Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevailing view within the Biden administration leaned towards a natural origin, suggesting the virus likely jumped from animals to humans in Wuhan, China, potentially due to the country's unregulated wildlife trade. However, a smaller group within the intelligence community believed a lab leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology was the more probable cause.
A recent Wall Street Journal report reveals that some officials who supported the lab leak theory were allegedly prevented from sharing their findings with President Biden and other intelligence leaders. This revelation raises concerns about the transparency and objectivity of the administration's early COVID-19 response.
President Biden commissioned a report on the origins of the virus shortly after taking office, but China's refusal to grant U.S. officials access to the Wuhan Institute hampered investigations. At the time, the FBI was the only agency that concluded a lab leak was the most likely origin.
According to FBI senior scientist Jason Bannan, who helped lead the agency's investigation, neither he nor his colleagues were invited to an August 2021 White House briefing on the virus's origins, despite the FBI's unique assessment. Bannan expressed surprise at being excluded, given the FBI's distinct conclusion and high confidence in their analysis.
Furthermore, three scientists at the National Center for Medical Intelligence, a sub-agency within the Department of Defense, were also reportedly discouraged from sharing their research supporting the lab leak theory. These scientists reportedly found evidence suggesting that Chinese scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology were conducting risky "gain-of-function" research.
The Wall Street Journal reports that these scientists shared their findings with colleagues, including someone on Bannan's team at the FBI. However, they were subsequently instructed by superiors to cease sharing their work, which was deemed "off the reservation."
A spokesperson for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) stated that the intelligence community's assessment considered input from across the community on both the natural origin and lab leak hypotheses, adhering to analytic standards, including objectivity. The spokesperson emphasized that efforts were made to include both perspectives in the assessment, following the standard process for coordinating National Intelligence Council assessments.
Security personnel stand guard outside the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Coronavirus molecule.
Virologist Shi Zheng-li (left) and colleague at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
