Tag Archives: Syria

Did the US attack + bomb these 26 countries since WW2?!

Did the US attack and bomb these 26 countries since World War 2?! Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : US attacked + bombed these 26 countries since WW2!

People are sharing a video on TikTok and WhatsApp, which purportedly shows the US attacking and bombing 26 countries since World War 2!

Have you ever wondered how many countries the United States has bombed since World War 2?

Countries bombed by the US

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Countries-bombed-by-US-since-WW2.mp4?_=1

Truth : US did not attack + bomb all 26 countries since WW2!

This is yet another example of propaganda created and/or promoted by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and/or pro-CCP netizens, and here are the reasons why…

Let me start by pointing out that the video isn’t accurate. The United States did not attack and bomb all those 26 countries.

The list also lacks context for any bombing that might have occurred, making it look like the US was being the aggressor, attacking those countries without reason.

Let’s go through the list of countries in the video, and provide you with the necessary facts and context:

Cuba (true) : On 15 April 1961, eight B-26 bombers attacked Cuban airfields to support the Bay of Pigs Invasion by Cuban exiles. There was the only airstrike, and no civilians were targeted.

Dominican Republic (false) : The US intervened in the Dominican Civil War of 1965, but never bombed the country as it was defending the military-installed government against a coup.

Guatemala (false) : The US armed, funded, and trained Guatemalan rebels in deposing democratically-elected President Jacobo Árbenz, and installing the military dictatorship of Carlos Castillo Armas. However, the US did not bomb Guatemala during the coup.

El Salvador (false) : The US did not bomb El Salvador as it was supporting the government of El Salvador against the communist FMLN groups in the Salvadoran Civil War of 1979 to 1992.

Nicaragua (false) : The US funded and aided the Contras in its campaign to topple the Sandinista Administration. However, it never bombed Nicaragua.

Panama (true) : The US invaded Panama in December 1989 to depose and arrest General Manuel Noriega for racketeering and drug trafficking, and restoring Panamanian democracy. Its bombing was limited to military targets – F-117A Nighthawks, for example, dropped a 2,000 pound bomb between two Panama Defense Force (PDF) barracks at Rio Hata.

Grenada (true) : The US and six Caribbean nations invaded Grenada in 1983 after receiving a formal appeal for assistance from the Organisation of Easter Caribbean States, which received an appeal of assistance from the Governor-General of Grenada Paul Scoon, after the Prime Minister of Granada, Maurice Bishop, was arrested and executed by the Revolutionary Military Council. Bombing by airstrikes and artillery was limited to military targets, although US Navy A-7s accidentally bombed a mental hospital, killing 18 people.

Peru (false) : The US never bombed Peru.

Congo (false) : The US supported the Democratic Republic of the Congo, together with the United Nations, but it never bombed the Congo.

Libya (true) : The United States bombed Libya on 15 April 1986 in retaliation for the West Berlin discotheque bombing. The airstrikes targeted military assets like the Bab al-Azizia Barracks, and the Murat Sidi Bilal training camp for naval commandos.

In 2011, NATO forces including the US, bombed Libya as part of its military intervention, under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 (UNSCR 1973) during the First Libyan Civil War. Since then, the US has continued to bomb terrorist camps in Libya.

Libyan people celebrating attack on Muammar Qaddafi’s main military compound in Tripoli, August 23, 2011
Photo credit : AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini

Somalia (true) : The US has conducted airstrikes and drone strikes against al-Shabaab militants in support of the Federal Government of Somalia since 2016. To be clear – these bombings were conducted with the agreement, and coordination, of the government of Somalia.

Sudan (true) : On 20 August 1998, the US Navy launched cruise missiles at the al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Khartoum, Sudan, on bad intelligence which suggested it may be used in VX nerve gas manufacturing, and had financial ties between the factory and Osama bin Laden.

Serbia (true) : NATO forces, including the US, launched airstrikes against the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1999, to stop the genocide and ethnic cleansing of Albanians. Yugoslav President Milošević was later indicted for war crimes (like Russian President Vladimir Putin).

Bosnia (true) : NATO forces, including the US, launched airstrikes to support United Nations Protection Force protecting safe areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina against the Army of Republic Srpska. The United Nations requested NATO assistance to support its efforts to prevent a genocide in 1995.

Lebanon (false) : The US did not bomb Lebanon, because it intervened in the 1958 Lebanon crisis at the request of President Camille Chamoun. Together with Lebanese government forces, American troops successfully occupied the Port of Beirut and Beirut International Airport. After the crisis ended three months later, the United States withdrew.

Iran (false) : While the US has arguably conducted clandestine operations against Iran, it has not actually bombed Iran. Even when Iran shot down a US drone in June 2019, the US did not retaliate militarily.

Iraq (true) : In 1991, 42 countries including the United States, launched airstrikes against Iraq, during the liberation of Kuwait.

In 2003, the US, UK, Australia, Poland, and Iraqi rebels invaded Iraq to oust Prime Minister Saddam Hussein. Massive airstrikes allowed the coalition to conclude major combat operations in less than a month.

Kuwait (false) : In 1991, 42 countries including the United States, launched airstrikes and artillery bombardments against Iraqi forces during the liberation of Kuwait. However, I chalk this as false, as they were not targeting Kuwait.

Syria (true) : Since 2014, the US, UK, France, Jordan, Turkey, Canada, Australia and other countries have been launching airstrikes against the Islamic State and al-Nusra Front forces inside Syria.

Afghanistan (true) : The US, UK, Canada, and other countries, bombed and invaded Taliban-ruled Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks on the United States.

Vietnam (true) : The US conducted extensive bombing of North Vietnam after attacks by North Vietnamese guerrillas, and North Vietnam attacked South Vietnam in a massive Easter Offensive in 1972.

Laos (true) : The US dropped 260 million bombs on Laos, to try and cut North Vietnam’s logistical trail known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Cambodia (true) : The US dropped 214 tons of bombs on Cambodia from 1965 to 1968, in attacks on the sanctuaries and base areas of North Vietnamese and Viet Gong forces during the Vietnam War.

Indonesia (true) : Despite President Eisenhower’s orders that no Americans be involved, the CIA bombed Indonesia’s outer islands on 19 April 1958, during its failed attempt to overthrow the Sukarno government.

North Korea (true) : The US, as part of the United Nations Command, carried out an extensive bombing campaign of North Korea during the Korean War of 1950-1953, which started after North Korean troops attacked South Korea on 25 June 1950.

China (false) : The US never bombed China.

This is really nothing more than yet another example of propaganda created or promoted by the infamous Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and/or pro-CCP netizens. Here are some other examples I fact-checked recently:

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Did Russia Arrest Rustam Azhiev For Moscow Attack?!

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Did Russia arrest a Ukrainian man called Rustam Azhiev for the Crocus City Hall attack in Moscow?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Russia Arrested Rustam Azhiev For Moscow Attack!

Some people are claiming that Russia just arrested a Ukrainian man called Rustam Azhiev for the Crocus City Hall attack in Moscow that killed at least 133 people.

Paul A. Szypula : Ukraine citizen Rustam Azhiyev was just identified as a terrórist who took part in the massącre Friday of over 150 peaceful people in Moscow.

Were U.S. tax dollars used by Zelensky to facilitate this horrendous attack on innocent citizens of Russia?

Richard : It appears that Rustam Azhiyev, is a Ukrainian citizen, purportedly served in the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2022 and is now being identified as one of the terrorists.

This seems to align with Putin’s assertions….

🇺🇲 Silent Silas 🇺🇲 : We’re led to believe Islamic State claimed responsibility for attack on Crocus City Hall in Moscow. Seems like a cover.

On the other hand, we have one of the terrorists that aided in killing 130 unarmed people, a former Ukrainian soldier Rustam Azhiyev.

Ayesha ilyas : 🚨BREAKING: One of the terrorists who killed over 130 innocent people in the Moscow concert hall attack, Rustam Azhiyev, has been identified as a Ukrainian citizen and “former” soldier ⚠️

Show less

Truth : Russia Did Not Arrest Rustam Azhiev For Moscow Attack!

This appears to be yet another example of fake news circulating on X (formerly Twitter), and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Rustam Azhiev Is Chechen Battalion Deputy Commander

Let me start by pointing out that Rustam Magomedovich Azhiev (born Мохмад ВоӀ Рустам / Moxmad Vo’ Rustam on 12 April 1981) is currently the deputy commander-in-chief of the Chechen battalion OBON, which is fighting on the Ukrainian side of the Ukraine War.

Azhiev was a former Chechen wrestler who started fighting against the Russian military in the Second Russo-Chechen War in 1999. He later fought against Russia in the Syrian civil war, as Abdul Hakim al-Shishani, the emir of the jihadist militant group, Ajnad al-Kavkaz (AK).

In 2022, Abdul Hakim al-Shishani and his AK militants joined the fight against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Fact #2 : Russia Never Said He Was Rustam Azhiev

Without a doubt, Rustam Azhiev has been a thorn in the side of the Russian government for many years, and is thus, is well-known (infamous?) to them.

If Russia did indeed capture Rustam Azhiev, it would have been a major coup. The Russian government would have publicly announced it, and made a big fuss. Yet, it did nothing of the sort.

Even Margarita Simonovna Simonya, the editor-in-chief of RT – the Russian state broadcaster, only identified the man in the viral photo as the “mastermind” behind the Crocus City Hall attack. She never identified him as Rustam Azhiev.

The only people who are apparently making these claims are Western social media users who probably cannot tell the difference between a Chechen and a Syrian, never mind identify Rustam Azhiev in a line-up. Unsurprisingly, none of them actually provided any evidence that the man is Rustam Azhiev.

Fact #3 : The Captured Man Is Not Rustam Azhiev

While the man may look superficially like Rustam Azhiev, they are not the same man as the photo above shows. They have different cheek profiles, and their ears look different.

But the clearest indication is their hair partings. The man who was captured has hair parted on his left side. Rustam Azhiev’s hair is parted on his right side.

It cannot be determined from the photo, but the real Rustam Azhiev lost three fingers while fighting in the Second Russo-Chechen War in 2009. The Russian government would obviously know if this man is, or is not, Rustam Azhiev.

Fact #4 : Rustam Azhiev Was Never Associated With ISIS

Rustam Azhiev may hate Russia, but he has never been associated with ISIS. His jihadist militant group, Ajnad al-Kavkaz, was made up of fighters from the Caucasus Emirate, but operated autonomously.

In fact, AK’s support for the fight against Russia has less to do with its jihadist ideals, and more to do with fighting against Russia’s oppression, as one of its commanders explained:

Every enemy of Russia is a friend of ours. Also, the Ukrainian people are oppressed, and Islam commanded us to support the oppressed, let alone if the oppressor is a common enemy to us.

There is simply no evidence that Rustam Azhiev would subject himself to ISIS command, never mind actually take part in an ISIS operation.

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Was US Military Caught Stealing Tents From China?!

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Did the Chinese catch the US military stealing humanitarian tents China donated to Syria?!

Take a look at the viral photo, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : US Military Was Caught Stealing Tents From China!

People are sharing a photo of a US soldier carrying a white humanitarian tent, claiming that it is evidence the US military stole it from China, just like how it stole oil from Syria!

A few days ago, the Chinese discovered that the US military was using tents from China. Only now it turned out these tents are from a humanitarian convoy that China sent to Syria. The Americans are not only stealing oil from Syria, but also humanitarian aid.

Even Iranian state media, Press TV, posted the same photo, and claim:

It’s not only oil that the US steals from Syria!

A photo of an American soldier carrying a Chinese tent has been circulating on social media!

It is now reported that the tents were from a humanitarian convoy that China had sent to Syria.

Truth : US Military Was NOT Caught Stealing Tents From China!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and spread by pro-CCP netizens and groups.

Fact #1 : Viral Photo Was Taken In Turkey

First, let me just point out that the viral photo was actually posted by the US Army’s official Instagram account on March 8, 2023. It was also taken in Turkey, not Syria, as alleged.

Fact #2 : US Soldier Was Delivering Aid In Turkey

The claim that the US military was using tents from China is nonsense.

The soldier was carrying the humanitarian tent to aid people affected by the earthquake in Turkey. This was clearly explained in the caption of the photo:

See how @101stabndivaa (101st Airborne Division) is #MakingADifference

First Strike Soldiers continue to work in support of USAID – US Agency for International Development and Turkish relief efforts to those affected by the earthquake in Türkiye. The First Strike Way! 🖤

#StrongerTogether #Peoplehelpingpeople #Support #disasterrelief

Fact #3 : Tent Was Likely Donated By China

Despite counter-claims that the tent was donated by Taiwan, the tent carried by the US soldier appears to be donated by China to help with the humanitarian efforts in Turkey and Syria, following the massive 2023 earthquake.

The tent cover has the printed description in Simplified Chinese (which is used in China, Singapore and Malaysia), instead of Traditional Chinese used in Taiwan:

应急救灾 12m²
数量：1套
体积 : 1830mmx210mm

Emergency Disaster Relief 12m²
Quantity : 1 Set
Dimensions : 1830mmx210mm

Fact #4 : US Military Helped To Deliver Aid

While the China sent tons of tents and other supplies to Turkey, it did not have any base or ability to transport those aid to the affected areas. That was left to AFAD – the Turkish relief agency.

That was where the United States military came in – they used their helicopters at the Incirlik Air Base to deliver donated aid to the affected areas that are hard to reach by trucks.

That’s why you see US soldiers taking things on or off helicopters, which may have been donated by other countries. They were not stealing anything, just helping to deliver them.

Fact #5 : US Has Almost Triple Military Budget Of China

Only the most ignorant Chinese or pro-CCP netizen will believe that the US military needs to steal tents donated by China. And of all things – white humanitarian tents…

Anyone who even does a 5 second check would have discovered that the United States has almost triple the military budget of China.

In 2021, the US military budget was $767.8 billion, while China only spent $270 billion on its military. The US military can definitely afford to pay for more tents than the Chinese.

Fact #6 : No Evidence Chinese Convoy Got Hijacked By US Military

There is no evidence that the tent being carried by the soldier was stolen from a Chinese humanitarian convoy in Syria.

There is also no evidence that any Chinese humanitarian convoy was hijacked by the US military. If that actually happened, China would have protested the hijacking publicly, and the news would have been broadcasted by the many press and propaganda outlets controlled by the CCP government.

Naturally, there was nothing of the sorts. But since when have the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), or pro-CCP netizens, ever cared about facts?

Fact #7 : This Is Just Chinese Propaganda

This appears to be yet another example of Chinese propaganda created by the infamous Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), or pro-CCP netizens.

Here is just the latest dozen the other wumao articles and videos that I looked at so far:

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Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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2023 Turkey Earthquake : Fake Photos + Scam Alert!

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Please watch out for fake photos + videos, as well as donation scams capitalising on the devastating 2023 earthquake in Turkey!

2023 Turkey Earthquake : Fake Photos Alert!

Many people have been sharing photos of the massive earthquake that devastated both Turkey and Syria on 6 February 2023.

Unfortunately, quite a number of fake photos on WhatsApp and social media. They also appear in TikTok and YouTube videos. Here are a few notable examples.

Old Man With Bread

This photo of an old man with bread is being shared as a lesson on why we should be humble, respectful and kind.

It took just 17secs to change his status from the owner of 33 buildings to a person who’s surviving on bread and finding shelter where he can.

#TurkeyEarthquake teaches us an important lesson that life is unpredictable and nothing is permanent. Be humble, respectful and kind.

How being humble, respectful and kind could have helped this poor man was not explained. Neither did the people sharing this “lesson” explain why this photo has been circulating since 1999…

Yes, this photo was taken by photographer, Abdurrahman Antakyalı, almost 24 years ago, after the Düzce Earthquake that occurred on 12 November, 1999.

Needless to say, that old man was not a rich man who owned 33 buildings. It is incredible that people who create a fake story about this poor man. If there is a lesson to be learned, it is that everyone should “verify before sharing“!

Dog Looking For Survivor

Many people are sharing photos of dogs looking for survivors, like this example below, which was shared with messages like:

The little heroes will save many lives. Pray for Turkey.

This is incredible! A dog in Turkey was seen digging trying to rescue its owner. When the dog failed to move the heavy debris, he started barking to ask for help while holding one of his owner’s fingers!

Syrian🇸🇾 Turkish🇹🇷 Earthquakes!

Dogs are sensitive to their owner ❤️😊

The truth is – that is one of many stock images of “dogs looking for people in earthquake” available online.

That photo, and similar examples featuring the same dog as well as others dogs were posted by Czech photographer, Jaroslav Noska, on November 2020.

This suggests that the photos were staged for use as stock photos, and not actual photos of a real disaster area, or even real rescue dogs.

Tryon The Rescue Dog

Many people shared this photo of a dirty-looking dog, claiming that it just saved 10 lives in the 2023 earthquake in Turkey.

This dog worked all night last night and saved 10 lives

This dog hero who worked the whole night and saved 10 lives in Turkey.

The truth is – this is Tryon the rescue dog who helped to search for victims of a deadly mudslide near Oso, Washington, in the United States.

This photo was taken by Rick Wilking, a freelance photographer for Reuters, on March 30, 2014. He provided the following caption for this photo:

Tryon the rescue dog waits to go through the decontamination area at the mudslide after searching for victims in Oso, Washington March 30, 2014.

2023 Turkey Earthquake : Donation Scam Alert!

People are not just posting those fake photos to “virtue signal” or increase their popularity, some are using them for donation scams!

Photos of Tryon the rescue dog above, for example, is being used to solicit donations for the people in Syria.

(Need Some reputable or NGO in Syria to pay or food. Shelter, blankets the Earthquake affects from the donations if gathered from this page.

As Sanction Syria from all over the world needs our help. Turkey has been helping by many.

He (Reputable) or NGO must be at the Earthquake affected areas of Syria and make video or come live while giving blankets, food, donation etc. Thanks )

– Those who want to Help/Donate. Message us. Thanks!

Even more egregious is this photo of a firefighter holding a child with a Turkish flag on his sleeve.

Friends, we have launched an aid campaign to reach people who have experienced an #earthquake disaster in Turkey.

#btc B : 1)n3C4GiFCzERTWd6nvCc4hTzvK8Viz88y

#eth: Ox2cff2ad875£68bf4ec5a478e505767c348dd61d

#Suns suns

The trouble is – the photo isn’t real! It was created by Major General Panagiotis Kotridis of the Aegean fire brigade using the AI image generator called Midjourney.

While they are capable of creating really realistic images, such artificial intelligence image generators often leave tell-tale mistakes.

In the viral photo below, you can see that the firefighter has six fingers on his right hand with an abnormally long thumb. His left hand is also missing, with a third “hand?” right next to it.

The BBC investigated further, and found that one of the crypto wallet addresses had been used in scam and spam tweets since 2018, while the other crypto wallet address had been posted on VK – the Russian social media website, together with pornographic content.

Ax Sharma, a cybersecurity expert at Sonatype, also pointed out that scammers are creating fake disaster relief accounts on social media to cheat people. One example is @TurkeyRelief on Twitter, which was created in January 2023 with just 31 followers and asked for donations using PayPal.

Scammers are also using TikTok Live to ask for donations, using captions like “Let’s help Turkey”, “Pray for Turkey” and “Donate for earthquake victims” over their videos. According to the BBC, TikTok takes up to 70% of the proceeds of these digital gifts.

So please WATCH OUT for such donation scams, which use real or fake photos / videos to trick people into sending them money.

If you want to help, please donate DIRECTLY to reputable organisations like the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Médecins San Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), OxFam, or the nearest Turkish embassy.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Did Turkey Earthquake Cause Nuclear Plant Explosion?!

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Did the massive Turkey earthquake cause an atomic explosion at the Akkuyu nuclear power plant?!

Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Turkey Earthquake Caused Nuclear Plant Explosion!

People are sharing a video of a shocking explosion that allegedly happened at a nuclear power plant, after the massive Turkey earthquake.

☢️ Shocking Atomic explosion at a nuclear power plant in Turkey

Atomic explosion at a nuclear power plant in Turkey.

Due to the last earthquake produced in Turkey, the massive explosion of a nuclear power plant is reported. At the moment, more information about the event is unknown or if it has caused fatalities. But judging by the images, it is very possible that there were deaths and injuries in the areas near the explosion. We will keep reporting.

Truth : Turkey Earthquake Did Not Cause Nuclear Plant Explosion!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by a YouTube channel to generate money, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant Is Still Under Construction

Turkey does not have any operational nuclear power plants, and only one under construction – the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in Büyükeceli, in the Mersin Province.

The first reactor is only scheduled to be completed later in 2023, but it may be delayed by sanctions placed on Rosatom – the Russian company building the nuclear power plant.

Fact #2 : Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant Was Undamaged By Earthquake

On Monday, February 6, 2023, a major magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck central Turkey and northwest Syria.

Fortunately, the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant was only hit by magnitude 3 tremors, and was not damaged.

Earth tremors of about magnitude 3 were felt here… but our specialists have not revealed any damage to building structures, cranes and equipment.

Nevertheless, we are carrying out extensive diagnostic measures to make sure that construction and installation operations can continue safely.

– Anastasia Zoteeva, Rosatom spokesperson

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) concurred, stating that there was “no impact” from the earthquakes in Turkey, and the nuclear power plant under construction was “unaffected“.

As of now, no impact from earthquakes on nuclear safety & security in Türkiye, its Nuclear Regulatory Authority told IAEA; no issues so far related to radiological safety & security of radioactive sources, & the country's under construction nuclear power plant is unaffected.

— IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency ⚛️ (@iaeaorg) February 6, 2023

Fact #3 : No Report Of Explosion In Mainstream Media

A nuclear power plant explosion would have been big news, and yet, there is no mention of such an explosion in any media outlet. Not CNN, not BBC, not even RT in Russia or CCTV in China.

That’s because this Turkey nuclear power plant explosion never happened. It’s a hoax. Fake news!

Fact #4 : Photo Was From Stock Photography Website

I traced the cover photo of the Turkey nuclear explosion to a stock photography website called Pixabay.

The YouTube video creator, Hide World, used the photo called “Nuclear Explosion Apocalypse” to trick you into believing that there was a nuclear power plant explosion in Turkey.

The image was created by by CristianIS, and posted to the Pixabay website on March 12, 2020.

Fact #5 : Video Showed 2020 Port of Beirut Explosion

The shocking explosion shown in the video created by Hide World was misappropriated from the 2020 Beirut explosion in Lebanon.

On 4 August 2020, a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the Port of Beirut exploded, killing at least 218 people and devastating the port and its surrounding areas.

The video that Hide World used was taken by a witness at a restaurant, and showed the second explosion at the Port of Beirut.

You can see the original video (here) posted by Al Arabiya English on 9 August 2020. If you compare that to the Hide World video (below), you can see that they are exactly the same.

Hide World used the Beirut port explosion from 2.5 years ago, to trick you into believing that it’s a video of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant explosion in Turkey.

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/☢️-Shocking-Atomic-explosion-at-a-nuclear-power-plant-in-Turkey.mp4?_=2

Fact #6 : This Is Another Example Of Fake YouTube Videos

This is just another example of fake videos created by YouTubers who want to generate more views to build up their channel, or to generate ad money.

Here are some examples of fake YouTube videos that I fact checked in the past:

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Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Was Azov Battalion Caught Executing Civilians In Viral Video?!

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Was the Ukrainian Azov Battalion caught executing civilians and dumping them in mass graves?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Azov Battalion Caught Executing Civilians In Viral Video!

People are sharing a video showing a few soldiers executing blindfolded civilians with their hands tied behind their backs, and dumping their bodies into a mass grave.

The video is accompanied by this message, which claims that it shows the Ukrainian Azov battalion executing innocent civilians :

🇺🇦 🇺🇦 🇺🇦UKRAINE.. Bloody, cruel and brutal, the Ukrainian Azov Battalion killed civilians dump them in mass graves. 🤦🏻‍♂️Russia & the World must destroy the Ukrainian Azov battalion. 👊🏼

Suddenly, US, UK, EU, NATO, international human rights organizations have all keeping quiet and disappeared. 😠 😡 🤬 🤬 🤬

Truth : Azov Battalion Did Not Execute Those Civilians In Viral Video!

This is yet another example of pro-Russia FAKE NEWS, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Video Was Recorded In Syria In 2013

Anyone who watched the video would have immediately realised that neither the soldiers nor the civilians look like Ukrainians.

That’s because the video was not recorded in Ukraine in 2022, but in Tadamon, Syria on 16 April 2013 – 9 years ago!

The video was recently leaked to the Guardian by a Syrian militia recruit, who stole it from a laptop belonging to the Syrian government.

Fact #2 : al-Assad Government Committed That Atrocity

The video actually shows Syrian soldiers kicking civilians who were blindfolded and tied up into a pit filled with tyres, before shooting them.

In the end, at least 41 men lay dead in that mass grave in the Damascus suburb of Tadamon, Syria.

After the Guardian broke the story and released the video on 27 April 2022, the US State Department strongly condemned the Tadamon massacre on 29 April 2022 :

We strongly condemn the atrocities depicted in a recently released video, which appears to show blindfolded, unarmed civilians being shot point-blank by an Assad regime official before falling into a mass grave in Tadamon, Syria, during a 2013 massacre that reportedly killed hundreds of Syrian civilians. The video, which suggests additional evidence of war crimes committed by the Assad regime, is yet another harrowing example of the horrors that the Syrian people have endured for more than a decade.

Credit : The Guardian

Fact #3 : Killer Was Identified As Syrian Major Youssuf

That war crime was eventually traced to Branch 227 of the Syrian military intelligence service under the al-Assad regime, by a Syrian activist who called herself “Anna Sh”.

Amjad (Amgd) Youssuf – a major in Branch 227 – admitted to Anna Sh that he was the man seen in the video executing those civilians.

I killed a lot. I took revenge.

Fact #4 : Russia Actively Supports al-Assad Government

I should point out that the Russian government not only provides the al-Assad government with military support, they actively provide air support to the Syrian military, which includes launching airstrikes on Syrian civilians.

The Russian government has also notably declined to condemn the al-Assad government for their role in executing Syrian civilians in the Tadamon massacre.

It is likely that the creator of this fake news is attempting to cover up Russian complicity in that atrocity, by falsely pinning the recently-leaked video on the Azov battalion.

Fact #5 : Russians Were Caught Executing Civilians

This is not the first time fake news was created to cover up the fact that Russian forces were caught executing Ukrainian civilians, the most notable of which was the Bucha massacre.

After the Ukrainians evicted Russian forces from the town of Bucha, they found bodies of civilians who appeared to have been executed in cold blood and left on the road.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the Russian Ministry of Defense immediately claimed that the footage of the bodies was “staged” by Ukrainians who placed them there after Russian forces left Bucha.

Unfortunately for the Russians, satellite photos taken weeks before their withdrawal showed that the Russians executed those civilians while they were in full control of the town.

A satellite image from Maxar showed that the bodies were already there as early as 11 March, with this clearer picture taken on 19 March. The Russians only left Bucha on 30 March.

Russian forces was also caught on satellite creating massive graves at Bucha, which were later found to contain bodies of hundreds of Ukrainian civilians.

So it is likely that they left these bodies on the streets of Bucha as a warning to the town residents, much like how Nazis in World War 2 would sometimes hang bodies in the streets of the towns they conquered.

Fact #6 : Azov Battalion Is Small

Pro-Russian netizens are incessantly harping about the right-wing, neo-Nazi Azov battalion, as if they are the Ukrainian version of Nazi Germany’s Waffen-SS.

The truth is – the Azov battalion has always been few in numbers, with a disproportionate reputation to its size.

The Azov battalion was formed as a volunteer group in May 2014, by members of the right-wing Patriot of Ukraine and neo-Nazi Social National Assembly (SNA) political parties, to fight against pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk.

With only about 500 members, the Azov battalion helped the Ukrainian armed forces recapture the city of Mariupol from pro-Russian separatists.

After that success, they were integrated into the Ukrainian National Guard, and reorganised as a regiment on 11 November 2014 with about 2,500 members.

Not only does the Azov regiment constitute a very small proportion of the Ukrainian National Guard, only about 10% to 20% of its members identify themselves as Nazis, according to Andriy Diachenko, the Azov Brigade spokesperson.

According to Anton Shekhovtsov, a Vienna-based Ukrainian expert on Russia’s connections to Europe’s far-right :

Azov’s history is rooted in a volunteer battalion formed by the leadership of a neo-Nazi group. But it is certain that Azov has depoliticised itself. Its history linked to the far-right movement is pretty irrelevant today.

Many pro-Russian and pro-CCP netizens are sharing the video and fake message on WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitter and Facebook.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

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