Donald Trump's recording surfaces, claiming Obama established ISIS, garnering widespread attention following the Moscow attack.
On Friday, 22 March 2024, an attack occurred at Crocus City Hall in Moscow. At least 137 people lost their lives, and over 100 were injured in the tragic incident. The Islamic State (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the attack, with the Khorasan branch of IS, also known as Isis-K, believed to be the perpetrators.
The attack involved gunmen armed with automatic weapons and incendiary devices. In the aftermath, four suspects were arrested and face a potential life sentence.
The Islamic State has long threatened to strike Russia over its government's intervention in the Syrian civil war and for helping President Bashar al-Assad stay in power. This attack is seen as retaliation against Russia for its actions in Syria.
Russian nationalist commentators and ultraconservative hawks have been pushing the idea that Ukraine executed the terror incident. However, these claims lack substantial evidence. In contrast, the US government has acknowledged that some of its Gulf allies played a role in the emergence of ISIS. During the Syrian conflict, the US fought against ISIS through military intervention, supporting local Kurdish-led forces to defeat ISIS territorially, while also providing varying degrees of support to some rebel groups opposing the Assad regime.
The dissemination of disinformation about the attack on Crocus City Hall is polluting the information ecosystem and dishonouring the victims by not blaming the actual perpetrators. A clip from 2016 of Donald Trump accusing Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton of founding ISIS has been disseminated by pro-Kremlin actors as evidence that the US was behind the attack. However, these claims have been widely debunked.
Monica Athnasious, a journalist, has published several articles covering the aftermath of the attack and its implications. Her pieces include "Amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine comes an unsettling social media trend: video warcore", "Ukraine awards medal to surviving soldier who told a Russian ship to 'go f*ck yourself'", and "Ukraine's latest hero is female sniper 'Charcoal', dubbed a modern-day 'Lady Death'".
As the investigation into the Crocus City Hall attack continues, it is essential to remain vigilant against disinformation and to focus on the facts. The victims and their families deserve justice, and the perpetrators must be held accountable for their actions.
