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    Joint Operations Center  Foreign Malign Influence
 Home
 About
 Foreign Malign Influencegraphic divider

“For our competitors, WMD disinformation is cheap, effective, and poses major challenges to national security and the credibility of U.S. and Allied governance and partnerships. These narratives are powerful because they’re scary and play on primal fears – especially the false biological narratives on the heels of a global pandemic. Specifically for DTRA, WMD foreign malign influence threatens our personnel, reputation, and capacity to support our partners abroad to prevent WMD use”

Rebecca Hersman

Director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency

graphic divider

Disinformation

False information which is intended to mislead, especially propaganda issued by a government organization to a rival power or the media

Misinformation

Spreading false information such as rumors, insults, falsehoods, sometimes unknowingly.

Foreign Malign
Influence

FMI is any hostile effort undertaken by, at the direction of, or on behalf of, or with the substantial support of, a foreign government with the objective of influencing, through overt or covert means. This includes the use of disinformation and propaganda spread by nefarious actors.

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Foreign Malign Influence (FMI) is any hostile effort undertaken by, at the direction of, or on behalf of or with the substantial support of, a foreign government with the objective of influencing, through overt or covert means. This includes the use of disinformation and propaganda spread by nefarious actors. For decades, nefarious actors have used disinformation to deliberately deceive and influence public opinion, destabilize societies, and impact things like politics, elections, social issues, and instill fear around world events. Disinformation and propaganda campaigns often target DTRA programs as part of larger efforts aimed at discrediting the United States by undermining alliances and eroding trust in partnerships with beneficiary countries by deliberately spreading false information. FMI has long targeted DTRA, but more recently, the Kremlin has taken aim at various different aspects of DTRA most notably the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR)’s programs with its beneficiary partner nations.

By filling the information space that would otherwise be filled with lies from malign actors with truthful stories and fact-based articles, DTRA is better able to compete with and discredit targeted FMI like the unfounded and debunked allegations that the United States conducts chemical and biological weapons activities in Ukraine when in fact, the United States does not operate any chemical or biological weapons programs or facilities in Ukraine.
 Last Updated September 12, 2023

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  Back to Top Articles in the News
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 Link to article about Soviet Disinformation Campaign about the Ex-Soviet Bioweapons Labs.
            
            Ex-Soviet Bioweapons Labs in Georgia, Armenia, a...
                Special Report
                    Jul. 09, 2022
                Ex-Soviet Bioweapons Labs in Georgia, Armenia, and Elsewhere Now Fighting the Coronavirus Targeted by a...
                    Read More
        
        Screenshot of the Fact sheet
            
            Fact Sheet on WMD Threat Reduction Efforts with ...
                Special Report
                    Jun. 10, 2022
                The U. S. Department of Defense has just released a new fact sheet on WMD Threat Reduction Efforts with...
                    Read More
        
        Tweet from Chris Livesay about article from CBS News video on Ukraine Biolabs
            
            Inside the Ukrainian facility at the heart of Ru...
                Special Report
                    May. 25, 2022
                CBS News visited a DTRA-assisted biolab in Kyiv to debunk the conspiracy theories that they are biological...
                    Read More
        
        Gloved hand holding a beaker - blue background
            
            No, the US has not built a biological weapons la...
                Special Report
                    May. 17, 2022
                Disarming disinformation isn't just happening in the country of Ukraine.  Propaganda spreads to other...
                    Read More
        
        Dr. Robert Pope is interviewed by CBC News in an investigative report that exposes how a QAnon conspiracy theory about U.S.-funded 'Biolabs' in Ukraine morphed into mainstream disinformation.
            
            Dr. Pope Interviewed for CBC News: The National
                Special Report
                    Apr. 10, 2022
                Dr. Robert Pope is interviewed by CBC News in an investigative report that exposes how a QAnon conspiracy...
                    Read More
        
        Woman Scientist
            
            Disarming Russia's Bioweapons Disinformation
                Special Report
                    Mar. 22, 2022
                "The Departments of State and Defense Cooperative Threat Reduction Programs support and build partner nations’...
                    Read More
        
        Fox news on a tablet
            
            The Often Subtle Distinction Between Anti-U.S. a...
                Special Report
                    Mar. 15, 2022
                The Washington Post provides brief timeline of events that took a little noticed post about covert weapons...
                    Read More
        
        Man in mop suit
            
            U.S. Dismisses Russian Claims of Biowarfare Labs...
                Special Report
                    Mar. 09, 2022
                "The United State denied renewed Russian accusations that Washington was operating biowarfare labs in Ukraine,...
                    Read More
        
        woman scientist in uniform
            
            In Ukraine, U.S.-Military-Linked Labs Could Prov...
                Special Report
                    Mar. 09, 2022
                "US officials are trying to prevent the Russian military from capturing pathogens stored in US-affiliated...
                    Read More
        
        map of Ukraine with fire on border
            
            The 46 US Labs in Ukraine and the $200 Pentagon ...
                Special Report
                    Mar. 05, 2022
                "A Pentagon program meant to secure and dismantle weapons of mass destruction across 46 Ukrainian laboratories...
                    Read More
        
        news on a tablet
            
            Russian Media Spreading Disinformation About U.S...
                Special Report
                    Feb. 08, 2022
                Some outlets the US State Department highlighted as Kremlin proxy media in a 2020 report on Russian media...
                    Read More
        
        The Department of Defense's Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR), executed by Defense Threat Reduction Agency, aims to peacefully reduce biological threats around the globe but certain countries try to falsely undermine and discredit the program's efforts to do so. Take a look at the below video to hear how the United States formally responded to the false allegations targeted at the CTR program.
            
            The U.S. Government Responds to False Allegation...
                Special Report
                    Jan. 10, 2022
                The Department of Defense's Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) aims to peacefully reduce biological threats...
                    Read More
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 Back to Top Fact Sheets
 pdf iconU.S. State Department Disarming Disinformation Site  U.S. State Department Disarming Disinformation Site
 View Fact Sheet by clicking link above U.S. State Department Disarming Disinformation Site
 pdf iconBiological Threat Reduction Program Global Nuclear Security  Biological Threat Reduction Program  Global Nuclear Security
 View Fact Sheet by clicking link above Biological Threat Reduction Program  Global Nuclear Security
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 View Fact Sheet by clicking link above Biological Threat Reduction Program  Chemical Security and Elimination
 pdf iconBiological Threat Reduction Program BTRP  Biological Threat Reduction Program  BTRP
 View Fact Sheet by clicking link above Biological Threat Reduction Program  BTRP
 pdf iconCooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) Ukraine Factsheet  Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) Ukraine Factsheet
 View Fact Sheet by clicking link above Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) Ukraine Factsheet
 pdf iconU.S. DoD CTR Program (DoD CTR) Biological Threat Reduction Engagement with THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION  U.S. DoD CTR Program (DoD CTR) Biological Threat Reduction Engagement with THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
 View Fact Sheet by clicking link above U.S. DoD CTR Program (DoD CTR) Biological Threat Reduction Engagement with THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
 pdf iconCongressional Research Service (CRS) Ukraine Factsheet  Congressional Research Service (CRS) Ukraine Factsheet
 View Fact Sheet by clicking link above Congressional Research Service (CRS) Ukraine Factsheet
 pdf iconBiology Threat Reduction Program Nigeria Factsheet  Biology Threat Reduction Program Nigeria Factsheet
 View Fact Sheet by clicking link above Biology Threat Reduction Program Nigeria Factsheet
 pdf iconThe Kremlin’s Never-Ending Attempt to Spread Disinformation about Biological Weapons  The Kremlin’s Never-Ending Attempt to Spread Disinformation about Biological Weapons
 View Fact Sheet by clicking link above The Kremlin’s Never-Ending Attempt to Spread Disinformation about Biological Weapons
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