The CIA has announced a shift in its assessment of COVID-19’s origins, stating it now believes the virus was likely leaked from a Chinese lab.
This marks a stark reversal from previous stances during the Biden administration, which dismissed the lab theory as a conspiracy.
New Stance Without New Evidence
A CIA spokesperson confirmed on Saturday that the agency now favors the lab-origin hypothesis but noted their assessment is based on existing evidence reviewed over the past months. “The CIA assesses with low confidence that a research-related origin of the COVID-19 pandemic is more likely than a natural origin based on the available body of reporting,” the agency stated. They emphasized, however, that both scenarios remain plausible and pledged to continue evaluating new intelligence.
Joining Other Agencies
This announcement places the CIA alongside the FBI and the Department of Energy, which have also pointed to a lab mishap at the Wuhan Institute of Virology as the probable source of the virus. The Wuhan lab, known for its research on bat coronaviruses, has faced intense scrutiny over alleged security lapses around the time the pandemic began.
Trump-Era Focus on COVID Origins
John Ratcliffe, newly appointed CIA Director under the Trump administration, has long argued that the virus originated in a lab. Following his confirmation, Ratcliffe made it a priority for the agency to publicly assess the pandemic’s origins, stating that intelligence, science, and common sense point to a lab leak.
Speaking to Breitbart, Ratcliffe criticized the previous administration for its lack of transparency and described “illegitimate roadblocks” he and other Trump officials faced while investigating the virus’s origins. He emphasized that addressing threats from China remains a key focus for his leadership.
Mounting Evidence and Independent Analysis
In 2023, researchers from Australia and Arizona published a risk analysis that concluded a lab leak was the most likely cause of the pandemic. Their study used 11 criteria to evaluate the likelihood of natural versus unnatural origins, assigning COVID-19 a score of 68%, well above the threshold for an unnatural outbreak.
Since the pandemic began in late 2019, over 1.2 million Americans and more than seven million people globally have died. The debate over the virus’s origins has intensified, with China repeatedly accusing the U.S. of spreading false claims to “smear” Beijing.
Global Implications
The CIA’s new stance is likely to further strain U.S.-China relations and fuel ongoing debates about accountability for the pandemic. As investigations continue, the origins of COVID-19 remain a highly charged topic with significant geopolitical consequences.
