Reuters: U.S. spy agencies monitor coronavirus spread, concerns about India: sources
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. intelligence agencies are monitoring the global spread of coronavirus and the ability of governments to respond, sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday, warning that there were concerns about how India would cope with a widespread outbreak.
While there are only a few known cases in India, one source said the country’s available countermeasures and the potential for the virus to spread given India’s dense population was a focus of serious concern.
U.S. intelligence agencies are also focusing on Iran, where the country’s deputy health minister has fallen ill during a worsening outbreak. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday the United States was “deeply concerned” Tehran may have covered up details about the spread of coronavirus.
A U.S. government source said Iran’s response was considered ineffective because the government only has minimal capabilities to respond to the outbreak.
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Update #1: Coronavirus: US spy agencies concerned about India and Iran (The National)
Update #2: US intelligence agencies monitoring coronavirus concerns about India (Washington Examiner)
WNU Editor: I am not surprise that the intel community are doing assessments on the geopolitical/economic/security impact of the Covid-19 outbreak. Their concerns on what this outbreak may do to populous countries like India, or on the warzones in the Middle East, are completely justified.