Biden admin suppressed intel officials’ views supporting COVID lab leak theory
Members of the U.S. intelligence community who believed that the coronavirus may have originated from a lab leak in China were reportedly blocked from sharing their opinions and research with the broader intel community, according to sources inside the FBI and other government officials familiar with the Biden administration’s internal efforts during the pandemic.
In the early months after COVID-19 arrived in the U.S., the prevailing view within the Biden administration was that the virus most likely originated organically in Wuhan, China, and was transferred to humans from infected animals. This perspective was attributed to the country’s under-regulated and extensive wildlife trade. However, a smaller group within the intel community held a different belief, suggesting that a purposeful or accidental lab leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology was the likely cause of the outbreak.
A recent Wall Street Journal report revealed that some officials who supported the lab-leak theory were allegedly prevented by the Biden administration from sharing their viewpoints with the president and other intelligence community leaders. This suppression of dissenting opinions has raised concerns about the transparency and objectivity of the government’s handling of the pandemic.
When President Joe Biden tasked the U.S. intelligence community with preparing a report on the origins of the coronavirus, the FBI was the only agency that concluded a lab leak origin theory as most likely. Despite their assessment, FBI senior scientist Jason Bannan and his team were not invited to share their analysis during a briefing with the president in August 2021, led by the White House’s National Intelligence Council.
Similarly, three scientists at the National Center for Medical Intelligence, a sub-agency within the Defense Intelligence Agency, were reportedly blocked from sharing their research that pointed to a lab leak origin of the virus. These scientists, John Hardham, Robert Cutlip, and Jean-Paul Chretien, had found evidence suggesting that Chinese scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology were conducting risky “gain-of-function” research. However, they were instructed to halt any further communication with the FBI about their findings.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment on the specific allegations raised in the report, stating that the intelligence community’s assessment of the origins of COVID-19 included input from various sources and adhered to established analytical standards. Despite these assurances, the suppression of dissenting views within the intel community has sparked concerns about the integrity of the investigative process and the government’s commitment to uncovering the truth behind the pandemic’s origins.
In light of these revelations, it is crucial for transparency and objectivity to be prioritized in future investigations into the origins of COVID-19. All viewpoints and evidence should be considered and evaluated without bias to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the circumstances surrounding the outbreak. It is essential for the government to uphold the principles of accountability and openness in order to address the lingering questions and uncertainties surrounding the origins of the coronavirus.
