New allegations about the FBI being denied the opportunity to present critical COVID-19 lab leak evidence to President Biden raise concerns over government transparency and unity among agencies. Jason Bannan claims the FBI wasn’t invited to key briefings despite high confidence in a lab origin. Does the US need China’s help for a review?
FBI Exclusion from Key Meeting
Reports suggest that the FBI was blocked from briefing President Biden on evidence favoring a Covid-19 lab leak theory. Jason Bannan, a former senior FBI scientist, asserted the Bureau expected to participate as it maintained the highest confidence in the lab origin theory. Despite this, the FBI was not present at a National Intelligence Council meeting with Biden, where information critical to pandemic response was shared.
The Biden administration, following scientific and intelligence reviews, had moved forward with diverse origin theories. With the FBI’s confidence in a lab origin, questions now linger over the decision-making processes at play. It prompts inquiries into whether crucial pandemic-related evidence reached the highest levels of leadership.
Today's cover: Spy bosses ‘silenced’ Defense Department, FBI scientists from briefing Biden on COVID lab leak evidence https://t.co/U8SuL5aH2b pic.twitter.com/PNGE7FtnEY
— New York Post (@nypost) December 27, 2024
Biden’s Leadership and Investigative Actions
In May 2021, President Biden authorized a comprehensive investigation to ascertain the origin of the virus. During this period, the FBI departed from other agencies with its verdict that lab origin was likely, although with moderate confidence. The NIC, instead, concluded with low confidence, attributing the virus’s emergence to a zoonotic spillover from animals to humans.
“Being the only agency that assessed that a laboratory origin was more likely, and the agency that expressed the highest level of confidence in its analysis of the source of the pandemic, we anticipated the FBI would be asked to attend the briefing,” said Mr. Bannan.
Bannan, now retired, argues for a reassessment of the lab leak evidence. This stance pressures current governmental protocols on inter-agency cooperation and discourse, advocating for transparency to foster trust and efficient crisis management.
🚨BREAKING: A former senior FBI scientist, Jason Bannan, says the FBI was prevented from briefing President Biden on evidence supporting the lab leak theory for the origin of COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/a87zJVYa15
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) December 27, 2024
Challenges in Determining COVID-19 Origin
Efforts to pinpoint the origin of Covid-19 have been hampered by limited international cooperation. The US review noted difficulties in confirming origins without input from China, with their sole engagement being a joint WHO report in 2021, which backed the animal transmission theory. This complexity underscores the importance of open channels and robust evidence-sharing in future global health crises.
The divided conclusions presented to leaders, coupled with the exclusion of significant analyses, signify a need to evaluate the current engagement practices of intelligence agencies. Fostering a more inclusive dialogue may prove essential in maintaining national security and public trust during crises.