Most US spy agencies have concluded that a series of unexplained health incidents reported by government employees dating back to 2016 were “very unlikely” to have been attacks by a foreign adversary, saying they probably resulted from normal illnesses or environmental causes.
(Bloomberg) — Most US spy agencies have concluded that a series of unexplained health incidents reported by government employees dating back to 2016 were “very unlikely” to have been attacks by a foreign adversary, saying they probably resulted from normal illnesses or environmental causes.
The findings, released in a statement Wednesday by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, concern hundreds of cases of brain injuries and other symptoms reported by US government personnel around the world, including Central Intelligence Agency and State Department employees. The affliction came to be known as Havana Syndrome because cases were first reported by intelligence officers at the US embassy in Cuba.
Staff reported headaches, dizziness and other debilitating effects, and speculation focused on the possibility that the symptoms were the result of a directed-sound weapon used by Russia or another hostile nation. Russian officials insisted the country had nothing to do with it.
Intelligence agencies “assess that symptoms reported by US personnel were probably the result of factors that did not involve a foreign adversary, such as preexisting conditions, conventional illnesses and environmental factors,” Haines said in the statement.
The issue is a delicate one for President Joe Biden’s administration given that some diplomats — and a bipartisan group of senators — have argued his team was dismissive of the claims. Secretary of State Antony Blinken appointed a longtime diplomat to investigate cases amid pledges to get to the bottom of the mystery.
CIA Director William Burns sought to address those concerns in a letter to staff on Wednesday, saying his team would “remain alert” for any new information that would shed light on past events and pursue any evidence that challenges the latest conclusion, according to a copy obtained by Bloomberg News. He added that two intelligence agencies, including the CIA, had “moderate-to-high confidence” in the latest assessment while three had moderate confidence and two others had low confidence.
A CIA spokesperson declined to comment on the letter but pointed to a shorter public statement from Burns that touched on some of the same points.
“I want to be absolutely clear: these findings do not call into question the experiences and real health issues that US Government personnel and their family members – including CIA’s own officers – have reported while serving our country,” Burns said in the statement.
Earlier: US Taps ‘Havana Syndrome’ Envoy as Illness Remains a Mystery
Reports of health incidents provoked panic among diplomats and traveling officials. Possible cases were reported around the world, and a 2021 trip by Vice President Kamala Harris to Vietnam was delayed by a few hours due to concerns about one such incident.
Some experts have speculated that the symptoms are the result of an attack from a microwave or sonic weapon. But an internal State Department report from 2018 analyzed sounds recorded by some victims and concluded that the most likely source was the Indies short-tailed cricket. That report said the symptoms could be the result of a “psychogenic illness.” The administration distanced itself from the report, saying it didn’t align with officials’ understanding of what happened.
Wednesday’s conclusion builds on interim findings released last year that said that foreign adversaries such as Russia weren’t engaged in a global campaign that resulted in the injuries. That interim finding left open the possibility that foreign actors were involved in a subset of cases.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre echoed Burns’s sentiment in a news conference on Wednesday. “What the president wants to make sure that occurs, that happens, is that we show our commitment to to government employees, to the workforce, as they’re going through a real issue here,” Jean-Pierre said.
–With assistance from Justin Sink.
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