Russian propagandists from the NTV TV channel have released a deepfake featuring Oleksii Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, attempting to convince audiences that “Ukraine was involved in the 22 March terrorist attack.”
If I understand it correctly, and please correct me if I'm wrong, Russian interference in Syria has been exceptionally devastating for Isis in the region.
Isis is anti-Shia, considering them infidels, and has a long history of conflict with Iran, especially in Iraq and Syria. Islam isn't some coordinated power system, it's a complex, fractious religion with many internal and external conflicts.
Russia, too, has been involved in lots of conflict with ISIS, including in Syria and more recently supporting north African countries' conflicts against them as well.
You need motive and opportunity. There are not many opportunities to carry out attacks in Israel at present.
Maybe most people do not know about the relationship between the Russian Empire and Islam. Today, over 10% of the population is Muslim. When you think of soviet soldiers fighting Nazi Germany, you need to assume an even higher percentage of the conscripts being Muslim; state atheism notwithstanding. I know these things, and yet Islam is not something I intuitively associate with Russia.
During the European Middle Ages, vast areas of what is now in the south of the Russian Empire were converted to Islam. In later centuries, these areas were conquered by the expanding Russian Empire. It's not quite a happy relationship. You may have heard of the genocide of the Crimean Tatars, particularly under Stalin. During the Cold War, majority Muslim Turkey was the only NATO country to have a border with the Soviet Empire. Nuclear missiles were stationed at that border, until they were removed as part of the secret agreement that came out of the Cuba Crisis.
Afghanistan has a long border with the Russian Empire. In the 1980ies, the Soviet Union embarked on an ill-conceived intervention to aid an even more ill-conceived revolution in Afghanistan. After 10 years of war, the troops were pulled out. This was then followed by another decade of civil war, which may have been dying down leading up to 9/11.
When the Soviet Empire dissolved, many ethnic groups achieved independence. That was not always peaceful. The fighting in Afghanistan seems to have had a certain spillover effect. For whatever reason, the Russian Army fought to maintain imperial dominance over some of these territories. Chechnya was especially brutally fought over.
Multiple terror raids have taken place in the last 30 years.
Of course it does. Not that it was a false flag necessarily, but it was obvious that an attack like this would be used to increase pressure in the war either way IMO.
Pretty much what I feel about it. It's still to early to tell what exactly this tragedy is, though I'm not surprised that it's being used by the Kremlin.
I spent an hour today trying to find a real source for this quote, often misattributed to Churchill. And failed. Found some sources saying it predates Churchill, but no direct references. Seems an adage that is quite old though.
All you need to know in order to know that Ukraine was not responsible is Ukraine outright stating that they are not responsible.
Because if they were responsible, they'd be telling everyone in no uncertain terms that Moscow was not safe from Ukrainian reprisals and this was just a warning.
The whole bit about the perpetrators fleeing to the Ukrainian border I actually kinda believe.
Not because ukraine was involved but its got to be the only border anyone can get through at the moment within easy distance from moscow.
Everyone else has shut their borders
Edit: yes I know its a war zone yes I know its monitored.
I also believe that you can never fully secure a land border there will always be holes AND the scum who shoot up a concert hall are not exactly at the top of the IQ range when it comes to escape plans.
Nah, I don't buy this story at all. Their car had Belarussian plates and that border is much closer and still open. I'd even argue that the UKR/RUS border is the worst place to cross with checkpoints, mines and drones everywhere. They would've been safer hiding out in a random village somewhere.
Assuming they (ISIS) have active members on the other side, and a corridor established, fleeing into Ukraine would be probably significantly safer - assuming Russian and Ukrainian internal security services aren't sharing intelligence and otherwise cooperating while they're engaged in a hot conflict.
Crossing a warzone with both sides being trigger happy, covering the whole region with trenches, checkpoints, mines, drones and other troops. Yeah, totally logical choice.
Why people trust Russia to even have captured the attackers? They probably just stopped someone driving towards Ukraine and "these are the guys, pack them up"
The attack doesn't fit their MO. A concert hall filled with people? Ukrainians drop bombs with drones on depots.
I'm also positive that there are actual recordings of the news network within that timeframe stipulated in the video and that something completely different was going on at the time - i.e it's not hard to disprove.
So the burden of proof is on you, kiddo, tho I bet you'll ignore it and go back to edging.