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CIA Director Ratcliffe Releases Low Confidence COVID-19 Lab Leak Assessment Initiated Under Biden

Jan 25, 2025, 05:32 PM

The CIA has released a new assessment favoring the theory that COVID-19 originated from a lab leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China. Newly appointed CIA Director John Ratcliffe announced that under his leadership, the agency will work to uncover the origins of COVID-19 and address Chinese influence. The reassessment, which began under the Biden administration after National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan ordered a classified review, reflects a shift in the agency's stance after years of stating there was insufficient information to conclude the virus's origin. Officials noted that while there is no new intelligence behind the shift, analysts now favor the lab leak theory with low confidence, believing a research-related origin is more likely than a natural one. This change aligns with Ratcliffe's belief that China poses the primary geopolitical threat to the United States.