Most ‘Havana syndrome’ cases unlikely caused by foreign power, CIA says
Categories: FOREIGN COUNTRIES
The CIA has found that most cases of the mysterious ailments known as Havana syndrome are unlikely to have been caused by Russia or another foreign adversary, agency officials said, a conclusion that angered victims. A majority of the 1,000 cases reported to the government can be explained by environmental causes, undiagnosed medical conditions or stress, rather than a sustained global campaign by a foreign power, CIA officials said, describing the interim findings of a comprehensive study. The CIA is continuing its investigation into two dozen cases that remain unexplained. Those cases said a US official briefed on the findings, offer the greatest chance of yielding clues to whether a foreign power is responsible for some of the unexplained health incidents that have plagued American diplomats and CIA personnel in Havana and Vienna, among other cities. The idea that Russia, China or Cuba was responsible for attacking hundreds of diplomats around the world was never backed up by any evidence that the Biden administration could unearth. But the FBI, the Pentagon and others continue to investigate whether a foreign power was involved in a smaller number of incidents, the US official said. The agency has never accused Russia or another power of being responsible, but some officials, particularly in the Pentagon, said they believed there was evidence of the involvement of Moscow’s spy agencies, and many victims concurred. Another victim, who asked that his name not be used because of his work for the agency, said the government had erred by pushing for more people to report ill health or unexplained symptoms. But late last year, officials said the CIA had been unable to find any evidence that a directed energy device was responsible, neither intercepting communications from a foreign government that suggested the use of such a device or readings showing the presence of microwaves at the location of an incident. Of the cases that have been resolved, some had medical explanations, including previously undiagnosed conditions, while others were said to have had environmental causes, though CIA officials did not offer examples. Some of the cases, officials said, were potentially related to the high stress of working at the CIA.Those incidents were followed by multitudes of reports in China, then in Vienna. Other reports have come in from around the world, including Russia, India and Vietnam. The Biden administration took office with Burns and others pledging to get better treatment for victims for what they called the anomalous health incidents. They also started new efforts to study what had happened. They formed a new scientific review panel, led by the intelligence agencies, to examine all of the evidence, classified and unclassified. The CIA formed a new cell, led by a veteran of the effort to find bin Laden, to figure out what happened.Last year, Burns and other officials said the agency was focused on some 200 cases that remained unexplained.