A mysterious illness that has struck U.S. diplomatic personnel has "genuine and compelling" symptoms, a panel of experts concluded Wednesday, stopping short of saying who or what is behind it.
The findings are the latest in the federal government's efforts to explain what it calls "Anomalous Health Incidents." More commonly known as "Havana Syndrome," the affliction got its name after U.S. officials in the Cuban capital's embassy in 2016 reported hearing loud noises, losing their balance, feeling intense head pressure and experiencing impaired vision.
Since then, U.S. officials in Germany, Colombia, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Austria have reported the syndrome. CIA Director William Burns told NPR last summer that there have been around "a couple of hundred" cases. Notably, Vice President Kamala Harris had a diplomatic trip to southeast Asia delayed last year because of reported cases.
There's no definitive cause of the ailment, leading to speculation that Russia or another U.S. adversary has used microwaves or sonic attacks.
The U.S.'s top two intelligence agencies on Wednesday released a summary of a report providing the most detailed publicly available explanation of the syndrome. The report summarized findings from a panel of experts from various medical and scientific disciplines assembled by the CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
After reviewing incident reports and medical data, as well as interviewing affected people and their physicians, the panel found the syndrome is real. It also identified "core characteristics" including sudden acute changes in sound or pressure in one ear or side of the head, vertigo, loss of balance, ear pain, as well as the absence of environmental or medical conditions that could have caused it.
But the panel found this combination of characteristics "is distinctly unusual and unreported elsewhere in the medical literature, and so far have not been associated with a specific neurological abnormality."
"A subset of AHIs cannot be easily explained by known environmental or medical conditions and could be due to external stimuli," the report's summary said.
The panel was not tasked with looking into whether a foreign actor was involved. A CIA analysis earlier this month found that "U.S. adversaries are not engaged in a sustained global campaign involving hundreds of incidents to harm or collect intelligence on U.S. personnel." The agency is still investigating possible foreign involvement in some cases.
The panel found that pulsed electromagnetic energy, particularly in the radiofrequency range, could explain some of the syndrome's characteristics. Concealable devices with moderate power requirements could generate enough energy, but "there is a dearth of systematic research on the effects of the relevant electromagnetic signals," according to the report.
Ultrasound energy could explain the syndrome, but would only work in close quarters, according to the report. The panel ruled out "ionizing radiation, chemical and biological agents, infrasound, audible sound," as well as bulk heating from electromagnetic energy.
"Psychosocial factors alone cannot account for the core characteristics, although they may cause some other incidents or contribute to long-term symptoms," the report said.
"The U.S. Government remains committed to providing access to care for those who need it, and we will continue to share as much information as possible with our workforce and the American public as our efforts continue," Director of National Intelligence Avril D. Haines and of the Central Intelligence Agency Director William J. Burns, said in a joint statement. "Nothing is more important than the wellbeing and safety of our colleagues."
Some U.S. officials who have experienced "Havana Syndrome" have reported long-lasting tinnitus-like symptoms and brain fog.
Haines and Burns in their statement said the panel's work will "sharpen" the work of the intelligence community as it continues to seek answers on the illness while providing care for the afflicted.
"We are making progress in both areas," they said.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in November, appointed Jonathan Moore to coordinate a task force on "Havana Syndrome." President Joe Biden formalized the appointment with an order on Wednesday.
"For too long, Americans affected by directed energy attacks have struggled and fought to access the care they need and deserve to get well," New Hampshire Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, said on Twitter Wednesday. "Their experiences drove my effort to establish this coordinator and reform our government response to provide equitable access to care."
Representative Adam Schiff, a California Democrat who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, said he would hold a hearing on the "Havana Syndrome" next week.
"The Intelligence Committee has been focused for years on these issues, first and foremost to ensure any member of the [intelligence community] workforce who is suffering receives the best possible medical care and all the support they require," Schiff said in a statement. "The work to understand what has caused these effects is ongoing, but there is no doubt that Americans have and continue to suffer real injuries."
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About the writer
Jake Thomas is a Newsweek night reporter based in Portland, Oregon. His focus is U.S. national politics, crime and public ... Read more
