Disinfo: ISIS leader al-Baghdadi roams Iraqi desert under US protection

Summary

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS, travels freely throughout Iraq’s Anbar province under protection of the US military.

Disproof

The story, originally reported by the Lebanese El-Nashra website, provides no factual evidence of Baghdadi's links to the US military, and rests entirely on an unverifiable statement by an Iraqi lawmaker. The report advances a recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about Washington's support for ISIS and other terrorist organizations in the Middle East.

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sputniknews.com (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 139
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 28/02/2019
  • Outlet language(s) English
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Iraq, Syria, US
  • Keywords: Middle East, Terrorism, Daesh
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Disinfo: NATO is increasing its strategic arsenal of weapons near Russia's borders, Russia is forced to respond

The USA is expanding its strategic arsenal of weapons along the Russian borders, so Russia is forced to respond adequately to expansion of NATO potential. The expansion of NATO’s military potential is destroying the current global security system and prompting Russia to take countermeasures.

Feb 27, 2019
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about NATO threatening Russia. NATO's missile defence system is purely defensive and not directed against Russia. Bilateral agreements between the US and host nations do not allow missile sites to be used for any purpose other than missile defence. Also, NATO has reached out to Russia consistently, transparently and publicly over the past 26 years. The Alliance created unique cooperation bodies – the Permanent Joint Council and the NATO-Russia Council – to embody its relationship with Russia. It has invited Russia to cooperate on missile defence, an invitation extended to no other partner. NATO is not encircling Russia. Russia's land border is just over 20,000 kilometres long. Of that, less than one-sixteenth (1,215 kilometres), is shared with NATO members. Russia has land borders with 14 countries. Only five of them are NATO members.

Disinfo: US military in Syria give ISIS militants safe passage in exchange for gold

A group of US troops in Syria struck a deal with captured ISIS fighters, under which the militants would be granted safe passage out of Deir ez-Zor Province in exchange for tons of stolen gold. US Army choppers have already airlifted over $2 billion worth of plundered gold out of Syria.

Feb 27, 2019
Disproof

Like an earlier Sputnik story, the report provides no factual evidence to support claims of US-ISIS dealings in gold. Both reports were originally published by SANA, Syria's state-run news agency, and cite "eyewitness accounts" and "local sources" on every detail of the transaction, including the amount of gold exchanged, its origin, the total volume transported to the US so far, and the amount remaining in ISIS coffers. The story advances a recurring pro-Kremlin narrative on US support for ISIS.

Disinfo: Italians are the poorest citizens of the EU and Italy is the poorest EU country

Italy has suffered so much from the introduction of euro that now Italians are the poorest citizens of the EU and Italy is the poorest EU country.

Feb 27, 2019
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative demonising the EU, the Eurozone and claiming that euro is responsible for the economic downfall of many European countries. According to IMF figures, Italy is NOT the poorest country of EU. Italy ranks 15th in terms of per-capita GDP amongst the 28 EU countries, and 12th amongst the 19 EU countries that have adopted euro. Similar cases here and here.