Intel community declassifies COVID origins and Wuhan lab info.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence Releases Declassified Intelligence on Wuhan Lab and COVID-19 Origins

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has recently released declassified intelligence regarding the Wuhan lab and its potential links to the origins of COVID-19. This highly anticipated information was made public on Friday night, following a delay in its release.

President Joe Biden had missed the congressionally-mandated Sunday deadline for making this information available, causing further anticipation and speculation. However, the ODNI’s release finally sheds light on this crucial matter.

The timing of this news dump is noteworthy, as it comes just days after Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to China, where he met with President Xi Jinping. This visit has raised questions about the potential impact on the discussions between the two nations.

COVID-19 Origin Act of 2023 and the Declassification Process

In March, both the House and Senate unanimously passed the COVID-19 Origin Act of 2023. This act mandated the declassification and release of intelligence on the Wuhan Institute of Virology and its connections to the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 within 90 days.

The law specifically instructed Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines to declassify any and all information related to potential links between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the origin of COVID-19. This includes intelligence on the activities performed by the institute in collaboration with or on behalf of the People’s Liberation Army, as well as any coronavirus research or related activities conducted prior to the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2.

Furthermore, the legislation required the Biden administration to provide any information regarding researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology who fell ill in autumn 2019.

President Biden had previously stated his commitment to reviewing all classified information related to COVID-19’s origins, including potential links to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. He assured that his administration would declassify and share as much of that information as possible, while also protecting national security.

The Wuhan Institute of Virology and Congressional Investigations

The Wuhan Institute of Virology has long been suspected as the possible source of the global pandemic, which has tragically claimed the lives of over one million Americans. The close relationship between the institute and the Chinese military has been a focal point for congressional investigators.

Earlier this year, FBI Director Christopher Wray confirmed the bureau’s belief, with moderate confidence, that COVID-19 originated at a Chinese government lab. Additionally, the Energy Department expressed low confidence in the theory that the virus started at the Wuhan lab.

In March, Avril Haines promised to share the Energy Department’s assessment with the House Intelligence Committee. This further highlights the significance of the declassification process and the importance of transparency in understanding the origins of COVID-19.

ODNI’s Assessments and Former DNI John Ratcliffe’s Perspective

In August 2021, ODNI released an assessment stating that four U.S. spy agencies and the National Intelligence Council believed, with low confidence, that COVID-19 most likely had a natural origin. This assessment provided valuable insights into the ongoing investigation.

Furthermore, ODNI’s declassified report from October 2021 included a section titled “The Case for the Laboratory-Associated Incident Hypothesis,” which appeared to summarize the FBI’s argument. This report adds another layer of information to the overall understanding of the situation.

Former DNI John Ratcliffe, who has consistently maintained that COVID-19 originated at a Wuhan lab, dismissed claims that the CIA lacks sufficient information to reach a conclusion on natural origin versus lab leak. Ratcliffe strongly believes in the strength of the intelligence supporting the lab leak theory.

COVID-19 Origins and Secretary Blinken’s China Visit

It is important to note that the State Department clarified that uncovering the origins of COVID-19 was not a primary objective of Secretary Blinken’s visit to China. Instead, Blinken focused on discussing the pandemic’s impact on the economy and the Biden administration’s desire for China’s economic success.

For more information on this topic, click here to read more from The Washington Examiner.

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases