German intelligence report leaked to the press... 'Coronavirus came from a lab': Did Merkel hide the truth?

According to the German press, the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) has claimed that the coronavirus pandemic may have originated from a laboratory accident in the Chinese city of Wuhan. According to the allegations, the report that the BND submitted to the government in 2020 was leaked to the German media. The intelligence service estimated the probability of the laboratory theory being correct at between 80 and 95 percent.

The BND's assessment was based on the analysis of publicly available data and scientific materials collected during an operation codenamed Saaremaa. These materials were obtained from China's leading research institutions, such as the Wuhan Institute of Virology. It was alleged that 'gain-of-function' experiments, in which viruses are artificially modified, were conducted at the institute and that laboratory safety protocols were violated.

According to a report by Tagesspiegel, during the term of former Chancellor Angela Merkel, the BND was tasked with investigating the origin of the coronavirus. It was learned that BND President Bruno Kahl conveyed his findings directly to the Chancellery.

Allegedly, both the Merkel government and the government of her successor Olaf Scholz kept this information secret from the public and the Parliamentary Control Committee. Merkel and Scholz have not made a statement regarding the allegations.

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her successor Olaf Scholz

'PARLIAMENT WAS KEPT IN THE DARK'

The Green Party, a coalition partner at the time, reacted to the allegations, announcing that the report had not been shared with them. Health expert Janosch Dahmen from the Green Party stated that he had not received any information on the subject, saying, 'No intelligence information regarding the origin or spread of the virus reached me.' FDP Deputy Chairman Wolfgang Kubicki criticized the former governments, saying, 'The German public and parliament were kept in the dark.'

A team consisting of experts such as Berlin-based virologist Christian Drosten and Robert Koch Institute President Lars Schade was tasked with examining the BND's findings. It was announced that no definitive conclusion had yet been reached in the reports. Although Drosten believes the natural origin theory is more likely, he emphasized that he has approached the possibility of a laboratory accident with more skepticism over time.

EXPERTS POINT TO LACK OF EVIDENCE

Virologist Isabella Eckerle from the University of Geneva said it was difficult to comment on the BND's findings. Eckerle stated, 'As long as we do not know what data the report is based on, it is impossible to reach a conclusion.' Björn Meyer from the University of Magdeburg reminded that the claim of '80 to 95 percent certainty' was not transparent and that such claims have been repeated for five years.

Pointing out that this debate will not progress without the support of Chinese authorities, Meyer added the following:

'A laboratory origin is possible, but there is currently no data to support this hypothesis. Existing evidence points to the virus having a natural origin.'

''THE CIA KNEW ABOUT THE REPORT''

According to the German media, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) also learned of the BND's findings in 2020. However, the CIA refrained from reaching a definitive conclusion about the origin of the coronavirus until January. The agency stated that there was insufficient data to evaluate the possibilities of a laboratory accident and animal-to-human transmission.

Government spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann stated that the BND's findings could not be commented on and that such information is conveyed to relevant parliamentary committees in closed meetings. Hoffmann said, 'It is not possible to make public statements about intelligence activities and their findings.'

News Source: 12punto