According to recent revelations, Germany's BND intelligence service believed there was an 80-90% likelihood that COVID-19 leaked from a lab rather than originating from animals, as initially thought. This assessment, commissioned during Angela Merkel's tenure, aligns with growing sentiments among various intelligence agencies that the lab-leak hypothesis deserves further scrutiny, despite strong opposition from Chinese authorities and ongoing disputes within the scientific community regarding the origins of the virus.
German Intelligence Highlights Lab Leak Theory in COVID-19 Origins Investigation
German Intelligence Highlights Lab Leak Theory in COVID-19 Origins Investigation
Newly uncovered assessments by Germany's intelligence agency suggest a high probability that COVID-19 originated from a Chinese lab accident, intensifying debates on the pandemic's source.
Germany's foreign intelligence service, the BND, reportedly concluded in a 2020 analysis that there was an 80-90% probability the coronavirus had accidentally escaped from a laboratory in China, according to reports by several German newspapers. The findings emerged from a covert investigation under the operation named Project Saaremaa, commissioned by the office of then-Chancellor Angela Merkel, which has only recently been disclosed to the public.
The BND's assessment indicated that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was engaged in experiments where coronaviruses were modified to increase transmissibility to humans. While the report did not provide definitive proof, it noted several violations of safety protocols within the laboratory as potential indicators of a leak.
China has consistently denied the lab-leak theory, emphasizing that the origin of COVID-19 should be determined through scientific investigation. A joint WHO-China team concluded in early 2021 that the lab-leak theory was "extremely unlikely" based on their on-site investigations. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning reiterated this stance, arguing that scientific conclusions should not be influenced by political considerations.
The debate over COVID-19's origins remains contentious, as the lab-leak hypothesis gains traction among intelligence agencies, including the United States CIA. In January, the CIA indicated that a "research-related origin" of the pandemic could be more plausible than a natural origin, though they also acknowledged a lack of certainty regarding their findings.
Critics of the WHO's investigation have expressed frustration over what they characterize as an inadequate examination of the lab-leak theory, suggesting it was insufficiently addressed in the comprehensive report. Meanwhile, proponents of the natural origin hypothesis assert that the virus likely originated in bats and was transmitted to humans through an intermediary species, a theory that gained widespread acceptance at the pandemic's onset. However, the absence of a matching virus in related species has sparked skepticism about the natural origin narrative, leading to renewed discussions on the possible lab origins of COVID-19.
