CIA revises stance, says Covid-19 'more likely' to have leaked from lab

Washington: The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has revised its position on the origins of Covid-19, stating that the virus is "more likely" to have leaked from a laboratory in China rather than being transmitted from animals. This shift in stance comes following the confirmation of John Ratcliffe as CIA Director under the second term of former President Donald Trump.

John Ratcliffe, who previously served as the Director of National Intelligence from 2020 to 2021, made it clear in a recent interview that investigating the origins of Covid-19 would be a top priority for the CIA. He said, "The agency is going to get off the sidelines," adding that he believes Covid-19 likely leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

In a statement issued on Saturday, a CIA spokesperson confirmed that the agency now assesses, with "low confidence," that a research-related origin of the Covid-19 pandemic is more probable than a natural origin, based on available intelligence. Previously, the CIA had refrained from making a definitive judgement on whether the virus resulted from a lab accident or a natural spillover.

However, the spokesperson also noted that both theories -- lab-leak and natural origin -- remain plausible, and the CIA continues to evaluate both possibilities.

New analysis triggers shift in CIA’s position

The shift in the CIA’s stance follows a new analysis of existing intelligence, which was ordered by former CIA Director William Burns before Ratcliffe took office. This analysis contributed to the agency’s revised assessment of Covid’s origins.

Other US government agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Energy, have expressed support for the lab-leak hypothesis, though with varying levels of confidence. Meanwhile, most of the intelligence community still leans towards a natural origin of the virus.

Proponents of the lab-leak theory point to the fact that the earliest known Covid-19 cases emerged in Wuhan, a major centre for coronavirus research, which is located around 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometres) from the nearest bat populations that carry viruses similar to SARS.

As the investigation continues, the debate over the true origins of the Covid-19 pandemic remains ongoing, with different agencies offering conflicting views.

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