Understanding Havana Syndrome: New US Report Suggests Potential ‘Foreign Adversary’ Behind Mysterious Illness | US News
The enigmatic “Havana syndrome” has impacted US diplomatic personnel in nearly 100 countries, and a recent intelligence report indicates that a “foreign adversary” is likely responsible.
So, what exactly is Havana syndrome?
Sky News delves into the symptoms, those affected, and the updated insights from the US government’s report.
What is Havana syndrome?
This condition first came to light in 2016 when US diplomats at the embassy in Havana, Cuba, reported experiencing symptoms such as headaches, tinnitus, and cognitive impairments.
Since then, individuals suffering from this condition have described headaches, memory loss, nausea, dizziness, and various other symptoms often associated with traumatic brain injuries.
Those impacted have reported unusual sounds and sensations, accompanied by unexplained illnesses and symptoms.
Who has been affected?
Over 1,500 US officials in 96 countries have claimed to have encountered Havana syndrome.
Reports of symptoms have come from embassy personnel in China, Europe, and Washington D.C.
Multiple theories have emerged to explain the origins of this illness, including the possibility of malicious entities deploying directed energy weapons that utilize soundwaves or the intriguing concept of mass psychogenic illness, commonly referred to as mass hysteria.
Employees at the US Embassy in Cuba were among the first to report symptoms of Havana syndrome. Image: AP
What does the latest report reveal?
A report by the US House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence suggests it “seems more probable that a foreign adversary is responsible for some” cases of Havana syndrome.
The report indicates that 334 American officials have been designated for care for what it calls “anomalous health incidents [AHIs].”
It also criticized the US intelligence community’s evaluation of the syndrome, stating it “lacked analytical integrity and was significantly irregular in its formulation.”
What did the US intelligence community’s reports indicate?
In 2022, the CIA issued an interim assessment concluding that the syndrome was not the result of “a sustained global campaign by a hostile power.”
They ruled out foreign involvement in 976 out of the 1,000 cases reviewed, leaving the remaining cases unresolved.
An unclassified version of a report produced by seven US intelligence agencies, published in March of the previous year, stated that foreign involvement was “very unlikely”.
However, US Representative Rick Crawford, who led the recent inquiry, remarked: “Regrettably, the [intelligence community] has actively sought to obstruct our investigation, yet we have still managed to collect substantial evidence, leading me to believe that claims of environmental or social factors explaining AHIs are incorrect.”
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Could a Russian intelligence unit be behind the condition?
US diplomats who have experienced Havana syndrome might have been targeted by Russian sonic weaponry, according to a collaborative five-year media investigation published earlier this year.
The joint report by The Insider, Der Spiegel, and CBS’s 60 Minutes indicated that a clandestine Russian intelligence unit could be linked to these incidents.
They noted that high-ranking members of Unit 29155 were awarded and promoted for their contributions to the development of “non-lethal acoustic weapons”.
What has Russia stated?
Moscow has dismissed the accusations as “baseless,” with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov asserting: “For many years, the subject of the so-called ‘Havana syndrome’ has been amplified in the media, and it was wrongly associated with allegations against the Russian side.”
“However, no convincing evidence has ever been published or put forward regarding these unfounded claims anywhere. Hence, this is merely a series of baseless accusations perpetuated by the media.”
What other theories exist?
Other research has proposed that a mass psychogenic illness—whereby symptoms spread among a population without direct contagion—may be at play in the case of Havana syndrome.
They suggested that the challenges of working abroad in hostile or unfriendly environments, where anxiety regarding potential surveillance is prevalent, could have contributed to this phenomenon.
