A recent Reuters investigation has revealed a secret U.S. military psychological operation that aimed to sow doubt about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines supplied by China. The operation, which began under former President Donald Trump and continued into the early months of Joe Biden's presidency, involved disseminating misinformation about vaccines through social media channels. Messages targeted Muslim audiences in Central Asia and the Middle East, falsely claiming that China's COVID vaccines contained pork, thus raising religious concerns. Health experts argue that this campaign endangered lives by spreading COVID misinformation during a critical health crisis. The operation has drawn comparisons to past controversial U.S. intelligence activities, such as the CIA's fake vaccination drive in Pakistan. During Zoom calls with the Pentagon, some argued that a health crisis was the wrong time for such psychological operations, with a former senior State official remarking, "We're stooping lower than the Chinese." Alarmed social media executives warned the new administration about the Pentagon's trafficking in COVID misinformation.
.@Reuters reviewed hundreds of social media accounts tied to a secret US military propaganda operation that trafficked COVID misinformation, according to experts. Its aim: to sow doubt about vaccines made by rivals, even as thousands continued to die https://t.co/vMztLFC9gB https://t.co/U4kF9j7sfg
“The military program started under former President Donald Trump and continued months into Joe Biden’s presidency, Reuters found – even after alarmed social media executives warned the new administration that the Pentagon had been trafficking in COVID misinformation.” https://t.co/mzlIbn29gQ
Disguised US military messages aimed at Muslim audiences in Central Asia and Middle East claimed that China’s COVID vaccines contained pork, fueling fears about whether they were permissible under religious rules. Experts say the operation endangered lives https://t.co/iMoeBLIRK6 https://t.co/EqtLMpxtn1
A secret US military anti-vax operation that began under former US President Trump and continued into the early Biden administration contained messages with COVID misinformation, according to health experts. A @Reuters investigation reveals what happened https://t.co/6zKw7UAgUC https://t.co/gWyQ6AJLqW
Secret psychological operations are among the US government’s most highly sensitive programs. A new @Reuters investigation maps the evolution of one military propaganda campaign in the middle of the COVID pandemic that experts say endangered lives https://t.co/DCgt8GOF12 https://t.co/dGoidoAudG
“The military program started under former President Donald Trump and continued months into Joe Biden’s presidency, Reuters found”. Horrific. Echoes of the CIA organized fake vaccination drive in Pakistan —to get DNA from the Bin Laden family— which set back polio eradication. https://t.co/t1AQWkoujg https://t.co/y6LXVpo8h0
Interesting look at U.S. military social media psyops. https://t.co/yX16UDpXgM
"America's clandestine operation has not been previously reported. It aimed to sow doubt about the safety and efficacy of vaccines and other life-saving aid that was being supplied by China, a Reuters investigation found." https://t.co/RnNweIMlmp
“The clandestine operation has not been previously reported. It aimed to sow doubt about the safety and efficacy of vaccines and other life-saving aid that was being supplied by China, a Reuters investigation found.” https://t.co/buxP191v1i
Stunning report on Pentagon propaganda during covid. “A health crisis was the wrong time to instill fear or anger through a psychological operation, they argued during Zoom calls with the Pentagon. “We’re stooping lower than the Chinese,” said former senior State official. https://t.co/VfJPOjtmEx