Shafaqna Pakistan: United States Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has claimed that the United States has funded more than 120 biological laboratories in over 30 countries and alleged that information about the programme was intentionally withheld from the American public.
In a statement issued by her office on Friday, Gabbard said that her team had uncovered what she described as longstanding US government support for a global network of biolabs conducting research on biological pathogens, including some considered hazardous and highly infectious.
She asserted that details regarding the existence, history, locations, and funding of these US-backed laboratories had been deliberately concealed by influential individuals, and accused officials of labelling critics as “foreign assets” and “traitors” in an effort to discredit concerns.
According to her office, several of these laboratories are located in Ukraine, where they may face risks because of the ongoing conflict with Russia. The statement further noted that US intelligence agencies had previously warned that at least one facility in Ukraine contained dangerous pathogens and could be vulnerable to attack or capture during the war.
Gabbard also alleged that some of the laboratories had been involved in gain-of-function research, a controversial area of scientific study that involves modifying organisms to increase their transmissibility or virulence, and claimed that such work had been carried out with limited oversight.
Her remarks come after President Donald Trump, in May 2025, signed an executive order aimed at ending federal funding for gain-of-function research globally, citing potential risks to public health and national security.
However, while Gabbard described a network spanning more than 30 countries, the declassified material released alongside her statement identified only four laboratories in Ukraine. The locations and operational status of the remaining facilities were not specified.
The US government has historically funded overseas biological research under programmes such as the Cooperative Threat Reduction initiative, which was designed to secure and dismantle remnants of Soviet-era chemical and biological weapons infrastructure.
US officials have long maintained that such programmes are focused on public health, disease surveillance, and preventing the proliferation of biological weapons. Washington is also a signatory to the 1975 Biological Weapons Convention, which prohibits the development and stockpiling of such weapons.
Source: Express Tribune
