英倫聚焦
False Flags: From Pirates in the 1720s to Modern Warfare 假旗行動：從18世紀海盜到現代戰爭 撰文及考題設計 British Council 英協教育中心Brian Welter 中譯 陳怡君（中央社編譯）
P
1
景上有白色骷顱頭的「骷顱旗」，有時骷顱頭下交
irates were criminals at sea who tried to
叉的不是骨頭而是兩把劍。海盜旗的各種差異，
take over other ships to steal whatever they
是為了對其他海盜船標誌來者何人。海盜旗在1720
could and kill whoever tried to fight back. They
年代尤受歡迎，但是海盜真的會升起標識自己是
sometimes f lew a f lag identifying themselves as
壞蛋的旗子嗎？為什麼他們會想要昭告眾人他們
pirates. The famous pirate flag, generally a white
是惡棍？至少有些時候，他們會掛一個和平國家
skull and crossbones with a black background, was
的國旗來隱藏真實身分，這麼做是希望避免驚動
called the Jolly Roger. Sometimes the flag had two
海盜船航行所經過的船隻。當海盜船靠得夠近的
crossed swords instead of the bones. Variations in
時候，就能對毫無準備的受害者發動奇襲，取得有
the Jolly Roger signaled who the pirates were to
利優勢。不只海盜會這麼做，一個國家的海軍有時
other pirate ships. The Jolly Roger was particularly
候也會基於同樣理由掛假旗。
popular in the 1720s. But did pirates really fly a flag
114
圖 歐新社
2
that identified them as bad guys? Why would they
The term “false flag” thus came to mean “hiding
have wanted to tell everyone they were villains? At
one's real identity” or “hiding who really did
least sometimes they would hide their true identities
something.” Nowadays, “false flag” often refers to
by flying the flag of a peaceful country. They did
a political situation, but with the same idea of disin-
this so as to avoid alarming any boats or ships they
formation. It is no longer pirates at sea who use dis-
passed. When they got close enough, the ship could
information, but governments. How do governments
launch a surprise attack on the unprepared victim,
carry out false f lag events? When a government
thus gaining a strong advantage. Not only pirates
attacks another country, it may try to hide its re-
did this. A national navy would sometimes f ly a
sponsibility. It may try to make it look like another
false flag for the same reason.
country or group did it, creating the illusion that the
海盜是海上罪犯，企圖占領其他船隻竊取物品
real attacker looks innocent. It can then claim to be
與殺害任何反抗者，他們有時會掛上表明自己是
“helping” the situation by sending in its soldiers,
海盜的旗幟。著名的海盜旗，一般來說是黑色背
which it had planned to do long before the violence.
全球中央雜誌 2017.02