2024-04-02 23:28:08
“I can confirm that a senior Department of Defense official experienced symptoms similar to those reported in cases of unusual health conditions,” she said. This person allegedly attended the summit in Vilnius, but was not part of the Defense Department delegation.
Havana syndrome is a collective term for symptoms such as headaches, hearing problems, dizziness and nausea, which many US diplomats and their relatives living in the Cuban capital, Havana, have complained about. Similar complaints have been reported from other parts of the world. The mentioned persons stated that their symptoms started after a strange noise or feeling a lot of pressure in the head.
The US government initially did not rule out that this could have been a kind of attack. But more than a year ago, US intelligence agencies, according to an official report, largely assumed that no “foreign adversary” was involved in the so-called Havana syndrome. The reported complaints were probably the result of pre-existing conditions, other illnesses or environmental factors.
On Monday, journalists from the German publication Spiegel, together with colleagues from the US news magazine 60 Minutes (CBS) and the Russian portal The Insider, published an investigation that explains why Russian intelligence may be involved in the Havana syndrome.
Spiegel also quoted one person who claimed that the first cases of the syndrome appeared as early as 2014. US Consulate in Frankfurt am Main. Until now, it was known that the first cases were detected in Havana in 2016. CBS also mentioned the case in Vilnius in its report.
The US State Department said it would neither confirm nor comment on the reports. The affected workers are said to have received compensation and support under the Havana law.
The department drew attention to the fact that the Intelligence Committee in 2023 came to the conclusion in March that it was unlikely that a foreign adversary was involved in the Havana syndrome. Such assessment is said to be followed. If there was new information, intelligence would appreciate it.
2024-04-02 23:28:08