Pentagon Conducted Covert Anti-Vax Campaigns Weakening China's Pandemic Response
The question is, why would the U.S. Military do this...
U.S. Military’s Secret Anti-Vaccine Campaign During COVID-19
During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. military embarked on a covert mission to undermine China's growing influence in the Philippines, which had been severely impacted by the virus. This undisclosed operation aimed to cast doubt on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines and other aid provided by China, as revealed by a Reuters investigation.
The Unreported Operation
The operation, which has not been previously reported, involved the creation of fake internet accounts impersonating Filipinos. These accounts spread misinformation about the quality of face masks, test kits, and particularly China’s Sinovac vaccine, which was the first to become available in the Philippines. The campaign leveraged social media to amplify anti-vaccine sentiments, with posts claiming, "COVID came from China and the VACCINE also came from China, don’t trust China!" alongside images that stirred fear and distrust.
The Scope and Impact
Reuters identified over 300 such accounts on X (formerly Twitter), which were almost all created in the summer of 2020, centered around the hashtag #Chinaangvirus. After Reuters inquired, X removed these profiles, identifying them as part of a coordinated bot campaign.
The U.S. military’s anti-vaccine campaign began in the spring of 2020 and extended beyond Southeast Asia to Central Asia and the Middle East. The Pentagon used fake social media accounts to spread fear about China’s vaccines among Muslims, suggesting that the vaccines might contain pork gelatin and be forbidden under Islamic law.
Continued Under Multiple Administrations
The program, which started under President Donald Trump, continued into President Joe Biden’s term. It was only in mid-2021 that the Biden administration, alerted by social media executives, ordered a halt to the campaign. An internal Pentagon review followed, uncovering the extent of the misinformation spread by the military.
No Targeting of Americans
The U.S. military is legally prohibited from targeting Americans with propaganda, and there is no evidence to suggest that this operation did so. Both Trump and Biden administration spokespeople declined to comment on the program. However, a senior Defense Department official confirmed the existence of the campaign to undermine China’s vaccine efforts in developing countries.
Reaction and Backlash
The Philippines’ Department of Health called for an investigation into the findings. Some Filipino healthcare professionals and aid workers expressed outrage upon learning about the U.S. military’s efforts. Public health experts in the U.S. also condemned the campaign, arguing that it jeopardized civilian lives for geopolitical gains and undermined trust in vaccination programs, including those involving U.S.-made vaccines.
Historical Parallels
Experts pointed out that undermining public trust in one vaccine could lead to broader vaccine hesitancy. They drew parallels with a CIA operation in Pakistan, where a fake vaccination program used to track Osama bin Laden led to a backlash against genuine vaccination efforts, contributing to the resurgence of polio.
The Struggle for Vaccination in the Philippines
At the time, the Philippines had one of the lowest vaccination rates in Southeast Asia, with only 2.1 million fully vaccinated out of 114 million people. President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to jail those who refused vaccination as the country grappled with over 1.3 million COVID cases and nearly 24,000 deaths by June 2021.
Military vs. Diplomatic Views
The Pentagon’s propaganda efforts were executed despite strong objections from U.S. diplomats in Southeast Asia, who argued that such tactics were inappropriate during a health crisis. The operation was part of a broader push by some U.S. national security officials to revive Cold War-style propaganda efforts against rivals like China.
The Propaganda Machine
The U.S. military’s psychological operations have evolved over time, now leveraging social media to spread covert messages. In this case, the operation intensified fears about Chinese vaccines, particularly among Muslims, by suggesting the vaccines contained pork gelatin.
Social Media’s Response
Facebook and X executives eventually confronted the Pentagon about its fake accounts spreading COVID misinformation. Despite the Pentagon’s assurances to stop, some anti-vaccine posts continued into 2021. This prompted the National Security Council to order an end to the campaign.
Internal Reviews and Policy Changes
An internal Pentagon review revealed inadequate oversight of the contractors running the operation and sloppy tradecraft that made it easy for social media companies to identify the fake accounts. The Pentagon has since adjusted its policies to require closer collaboration with U.S. diplomats and to restrict broad population messaging.
Future Operations
Despite the controversy, the Pentagon continues to pursue clandestine propaganda efforts. General Dynamics IT, the contractor involved in the anti-vaccine campaign, secured a $493 million contract in February 2022 to continue providing these services.
In summary, the U.S. military’s secret anti-vaccine campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the complex and often controversial nature of modern psychological operations. It underscores the delicate balance between national security interests and public health, and the far-reaching impacts of misinformation on global trust and cooperation.
I think it’s all bullshit. They also say the US military prevented from running propaganda campaigns against US citizens