Latest US National Intelligence on the Lab leak debate

This is my video on this rather unimpressive report.

Latest US Intelligence report on the Lab leak debate

This is my video on this rather unimpressive report.

These are the notes that go with the video.

National Intelligence Officer for Weapons of Mass Destruction and Proliferation

https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/Report-on-Potential-Links-Between-the-Wuhan-Institute-of-Virology-and-the-Origins-of-COVID-19-20230623.pdf

My impressions

Many potential incriminating details from WIV are given

Report then systematically tries to downplay the evidence

IC genuinely does not know a lot of specifics

Background

Late March, US Congress, unanimously passed a law

Everything US intelligence held on coronavirus origins must be made public.

Public Law

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/619/text

America’s director of National Intelligence

Presidential backed order

declassify and make public all information relating to the origins of Covid-19

All 18 agencies, within 90 days.

(5 days late)

A classified annex to this report includes information that was necessary to exclude from the unclassified portion of this report

All agencies continue to assess that both a natural and laboratory-associated origin remain plausible hypotheses to explain the first human infection.

Coronavirus research

In 2013, the WIV collected animal samples from which they identified the bat coronavirus

Variations in IC analytic views

The National Intelligence Council

the initial human infection with SARS-CoV-2 most likely was caused by natural exposure to an infected animal that carried SARS-CoV-2 or a close progenitor,

a virus that probably would be more than 99 percent similar to SARS- CoV-2.

The Department of Energy and the Federal Bureau of Investigation

a laboratory-associated incident was the most likely cause of the first human infection with SARS-CoV-2

Most agencies assess that SARS-CoV-2 was not laboratory-adapted; some are unable to make a determination.

All IC agencies assess that SARS-CoV-2 was not developed as a biological weapon.

WIV ACTIVITIES PERFORMED WITH OR ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE’S LIBERATION ARMY

WIV personnel have worked with scientists associated with the PLA on public health-related research and collaborated on biosafety and biosecurity projects.

Information available to the IC indicates that some of the research conducted by the PLA and WIV included work with several viruses, including coronaviruses,

but no known viruses that could plausibly be a progenitor of SARS-CoV-2.

For example, PLA researchers have used WIV laboratories for virology and vaccine-related work.

Between 2017 and 2019, the WIV funded and conducted research projects to enhance China’s knowledge of pathogens and early disease warning capabilities for defensive and biosecurity needs of the military.

WIV collaborated with the PLA on other vaccine and therapeutics relevant to coronaviruses.

CORONAVIRUS RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES PERFORMED AT THE WIV

We assess WIV scientists conducted extensive research on coronaviruses, which included animal sampling and genetic analysis.

No any direct evidence that a specific research-related incident occurred involving WIV personnel before the pandemic that could have caused the COVID pandemic.

 WIV Coronavirus Research and Holdings

The WIV probably maintains one of the world’s largest repositories of bat samples,

which has enabled its coronavirus research

WIV first possessed SARS-CoV-2 in late December 2019, when WIV researchers isolated and identified the virus from samples from patients diagnosed with pneumonia of unknown causes.

Since 2019, some WIV researchers analyzed pangolin samples to better understand disease outbreaks in these animals.

By the end of 2019, the WIV maintained distinct teams focused on MERS and SARS-related coronaviruses.

Both teams separately used transgenic mouse models to better understand how the viruses infect humans

WIV Genetic Engineering Capabilities

We assess that some scientists at the WIV have genetically engineered coronaviruses using common laboratory practices.

Scientists at the WIV have created chimeras, or combinations, of SARS-like coronaviruses through genetic engineering

Some of the WIV’s genetic engineering projects on coronaviruses involved techniques that could make it difficult to detect intentional changes.

WIV research found that reverse genetic cloning techniques, left no traces of genetic modification of SARS-like coronaviruses.

Biosafety Concerns at the WIV

Some WIV researchers probably did not use adequate biosafety precautions prior to the pandemic in handling SARS-like coronaviruses,

increasing the risk of accidental exposure to viruses.

Before the pandemic, the WIV had been working to improve at least some biosafety conditions and training.

China’s decisions of which pathogens required higher biocontainment protocols remained opaque,

while the facility had a shortage of appropriately trained personnel.

In mid-2019, WIV officials were evaluating and implementing biosafety improvements, training, and procurements

As of January 2019, WIV researchers performed SARS- like coronavirus experiments in BSL-2 laboratories,

despite acknowledgements going back to 2017 of these virus’ ability to directly infect humans

WIV 2020

identified a need to update aging equipment,

a need for additional disinfectant equipment,

and improvements to ventilation systems.

Essential information not mentioned in the report

Only one focus of outbreak

No animal intermediate identified

Poor WHO visits

WIV may have begun developing two Covid vaccines in November 2019

SOURCE REFERENCE DOCUMENT 6 Muddy Waters Group Investigation Executive Summary 

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23780776-mwg-fdr-document-04-16-23

(Prior to 8^th December 2018)

U.S. Consulate General in Wuhan

An increase in adult Influenza-Like-Illness (ILI)

October to November 2019

(accompanied by negative results)

statistically significantly higher than reported in the previous 5 years

“By mid-October 2019, the dedicated team at the U.S. Consulate General in Wuhan knew that the city had been struck by what was thought to be an unusually vicious flu season.

The disease worsened in November.”

China CDC

None of the samples taken from the 18 animal species found in the market were positive for SARS- CoV-2.

EcoHealth Alliance and NIH funding

EcoHealth Alliance with the WIV, Project DEFUSE: Defusing the Threat of Bat-borne Coronaviruses

Mid-October to mid-November 2019

WIV collected 20,000 bat and animal samples by 2019, but did not disclose all of the viruses

Before 2019, the WIV published sequences in a public database, taken offline in September 2019

Senator Dr Roger Marshall

“As we’ve seen nearly every step of the way while trying to uncover the origins of Covid-19 virus, the Biden Administration has failed to be transparent with the American people and members of Congress,”

“Today’s release of the declassified documents is late and does not provide the full picture of what our intelligence agencies know.

Professor Richard Ebright, (Chemistry and Chemical Biology) Rutgers, New Jersey

“Five days late and a dollar short. Not, even remotely, responsive to or compliant with the law”

“It is dismaying that a sitting president of the United States breaks the law, violates the oath of office, and shows contempt for the public on a matter of national importance,”

Mike Pompeo, (former US Secretary of State)

“The declassified Covid origins report confirms what we knew from the beginning: the only logical explanation is that the virus came from the Wuhan lab”.