But a lab glitch?
CIA changes its assessment of the origin of corona
Shortly after the new director of the US foreign intelligence agency CIA, John Ratcliffe, took office, his agency's assessment of the origin of the Covid-19 virus has been changed. It now assumes a certain probability of a laboratory breakdown, but remains cautious in its wording.
"The CIA assesses with low confidence that a research-related origin of the Covid-19 pandemic is more likely than a natural origin based on available reports," it said in a statement released to US media on Saturday. However, the origin of the virus is still being investigated.
The preparation of the assessment was already initiated during the presidency of Donald Trump's predecessor Joe Biden. According to media reports, it is not based on new findings, but on a review of existing information. Some US authorities are still of the opinion that the virus was probably transmitted naturally, while others are undecided or assume a laboratory mishap.
Ratcliffe is newly sworn in
The CIA had previously taken the position that there was not enough information to assess whether the virus had jumped from an animal to a human - or was the result of a breakdown in a Chinese laboratory. Ratcliffe, on the other hand, had in the past supported the laboratory theory and accused Beijing of concealing the origin of the virus.
The former congressman from Texas served as intelligence coordinator during Republican Trump's first term in office - but only for around seven months. At the time, the Democrats accused Ratcliffe of abusing his position for political purposes, among other things. He was sworn in on Thursday. The son of US President Trump, Don Jr., praised the decision on Platform X.
Biden's government did not want to commit itself for a long time
There is disagreement among the US secret services about the origin of the virus. The US government under Trump's Democratic predecessor Biden repeatedly emphasized that there was still no consensus within the government on the origin of the coronavirus. Trump, on the other hand, is convinced that the virus originated from a mishap in a laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan. China has always rejected allegations of a possible laboratory accident.
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