Disinfo: The Taliban were created by the CIA

Summary

The Taliban were created by the CIA.

Disproof

This is a a recurring pro-Kremlin narrative claiming that the US has promoted and funded radical Islamist movements and jihadist terrorism.

It is not true that the Taliban was created by the CIA or United States. The US backed anti-Soviet Afghan mujahideen who resisted the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s. The Taliban did not exist at that time, they arose several years later, in the early ‘90s, amid the turmoil that followed the 1989 withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan.

The end of the Soviet presence in Afghanistan in 1989 marked the victory of the Afghan resistance. After the withdrawal of the Soviets, the mujahideen fragmented, and emerging warlords fought among themselves.

The Taliban emerged as an Islamist militant organisation in the early 1990s and, with their promise to put Islamic values first and fight corruption, quickly attracted a mass following. In 1996, Taliban forces seized Kabul. The United States actively engaged in the fight against the Taliban since 2001 to 2021.

For an in-depth look at the emergence of the Taliban read this in-depth study.

Read similar cases claiming that the US generated and backed Al Qaeda, the Islamic State and the Taliban and that the US is the founder and supporter of international terrorist groups.

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publication/media

Geopolitica.ru - Italian (Archived)
Geopolitica.ru - English (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 259
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 02/09/2021
  • Article language(s) Italian, English
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Afghanistan, US
  • Keywords: CIA, Islamic extremism, Terrorism, Terrorism financing
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Disinfo: Polish fence on the border with Belarus is meant to frighten Poles with a perspective of war

The ruling Polish elite is trying to cut all ties with the East using the rhetoric of war. The most recent manifestation of this process is the construction of a fence on the Polish-Belarusian border. This border fence has a primarily a symbolic meaning – it is supposed to introduce a permanent division between "us" and "them", creating an additional barrier against the East. The border fence sends a message that it is necessary to prepare for war – it frightens the society with the perspective of war.

Sep 01, 2021
Disproof

Recurring disinformation narrative about the ongoing migration crisis on the eastern border of the European Union directly caused by the Belarusian authorities.

On 23 August 2021, the Polish authorities announced the construction of the fence on the border with Belarus to stop the ongoing influx of irregular migrants orchestrated by the Belarusian regime. According to the position of the Polish authorities, the ongoing situation on the Belarusian border is a hybrid attack on Poland in order to destabilise the country and the entire EU.

Disinfo: Lithuania does not want to help investigate the genocide of the Belarusian people

Lithuania refuses to provide legal aid for Belarus in the criminal case regarding the genocide of the Belarusian people during the Great Patriotic War. Earlier Belarus asked to interrogate identified members of the Lithuanian punitive battalion, including Valdemar Hubert Laimutis Adamkevicius who is non-other than the former president of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus.

Sep 01, 2021
Disproof

The message exploits a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Nazi/Fascist Baltic States.

The current “genocide of Belarusian people” case by Belarusian prosecutors lacks evidence and is based on doubtful legal and historical ground (see public broadcaster LRT publication “Minsk seeks to extradite members of ‘Lithuanian SS batalion’ that never existed”).

Disinfo: Poland replaces the anniversary of the WWII outbreak with the date of the Soviet invasion

Poland appears on the way to oblivion. For several decades, the anniversary of 1 September has been gradually pushed out of public awareness by the commemoration of 17 September. There is a slow process of transformation of historical consciousness and the historical identity of the Poles in the direction consistent with the current political interests.

Therefore, in the sphere of historical symbolism, 1 September is mentioned less and less, and is replaced by 17 September. This situation fits the artificially constructed historical and international identity of Poland. Today, Poland looks for its only ally overseas [the USA], while it appears in conflict with all its neighbours.

Sep 01, 2021
Disproof

This message is part of the Kremlin’s policy of historical revisionism – it repeatedly accuses Poland of the “falsification and re-writing” of its history for political goals.

The claims that Poland tries to replace the 1 September anniversary [date of German invasion - WWII outbreak] with the commemoration of 17 September [date of the Soviet invasion] is untrue. Every year, September 1 is commemorated on the highest state level with the participation of the top-level Polish officials (annual ceremonies at Wieluń and Westerplatte).