A *false flag operation* is an act committed with the intent of disguising the actual source of responsibility and pinning blame on another party.
The term "false flag" originated in the 16th century as a purely figurative expression to mean "a deliberate misrepresentation of someone's affiliation or motives".[1] <https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_flag#cite_note-1> It was later used to describe a ruse in naval warfare <https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_warfare> whereby a vessel flew the flag of a neutral or enemy country in order to hide its true identity.
