Disinfo: Instead of killing Al Baghdadi, the US may have evacuated him

Summary

The claim that the US killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi could be fake, distributed with the intent to solve problems of US domestic and foreign policies. The timing is suspicious, when the Trump Administration is losing its position in Syria, abandoning Kurdish allies and surrendering to Russia. Russian experts quoted by the Russian agency RiaFan call this operation a carefully planned forgery. The helicopters allegedly involved in the operation couldn’t have arrived unnoticed and terrorists in the area have modern anti-aircraft missiles. It couldn’t have been a stealth operation, so it was obviously staged, which may have included an agreement with the terrorists. The claim that Al Baghdadi waited his captors to kill himself with a suicide vest is ridiculous, when he could have easily escaped from there. By destroying the house, US troops where simply trying to erase all evidence of the staging, when they could have destroyed it beforehand to kill Al Baghdadi. The US hasn’t presented any video footage to prove the claim. Besides, it doesn’t make sense that they killed Al Baghdadi when he was one of the tools to create ISIS under CIA supervision. Most likely, he was evacuated by the US given the Turkish offensive in northern Syria and the advances of the Syrian army.

Disproof

Conspiracy theory perpetuating a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative that the US has created and is supporting terrorist organisations. Details of the operation to eliminate Al Baghdadi have been confirmed by the Pentagon, the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Iraqi intelligence. Parts of the footage filmed by US troops involved on it will be released “in coming days”, according to US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and president Donald Trump. The claim that ISIS was created by the CIA is a recurrent Russian narrative which has already been debunked often. In reality, the United States is committed to degrade and destroy this terrorist organisation. You can see other examples of disinformation on alleged US and Western backing for jihadist groups here, here, here and here.

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mundo.sputniknews.com (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 170
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 28/10/2019
  • Outlet language(s) Spanish
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Syria, US
  • Keywords: Jihad, Islamic extremism, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
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Disinfo: Ukrainian autocephalous church is a US project

It is no secret that the creation of this schismatic church formation in Ukraine is an American project aimed at undermining the position of the canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine – the Ukrainian Orthodox Church [of the Moscow Patriarchy].

Oct 27, 2019
Disproof

A conspiracy theory presented without any evidence. Pro-Kremlin disinformation outlets have frequently attacked the establishment of an autocephalous Ukrainian church. The Constantinople Patriarchy, not the US, decided to grant the autocephaly to the Ukrainian church. The final decision was made in January 2019, when all members of the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate signed off the Tomos of autocephaly. The signing of the Tomos happened after months of careful preparations and considerations by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Holy Synod.

Disinfo: The US forced the Greek church to recognise Ukrainian autocephaly

The Greek Church decided to recognise the right of the Istanbul Patriarch Bartholomew to grant autocephaly to the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine after pressure from the [US] Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Oct 27, 2019
Disproof

A conspiracy theory presented without any supporting evidence. Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The process of recognition was initiated by the Orthodox Church of Greece on 8 January 2019, when the Permanent Synod of the Church of Greece decided that the issue of recognition would be dealt by the Synod of the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece. In February, the Synod of the Church decided to appoint two commissions to study the issue. In August, the commissions presented a report and recommended to recognise the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. On 12 October, the primate of the church Ieronymos II of Athens and other hierarchs supported the conclusions and voted for the recognition, stating that “the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople has the right to granting autocephaly”.

Disinfo: Al-Baghdadi and ISIS sprang up as a result of US actions in the Middle East

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi appeared because of the Americans. Without them, he would not have appeared, like ISIS itself.

Oct 27, 2019
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that US is behind the creation of ISIS/Daesh. This message is part of a broader conspiracy theory alleging that the United States and its NATO partners have established many terrorist organisations and control global terrorism. In fact, the US is part of the global coalition against Daesh. See similar messages about the US being behind terrorist organisations here, here and here.