wall street journal report On Sunday, the Energy Department concluded there was “low confidence” that the COVID-19 virus originated in a Chinese laboratory.
The paper, citing a classified intelligence report, said the Energy Department’s new position fueled divisions within the intelligence community about what was behind the pandemic that first emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019.
Here’s what you need to know about Energy’s new conclusion, as reported by The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.
‘New Intelligence’ Contributes to Conclusions
According to the WSJ report, the Department of Energy’s determination that a laboratory accident was behind the COVID-19 outbreak was based on “new information” and further research.
However, according to the New York Times, some people who read the non-public information called it “weak.” report on determination. The Department of Energy characterized its determination as “unreliable.”
It is not yet known what exactly constitutes the new information, but it is specifically collected by the Department of Energy’s network of national laboratories, and is a different method of gathering information than the one the FBI likely relied on. both papers report.
The Department of Energy’s conclusion is an update from its previous position of pending.
Energy Faces the FBI
According to the WSJ, the FBI previously determined with “some degree of certainty” that a laboratory leak caused the COVID outbreak.
However, according to the report, four other agencies and the National Intelligence Council have “low confidence” that the pandemic was caused by natural transmission involving infected animals.
Two other agencies, one of which has been identified as the CIA, have yet to come to a conclusion.
There is government-wide agreement that the virus was not the product of China’s bioweapons program. This conspiracy theory is sometimes confused with concerns about lab leaks.
A classified intelligence report cited by The Wall Street Journal was reportedly provided to some members of Congress and the White House.
The job change is described in a recent 2021 update to the document by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haynes, according to the Journal.
White House says no ‘definitive answer’ yet
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told the WSJ on Sunday that the intelligence community has not given a “conclusive answer” on the issue.
“There are different views in the intelligence services. Some elements of the intelligence services have reached their conclusions on one side and some on the other. They say they don’t have the right information,” Sullivan said.
“Here’s what I can tell you: President Biden has repeatedly directed all elements of the intelligence community to commit their efforts and resources to getting to the bottom of this matter … but at this time, this We have not received a definitive answer from intelligence agencies on the matter.”
Republicans call for action against China
Many Republican lawmakers jumped on the WSJ’s report and called for action against the Chinese Communist Party. Others said the lab’s suspicions of leaks were proven correct.
“The Left has spent the last two years censoring the truth and trying to cover up the Chinese Communist Party, but the facts cannot be denied,” said Senator Rick Scott (R-Florida). murmured“The Chinese Communist Party is evil. Its virus has killed millions and Xi Jinping will go to great lengths to destroy the United States. It’s time to hold this evil regime accountable.”
Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan, a Republican, said Sunday that more hearings are needed on the issue.
“Look, this is a country that has no problem coming out and lying to the world…I think we need to make sure that all countries know that, and what the consequences are “Watch,” he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“Obviously, the millions of deaths, the enormous economic impact, and the fact that the Chinese Communist Party is not only a threat, will once again demonstrate that the nature of these regimes is to lie to the world.” said the senator.
