Senior officials from President Joe Biden's administration overseeing the intelligence review of the origins of the coronavirus have revealed that the theory suggesting the virus accidentally leaked from a lab in Wuhan, China, is as credible as the possibility of it emerging naturally in the wild. This marks a significant turn, as Democrats publicly downplayed the so-called lab leak theory a year ago, according to U.S. network CNN.
After more than half of the 90-day timeline set by President Biden for finding answers about the virus's origins, the intelligence community remains sharply divided on whether the virus leaked from the Wuhan lab or jumped naturally from animals to humans in the wild, according to multiple sources familiar with the investigations. These individuals noted that little new evidence has emerged to sway the conclusions in either direction. However, the fact that senior Biden officials are seriously considering the lab leak theory is noteworthy, coming amid growing openness to the idea, despite many scientists studying coronaviruses and investigating the origins of the pandemic asserting that evidence also supports the theory of a natural origin.
Current intelligence information continues to bolster the belief that the virus most likely originated naturally from human-animal contact and was not deliberately engineered. However, this does not exclude the possibility that the virus resulted from an accidental leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, where coronavirus research on bats was conducted—although many scientists familiar with the research insist such a leak is unlikely.
The World Health Organization urges China to cooperate. On Thursday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that it is "too early" to rule out the possibility that a lab leak contributed to the pandemic's spread and urged China to provide "direct information regarding the status of these laboratories before and at the onset of the pandemic." Scientists, who have found strong genetic evidence that the virus came from animals, also express a desire to access what China knows about the beginnings of the pandemic, explaining they cannot prove this hypothesis without access to early samples.
As the review progresses, the White House has also begun making public threats. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan warned Beijing last month of potential consequences, stating to Fox News that China would face "international isolation" if it did not cooperate with the investigations. He remarked to CNN the same day that "if it turns out that China fails to meet its international obligations, we will have to consider our responses at that time."
A source familiar with the ongoing review noted that many senior officials in the administration, including Sullivan, view the accidental lab leak theory as equally plausible as the theory of the virus's natural origin. The source indicated that intelligence agencies, which were skeptical of the lab leak theory a year ago, such as the CIA, now see it as a credible approach.
While many officials have their personal views regarding the probable origin of the pandemic, with some finding the lab leak theory more credible as they continue to receive and interpret intelligence information, individuals familiar with the investigation stated that no singular opinion is driving the pace or direction of the comprehensive review. Politicians have sought to allow the intelligence community and national laboratories ample space to complete the review without imposing predetermined outcomes. U.S. officials assert that CIA Director Bill Burns, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, and other senior intelligence officials receive regular briefings on the investigation.
