False Flags | A Tactic of War

A false flag is an inside operation carried out by an individual, group, or government and staged as an attack from an outside threat. False flags are typically hostile statements or acts committed with the purpose of creating a pretext or excuse for further military action. False flag operations are then blamed on the adversary and used as propaganda to manipulate the public opinion.  They have primarily been used throughout history by military forces as a way to justify attacks or occupying another territory. 

Originally, the term was used on naval ships. During times of war, naval militaries would wave the flag of the opposing country to deceive their enemies. Today, false flags are still used as a tool of war and may involve acts of terrorism, espionage or propaganda. This post will discuss how false flags are produced, and mentions several examples of “false flags” in recent history. 

False flag operations require meticulous strategy and planning. In order to successfully pull off this type of operation, there are several key elements. First concealment of true identity, then the execution of the operation and then blaming the opposition through the use of propaganda. This is done by adopting symbols, uniforms or flags to mimic the opposing forces, strategically placing the attack and then capturing the evidence with low video quality to deceive viewers.

The most recent example of a false flag comes from the war in Ukraine. Mysterious drone appears over the Kremlin Palace in Moscow. The drone were taken down by Russian forces. Russia claims that this was an attack from Ukraine sponsored by the US. But officials in both Kyiv, Ukraine and Washington, D.C. have denied these claims, leaving a mystery to be uncovered