Havana Syndrome “Very Unlikely” Caused By Foreign Actor, US Says

The first cases of what became known as Havana Syndrome emerged in Cuba in 2016.

Washington:

American intelligence agencies concluded it is “very unlikely” the mysterious illness known as Havana Syndrome that has afflicted US personnel was caused by a foreign actor or an energy weapon, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.

The first cases of what became known as Havana Syndrome emerged in Cuba in 2016, involving complaints of nosebleeds, migraines and nausea after experiencing piercing sounds at night.

US intelligence had said in 2022 that intense directed energy from an external source could have caused some cases of the debilitating condition.

And while the CIA said the same year that it was “unlikely” a foreign actor had conducted a sustained campaign targeting US personnel, it could not rule out foreign attacks in about two dozen cases.

Of the seven agencies that participated in the intelligence review of 1,000 so-called anomalous health incidents, five said it was “very unlikely” a foreign actor was responsible, either intentionally through means such as a directed energy weapon, or unintentionally, the Post reported.

Another agency said it was “unlikely” a foreign adversary was responsible, while another abstained, the newspaper added.

The Havana Syndrome cases sparked suspicions that Russia or another rival was conducting campaigns to hurt US officials.

The reports of unexplained physical ailments spread to US officials in China, Russia, Europe and even Washington, leading to a broader investigation by the government.

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