President Joe Biden on Wednesday asked US intelligence officials to “redouble” their efforts to investigate the root causes of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the unlikely possibility it would lead to a Chinese laboratory.
After months of minimizing this possibility as a fringe theory, the Biden government is responding to both US and world pressure that China be more open to the outbreak.
Biden asked US intelligence to report their findings within 90 days. He directed U.S. national laboratories to assist with the investigation and urged China to work with international probes to investigate the origins of the pandemic.
Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, have theorized that the virus emerged from a laboratory accident rather than naturally through human contact with an infected animal.
Biden said in a statement that the majority of intelligence agencies have “banded together” around these two likely scenarios but don’t believe there is enough information to judge whether one is more likely than the other. He revealed that two agencies lean towards animal association and “one leaned more towards laboratory theory”, adding, “each with low or moderate confidence”.
“The United States will continue to work with like-minded partners around the world to urge China to participate in a full, transparent, evidence-based international investigation and provide access to all relevant data and evidence,” said Biden.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday the White House is supporting a new World Health Organization investigation in China.
Biden still believed the possibility that given the Chinese government’s refusal to cooperate fully in international investigations, a definitive conclusion could never be reached.
“Failure to get our inspectors on-site during these first few months will always hamper any investigation into the origin of COVID-19,” he said.
Administrative officials still have strong doubts about the laboratory leak theory. They view China’s refusal to participate in the investigation – especially on such a scale – as emblematic of other irresponsible actions on the world stage.
Privately, government officials say that if the end result is ever known, it won’t change anything, but note that China’s stone walls are now visible to the world.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, a coronavirus adviser to the White House, said Wednesday that he and most others in the scientific community “believe that the most likely scenario is that this was a natural event, but you know that for 100 percent. “
“And since there is a lot of concern, a lot of speculation, and no one absolutely knows, I believe we need the kind of investigation that has open transparency and all the information available to be made available to question.” Said Fauce at a Senate hearing.
Andy Slavitt, Biden’s senior advisor on coronavirus, said Tuesday that the world “needs to get to the bottom … whatever the answer”.
“We need a completely transparent process from China. We need WHO to help on this matter,” said Slavitt. “We don’t feel like we have that now.”
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