My Take | How the US weaponises the Covid-19 ‘lab leak’ theory
- Just as US leaders used al-Qaeda’s terrorist attacks in 2001 and non-existent weapons of mass destruction as excuses to invade Iraq and depose Saddam Hussein, they are now exploiting the pandemic as part of a full-spectrum campaign against China. In both cases, they are making the world less safe, not least for Americans
But America’s lab leak theory obsession has little or nothing to do with the need for scientific or public health understanding to prevent the next pandemic, which is surely a matter of when, not if. If US leaders truly want to make Americans safe again from pandemic, they are going about in exactly the wrong way.
A full report of a joint investigation by the entire US intelligence community has been presented to Biden. Essentially, one agency believes the virus emerged from a lab leak, four thought it came from animals and three others couldn’t decide. No surprise there. And of course, Biden blames China for hiding essential information, presumably data that would prove China guilty. Isn’t that exactly the mindset of overzealous prosecutors who put innocent people behind bars?
By definition, widely publicising the work of your intelligence community – from the outset – is politicising the issue. Doesn’t intelligence usually work secretly, behind the scenes? If you really want to get to the bottom of the virus origin, you turn to the world’s best scientists and public health specialists who are skilled not only medically, but also diplomatically, through working with foreign governments and international agencies. The US leads the world with such qualified professionals. You don’t need the Central Intelligence Agency for that.