False flag operations are covert operations conducted by governments,
corporations, or other organizations which are designed to deceive the
public in such a way that the operations appear as though they are being
carried out by other entities. The name is derived from the military
concept of flying false colors; that is, flying the flag of a country
other than one's own. False flag operations are not limited to war and
counter-insurgency operations, and have been used in peace-time.