RussianDisinformationCampaignsreBiologicalWeaponsinthePutinEra
PresentationtotheNDU/CNSTuckerCBWSymposium,2019
MiltonLeitenbergUniversityofMarylandSchoolofPublicPolicyDecember11,2019
Contents1. TheSovietperiod2. ThePost-1992years,particularlyafter20003. Particulars,Details4. Whatdoesitmean?• WhoBelievesIt?Doanygovernments believeit,reeffectontheBWC?• WhyDoestheRussianGovernmentDoIt?• Significance:ImplicationsretheinterestsoftheRussiangovernment/PutinAdministration
RussiaandFalseBiologicalWeaponAllegationsAbstractStartingonlyafewyearsaftertheendofWorldWarII,in1949,andlastinguntil1988underGeneralSecretaryMikhailGorbachev,theUSSRmaintainedanearcontinuouscampaignoffalseallegationsofbiologicalweaponusebytheUnitedStates.NeverinhistoryhadanyothercountrycarriedonsuchacampaignoffalseBWallegations.Someindividual“sub-campaigns”lastedwelloveradecade.Attimes,SovietalliesinEasternEuropeorCubaassistedbyintroducingtheirownfalseBWallegations,withCubaaloneaccountingforabout20suchinstances.Afterapauseofafewyearsbetween1988and1995,seniorRussianmilitaryofficialsbeganrepeatingtheoldfalseallegations.RussianofficialsamplifiedthecampaignaftertheUSgovernmentfundedthetransformationofformerSovietBWfacilitiesinCommonwealthofIndependentStates(CIS)undertheNunn-Lugarprogram.TheRussiandisinformationcampaignblossomedintoacontinuouspropagandacampaigntowhichwasaddeddenialoftheSyriangovernment’suseofchemicalweaponsforsixyearsandRussia’sownuseofanadvancedorganophosphatecompoundinanassassinationattemptagainstaretiredKGBagentlivingintheUKin2018.
TheSignificanceofFalseBWAllegations
Whyyoudon’twantthem,whytheyshouldnotbetrivialized.
“TheMeselsondictum,”~1968-69• TheworstthingisatrueallegationofBWuse.• Thenextworstthingisafalseallegation.• Itsuggeststhatacountryhasbiologicalweapons.• ThatitisusingBW,and gettingawaywithit.• AndthatBWisdesirable,hasitsuses.
TheSovietYears- 1DetailedchapterinTheSovietBiologicalWeaponProgram:AHistory,2012,Chapter14,pp.407-422.
• ThetotalnumberofSovietallegationsofUSBWuse:~20• Duration:1949-1988.Ten“sub-campaigns”.• Cubaadded18distinctallegations;arethese“independent”orwastheSovietKGBinvolved?• Historicallyunprecedented:noothercountry/countrieshaveeverdonethis.
TheSovietYears- 2ThetwomostimportantSovietBWdisinformationcampaigns:• AllegationsofUSuseofBWduringtheKoreanWar:
§ USSR,China,DPRK:enormousinternationalpropagandacampaign,1951-53,includinginWesternEurope.
§ USSRendschargesonStalin’sdeathin1953.§ ChinaandDPRKcontinuetothepresentday.§ 1953SovietCentralCommitteedocumentsobtainedin1998.
• “ForMaoZedong:TheSovietGovernmentandtheCentralCommitteeoftheCPSUweremisled.ThespreadinthepressofinformationabouttheusebytheAmericansofbacteriologicalweaponsinKoreawasbasedonfalseinformation.TheaccusationsagainsttheAmericanswerefictitious.”2May1953,ResolutionofthePresidiumoftheCouncilofMinistersoftheUSSR.https://cissm.umd.edu/research-impact/publications/new-russian-evidence-korean-war-biological-warfare-allegations
https://cissm.umd.edu/sites/default/files/2019-07/CWIHP_WP_78_China_False_BW_Allegations_Korean_War_%28March_16%29.pdf
2016• Intercession~2005withChineseMinistryForeignAffairsdeputyforarmscontrol
• PLAAcademyofMilitaryScienceHistoryjournal,2008and2010,discussML1998publication.Generous,butstilldeny.
• 2014,ChinesejournalpublishesdeathbedmemoirbySurgeonGeneralofthePLAduringtheKoreanWar,plusdeputychiefofstaffofarmyduringtheKoreanWar.
• Chinesegovernmentclosesjournalin2015.
NooseoftruthistighteningaroundMiltonLeitenberg&Co.’scollectiveneck.ChinaRisingRadioSinoland 180310
https://chinarising.puntopress.com/2018/03/12/noose-of-truth-is-tightening-around-milton-leitenberg-co-s-collective-neck-china-rising-radio-sinoland-180310/
TheSovietYears- 3ThesecondmostimportantallegationwasthattheUSproducedandreleasedtheAIDSvirusinordertokillAfricans;onlyendedin1987-88.LargepercentageofUSAfricanAmericanpopulationbelieveit.
TwootherimportantSovietdisinformationcampaigns:• India:MalariaControlResearchUnit,NewDelhi(Malaria)
§ 1972-1975effort§WHOoperatedthefacility,supportedbyUSAID(oneof6globally)
• Pakistan:MedicalStudiesCentre,Lahore§ early1970sto1988,18years§ alsoMalaria
BothSovieteffortssucceeded:PakistanandIndiabothclosedthesites.
BeginsagaininSpring1995
• SeniorMODBWandCWGeneralsfromthepre-1992years:Yevstignaev (15th Directorate),Petrov(CBWtroops)joinin1998-2001.
• Simplyrepeatedalltheoldpre-1992allegations,KoreanWar,potatobeetles,AIDS,Cubanallegations.
ThePutinEra• Thenumbersynopsized,~20:Howevertheseareonlyasmall fraction(andincludes3-4debunkingpostings).§Beginsin2006.§ThefirstisZyganov,in2006,saysthattheUSwasresponsiblefordisseminating“birdflu”.
§Thenapressitemin2009,USresponsibleforswineflu.§The“takeoff”in2013,byOnischenko,USdidZikavirus,etc
§By2013,thefocusbecomestheNunn-LugarfacilityinTbilisi,Georgia.Theheaviestyearappearstohavebeen2018.
Kremlinproxymediasites,“newsagencies”,blogsthatdistributedtheBWdisinformationGlobalResearch RussiaInsight USAReally
RussiaInsider RussiaFront AfricaDailyVoice
VeteransToday NewsFront AfriquePanorama
RT SouthFront InternetResearchAgency[IRA]
Sputnik EastFront NewEasternOutlook
SputnikInternational Nevsky News ProjectLakhta
MediaSniper EconomyToday StrategicCultureFoundation(runsVeteransToday)
RussiaObserver FederalNewsAgency[FAN](runsUSAReally)
GEORGIANPROXIES
Alia
Euronews
TheAnti-GeorgianNunn-Lugarcampaign- 1• ThisisALL KGB/FSBwork.• Useofdregsandlackies:
§ JeffreySilverman,USresidentinTbilisisince2001§ Dilyana Gaytandzhieva,Bulgarianjournalist§ IgorGiorgadzeand“fake”USpatentsallegingconnectionstotheNunn-Lugarlab,formerGeorgianInteriorMinisterandallegedcoup/assassinationplotter,residentinMoscow
• Russian“FifthColumn”inGeorgia,openandveryextensive:newspapers,TVstations,blogs,majorpoliticalfiguresinexileinMoscowandinTbilisi(formerinterimPrimeMinister),pro-Russianpoliticalparties.
Theanti-GeorgianNunn-LugarCampaign- 2InMoscow• Gennadi Onischenko,Yeltsin-Putinyears,SanitaryInspectorGeneralofRussia,notorious“BWhounddog”purveyorofconspiracytheories•MembersoftheDuma• ThenseniorMOD/MFAofficials•MajorGeneralIgorKirilov,Commander,RussianArmedForcesRadiologial,ChemicalandBiologicalDefense Troops• VladimirYermakov,MinistryofForeignAffairs,Director,DepartmentofProliferationandArmsControl• EvenPutinchimedinontheGiorgadzematerials.
Extractfrom TheStrategyofNationalSecurityoftheRussianFederation (notdisinformation)“Theriskofanincreaseinthenumberofcountriespossessingnuclearweapons,theproliferationanduseofchemicalweapons,aswellasuncertaintyaboutthepossessionofbiologicalweaponsbyforeignstatesandtheirpotentialfortheirdevelopmentandproduction,remain.ThenetworkofUSmilitarybiologicallaboratoriesisexpandingintheterritoriesofstatesneighboringRussia.”
ApprovedbytheOrderofthePresidentofRussianFederation#683, 31December,2015
ExampleofRussianmediadisinformationprocessduringathree-weekperiod,September2018
Additionalexampleofshortperiodofmultimediadisinformationdistribution,September2018
BothimageswereproducedbytheMYTHDETECTORLAB,inTbilisi,Georgia,supportedbyUSAID.
WhatistheNunn-LugarfacilityinTbilisi,Georgia?• ItisGeorgia’s“CDC”,RichardLugarCenter forPublicHealthResearch,NationalCenter forDiseaseControl&PublicHealth.• TheUSbuiltit,atacostof$320million• ABL-3facility,openedin2013,replacedanolderSovietculturecollectionandresearchfacilityinthecenter ofTbilisi,moved17milesfromthecitycenter.• USDODscientistsfromWRAIRdoworkinit;inadditiontheUSwanteditsculturecollectionandcontributednewcultures.• OpentoEuropeanandotherscientiststoworkin.
TheRussiandisinformationliesretheGeorgianNunn-Lugarfacility• ThefacilityspreadZika,swineflu,measles,CCHF,hepatitis,pathogen-carryingmosquitostrains,etcetc etc.• OnlyUSDODscientistsworkintheBL-3portion.• USscientistsdosecretwork,notaccessibletoGeorgianadministrators.• USstillfundsit.• USrunsit.• USdoingBWinit,andintheotherNunn-Lugarfacilities.• TheBulgarianjournalist’s“Meisterwerk”:49pageslong,andcertainlynotherownproduct,includingdozens ofolddeclassifiedUSdocumentstakenfromDODreportsoftheUSoffensiveBWprogramfrom1951onward,displayingthesameagents,UStesting,etcandrelatingthosetothecurrentworkattheNunn-Lugarfacility.
AndtheBigSurprise• Therehavebeenabout18visitorsfromRussiaintheLugarCenter since2016.Amongthem,2wereworkinginthelaboratory(WHOtraining),3werevisitingforlaboratoryequipmentinstallation,andotherswerethereforintroductoryvisits.AtleasthalfofthevisitorswereRussiangovernmentscientists.• RussianTVandjournalistshavevisitedalso,buttheirTVstationsdidn’tairthevideosafterwardsandthejournalistsneverpublishstoriesabouttheirvisitandwhattheysaw.• TheRussiangovernmentunderstandswithabsolutecertaintywhatistakingplaceinsidetheGeorgianfacility.• PlusinternationalvisitreportstotheBWCStatesParty,12-2018.
PresentedtotheBWCStatesParty,December4-7,2018byGeorgia,Germanyandnineothergovernments
PresentedtotheBWCStatesParty,December4-7,2018byGeorgiaalone
RussiangovernmentresponsetoBWCsubmissionsrevisittoGeorgianfacility"InGeneva,RussiacirculatedareplymemoonOctober10toBWCstatespartymissions,claimingtheGeorgiansidewasattemptingtocreate“adistortedimage”oftheLugarCenter.ItnotedthatthelabwasbuiltbythePentagon,thattheUnitedStatescoversthelaboratory’soperatingcostsincludingitssecurity,andthatAmericansfinancedual-useresearchconductedthere.Somewhatironically,consideringthevast,ostensiblycivilian,networkofpublichealthlaboratoriesthatconcealedtheSovietoffensivebiologicalweaponsprogram,thememogoesontoclaimthat,“inordertoconcealthetruecharacterandmissionofthisfacilityithasbeenformallyincorporatedintoGeorgia’spublichealthsystem.” Georgia’sgoalininvitingBWCstatestovisit,theRussianmemoclaims,is“tocreateanillusionoflegitimacyandtransparency,”andRussiadoes“notseeanyvalueinparticipatinginsuchapoliticallybiasedevent.”
"TheRussiandisinformationattackthatposesabiologicaldanger",By Filippa Lentzos, BULLETINOFTHEATOMICSCIENTISTS,November19,2018https://thebulletin.org/2018/11/the-russian-disinformation-attack-that-poses-a-biological-danger/
Context:SelectedRussianactivitiesinthesametimeperiod- 1• OnAugust11,2010,MedvedevannouncesthatRussiawillwithdrawfromtheISTCin2015.TheinitiatorofthismovewasundoubtedlyPutin,statesthattheUSwasusingtheNunn-LugarprogramtostealRussiansecrets,technology.• InFebruaryandMarch2012,Putindecreesthatinorder“toprepareforthreatsofthefuture”theMODwastodevelop“weaponsbasedonnewphysicalprinciples:radiation,geophysical,wave,genetic,psychophysical,etc.”• Noguiseof“defensive”program;presentedonRussianTVandpublishedintheRussianpress
Context:SelectedRussianactivitiesinthesametimeperiod- 2• PoisoningofUkrainianPrimeMinisterVictorYushchenko,earlySeptember2004,usingTDD(Dioxin),inKyiv.ProducedatRIHTOP,ResearchInstituteofHygiene,ToxicologyandOccupationalPathology,Volgograd.• Poisoningofex-FSBColonelAlexanderLitvinenko,London,November1,2006,usingPolonium210,producedatAvangard,Sarov.• Polonium210wasapparentlyalsousedtokillYuriShchekochikin,editorofNovayaGazeta andDumamemberin2003.Inthefive-memberDumagroupinvestigatingthe1999apartmenthousebombings,fourofthefivequicklydie.
Context:SelectedRussianactivitiesinthesametimeperiod- 3
• SupportforSyriangovernmentuseofSarin,2013topresent• SupportforSyriangovernmentevasionofCWCviolations,2013topresent• AttackedOPCWandhobbledOPCW/UNSecretary-GeneralonsiteinspectionmechanismsinSyria,2018-2019• Poisoningofex-GRUagent,SergeiSkripal,usingaNovichokCWagent(A-324)onMarch4,2018,inSalisbury,UK.
UniformnatureofRussiangovernmentresponseinallcases(includingshootdownofMH-17)
• Denial• Ridicule,mockery•Massivedisinformationeffort
§Offered~20explanationsfortheNovichok event:UKdidit,USdidit,Czechs,Swedes,Norwegians,Dutchdidit....
§TechnicalmeansintheMH-17case:falsifiedsatelliteimages,falsifiedradartracks,etc.
WhatDoesitMean?• Doany(other)governments believeit?
§ InRussia,theirownpopulation?§ InGeorgia,thepro-Russianpopulation(andArmenia,Uzbekistanetc)?
§ PerhapsHamas?Africanpopulations,ifredistributedthere.•Wedon’tknowtheanswer,butdon’tunderestimate,remember§ Koreanwarallegations§ IndiaandPakistanallegations§ AIDSdisinformationcampaign
• Allweresuccessfulinwhattheyaimedtodo.
WhyDoestheRussianGovernmentdoit?- 11. ToaccusetheUSofdoingBW,R&Dormore,violatingtheBWC
§ ReprisalfortheannualUSNoncompliancestatementssectiononRussia’snon-compliancewiththeBWC.
§MakestheclaimthattheUS“has”19or23military BWfacilitiesaroundtheworld(viz,all CTR-fundedorsupportedsites,butnot NAMRU,WRIAR,etc).
2. Diversion:RemovepublicattentionfromRussiangovernmentactivities (constantlysuggestedbynumerouscommentators)• FrommurderofLitvinenko• FromRussianinvasionandcontinuingwarinUkraine• FromSyriangovernmentuseofCW• FromRussiangovernmentsupportforSyriangovernmentuseofCW• AndifPutin’s2013remarksaboutdevelopinggeneticweaponsmeantanoffensiveRussianMinistryofDefense BWprogram,tocoverthatup.
WhyDoestheRussianGovernmentdoit?- 2
3.ToattackGeorgia[sincethe2008Russianinvasion]andtoweakenUS-Georgianties• AndthoseofanyothercountryhostingaNunn-Lugarbiodefensefacility.
WhatdoesittellusaboutRussian/PutinGovernmentandtheBWC?
• DisdainfortheBWC,notmuchinterestedinmaintaining,safeguarding,theintegrityofthetreaty.[AlsoMedvedev’spresidency,2008-2012]•Willingtospendyears making(hundreds of)falseBWallegationsagainstotherstates,toaccusetheUSofBW,andtoattackandunderminetheGeorgiangovernmentforlocalpoliticalpurposes.