'Wuhan Lab was engaged in military activity with PLA': Ex-US Secy Of State Mike Pompeo

As pressure continues to mount on China on the COVID-19 origin, the United States has stepped up its attacks. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday revealed that the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) was engaged in military activity apart from its civilian research. The Wuhan Institute of Virology has been under the lens since the global pandemic began. Earlier last week, US President Joe Biden had announced that he had directed intelligence agencies to further probe the COVID-19 origin. 

'Wuhan Lab was engaged with military activity': Mike Pompeo

Pompeo added that the Wuhan Lab was engaged in activities connected to China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) apart from  the 'good old civilian research'. He further added that China refuses to reveal anything related to their activities. He further added that China refused World Health Organization (WHO) access to Wuhan Lab. 

"What I can say for sure is this: we know that they were engaged in efforts connected to the People's Liberation Army inside of that laboratory, so military activity being performed alongside what they claimed was just good old civilian research," Pompeo said, as per Fox News.

He further mentioned: "They refuse to tell us what it was, they refuse to describe the nature of either of those, they refused to allow access to the World Health Organization when it tried to get in there."

China has been under increasing pressure over the probe in the Coronavirus origin, even as scientists are demanding more clarity to go into the roots of the global pandemic. Professor Nikolai Petrovsky, Director of Endocrinology at Flinders Medical Centre, during his interaction with Sky News Australia also hit out and stated that the world's scientific community was tricked by China, as reported by a New York Times Post. 

"Finally a lot of experts are now saying well actually it does now look like this virus maybe did escape from that Chinese lab and China is feeling the heat." commented Andrew Bolt, Host of Sky News Australia. 

Petrovsky told Bolt that Chinese scientists are of the view that the pangolins were responsible for the COVID-19 origin. However, he added that this is unlikely to be the case. However, the WHO team investigating the origins of COVID-19 in China concluded that they did not find any evidence that the Coronavirus leaked from the Wuhan Lab. Even so, during its investigation into the issue, the team was also closely monitored by the Chinese authorities. One of the team members also informed UK news agency that China refused to hand over key data from the initial outbreak, the New York Times Post further reported. 

US President Joe Biden orders intelligence agencies to investigate COVID-19 origin

Earlier last week, US President Joe Biden informed that he had directed the US intelligence agencies to investigate the origins of the COVID-19. Biden has therefore asked these agencies to 'redouble' their effort and submit a report in 90 days. Biden also recollected that back in 2020, he had urged the United States CDC to gain access to China in order to 'learn' more about the virus so that it can be combated more effectively.  In addition, Biden also informed that after he took office, he directed the National Security Advisor to ask the intel agencies to prepare a report of the origins of COVID-19.  

With ANI Inputs