San Diego Union-Tribune

CIA SEES NO FOREIGN TIE TO ‘HAVANA SYNDROME’

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The CIA believes it is unlikely that Russia or another foreign adversary has used microwaves or other forms of directed energy to attack the hundreds of American officials who attribute symptoms associated with brain injuries to what’s come to be known as “Havana syndrome.“

The agency’s findings, according to one official familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the intelligen­ce, drew immediate criticism from those who have reported cases and from advocates who accuse the government of long dismissing the array of ailments.

Investigat­ors have studied hundreds of cases reported globally by U.S. intelligen­ce officers, diplomats and military personnel and whether the injuries are caused by exposure to forms of directed energy. People affected have reported headaches, dizziness, nausea and other symptoms consistent with traumatic brain injuries.

Most cases under review by intelligen­ce officers have been linked to other known medical conditions or to environmen­tal factors, the official said, adding that in some cases, medical exams have revealed undiagnose­d brain tumors or bacterial infections.

A few dozen cases are unresolved and remain under active investigat­ion, the official said. The involvemen­t of a foreign adversary has not been ruled out in those cases. NBC first reported the CIA’s interim findings.

CIA Director William Burns said the agency’s commitment to its officers’ health was “unwavering.”

“While we have reached some significan­t interim findings, we are not done,” Burns said. “We will continue the mission to investigat­e these incidents and provide access to world-class care for those who need it.”

Mark Zaid, a Washington lawyer representi­ng more than 15 officers who have reported cases, asserted that the CIA is having a “revolt within its workforce” among people who do not want to take overseas assignment­s for fear of being attacked.

“No reasonable person is asserting an exact conclusion exists that points to a specific culprit or weapon, but the issuance of this interim report was unnecessar­y and premature,” Zaid said in a statement.

“Havana syndrome” cases date to a series of reported brain injuries in 2016 at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba. Incidents have been reported by diplomats, intelligen­ce officers and military personnel in the Washington area and at global postings.

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