False Flag

False Flag

By The Last Boy In Line
Illustration By Ben Garrison
Tuesday, April 18, 2017

HOME / DICTIONARY / DEFINITIONS / FALSE-FLAG

Noun

(plural false flags)

a. (nautical) A ruse, in the days of sail, in which an attacking ship
would fly the colours of its enemy until close enough to open fire.

b. (espionage, military) A diversionary or propaganda tactic
of deceiving an adversary into thinking that an operation was
carried out by another party.

http://www.yourdictionary.com/false-flag

FALSE FLAG - WIKIPEDIA

The contemporary term, "False Flag" describes covert operations
that are designed to deceive in such a way that activities appear
as though they are being carried out by entities, groups or nations
other than those who actually planned and executed them. [1]

Historically, the term, "False Flag" has its origins in naval warfare
where the use of a flag other than the belligerent's true battle flag
before (but not while) engaging the enemy has long been accepted
as a permissible ruse de guerre; by contrast flying a false flag while
engaging the enemy constitutes perfidy. [1]

Operations carried out during peace-time by civilian organizations,
as well as covert government agencies, can (by extension) also
be called, "False Flag" operations, if they seek to hide the real
organization behind an operation. [1]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_flag