DISINFO: The US training Islamic State terrorists against the Syrian government
SUMMARY
The United States has begun to set up an anti-government armed organisation in Syria with fighters from the Islamic State. The aim is clear – to use these fighters against the legitimate authorities of Syria to destabilise the country. The Americans also plan to include representatives of other terrorist organisations and local Arab tribes in the new anti-government armed forces to be set up around Raqqa. In February, it was revealed that the United States was training fighters from jihadist groups affiliated with the Islamic State at its al-Tanf base in Syria for terrorist attacks in Russia and other CIS countries.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the West’s alleged support for terrorism.
There is no evidence backing this baseless allegation. In fact, instead of promoting the Islamic State, the US has been acting as the leader of the global coalition to defeat it, and is part of the Operation Inherent Resolve to attack and degrade the capabilities of the group since 2014. However, through this false claim, this disinformation message aims to discredit US support to Ukrainian resistance, including financial and weapons supplies, against Russia’s aggression.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that the West encouraged the creation of the Islamic State, who are its mercenaries, that the West is supporting terrorists to encircle Russia, that the EU is supporting terrorism against the Syrian state; that instead of killing ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, the US may have evacuated him, that the US is transporting ISIS members to Afghanistan; or that extremists and Nazis are being trained in Ukraine to act in Belarus.