Some incidents where stronger countries fabricated pretexts to attack other states

LAHORE: The poorly-staged April 22, 2025 Pahalgam incident, a false flag operation by the Indian government to blame Pakistan and justify yet another war with its nuclear neighbour since 1948, is not the first fake or scripted incident in history that ultimately led to a larger conflict, research conducted by the “Jang Group and Geo Television Network” shows.

Here follow a few examples from annals of history where countries, who perceived themselves to be stronger than their opponents, fabricated pretexts for aggression to rally international support, legitimise their actions, and even orchestrate regime changes etc:

According to a February 20, 2022 report of the Russian Foreign Ministry, the-then US President James Polk wanted to buy Mexico, but was refused. The border between Mexico and Texas, previously annexed with the direct involvement of the United States, served as a false cause to start hostilities in 1846. Declaring that the Mexicans invaded the American territory and shed blood, Polk waged war that Mexico lost and had to recognize Texas as part of the US. It lost more than half its territory, including today’s California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and Utah.

Between 1861 and 1867, Britain, Spain and France planned to intervene in Mexico. British media launched a campaign that Mexico was not paying debts and foreigners were suffering. The French opted for an intervention.

In 1854, US attacked Nicaragua and staged a coup, a pattern that continued from 1890s to 1937.

In 1898, US took Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Guam from Spain in 1898, after blaming the Spanish for sinking one of its ships in Cuba, which was declared an independent state but remained under strong US influence. The 1912 probe refuted the US claims though.

In 1922, US attacked Haiti, saying it wanted to protect lives and property of Americans and foreigners.

In 1961, the “Bay of Pigs” Invasion was a failed CIA-backed attempt to invade Cuba by overthrowing Castro regime. US President Kennedy slapped sanctions, wanted a war but Cuban forces resisted, inflicting heavy losses. It led to the Soviet Union becoming more involved in Cuba.

In 1953, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the CIA and the UK Secret Intelligence Service toppled Iranian Prime Minister Mossadegh, who had nationalised his country’s oil industry. A misinformation campaign was launched against Mossadeg, based on fabricated news about cooperation with Communists. Favourable conditions were hence created for Shah Reza Pahlavi to return from exile.

In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson attacked Taiwan, alleging it of bombing some US planes in Gulf of Tonkin. Later, the Senate admitted that facts had been intentionally distorted in order to launch military operations in Vietnam.

In 1965, President Johnson invaded Dominican Republic, saying it was necessary to protect US citizens in the ongoing civil war.

In 1973, US brought Pinochet to power in Chile, favoured a military regime in Guatemala during 1982, planned invasion of Grenada in 1983, changed Colombian regime in 1986 under the excuse of countering drug trafficking and then attacked Panama in 1989 to “protect” American citizens and ensure the security of Panama Canal.

In 1999, Nato attacked Yugoslavia after false reports of a civilian massacre. Probe revealed these killed civilians were actually armed militants. The European Union later established this, but it was too late.

In 2003, US and its allies invaded Iraq and dethroned Saddam. US Secretary of State Colin Powell accused Iraqi leaders of manufacturing Weapons of Mass Destruction. Saddam was hence toppled and executed. The country was plunged into years of chaos, from which it has not fully recovered to this day. No biological, chemical or nuclear weapons were ever found. Powell apologised publicly. British Premier Tony Blair himself admitted that the invasion had been carried out on the basis of false intelligence. He apologised to the families of British soldiers who died in Iraq but somehow, ‘forgot’ to apologise to the families of murdered Iraqis.

In 2017-18, Syria was attacked by Western powers under the plea that Damascus was using chemical weapons.

In 2018, US intervened in Venezuelan presidential elections and did not recognise the winning candidate, accusing him of rigging polls. Another politician was instead made interim president in violation of the country’s constitution. The country’s central bank was sanctioned and the petroleum industry, which generated most revenues, was placed under an embargo.

Another instance of American interference in Bolivia’s domestic affairs was the events of 2008 that forced President Morales to expel US Ambassador Philip Goldberg, who was allegedly involved in undesirable activities. Later the President’s plane was forced to land in Vienna in 2013, following his visit to Moscow, under the justification that former American National Security Agency contractor, Edward Snowden (who leaked classified documents revealing the existence of global surveillance programmes), may have been aboard too. Spain, France, Portugal and Italy closed their air spaces for him. The purpose was to humiliate the Bolivian President.

In 2020, General Qasem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Quds Force, was killed by a US drone strike at Baghdad Airport, Iraq. Iranian government accused US of masterminding the assassination. In 1931, Japan staged an attack on one of its trains in mineral-rich Chinese city of Manchuria. China was accused of sabotage. This was an excuse to wage war.

In 1939, Nazi Germany staged a covert/false flag operation to invade Poland.

In 1933, German Parliament was set on fire, and the Nazis blamed the communists. This event was used as a pretext to consolidate Nazi power and pass legislation that curtailed civil liberties in Germany.