The US Department of Energy says it’s likely a lab leak, but with “low confidence,” while the FBI reached the same conclusion in 2021 with “moderate” confidence.
The US Department of Energy has joined other federal agencies such as the FBI in concluding that COVID-19 was "most likely" caused by a leak in a Chinese laboratoryThe Wall Street Journal reported this Sunday.
Citing "a classified intelligence report recently provided to the White House and key members of the (US) Congress," the paper notes that Four other US departments still believe the coronavirus outbreak is likely the result of natural transmission, while two others remain undecided.
The New York newspaper points out that the conclusion of the Ministry of Energy is the result of reading new intelligence and considers this discovery significant because this agency oversees a network of 17 US national laboratories, some of which conduct advanced biological research.
However, the Journal points out that the Department of Energy makes this claim s "low trust"while the FBI, when it came to the same conclusion in 2021, rated its confidence level as "moderately".
Depending on the quality of the information and its origin, the US intelligence services usually assign three levels of confidence to their conclusions: high, moderate and low.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan declined to confirm or deny the veracity of the information published by The Wall Street Journal.
Source: Cronista
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
