Former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton issued a warning on Monday regarding Havana Syndrome, calling it "very concerning," and said that the U.S. government did not take the syndrome "seriously."
On Monday, Bolton appeared on CNN's Newsroom and spoke about a recent report from CBS' 60 Minutes about a possible link between Havana Syndrome and Russian intelligence.
"I don't think the government, frankly, when I was there, took it seriously, enough. I don't think they've taken seriously enough since then," Bolton told Jim Acosta. "The danger that the Russians or any adversary could actually perfect this kind of weapon, the damage it could do to our troops, to high-level government officials at a time of crisis, is very, very concerning."
The context:
Over the weekend, CBS' 60 Minutes published a report regarding a lengthy investigation into Havana Syndrome, a mysterious illness that struck some U.S. intelligence personnel in Cuba in 2016.
The report from 60 Minutes, German news website Der Spiegel and Russian independent news outlet The Insider said, "Unexplained anomalous health incidents, also known as Havana Syndrome, may have their origin in the use of directed energy weapons" used by Russia's foreign military intelligence agency, the GRU.
What we know:
In 2016, unusual symptoms were first identified by U.S. officials at the embassy in Havana, Cuba.
Those affected by the condition reported a range of symptoms, including memory loss, problems with hearing, insomnia and what appeared to be evidence of brain injury. More than 1,000 people in the U.S. and elsewhere are thought to be affected by Havana Syndrome, which U.S. intelligence officially terms "anomalous health incidents."
Newsweek reached out to the U.S. State Department via email for comment.
Views:
Russian news agency Tass reported this week that Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied Moscow's involvement in any reports related to Havana Syndrome.
"All this is nothing more than a baseless accusation, an unfounded accusation by the media," Peskov reportedly said.
Axios reported in March 2023 that a U.S. government intelligence review found that it was "very unlikely" that a foreign adversary like Russia, could be linked to Havana Syndrome.
While speaking with 60 Minutes, retired Navy Colonel Greg Edgreen, said that during his investigation into Havana Syndrome, there was a repeated "Russian nexus."
What's next:
When asked if Russia would have the capability to cause some of the symptoms connected to the Havana Syndrome, Bolton said, "We know that the Russians have used directed energy efforts against our embassy in Moscow in years past."
"If they are outthinking us, and we're not prepared to have adequate defenses or develop our own offensive capability to deter them, I think we could be put in a serious disadvantage," Bolton said.
Update, 4/1/24, 11:37 a.m. EST: This story has been updated with further information.
Update, 4/1/24, 12:07 a.m. EST: This story has been updated with further information.
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