The CIA provided a fresh evaluation on Saturday regarding the origins of the Covid outbreak, suggesting that it is “more likely” the virus leaked from a Chinese laboratory rather than originating from animals.
However, the agency emphasized that it holds “low confidence” in this conclusion.
A spokesperson indicated that a “research-related origin” of the pandemic appears more plausible than a natural one, based on the current available reports.
This assessment is one of the first actions taken by the CIA’s new director, John Ratcliffe, who was appointed by Donald Trump and assumed his role on Thursday.
Ratcliffe, who previously served as the director of national intelligence during Trump’s first term, has consistently supported the lab leak theory, asserting that Covid likely resulted from a leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
This institute is located just a 40-minute drive from the Huanan wet market, where the initial cluster of infections was identified.
In a recent interview with Breitbart News, Ratcliffe expressed his desire for the CIA to take a definitive stance on the virus’s origins and “get off the sidelines.”
He stated, “I’ve often discussed the need to confront the threat from China on multiple fronts, which ties back to the tragic loss of a million American lives and the CIA’s inactivity over the past five years in assessing the origins of COVID.”
Nevertheless, officials informed US media that this new assessment was not derived from fresh intelligence and actually predates the Trump administration. The review was reportedly initiated in the final weeks of the Biden administration and finalized before Trump took office on Monday.
The assessment released on Saturday carries a “low confidence” rating, indicating that the intelligence backing it is lacking, inconclusive, or contradictory.
There remains no consensus on the origins of the Covid pandemic, with some advocating for a “natural origin” theory that posits the virus spread from animals without any laboratory involvement.
The lab leak theory has sparked intense debate among scientists, with many arguing that there is no conclusive evidence to support it. China has previously labeled the lab theory as “political manipulation” orchestrated by the United States.
Despite its initial controversy, the theory has started to gain traction within certain intelligence agencies.
In 2023, FBI Director Christopher Wray stated in an interview with Fox News that the bureau believes “the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident.”
