Newly elected MP George Galloway’s accusations of UK involvement in the Moscow terror attack have ignited controversy and drawn harsh criticism from fellow MPs. Here’s the full story.
Stirring Up Controversy
In the aftermath of the tragic Moscow terror attack, newly elected MP George Galloway did what he does best by stirring up controversy surrounding the incident by implicating the UK in the massacre.
ISIS Attack
Galloway’s remarks, made on his YouTube channel, accused the US and the UK of lying about the involvement of ISIS in the attack, which claimed the lives of at least 139 people and left approximately 360 injured.
“They Were Lying”
Galloway stated, “When the US, UK and others quickly tried to assure me that it was only ISIS (banned in the Russian Federation) that committed this massacre in Moscow, I automatically realised that they were lying.
“No One Has Explained”
He continued, “And this is what I discovered: first of all, no one has explained the unannounced visit of former president Barack Obama to meet British politicians and security officials in Downing Street three days before this terrorist crime was committed.
“This Harbinger of Death”
Galloway then went on to say, “Researching even further, I discovered that Victoria Nuland [former senior US diplomat], this harbinger of death, this angel of death, who, if she approaches you, you can be sure that civil war is coming in your country. And she promised the Russians some unpleasant surprises in the coming weeks and months.”
Swift Condemnation
Galloway’s assertions, deemed irresponsible by fellow MPs, insinuated Western involvement in the attack, drawing swift condemnation. His claims, which echo Kremlin narratives suspiciously closely, were picked up by Russian state media and reprinted.
“Four Pieces of Evidence”
Galloway claimed he had “four pieces of evidence that lead me to believe that the United States, its Nato allies, and their puppet stump state Ukraine are, in fact, responsible for this massacre”.
Unsubstantiated Claims
Galloway’s remarks aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unsubstantiated claims implicating Ukraine in the attack despite a complete lack of evidence.
Justifying Aggression
Analysts warned of Putin’s long and sordid history of leveraging terrorist incidents to justify aggression and the potential fallout that might follow such an attack.
“Utter Nonsense”
David Cameron, the foreign secretary, rebuffed Galloway’s allegations, labelling them as “utter nonsense” in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Reckless Assertions
Many MPs criticised Galloway’s assertions as reckless, asserting that they played into the Kremlin’s hands by fueling divisive narratives.
“Typically Far Fetched”
Tobias Ellwood, a former chair of parliament’s defence committee, condemned Galloway’s comments as irresponsible. He stated, “Whilst his words will be quickly dismissed as a typically far-fetched, factually incorrect rant, Moscow will exploit this to spin its own domestic narrative that NATO is to blame.”
Irresponsible and Reckless
He continued, “Galloway’s words are not only irresponsible but reckless.”
Lack of Evidence
Other critics, including Conservative MPs Bob Seely and Henry Smith, dismissed Galloway’s claims, emphasising the absence of evidence linking the US, UK, or Ukraine to the attack.
“No Evidence”
Seely stated, “There is absolutely no evidence that the US or the UK or Ukraine or NATO were in any way responsible, and sadly, this sort of wild speculation plays into the hands of the Kremlin and will be used to support this absolute fiction of a claim.”
Caving Into Reality
Despite attempts to attribute blame to Ukraine, Putin eventually acknowledged radical Islamist terrorists as responsible for the attack.
“Who Ordered It”
However, after admitting that ISIS, who claimed responsibility, had carried out the attack, Putin added ominously, “Now we want to know who ordered it.”
Preventing Escalation
International observers quickly denounced Putin’s attempt to implicate Ukraine without evidence, highlighting the need for a measured response to prevent further escalation.
Indicative of Involvement
Counterterrorism analysts cited the modus operandi of Isis Khorasan, a terrorist offshoot with a presence in Tajikistan, as indicative of the group’s involvement in the attack.
Kremlin Narrative
Galloway’s comments garnered attention from Russian media outlets, amplifying his claims and contributing to disseminating the Kremlin-friendly narrative.
Courting Controversy
This is not the first time Galloway has courted controversy with remarks regarding the war in Ukraine, having previously claimed that the Russian massacre of civilians in Bucha, just north of Kyiv, in April 2022, was likely staged.
Notably Absent
Despite his campaign for election focusing heavily on the war in Gaza, since his by-election victory, Galloway has been notably absent from several debates in the Commons on the ongoing humanitarian tragedy.
Firmly on the Fringes
George Galloway’s accusations regarding Western involvement in the Moscow terror attack are unsurprising coming from a figure who, despite the much-vaunted rhetoric of his years in the Labour Party, has now found himself firmly on the fringes of British political life.
Violent Escalation
While his claims aligned suspiciously well with Kremlin narratives, they lack any evidence and risk a potentially violent escalation.
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