CIA Now Favors Lab Leak Theory for COVID Origin
The Facts
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on Saturday released its revised position on COVID's origins, saying it now assesses with "low confidence" that the pandemic likely emerged from a research-related incident rather than natural transmission.
This assessment was completed during the final weeks of the Biden administration and declassified by new CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who was nominated by Pres. Donald Trump. Officials emphasized that no new intelligence prompted this change in position, but rather a fresh analysis of existing evidence.
Three US intelligence agencies now support the lab leak theory — the CIA, FBI (with moderate confidence), and Department of Energy (with low confidence). Four other agencies and the National Intelligence Council maintain that a natural origin is more likely.
The Spin
Right narrative
The lab leak theory is supported by intelligence, science, and common sense. The preponderance of circumstantial evidence points to coronavirus research in Wuhan labs as responsible for spawning the global pandemic. Previous resistance to this conclusion was driven by liberal, woke political considerations rather than facts.
Left narrative
The source of the virus is a complex scientific issue that should be determined through rigorous scientific research rather than reassessments of old evidence by the new, hawkish Trump administration. China has consistently maintained transparency while cooperating with international investigations, including the WHO study that downplayed the odds of a lab leak being the cause.
