The INC concluded that no foreign government is likely to be behind hundreds of mysterious afflictions of the “Havana syndrome“reported by US diplomats and military personnel and almost all have more conventional medical or environmental explanations, a senior official said.
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Of some 1,000 reported “abnormal health incidents,” about two dozen remain unexplained and under intense scrutiny, an official told the press on condition of anonymity. AFP.
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The first cases reported in 2016 in Cubawhich gave rise to the name, included nosebleeds, migraines and nausea after experiencing piercing sounds.
The unexplained ailments were later reported in other parts of the world (China, Germany, Australia, Russia, Austria) and even in Washington.
In August 2021, the visit of the US Vice President, Kamala Harris, to Hanoi was delayed after an alert in the Vietnamese capital.
The allegations prompted a broader government investigation and direct accusations that Russia had an unknown electronic or sonic weapon.
That prompted the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), William Burns, to warn Moscow last year that there would be consequences if Russian intelligence was shown to be responsible.
But the preliminary conclusion of a CIA study found no evidence that a foreign government, Russian or otherwise, was behind the cases. “We have assessed that it is unlikely that a foreign actor, including Russia, is conducting a sustained global campaign to harm US personnel with a weapon or device,” the official said.
Almost all ailments can be explained by existing or previously undiagnosed medical conditions, or by an environmental factor, the study concluded. Only about two dozen cases cannot be explained and are the subject of further study.
In those cases, the CIA has not ruled out a foreign actor as the cause, the official said.
In a statement, Burns said the US intelligence agency is continuing to investigate and promised support and care to those affected.
“We are approaching this complex issue with analytical rigor, professionalism and compassion,” Burns said. “We will continue with the mission to investigate these incidents and provide access to first level care for those who need it. (…) Our officials suffer from real symptoms,” she said.
Affected people report balance and coordination problems, dizziness, anxiety-like, irritability, and confusion or “cognitive fog.” Neurological sequelae have even been reported.
Victims’ advocates quickly dismissed the findings of the
INC.
According to Mark Zaid, a lawyer who represents several affected people, the CIA study seeks to quell “a revolt within its staff because agents do not want to go abroad.” “The CIA report is disinformation,” he said, noting that other agencies in the US intelligence community disagree with him.
Secretary of State for U.SAntony Blinken did not dispute the CIA’s findings, but said investigations will continue. “These findings do not challenge the fact that our colleagues are reporting real experiences and suffering from real symptoms,” Blinken said in a statement. “His pain is real. I have no doubts about it.” AFP
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