DISINFO: The US is recruiting jihadists in Syria for terrorist attacks inside Russia
SUMMARY
The US is actively recruiting jihadists from ISIS and Al Qaeda to perpetrate terrorist attacks in Russia and other former USSR countries. This recruitment and training is taking place in the military base of Al Tanf in Syria, mostly among combatants from the Caucasus and Central Asia. They are trained in the fabrication and use of improvised explosive devices and in subversive techniques. As the US security forces get demoralised, they get obsessed with the idea of bleeding Russia and consider acceptable to use terrorists for their goals.
RESPONSE
This is a mix of several recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the West’s alleged support for terrorism, and about destabilising Russia.
There is no evidence backing this baseless allegation. In fact, instead of promoting jihadist organisations, the US has been acting as the leader of the global coalition to defeat Daesh/ISIS, and is part of the Operation Inherent Resolve to attack and degrade the capabilities of the group since 2014. It has also invested massive resources and efforts for years to fight Al Qaeda.
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.