Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speak to reporters at the Pentagon on March 2, 2020. (Lisa Ferdinando/DoD)
Politico: Officials probe the threat of a coronavirus bioweapon
Defense and intelligence officials are throwing more resources at the possibility that adversaries will deploy the virus against U.S. targets.
The Pentagon and the intelligence community are more forcefully investigating the possibility that adversaries could use the novel coronavirus as a bioweapon, according to defense and intelligence officials, in a shift that reflects the national security apparatus’ evolving understanding of the virus and its risks.
Officials emphasized that the change does not mean they believe the virus was purposefully created to be weaponized—the intelligence community is still investigating the virus’ potential origins, but there is currently no hard intelligence or scientific evidence to support the theory that it spread from a lab in China, people briefed on the matter said.
Meanwhile, the intelligence community has also begun gaming out the potential for bad actors to weaponize the virus, particularly against high-level targets, and the Defense Department has recently shifted its focus toward monitoring the possibility more closely, said three people familiar with the matter.
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WNU Editor: I am sure there are some who are wondering how to deploy this virus against specific U.S. targets. After-all, the virus has already proven its effectiveness by crippling the USS Theodore Roosevelt .... U.S. Navy Commander Of The 7th Fleet: USS Theodore Roosevelt Sailors Are 'Struggling' And 'Upset' After Their Captain Was Sacked (April 11, 2020), and the French aircraft carriers Charles De Gaul .... Almost 700 Sailors Aboard The French Aircraft Carrier Charles de Gaulle Are Infected With The Covid-19 Coronavirus (April 16, 2020).
