# Is it ever fake when terrorists claim responsibility? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 17, 2015, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-fake-when-terrorists-claim-responsibility/737761 "2015-11-17T00:49:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-fake-when-terrorists-claim-responsibility/737761/1 "2015-11-17T00:49:48Z")
I’ve been hearing a lot lately about ISIS claiming responsibility for the recent attacks. Has it ever happened that a terrorist group bluffed by claiming responsibility for a disaster they didn’t cause? Perhaps after an accident, or when the real perpetrators didn’t speak up? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-fake-when-terrorists-claim-responsibility/737761/2 "2015-11-17T02:08:17Z")
Yes, it happens all the time after any significant disaster or accident. I’m pretty sure it’s happened after most plane crashes in recent years. > **[Paranormal - News and Scientific Articles on Live Science | Live Science](https://www.livescience.com/human-behavior/conspiracies-paranormal)** > > Live Science reporters dig into the latest paranormal news, from ghosts to aliens to extrasensory perception, in order to debunk and even explain the science of what's really causing the seemingly supernatural. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-fake-when-terrorists-claim-responsibility/737761/3 "2015-11-17T02:22:18Z")
Always wanted to see two terrorist groups fighting over the event. "We did that’! “No, it was us”! Still waiting. ---
**Author:** ![slash2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@slash2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slash2k)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-fake-when-terrorists-claim-responsibility/737761/4 "2015-11-17T03:07:58Z")
[Both ISIS and the Yemeni branch of Al-Qaeda](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/isis-aqap-vie-for-jihadist-credentials-with-claims-over-paris-terror-attacks/) issued statements claiming responsibility for the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris, while a bombing of an Israeli settlers’ bus in 2002 attracted claims from FOUR different groups (the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, Al Qaeda, Hamas, and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine–al-Aqsa issued their statement through Al Jazeera TV, while the DFLP faxed theirs to Reuters). ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-fake-when-terrorists-claim-responsibility/737761/5 "2015-11-17T03:56:21Z")
There ya have it. Ignorance fought. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-fake-when-terrorists-claim-responsibility/737761/6 "2015-11-17T04:23:43Z")
You are welcome. Glad I could help. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-fake-when-terrorists-claim-responsibility/737761/7 "2015-11-17T06:46:16Z")
Related, see: “false flag (operation)”, although note conspiracy theo > [@JKilez](#): > > You are welcome. Glad I could help. 😃 It’s not often that a GQ post makes me laugh. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-ever-fake-when-terrorists-claim-responsibility/737761/8 "2015-11-23T10:23:10Z")
One incident, which amused me highly, from the 70s or 80s was when Group X immediately claimed responsibility for a bombing in Y city, with commensurate gloating. When the facts emerged, it turned out that it was indeed their faction-a member had screwed up and blown himself up!