A recent report reveals that the FBI was tipped off about risky experiments funded by the U.S. government that could manipulate coronaviruses without leaving any trace. The experiments, funded by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the leadership of Dr. Anthony Fauci, involved changing the viruses in a way that would disguise any purposeful human manipulation. Some of the funds were sent to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the same lab located in China where the first COVID-19 cases appeared in 2019.
The emails, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by nonprofit organization Judicial Watch, were forwarded by an FBI official to another official, expressing alarm over the information provided. The identities of the source and FBI officials were redacted in the messages.
These documents add to the growing controversy surrounding gain-of-function research and Dr. Fauci's involvement. Gain-of-function research involves manipulating viruses to study their potential for causing pandemics and has been a subject of debate due to safety concerns.
The FBI's involvement suggests that they were aware of the potential risks associated with these experiments. The report highlights the need for a comprehensive criminal investigation into Dr. Fauci's role in funding gain-of-function research.
Scientists have previously argued that genetic manipulation can be done without leaving signatures, making it difficult to trace any intentional manipulation. However, a paper called “Proximal Origin” co-authored by Robert Garry and others concluded that available evidence shows COVID-19 is not a laboratory construct or purposefully manipulated virus.
Previous records obtained by Judicial Watch indicate that the FBI had opened an inquiry into research at the Wuhan lab under a grant called “Understanding the Risk of Bat Coronavirus Emergence.” FBI Director Christopher Wray has stated that COVID-19 likely originated from the Wuhan lab.
The origins of COVID-19 are still a topic of debate within the U.S. intelligence community. While some agencies assess a lab origin as likely, others remain undecided or lean toward the natural origin theory. China has hindered investigations into the origins of the virus and has not made information from the lab public.
Experiments funded by the U.S. grant did result in a bat coronavirus that made mice sicker than those infected with the original version. Concerns about safety at the Wuhan lab were raised prior to the pandemic, and funding to the lab has been barred after they stopped sharing information with U.S. overseers.
The revelations in these documents further fuel the ongoing discussions about the origins of COVID-19 and raise questions about the potential risks associated with gain-of-function research. A comprehensive investigation is needed to uncover the truth about the origins of the virus and the role played by Dr. Fauci and his agency in funding these experiments.
