The Wuhan Cover-Up: book review

The book “The Wuhan Cover-Up” by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claims that the COVID-19 virus was created in a laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in China, and that the U.S. government, through the NIH and NIAID, was involved in gain-of-function (GOF) research to make viruses more transmissible and lethal. Kennedy Jr. also accuses the CIA of playing a major role in the development of biological weapons and covering up the origins of COVID-19. The book reveals a number of connections between the WIV, the U.S. government, and the intelligence community, including American funding of GOF research and collaborations between American and Chinese scientists. Kennedy Jr. claims that the U.S. government has sought to cover up the true origins of COVID-19 and that the pandemic has been used as a pretext to expand state power and pharmaceutical companies.

Actors Involved in the Development and Use of Biological Weapons in the United States and China

United States

● CIA: Sources describe the CIA as being deeply involved in the development of biological weapons since the end of World War II. The agency recruited Nazi and Japanese scientists with expertise in biological weapons through Operation Paperclip. The CIA also funded gain-of-function research and other biological weapons-related studies in laboratories around the world, including in China.

● Pentagon: The Pentagon has been a key partner in the development of biological weapons in the United States, working closely with the CIA and the pharmaceutical industry. The Pentagon has funded gain-of-function research in China through organizations such as EcoHealth Alliance.

● NIH/NIAID: The National Institutes of Health (NIH), particularly the Anthony Fauci-led National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), has played a controversial role in funding gain-of-function research, including at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.

● Universities: Several American universities, including Johns Hopkins, Yale, Harvard, and the University of North Carolina, have been involved in bioweapons development and gain-of-function research, often with government funding.

● Pharmaceutical Industry: The pharmaceutical industry has been a key partner in the development of bioweapons from the beginning of the American program. Pharmaceutical companies have benefited from government funding for the research and development of vaccines and treatments for infectious diseases, which may also have military applications.

China

● People's Liberation Army (PLA): The PLA has been involved in bioweapons research and development in China. The Wuhan Institute of Virology, which received U.S. funding for gain-of-function research, was overseen by Chinese military officials.

● Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS): CAS has been involved in research on infectious diseases, including those with weapons potential. CAS scientists have collaborated with American researchers on gain-of-function research projects.

● Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV): WIV has become a focal point of concerns about the origin of COVID-19. The lab received U.S. funding for gain-of-function research on bat coronaviruses. Sources suggest WIV may have been involved in the development of biological weapons.

Transnational Actors

● EcoHealth Alliance: This NGO, led by Peter Daszak, has played a key role in funneling U.S. government funds for gain-of-function research to China, particularly to WIV.

● Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: The foundation has funded infectious disease research, including gain-of-function studies, in China and other countries. The foundation has also been a major investor in pharmaceutical companies involved in vaccine and treatment development.

Sources highlight the complex interplay between government, scientific, and intelligence actors in the development of biological weapons in the United States and China, and the potential threat it poses to global public health.