Pandemic Propaganda: Inside the Pentagon’s Secret COVID-19 Anti-Vax Campaign

In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, while the world grappled with the growing crisis, a covert battle was unfolding behind the scenes. As revealed in an investigation carried out by Reuters, this battle was not fought with drugs or ventilators but with disinformation and clandestine operations. At the heart of this secret war was a Pentagon propaganda campaign aimed at countering China’s growing influence by undermining the credibility of its COVID-19 vaccines.

The race for COVID-19 vaccines was fierce, with countries desperate to secure doses for their populations. The United States, under an “America First” approach, quickly secured a significant portion of the world’s supply. While China’s vaccines were portrayed in the West as being less effective than those produced by the American companies Moderna and Pfizer, they still went on to be approved by the World Health Organization.

The Pentagon’s anti-vax propaganda campaign was intended to protect the economic interests of American pharmaceutical companies. Ironically, however, it may have had effects beyond those intended. As the Reuters investigation notes, research shows that when people become skeptical about one vaccine, this often leads to doubts about others as well. With the world’s largest COVID-19 vaccine study having recently confirmed links to serious health problems, such doubts are clearly well-placed.

Chinese diplomacy

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread, China saw an opportunity to extend its geopolitical influence through conducting vaccine diplomacy. Beijing therefore offered vaccines and medical assistance to countries struggling with the pandemic, including the Philippines, which faced over 100,000 infections in the early months of 2020. President Rodrigo Duterte, known for his contentious relationship with the United States, publicly thanked China and prioritized its vaccines, a move that raised eyebrows in Washington.

But Duterte’s alignment with China was more than just about vaccines. In a July 2020 speech, he expressed his hope that the Philippines would be at the front of the line for China’s vaccines. In return, he vowed not to challenge China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea, effectively shifting the Philippines’ longstanding security alignment with the United States.

The Pentagon’s counterattack

Alarmed by China’s successful vaccine diplomacy, U.S. military leaders, particularly Special Operations Command Pacific General Jonathan Braga, pushed for a response. Their twin aims were to ensure Southeast Asia accepted that COVID-19 originated in China and foster skepticism towards its vaccines.

Braga and his team therefore turned to psychological warfare, leveraging anonymous social media accounts to disseminate anti-China and anti-vaccine messages. This operation was part of a broader effort to counter China’s narrative and regain geopolitical ground lost during the early stages of the pandemic.

Government opposition

The Pentagon’s plan faced significant opposition within the U.S. government. At least six senior State Department officials argued that a health crisis was the wrong time to instill fear or anger through psychological operations.

Despite this opposition, a 2019 order signed by then-Secretary of Defense Mark Esper allowed the Pentagon to bypass the State Department when conducting psychological operations. This essentially elevated the Pentagon’s competition with Russia and China to the level of active combat, preparing the way for a propaganda campaign.

The propaganda machine

In the spring of 2020, the campaign was launched from Tampa’s MacDill Air Force Base, where psychological-warfare soldiers and contractors operated a clandestine propaganda factory. These operatives used fake accounts on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook to spread anti-vax messages that specifically targeted Chinese vaccines.

The operation took a darker turn when it extended beyond Southeast Asia to regions such as the Middle East and Central Asia. Here, the campaign sought to exploit religious and cultural sensitivities, claiming that Chinese vaccines contained pork gelatin, which is considered haram, or forbidden, in Islam. Despite China’s assurances that its vaccines were free of porcine materials, the Pentagon’s messaging aimed to sow doubt and fear.

Social media backlash

Social media companies quickly noticed the Pentagon’s activities. In the summer of 2020, Facebook executives identified and flagged numerous fake accounts linked to the military’s campaign. They warned the Pentagon that these accounts violated their policies against misinformation. However, the military claimed that many of them were crucial for its counterterrorism operations and requested they remain active.

Despite assurances that the spreading of COVID-related propaganda would cease, the anti-vax campaign continued into 2021. This reportedly angered the newly inaugurated Biden administration, which was committed to promoting vaccines and combating so-called ‘vaccine hesitancy’.

More propaganda to come

In response to mounting pressure and internal reviews, the Pentagon eventually curtailed its anti-vax messaging. An internal audit revealed significant shortcomings in the campaign, including inadequate oversight of contractors and poor operational security. The review led to policy changes mandating closer cooperation with U.S. diplomats and restricting broad population messaging in psychological operations.

Nevertheless, it is clear that the Pentagon’s clandestine propaganda activities are set to continue. A recent strategy document from top Pentagon generals underscores the U.S. military’s commitment to using disinformation and similar tactics to counter countries such as China and Russia. Further evidence of the direction in which things are headed can be seen in the fact that General Dynamics IT, the contractor involved in the anti-vax campaign, recently secured a $493 million contract to continue providing clandestine influence services for the military.

Putting profit before people

The Pentagon’s secret anti-vax campaign highlights the complex and often murky relationships connecting public health, geopolitics, and military power. Only rarely are these links drawn attention to in the mainstream/legacy media. Because of this, until fairly recently, many people might have found it difficult to accept that the U.S. military plays an active role in protecting the interests of American pharmaceutical companies. Now, however, this is plain for everyone to see. The oft-heard accusation that it’s about putting profit before people sums the situation up perfectly.

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Paul Anthony Taylor

Executive Director of the Dr. Rath Health Foundation and one of the coauthors of our explosive book, “The Nazi Roots of the ‘Brussels EU'”, Paul is also our expert on the Codex Alimentarius Commission and has had eye-witness experience, as an official observer delegate, at its meetings.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Paul's background was in the music industry, where he worked as a keyboard player and programmer with artists including Paul McCartney, Bryan Ferry, Bill Withers, the Verve, Texas, and Primal Scream.

He first became interested in natural health after falling ill with a chronic fatigue syndrome-related disorder in 1991 and subsequently making a full recovery through the use of natural health therapies. After meeting Dr. Rath and Dr. Niedzwiecki at an anti-Codex rally in Berlin in 2002, Paul was inspired to make a life-changing decision to leave the music industry to work for the Foundation and help defend the right of patients worldwide to have free access to natural health approaches.

You can find Paul on Twitter at @paulanthtaylor

Der Executive Director der Dr. Rath Health Foundation ist einer der Koautoren des explosiven Buchs „Die Nazi-Wurzeln der Brüsseler EU“. Paul ist auch unser Experte zum Thema „Codex Alimentarius-Kommission“ und hat Augenzeugenerfahrung als offizieller beobachtender Teilnehmer bei diesen Treffen.

Bevor er seine Arbeit bei der Stiftung antrat war Paul in der Musikindustrie aktiv. Er arbeitete als Keyboard-Spieler und Programmierer mit Künstlern wie Paul McCartney, Bryan Ferry, Bill Withers, the Verve, Texas und Primal Scream.

Sein Interesse an natürlicher Gesundheit wuchs, als er 1991 an Störungen erkrankte, die aus einem chronischen Erschöpfungssyndrom resultierten. Durch natürliche Gesundheitstherapien wurde er schließlich vollständig geheilt. Ein Treffen 2002 mit Dr. Rath und Dr. Niedzwiecki bei einer Anti-Codex-Demonstration in Berlin inspirierte ihn zu einer lebensverändernden Entscheidung und er verließ die Musikindustrie um für die Stiftung zu arbeiten und das Recht der Patienten zu verteidigen, weltweit freien Zugang zu natürlichen Gesundheitsverfahren zu haben.

Auf Twitter ist Paul unter @paulanthtaylor zu finden.

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