Back in September 2023, significant revelations emerged regarding the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a CIA whistleblower has alleged a complex cover-up involving U.S. biodefense programs and potential ties to China's Wuhan Institute of Virology, adding a new layer of complexity to the ongoing debate. The whistleblower claims that the CIA influenced the conclusions of experts investigating the virus's origin, prompting them to change their initial assessment from a likely lab origin to an uncertain one. The CIA has denied these allegations.
The allegations in question pertain to enduring uncertainties surrounding the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. These claims suggest instances of deceit on the part of Dr. Anthony Fauci, collaboration among academic scientists, former reputable scientific journals, and that scientists investigating the virus at the Defense Intelligence Agency’s National Center for Medical Intelligence were censored when they concluded it most likely came from a laboratory.
One significant aspect is the financial connection between the U.S. and the Wuhan Institute of Virology through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a foreign aid agency with historical ties to the CIA. This link raises questions about the true nature of funding and collaboration between the U.S. and Chinese researchers.
Notably, gain-of-function experiments at the Wuhan lab, led by Chinese virologist Shi Zhengli, received funding from USAID. Gain-of-function research involves intentionally enhancing the virulence or lethality of viruses, a controversial practice with dual-use potential.
The aid agency’s funding was initially omitted from the paper that published the results of those experiments. But these new whistleblower allegations, which come from the CIA itself, present the first plausible evidence connecting America’s lead intelligence agency to efforts to sway official assessments of the pandemic’s origin.
Ralph Baric, a key figure in this complex web of research, is known for his involvement in gain-of-function research. His work included creating a hybrid virus considered a "prototype" for SARS-CoV-2. This adds another dimension to concerns about the potential misuse and accidental release of dangerous pathogens.
The motivations behind U.S. government support for Chinese researchers in this type of research are unclear, but one possibility is the national security aspect of developing vaccines. If one side possesses an effective vaccine against a deadly virus, it can transform the virus into a strategic weapon, impacting global trade and social stability, as witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is known in the field as dual-use research—work that could simultaneously produce advances capable of serving civilian and military ends. But scientists like Richard Ebright have argued that, to date, gain-of-function research and its scientific sibling—the virus-hunting that gathers previously unknown pathogens from the wild for scientists like Baric and Shi to study and modify—have produced no civilian benefit whatsoever. Indeed, despite USAID’s $200 million virus-hunting and surveillance program, “Predict,” it was Chinese doctors who alerted the world to the new pathogen rampaging around through Hubei province in late 2019, while those in the U.S. running nine-figure global surveillance programs remained, at least for a while, blissfully unaware.
The media's role in shaping public perception has been significant. Intelligence community assessments leaning toward a zoonotic origin were used to dismiss the lab-leak theory as irresponsible and racist, with some media outlets labeling it a "conspiracy theory." Historical collaborations between media outlets and intelligence agencies, such as The New York Times and the CIA, raise questions about potential biases and shared interests.
The involvement of figures like Ralph Baric underscores the need for a thorough investigation and a better understanding of the complex dynamics at play in the world of virology and national security. Transparency and accountability in critical matters are essential.
Source: A CIA whistleblower pulls back the curtain on COVID’s origins in the shadowy world of U.S. biodefense programs
by ASHLEY RINDSBERG
footnote: this article was AI assisted