Though some level of success can be achieved even through a failed operation, the consequences of failure can outweigh these benefits, as false flag operations are viewed as dishonourable or even illegal in certain circumstances. A false flag operation is a covert act designed to misattribute responsibility to an innocent or unrelated party, typically an adversary, to achieve strategic objectives through deception. A false flag operation is an act committed with the intent of disguising the actual source of responsibility and pinning blame on another party. History rarely moves in straight lines, yet public outrage often does. A fire breaks out, a border is “attacked,” and the villain shows up with suspicious speed, talking points, timelines, and the moral high ground. In modern usage, a false-flag operation is a deliberately planned ruse to make it seem like a state has been attacked, thereby justifying retaliatory military operations against the purported offender. false flag, harmful, often militant, event or action that is designed to appear as though perpetrated by someone other than the person or group responsible for it. False flag operations are often calculated to generate sympathy for the attacked group. What is a false flag? A false flag is a political or military action carried out with the intention of blaming an opponent for it. Actions taken against one’s own side under the guise of being an attack by an enemy is a ruse known as a false flag operation. These can be done on air, on land or on the sea and do not have to be military operations, but can be business dirty tricks or political scams. A “false flag” describes covert operations designed to deceive by creating the appearance that activities are being carried out by groups or nations other than those who actually planned and executed them. A false flag operation is a covert act designed to look like it was carried out by someone other than the actual perpetrator. The term originates from naval warfare, when ships would fly an enemy’s or neutral nation’s flag to approach targets without suspicion.