit. The four Tajik suspects, aged 19, 25, 30 and 32, were said to have been arrested on their way to Ukraine. There was even information that at least two of them had already pleaded guilty. A Moscow court ordered that they be detained for a period of two months, during which investigations are ongoing. If found guilty, they face life in prison.
The suspects were brought to the district court in glass cells and with numerous bruises, swellings, abrasions and lacerations. The condition of the men raises the question of whether they were even able to speak freely and whether they had in fact been tortured. Before the court hearing, videos were circulated online that allegedly showed the arrested men being tortured, with one of them even having his ear cut off. Whether these records are authentic cannot be verified and confirmed by an independent source, however.
Either way, the Russian version seems implausible. Putin's argument that the suspects were on their way to the Russian-Ukrainian border makes no sense. Russia has a 20,000-kilometer border. Why would the perpetrators head in the direction where the Russian army and security forces are currently most concentrated?
Also, it's funny how Putin has immediately pointed the finger at Ukraine without presenting any evidence. Add the statements of the spokeswoman of the Foreign Ministry, who claims that the US was "covering up Ukraine". Washington emphasizes that it does not have any evidence that Ukraine is connected to the attack.
But it comes to no surprise that the Kremlin's official statements are not to be trusted. In recent years, Russian propaganda has destroyed this trust with numerous lies and false statements, and not just after the war in Ukraine started. I'd say all this rhetoric is mostly for domestic consumption.
https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/2024-03-24/ty-article/.premium/putin-blames-ukraine-for-isis-massacre-in-moscow-many-putinists-blame-israel/0000018e-6d06-dfa8-a98e-6f0f8c8f0000
The fire in the Crocus City Hall near Moscow had not yet been extinguished when the first assumptions and even unconfirmed conclusions about the attack started appearing on the social networks. Some claimed Ukraine was behind the attack, and the supposed proof was that a minibus with Ukrainian license plates was found not far from the hall. Numerous social media pundits claimed the US was behind the attack, as the US embassy in Russia had warned of a possible terrorist attack (which Putin denied publicly, just to remind).
Such a warning was issued on March 7. Then the embassy announced that the US had information that "extremists have immediate plans to attack large gatherings of people in Moscow, including concerts".
On Friday evening, the Islamic State militia released a statement claiming responsibility for the attack, which killed more than 130 people. Experts believe the message to be authentic as it was circulated through multiple known channels of the terrorist organization. Numerous users on the social networks, however, are already pointing to the US and Israel as the actual organizers.
In this regard, the words of the former American president and candidate Donald Trump are repeatedly quoted, dating back from August 2016. Then he stated the following: "The Islamic State honors President Obama. He is the founder of ISIS. He created ISIS. And I would add that he was helped by the corrupt Hillary Clinton. She is a co-founder."
These accusations by Trump are now being used as alleged evidence to blame the US for the attack in Moscow. The mostly pro-Russian social media accounts claim that ISIS is a tool of the White House and is being used as a weapon against Moscow. However, Trump's claims are very odd from a historical point of view, having in mind that experts date the roots of ISIS in the period 1999-2003, and in 2006 ISIS was officially proclaimed in Iraq - three years before Barack Obama became president of the USA.
In addition, Trump later flip-flopped on his claims saying his words about Obama and ISIS had just been sarcasm. But even 8 years later, what he said back then continues to be used online to point the blame for this new terrorist attack in Moscow. This example shows in an impressive way how false claims can have a toxic effect in the long term and can be deliberately misleading.
Besides the US, Israel is also being accused of being behind ISIS. According to radical anti-Israel profiles on "X" and other platforms, the Jewish state was pulling the strings behind the scenes, which is completely in line with the ongoing line of spreading anti-Semitic myths. In addition, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is being portrayed as a jihadist, and the Israeli flag is often Photoshopped in combination with ISIS symbols.
Numerous publications also claim that Israel has never been attacked by ISIS. This is being used as "proof" that the terrorist group is being led by Mossad. In fact, ISIS has claimed responsibility for a number of deadly attacks in Israel, such as in Hadera in 2022, where two Israeli policemen were shot dead.
Numerous posts have also appeared showing a doctored image purporting to show Israeli soldiers posing alongside Islamist fighters with both Israeli and ISIS flags. In fact, the original photo shows soldiers of the Israeli army during the multinational military exercise "African Lion" in Morocco. But who cares. Details.
In Russia, meanwhile, an increasing chorus of voices, including from official sources, are pointing the finger at Ukraine as the culprit. The four Tajik suspects, aged 19, 25, 30 and 32, were said to have been arrested on their way to Ukraine. There was even information that at least two of them had already pleaded guilty. A Moscow court ordered that they be detained for a period of two months, during which investigations are ongoing. If found guilty, they face life in prison.
The suspects were brought to the district court in glass cells and with numerous bruises, swellings, abrasions and lacerations. The condition of the men raises the question of whether they were even able to speak freely and whether they had in fact been tortured. Before the court hearing, videos were circulated online that allegedly showed the arrested men being tortured, with one of them even having his ear cut off. Whether these records are authentic cannot be verified and confirmed by an independent source, however.
Either way, the Russian version seems implausible. Putin's argument that the suspects were on their way to the Russian-Ukrainian border makes no sense. Russia has a 20,000-kilometer border. Why would the perpetrators head in the direction where the Russian army and security forces are currently most concentrated?
Also, it's funny how Putin has immediately pointed the finger at Ukraine without presenting any evidence. Add the statements of the spokeswoman of the Foreign Ministry, who claims that the US was "covering up Ukraine". Washington emphasizes that it does not have any evidence that Ukraine is connected to the attack.
But it comes to no surprise that the Kremlin's official statements are not to be trusted. In recent years, Russian propaganda has destroyed this trust with numerous lies and false statements, and not just after the war in Ukraine started. I'd say all this rhetoric is mostly for domestic consumption.
