CIA now believes This virus is responsible for Covid-19 epidemic According to an assessment released on Saturday, it has probably originated from the laboratory, which raises a finger on China, even accepting that the detective agency has “less confidence” on its conclusion.
This discovery is not the result of any new intelligence information, and the report was completed on the orders of Biden Administration and former CIA Director William Burns. On Saturday, it was made public and issued by President Trump to lead the agency to lead the agency, who was sworn in as Director on Thursday.
“CIA assesses with low confidence that the research-related origin of COVID-19 epidemic based on the available body of reporting is likely to be higher than the natural origin. The CIA continues to be assessed that research And both the natural origin of COVID- A spokesperson of the agency said in a statement, 19 epidemic remains admirable, saying that he continues to “evaluate any available credible new intelligence reporting or open-source information Will keep which can change the evaluation of CIA. “
Jake Sulivan, National Security Advisor to Biden Administration, ordered a classified review of American intelligence in December which was collected on the origin of COVID-19, a current and a former US official from CBS News Confirmed this. Sulivan called a panel of external experts to assess intelligence and asked the intelligence community to review and conclude their data. The two officials told CBS News that there was no new “smoking gun”, but a low -confident assessment based on the same data. Burns ordered a review before leaving the CIA citing the interest of the higher policy maker.
NG Han Guan/AP
Micro discovery shows that the agency believes that the totality of evidence makes a greater possibility of laboratory origin than natural origin. But the assessment of the agency suggests less confidence on this conclusion, suggests that the evidence is inadequate, inconclusive or contradictory.
Earlier report on the origin of Covid-19 There is a difference of opinion on whether the corona virus came from the Chinese lab, possibly accidentally, or it originated naturally. The new assessment is unlikely to resolve the debate. In fact, intelligence officials say that it can never be resolved, because Lack of cooperation with Chinese officials,
Instead of new evidence, this conclusion was based on the fresh analysis of the spread of the virus, its scientific properties and the work and conditions of the Work and conditions of China's virology laboratories.
China said on Monday It disagreed With evaluation.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said, “China-WHO's joint expert team Wuhan reached the conclusion on the basis of regional tours of the respective laboratories that leakage from the laboratory is extremely unlikely.” “It is widely recognized by the international community and the scientific community.”
US lawmakers have pressurized the US spy agencies for more information about the origin of the virus, causing lockdown, economic uproar and millions of deaths. This is a question with important domestic and geopolitical implications as the world is struggling with the legacy of epidemic.
Republican Senator of Arkansas, Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on Saturday that he was “happy that the CIA concluded in the last days of the Biden administration that the lab-leakes principle is the most praiseworthy explanation” Appreciated. assessment.
Cotton said in a statement, “Now, the most important thing is that China will have to pay to spread the epidemic on the world.”
Chinese authorities have rejected speculation about the origin of Kovid as unusable and politically motivated. On Saturday, a Chinese Embassy spokesman said the CIA report has no credibility.
In a statement emailed to the Associated Press, Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengu said, “We strongly oppose the politicization and slander of the virus, and once again everyone is respected and away from the principles of conspiracy Let's invoke. “
While the origin of the virus remains unknown, scientists believe that the most likely hypothesis is that it is other species, perhaps before infecting rackoon dogs, seweet cats or bamboo mice, like many Koronovirus, in bats, in bats Is broadcast. In return, the infection spread to humans who were handling or biting those animals in a market in Wuhan, where first of all Human matters appeared in late November 2019,
However, some official investigations have raised the question whether the virus came out of a lab in Wuhan. Two years ago, a report by the Department of Energy concluded that leakage from the laboratory was most likely, although the report also expressed less confidence in the conclusion.
The same year the then FBI Director Christopher Ray said that his agency believes the virus “possibly” spread after leaving a laboratory.
Rachliff, who served as a national intelligence director during Trump's first term, has said that he is also in favor of the lab leak landscape.
“Lab leaked is the only principle supported by science, intelligence and general knowledge,” Ratcliffe said in 2023.
The CIA said it will continue to evaluate any new information that can change its evaluation.
Contributed to this report.