The Department of Defense (DoD) is facing scrutiny for its inability to account for the exact amount of funding it provided to Chinese research laboratories over the past decade. A recent report by the DoD Inspector General (IG) highlights significant gaps in the tracking and oversight of funds allocated for research related to pathogens with pandemic potential.
This issue has been brought to light following an audit mandated by Section 252 of the FY 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which required a detailed report on the DoD’s financial contributions to Chinese entities engaged in such research.
From 2014 to 2023, the DoD allocated substantial funding to various research initiatives, some of which were channeled through organizations like EcoHealth Alliance. This organization has been linked to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), which has been at the center of debates concerning the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. The DoD’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) provided over $37 million to EcoHealth Alliance for research projects, some of which indirectly benefited the WIV【104†source】【105†source】.
The IG report underscores the limitations of the DoD’s current tracking systems, making it challenging to ascertain the full extent of the funds disbursed for enhancing pathogens of pandemic potential. This revelation has sparked concerns among lawmakers and defense officials about the possible implications of these financial oversights and the potential risks associated with the lack of stringent oversight.
The report calls for improved transparency and better tracking mechanisms to ensure that all federal funds, especially those allocated for high-risk research, are thoroughly monitored and accounted for. This move aims to prevent any inadvertent support to foreign programs that could pose a threat to global biosecurity.
SOURCES: AMERICAN MILITARY NEWS, PATHOGENS PROJECT
You must be logged in to post a comment Login