FBI claims "very probable" Covid origin

(RT) ⸻ FBI Director Christopher Wray has claimed Covid-19 "most likely" originated due to a leak from a Chinese government laboratory, citing a bureau assessment. He also accused Beijing of attempting to "thwart" investigations into the source of the global pandemic. Wray was asked to comment on the genesis of the worldwide health crisis, and replied that his agency is confident the virus escaped from a lab in Wuhan, China in late 2019. He provided no evidence to support his assertions, instead telling Fox's Bret Baier that most details surrounding the FBI probe are "classified." Wray went on to accuse the Chinese government of "doing its best to try to thwart and obfuscate the work here," referring to investigations by US federal agencies and foreign partners. The Director of National Intelligence's comments come on the heels of a report published in the Wall Street Journal over the weekend, which cited a classified intelligence briefing. The report noted that the Energy Department had changed its stance on the origin of the virus and now believes Covid-19 probably emerged from the Wuhan lab. Four other federal agencies remain convinced the pathogen jumped to humans by way of natural transmission, not accidental exposure in a laboratory setting. The FBI had "moderate confidence" in the lab leak theory, while the Energy Department was undecided at the time. A team led by the World Health Organization (WHO) traveled to China in 2021 to investigate the origins of the virus, ultimately concluding it was "extremely unlikely." Beijing has rejected the leak claim as an unfounded rumor and a coordinated effort to smear China's international image.