CIA changes stance on Covid roots

2025-01-26 05:00:51

(MENAFN) The CIA now assesses that it is "more likely" Covid-19 originated from a lab leak rather than a natural source, though the agency stresses that the conclusion is not final. A CIA spokesperson stated on Saturday that, based on available information, the research-related origin of the pandemic is deemed more probable, but both theories remain under consideration. The stance shift follows the confirmation of John Ratcliffe as CIA director, a vocal proponent of the lab-leak theory.

The debate over Covid's origins has been a contentious issue in US politics, with the two primary theories being zoonotic transmission from animals to humans or an accidental leak from a lab in Wuhan, China. While the Chinese government denies the lab-leak hypothesis, various US agencies remain divided, with the FBI and Department of Energy supporting the lab-leak theory, while others lean toward a natural origin.

In November, former CDC director Robert Redfield suggested the US might have had a significant role in the virus's development, claiming it could have been engineered as part of a biodefense program.

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