Avril Haines, National Director of American Intelligence in Washington, February 28, 2023 KEVIN DIETSCH / AFP
American intelligence on Wednesday, March 1, assessed it “very unlikely” that a foreign force or weapon was the origin of the mysterious Havana Syndrome, the unexplained disorder that has affected dozens of diplomats or American embassy employees.
“Based on a collective effort involving the intelligence community (…) I can tell you that most of them have now come to the conclusion that it is very unlikely that a foreign entity was responsible for these riots,” the National said Intelligence Director in a statement. Avril Haines clarified that the agencies had varying degrees of “confidence” in their assessment.
U.S. intelligence still believes the symptoms observed by these employees are “probably due to factors unaffected by a foreign entity, such as pre-existing medical conditions, conventional illnesses, or environmental factors,” the statement said.
Ms Haines, along with CIA Director William Burns and other US officials, was quick to say that these findings “in no way” negate or downplay the actual unrest reported by those affected.
These health problems (migraines, dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, etc.) first struck American and Canadian diplomats stationed in Cuba in 2016, hence the name “Havana Syndrome”.
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These “abnormal health incidents,” to use the terminology used in the United States, were then reported in other parts of the world (China, Germany, Australia, Russia, Austria) and even in Washington.
The hypothesis of electromagnetic waves is challenged
Havana syndrome remains unexplained to this day by scientists who have multiplied the hypotheses.
Also listen to The Mystery of “Havana Syndrome”
However, seven intelligence agencies have investigated around 1,000 cases of “abnormal health incidents” in recent years, and five of them have concluded that it is “very unlikely” that these disorders were caused by a deliberate attack.
One of the agencies considers this hypothesis only “unlikely,” while another, according to the report, disagrees.
This conclusion seems to go against a report published a year ago that electromagnetic waves could have been the origin of the mysterious syndrome in some cases, supporting the thesis of premeditated attacks.
But in its most recent assessment, US intelligence concluded that “there is no credible evidence that a foreign adversary has a weapon or mechanism that caused these riots.”
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The CIA last year said it was “unlikely” that a foreign entity could have launched a systematic campaign against employees of American embassies around the world, but did not rule out about 20 cases.
“Lack of Transparency”
For attorney Mark Zaid, who says he represents more than twenty suffering people, “this latest assessment by American intelligence is not transparent and we continue to question the veracity of these conclusions.”
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“In view of the many unanswered questions, it is inconceivable that this report will have the last word today,” he said.
In August 2021, US Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to Hanoi was delayed by three hours after such a warning in the Vietnamese capital.
In September 2017, ex-President Donald Trump ordered the departure of almost all US Embassy staff in Havana because of this alleged “syndrome”.
The American Embassy resumed issuing visas to Cubans wishing to settle in the United States in early January.
Also Read: The American Embassy in Cuba resumes issuing visas to Cubans wishing to settle in the United States