Countries cite scapegoats

National leaders in Egypt, Syria and Russia, confronted by anti-government protests and uprisings, are sounding the same refrain: “Blame it on the foreigners.”

In Russia, government officials said that Russian intelligence services knew years ago that foreign influences were at work in undermining the credibility of last year’s parliamentary elections.

“Listen, we knew two or three years in advance, that the next day after parliamentary elections, we will have a scandal and we will have people going out and saying ‘Listen, guys, these elections are not legitimate, because there are hundreds of violations and they have stolen our voices.’ We knew this in 2010. We knew that it would happen,” said Dmitri S. Peskov, a spokesman for Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin.

After the December parliamentary election, Mr. Putin accused Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of encouraging the anti-Kremlin protests by her statements questioning the fairness of the elections.

On Saturday, the government Investigations Committee, said that videos of alleged ballot-stuffing and vote rigging after the December vote had been faked by a group in the United States.

Russian officials expect the same international protests after the March 4 presidential election. Mr. Peskov said Moscow even has the wording of the statement that will be issued by election monitors working with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

A documentary entitled “Foreigners Will Help Them” claims to show Russia’s opposition leaders meeting and receiving instructions from U.S. officials.

The anti-foreigner sentiments fueled by Egypt’s ruling military council surfaced again with plans by prosecutors to bring criminal charges against more than 40 employees of nongovernmental organizations or outside groups, including 19 Americans.

They are expected to face trial for allegedly operating without a license and receiving foreign funds illegally. Last year, government forces raided offices of several of the groups, which work to promote democracy.

Egypt’s military leaders have often accused “foreign hands” of meddling in the country’s affairs.

The outsider refrain has been repeatedly sounded in Syria during an 11-month uprising against President Bashar Assad.

Last month, he threatened to use an “iron hand” against “those who work with outsiders against the country.”

The scapegoating has become a way to deflect criticism, deny responsibility and discredit opposition groups.