Havana syndrome unlikely to be enemy attack, US says

THE mysterious “Havana syndrome” that made American spies and diplomats ill is very unlikely to have been caused by a foreign adversary, US intelligence has concluded.

The illness, which confounded experts when it emerged in 2016, was named after the first series of cases, reported at the US embassy in Cuba. Similar cases occurred in China, Russia, Europe and even Washington DC.

Sufferers reported a wide range of symptoms, including headaches, dizziness and balance problems.

There were suspicions Russia or another country may have been running a campaign to attack Americans using some form of directed energy.

But an extensive review by seven US intelligence agencies found more evidence against the argument that foreign countries were involved. In some cases, the US detected confusion among adversarial governments about the allegations, and suspicions that Havana syndrome was an American plot.

Many of the 1500 cases reviewed have been linked to other explanations, including medical conditions, malfunctioning air conditioning and ventilation, or electromagnetic waves coming from benign devices like a computer mouse.

The conclusions released by the Director of National Intelligence’s office yesterday said investigators found “no credible evidence” that any adversary had obtained a weapon that could cause the reported symptoms or a listening device that might inadvertently injure people.

It builds on interim findings from the CIA last year that it was “unlikely” to be a hostile foreign power responsible.

Of the seven agencies that participated in the intelligence review, five said it was “very unlikely” a foreign actor was responsible, one said it was “unlikely”, and another abstained.