Disinfo: Russia thwarted the plans to turn Kazakhstan into another Libya or Syria

Summary

Russia thwarted the plans to turn Kazakhstan into another Libya or Syria. The US is behind the violence in Kazakhstan. The plan was to turn the country into a terrorist enclave, in order to create a bit of headache for Russia and China. In fact, the beheading of policemen that took place amid the riots is characteristic of organisations like Daesh and Al Qaeda.

Disproof

This is a mix of several pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about the US as an evil force always conspiring to destabilise other countries, about encircling Russia (and China), and about the West as a terrorist sponsor. It is part of a wider disinformation campaign to justify the Russian-led intervention of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation in Kazakhstan.

There is no evidence to support claims about any US or foreign intervention behind the unrest in Kazakhstan. Instead, growing evidence points to an ongoing power struggle in the country as a driving cause in the radicalisation and expansion of the protests, which started peacefully after the government lifted price controls on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), in an already volatile context in the country with a power struggle between rival political groups.

Claims about beheaded policemen have been reported by Western media, although the only source appears to be a police spokesperson in Kazakh national TV Khabar-24 after the government had labelled protesters as “terrorists organised from abroad”. No further evidence or confirmation of the alleged beheading has emerged afterwards.

This disinformation story also abounds in a long-established false narrative about the West, and especially the US, as supportive of terrorist groups. Given that the US and other Western countries have backed opposition armed groups in Syria, all of which are labelled as “terrorists” by both the Syrian regime of Bashar Al Assad and Russia, this disinformation message aims to blur any distinction among all those groups in order to portray the West as a “supporter of terrorists”.

See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that US-sponsored Kazakhstan protests aimed to undermine CIS stability, that the West ordered a terrorist attack in Kazakhstan to create a hotbed at Russia’s border, or that the US generated and backed Al Qaeda, the Islamic State and the Taliban.

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mundo.sputniknews.com (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 270
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 12/01/2022
  • Article language(s) Spanish
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Kazakhstan, Syria, Libya, Russia, China, US
  • Keywords: Terrorism, Destabilising Russia, Syrian War, Daesh
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Disinfo: Russophobes from Poland and the Baltic states agitate Kazakhstan to "kill the Russians"

The entry of the peacekeeping forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) into Kazakhstan is accompanied by a massive disinformation campaign, the purpose of which is to provoke the Kazakhs into armed resistance against "Russian occupiers". The most active in this field is the Polish Telegram channel NEXTA Live, but it is not the only one. The efforts of the provocateurs are supported by both Ukrainian nationalists and Russian "liberals" - regulars of the Free Russia Forum in Lithuania.

A letter from a certain subscriber from Ukraine, who tells the Kazakhs how to properly deal with the regime, acquired a special resonance. “ Arm yourself to the maximum... " How do you order an ordinary Kazakhstani, who came to a rally against a sharp rise in the cost of liquefied gas, to react to this? It turns out that he needs to participate in hostilities, throw grenades, steal police cars ... A little later, NEXTA points out a new “enemy” to the Kazakhs: “Russian soldiers flew to Kazakhstan. If they think that they will be greeted there empty-handed, they are mistaken. Kazakhs are hospitable people, there is enough room for everyone in the steppe. " Can such a statement be regarded as a call to kill Russian servicemen? Of course.

Jan 11, 2022
Disproof

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Russophobic Poland and the Baltic States, which appeared in the context of 2022 protests in Kazakhstan.

No appeals to "kill the Russians" can be found on the Nexta Telegram Channel. In fact, the channel is not Polish but a Belarusian channel, founded by Belarus' opposition blogger Stsiapan Putsila. This channel covers various issues from Brasil to Kazakhstan in the light of corruption and the lack of freedom across the world and has been a prominent target of pro-Kremlin and pro-Lukashenka disinformation.

Disinfo: Poland starts an unnecessary conflict with Russia using its Russophobic rhetoric

Poland deliberately uses Russophobic rhetoric instead of drawing specific conclusions, observing the international situation and holding back its official comments. As a consequence, this country is entering into a completely unnecessary conflict with Russia instead of a dialogue.

Jan 11, 2022
Disproof

This message is a part of the Kremlin’s narrative about Russophobic and anti-Russian Poland. The pro-Kremlin outlets regularly accuse the Polish authorities of Russophobia and inspiration of the anti-Russian sentiments in order to reach particular domestic goals.

The Polish authorities perceive Russia as a security threat because of the aggressive Russian actions, in particular in Crimea, Donbas and Eastern Europe.

Disinfo: Protests in Kazakhstan are sponsored by MI6 to create a new Maidan

Protests in Kazakhstan are sponsored by MI6 to create a new Maidan just ahead of the Russia-US/NATO talks in Geneva and Brussels, to prevent any kind of deal.

Jan 11, 2022
Disproof

Emerging pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative alleging that the January 2022 antigovernmental protests in Kazakhstan are part of a Western policy of staging “colour revolutions” worldwide with the aim of destabilising Russia and preventing any deal at the Russia-US/NATO negotiations.

Pro-Kremlin media frequently falsely portray popular protests around the world as instigated from abroad, often by the US and the West, with the aim of portraying protest movements as aggressive actors supported by foreign powers who constantly prepare new coups.