(CNN) US intelligence and national security officials say the United States government is looking into the possibility that the novel coronavirus originated in a Chinese laboratory rather than a market, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter who caution it is premature to draw any conclusions.

The theory is one of multiple being pursued by investigators as they attempt to determine the origin of the coronavirus that has resulted in a pandemic and killed hundreds of thousands. The US does not believe the virus was associated with bioweapons research, and officials noted that the intelligence community is also exploring a range of other theories regarding the origination of the virus, as would typically be the case for high-profile incidents, according to an intelligence source.

The theory has been pushed by supporters of the President, including some congressional Republicans, who are eager to deflect criticisms of Trump's handling of the pandemic.

An intelligence official familiar with the government analysis said a theory US intelligence officials are investigating is that the virus originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, China, and was accidentally released to the public.

Other sources told CNN that US intelligence hasn't been able to corroborate the theory but is trying to discern whether someone was infected in the lab through an accident or poor handling of materials and may have then infected others.
US intelligence is reviewing sensitive intelligence collection aimed at the Chinese government, according to the intelligence source, as they pursue the theory. But some intelligence officials say it is possible the actual cause may never be known.

How did coronavirus break out?

Joint Chief of Staff Chairman Mark Milley acknowledged this week that US intelligence is taking "a hard look" at the question of whether the novel coronavirus originated in a lab.

"I would just say, at this point, it's inconclusive although the weight of evidence seems to indicate natural (origin). But we don't know for certain," Milley told reporters on Tuesday.
Asked about the intelligence, which was first reported by Yahoo and Fox News, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the US is "doing a very thorough examination of this horrible situation that happened" but refused to discuss what he had been told about the findings.

The lab theory has been denied by the Chinese government and many outside experts have also cast doubt on the idea, CNN has previously reported.

A source close to the White House coronavirus task force also cautioned that "every time there is an outbreak someone proposes that the virus or other pathogen came out of a lab."

One official called the way China has handled dealing with the virus "completely reprehensible" -- and intelligence investigators are determined to build a fuller picture of how it originated.

The Washington Post has reported on State Department cables from 2018 demonstrating concerns about the safety and the management of the Wuhan Institute of Virology biolab. When asked about those cables, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo -- who has continued to call the coronavirus the "Wuhan virus" -- did not dismiss them, but neither did he say that they show any legitimate linkage to Covid-19.

"The Chinese Communist Party didn't give Americans access when we needed it in that most timely point at the very beginning," Pompeo said earlier this week. "Then we know they have this lab. We know about the wet (fresh food) markets. We know that the virus itself did originate in Wuhan. So all those things come together. There's still a lot we don't know, and this is what the President was talking about today. We need to know answers to these things."

Some of the officials said the US intends for China to pay a price, but recognize the US has to be careful not to inflict a cost on China before the pandemic is under control and until they have more information about its creation.

Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/15/politics/us-intelligence-virus-started-chinese-lab/index.html

Okay

Covid19 issue don't tire me abeg...

Something some of us already knew from day 1.

thesicilian:
Something some of us already knew from day 1.

something that you speculated. Not know

TechCapon:
something that you speculated. Not know

I have said what I want to say, how you choose to understand it is up to you.

...more like finding someone else to blame

BEEFIE:
...more like finding someone else to blame

More like the people under whose territory the emergence of the virus takes absolute responsibility for their action or inaction.

China will bleed.

The way they handled this covid 19 was too shady.

Every data they presented do not match.

If you think Europe will lose these number of people and keep quiet, then you need a rethink.

Most are keeping quiet because they have been overwhelmed by covid 19.

When its over, these nations will bite and Chins will bleed.

China produces 20% of global goods while USA produces 18%.

A reduction from that 20% will hurt them badly .

Nations are already moving out their production lines from China.

jumper524:
gentleman, kalm your online Gra Gra.
More than half the countries in the world are very much against that country called America and the reason is simple. Their are chronic cheats that has sabotage many growing economy in the world including your country Nigeria.
Why you continue to ass licks them makes me wonder if you like sufferness.
Besides I'll urge you not to take side for now as the origin of the virus is yet to be proven.
Speculations might be helping the true enemy..

Using our sense is free.

We are talking of covid 19 and you are ranting about conspiracy theories that have existed for decades.

First, Africa do not matter, its a battle of Giants.

Did America sabotage Italian and Spanish economies too?

If America did what China did, even them cannot survive it as no one can win the whole world.

https://m.businesstoday.in/lite/story/coronavirus-impact-japan-to-offer-22-billion-to-firms-shifting-production-out-of-china/1/400721.html

Its a bold move and Japan is not severely affected oo..

Just let Europe finish handling covid 19, there must be a lot of shifts in foreign policy with China.

Even a zombie knows China manufactured this virus
Coming months will be very interesting

The Orange man is not fit to be a leader.

We all know china is hiding something.

we all know it started in a lab.


animals we have been eating safely since the founding of the world now have virus?

abi the Chinese started eating bats or whatever they ate in 2020?

Very true. I knew that long ago. Though China did not create the virus. It is one of the numerous bat coronavirus that they were studying in their laboratories. But it got out of the lab by mistake. And the stupid Chinese government tried to cover it up instead of informing the WHO and taking the right measures on time. Wuhan has the largest virus bank in Asia.

Do you know that SARS could have ended in July 2003? But other cases broke out from Chinese labs that were studying the SARS virus, thus preventing SARS from being eradicated until 2004.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002%E2%80%932004_SARS_outbreak

The first case of SARS was recorded in Guangdong, China in November 2002. The stupid Chinese government did not inform the WHO till March 2003, after which cases had spread to Taiwan, Canada, Hong Kong and other countries.

WHO officials had been in Beijing China since February 2003 bases on suspicions. The Chinese government did not allow them to visit Guangdong till April 2003. That was when the US government withdrew their citizens from China and schools started to shut down in Asia.

Chinese officials later admitted to undereporting SARS cases by as much as 1300%. So, 4000 people could have SARS and the Chinese government will report 40. Some experts even suspect that the percentage was more than that.

China messed up the world with SARS and they are doing the same thing with Covid-19. Hundreds of thousands will die because of China. Jobs will be lost. Companies will crash. Economies will die down all because of the stupid Chinese secretive policies.

Do you know that there were at least 3 other virus outbreaks between 2004 and now? But, their governments acted fast, thus saving lives.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Middle_East_respiratory_syndrome_outbreak_in_South_Korea

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Middle_East_respiratory_syndrome_outbreak

China even lied to the WHO that the coronavirus couldn't spread from human to human. They are also lying that they had only 3700 deaths when the number of vessels used to collect ashes of death people in Wuhan within that period was far far more than that.

If China had reported the truth to the WHO on time, all these wouldn't have happened.


The virus isn't man-made but it escaped from a lab where they were studying various bat coronaviruses. Same way the SARS virus escaped from Chinese labs from 2002-2004.

Everything that happened back then is repeating itself now. Check the Wikipedia page and see for yourself.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002%E2%80%932004_SARS_outbreak

True, i dont trust that Communist government in China.

May God punish China

This angle is quite plausible

OoooooH Great One of KiVuKi Land protect us from Chin Haaaa Tun inhumane act

The US like making a hell of noise.



Unlike the US, the Chinese work tediously for solution.


If a working vaccine for covid-19 emerges, I believe it should come from China and not the western countries.

Long live the People's Republic of China

thesicilian:
Something some of us already knew from day 1.

How do you know this?

Other sources told CNN that US intelligence hasn't been able to corroborate the theory but is trying to discern whether someone was infected in the lab through an accident or poor handling of materials and may have then infected others.

Invariably, these white folks acknowledged that such labs are in existence(where they alter nature in the name of science) .look at how we are suffering?
I still stand that the coming of these Neanderthals crossing the Mediterranean to the blacks race is the wort to happen to us.
Only for conscious minded ones abeg if nothing they your head no quote me

The whole world knows this was biological warfare. Once the evil corona virus which was wickedly launched by the devilish chinese has been defeated, then China's fate shall be sealed.

All those chinko boys and their dangerous testings eeh...Na Dem cause all dx wahala wey the whole world dey face now

The Global market might not just be theirs anymore

3rd world war loading

I just have these feelings that everything about this virus is being staged. The world powers agreed to this. Wetin I know sef.?

AmazingMOG:
May God punish China

May the devil baptise China!!!