U.S. Intelligence Community ‘Leaks’ the Latest on ‘Wuhan Lab Leak’

March 1, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)—The Wall Street Journal on Feb. 26 set off yet another round of “exclusive” paranoia, with more air in the story than the previous hyperventilating over a Chinese weather balloon. One is supposed to be left with the newly discovered proof that a careless leak in a lab in Wuhan, China caused the COVID-19 pandemic.

In brief, the scorecard on the purported source of the pandemic is that, of nine U.S. intelligence agencies, the 2021 assessment of six for “natural transmission,” one for “lab leak,” and two undecided, has now been changed to five, two and two, respectively. The 2021 classified report from the Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines is reported, by the Journal’s sources who say that they have read the classified material, to have been updated, with a 5-page addition, whereby the Department of Energy has now endorsed the “lab leak” theory—admittedly, only with “low confidence.” The WSJ’s sources do not say what the DOE’s new assessment is based upon.

The FBI had been alone with their “moderate” confidence level, basing their estimation on Fort Detrick’s “National Bioforensic Analysis Center,” founded in 2004. (Of course, the Center has not volunteered any analysis of Fort Detrick’s own massive capacity for biological warfare operations and/or mere leaks.) Even so, aside from the two claims of a mistaken “lab leak,” none of the nine agencies tries to claim that any Chinese biological-weapons program was involved.

Yet, so far, none of the nine agencies has cleared Chinese balloons of their possible role in infecting the U.S. with COVID-19—so, stay tuned.