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Disinfo: The Deep State pushes US president towards war with Iran

Summary

Even though the main anti-Iranian hawk of the Trump administration, John Bolton, is not in the White House anymore, the so-called ‘Deep State’ continues dictating its policy to Trump, who will face a big pressure from political elites because he is the only one who can authorise eventual bombings against the Iranian oil infrastructure.

Disproof

This is a conspiracy theory, part of a well-established Russian disinformation narrative about global elites secretly ruling the world, and specifically a so-called ‘Deep State’ in the United State that promotes aggression wars and prevents US reconciliation with Russia. You can see other examples of this here, here and here. No evidence is provided to support the claim. On the contrary, there is ample evidence that many important elements inside the US government and political system, such as the Pentagon and the US Congress, oppose a military intervention against Iran without Congressional approval.

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publication/media

Sputnik Spain (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 164
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 17/09/2019
  • Language/target audience: Spanish, Castilian
  • Country: Iran, US
  • Keywords: New World Order, Deep state, Donald Trump, Conspiracy theory

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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Saying that the USSR occupied Estonia after WWII, means that Estonia was an ally of Nazi Germany

The statement of the Estonian President that WWII ended for Estonia only in 1994, when the last Russian soldiers left this country, has no sense. If someone states that Estonia was occupied by the USSR, it means that Estonia was an ally of Nazi Germany.

September 17, 2019
Disproof

This message is part of the Kremlin’s policy of historical revisionism – it tries to promote the idea that there was no Soviet occupation of the Baltic states and that the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact did not cause the division of East and Central Europe between the USSR and Nazi Germany, causing WWII. See similar cases on the Baltic states and the Soviet occupation here and here. The claim that Estonia could not have been occupied by the USSR unless it was an ally of Nazi Germany is illogical. As a result of WWII, the USSR de facto occupied not only former German allies such as Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary, but also several countries, which were neutral (Baltic states) or faced direct German aggression (Poland, Czechoslovakia). On the 23rd of August, 1939, Soviet Union and Nazi Germany signed a non-aggression (Molotov-Ribbentrop) pact, whose secret protocols divided the territories belonging to Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, and Romania into Soviet and Nazi spheres of influence. Contrary to the claims of the pro-Kremlin media, the re-capturing of the Baltic States did not bring freedom, but Soviet repressions and occupation, which lasted for 50 years. The estimated war and occupation deaths are at 90,000 in Estonia, 180,000 in Latvia, and 250,000 in Lithuania. Furthermore, It has been estimated that between 1946 and 1953 deportations and guerrilla deaths reached 95,000 in Estonia, 125,000 in Latvia, and 310,000 in Lithuania.

Liberals advocate cannibalism

Western liberal thought now includes advocacy of cannibalism. Speaking at a recent culinary conference in Sweden — the widely recognized beacon of liberalism — Stockholm-based academic Magnus Söderlund stated that “the conservative taboo against cannibalism may change over time, if people simply try feeding on human flesh.” The liberal professor said that cannibalism could be a means of fighting climate change, given that human flesh is much more environmentally friendly than beef.

September 17, 2019
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative demonizing Western values and painting Europe as a continent of degrading values. The author makes a series of remarkable logical leaps by misquoting one person and presenting the doctored quote as proof of the imminent collapse of Western culture. Söderlund did not advocate cannibalism out of his supposed liberal or environmentalist convictions. In fact, he did not advocate it at all. Although the story of the pro-cannibalism Swedish professor has been reported in Swedish, UK, and US tabloids since at least 5 September, only one website provided enough context to show that Söderlund's remarks were a cautionary tale about the consequences of climate change rather than an invitation to man-eating: "While talking about the Gastro Summit focused on 'food on the future' on Swedish TV, the behavioral scientist and marketing strategist Magnus Söderlund from the Stockholm School of Economics proposed that in order to truly take on the effects of climate change, we must 'awake the idea' that eating human flesh should be discussed as an option in the future." See here for a detailed debunk.

The association agreement between Ukraine and EU proposed by Brussels was a deception

The association agreement between Ukraine and EU proposed by Brussels was a deception that concealed the Obama administration’s plans to separate Kyiv from Moscow […] and integrate Ukraine into NATO.

September 17, 2019
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about Euromaidan, encircled Russia and EU subordinated to US and NATO. The claim is also consistent with a pro-Kremlin narrative, suggesting a behind-the-scenes conspiracy. The Euromaidan was a result of the Ukrainian people's frustration with former President Yanukovych’s sudden departure from the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement promised for a long time and then rejected under Moscow’s pressure. The idea of an association agreement, based on the recognition of Ukraine as a European country sharing a common history and common values with the Member States of the European Union (EU), dates back to Yushchenko’s presidency (2005 -2010). In March 2007 negotiations on a new enhanced agreement, which would replace the previous Partnership and Cooperation agreement, began between Brussels and Kyiv under the EU-Ukraine Action Plan. During the EU-Ukraine Summit held in Paris in September 2008, the parties reached an understanding and agreed that the new enhanced agreement would be known as the Association Agreement. Twenty one rounds of negotiations on the Association Agreement were held between 2007 and 2012. The conclusion of the negotiations on the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement had been announced at the EU-Ukraine Summit on December 19, 2011 during Yanukovych’s presidency. In 2008 Ukraine had applied to join NATO, but at NATO’s Bucharest summit in April 2008 NATO decided not to offer Ukraine a Membership Action Plan (MAP). Only a vague promise of NATO membership in the future were made. In subsequent years the issue of NATO membership for Ukraine went dormant. Only after Russia’s use of force to seize Crimea and Russian aggression in Donbas did the Ukrainian political élite increasingly stress the importance of Ukraine joining NATO. NATO has reinforced its support for defense capability development and capacity-building in Ukraine in response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.