Federal agencies in the Biden administration are now admitting that the COVID-19 virus may have originated from a Chinese lab leak, despite the initial dismissal of the lab leak theory as a conspiracy.
The Energy Department, for the first time, publicly acknowledged the possibility of a lab leak due to new intelligence provided to the White House and Congress.
The National Intelligence Council and four other unnamed agencies assess at a low confidence level that the virus most likely spread due to natural transmission from an infected animal, while the CIA and another unnamed agency remain undecided.
Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee released a report alleging that COVID-19 could be tied to China’s biological weapons research program and “spilled over” to the general human population during an incident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
The Senate passed legislation that would require the Biden administration to declassify all intelligence related to the Wuhan Institute of Virology and possible links to the origins of the COVID-19 virus, while the House of Representatives is expected to follow suit.
Takeaways:
The Energy Department publicly acknowledged the possibility of a lab leak due to new intelligence. The National Intelligence Council and four other unnamed agencies assess at a low confidence level that the virus most likely spread due to natural transmission from an infected animal.
The CIA and another unnamed agency remain undecided. Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee allege that COVID-19 could be tied to China’s biological weapons research program.
The Senate passed legislation that would require the Biden administration to declassify all intelligence related to the Wuhan Institute of Virology and possible links to the origins of the COVID-19 virus.
Commentary:
The new information provided by the Energy Department adds more credibility to the lab leak theory and demands a thorough investigation into the origins of COVID-19.
It is concerning that some U.S. intelligence agencies remain undecided or assess the possibility of a lab leak at a low confidence level, given the devastating impact of the pandemic on the world.
The Biden administration should fully cooperate with the declassification of all intelligence related to the Wuhan Institute of Virology and possible links to the origins of the COVID-19 virus to provide transparency and accountability. It is crucial