After heavy criticism, Blinken reacts to Havana syndrome

Ten months into the new administration, Blinken said on Friday that it is an “urgent priority” for the government of Iraq United State (USA) Find out who is responsible forHavana Syndrome“”.

The issue has become all the more important due to the significant increase in the number of members of US intelligence departments, federal officials, and diplomats inside and outside the country who have experienced the same symptoms of hearing and cognitive health. Some specialists say it may be caused by high-frequency microwave sonic attacks and modern technology from Russian intelligence services.

The Moscow government reiterated its rejection of the accusations and denied involvement in such attacks on US officials in various countries.

Months ago, the Joe Biden administration downplayed the issue, saying that recent reports had not revealed enough information about what had been said so far on the mysterious and sensitive topic. Days later, it announced a review of US policy towards Cuba and the possibility of sending more officials to its diplomatic headquarters in the Cuban capital, which sparked an immediate wave of criticism that ended with the security and intelligence committees in the House and Senate.

Months of silence in the Biden administration

It wasn’t until the beginning of October that President Joe Biden signed off on legislation known as the “Havana Act,” which states that the US government has [la obligación de ayudar] For those who have experienced those mysterious “attacks”. However, during the administration of former President Donald Trump, the victims received all the necessary attention and assistance, and by order of the President, the US diplomatic headquarters in the Greater Antilles was left open with minimal staff to respond only to matters of high priority and services to US citizens.

Doctors and specialists, without knowing the exact causes, publicly confirmed in 2017 severe hearing loss, memory loss, frequent nausea, nosebleeds and brain damage among many American diplomats who settled in the Havana embassy, ​​hence the name “Havana Syndrome”.

The number of cases has already exceeded 300 and even within US soil, dozens of them with similar symptoms have also been reported among US government officials and national security personnel.

After months of silence and demands from senators and lawmakers from both parties, Blinken appointed two important figures to lead the State Department’s response.

Cases of Havana Syndrome, officially called Atypical Health Incidents (AHI), first appeared in 2016 in the Cuban capital, when US and Canadian diplomats complained of severe headaches, nausea and possible brain damage, which they later confirmed in medical investigations.

Reports reveal that officials detected high-pitched sounds at times, unnoticeable at other times, but were aware of the onset of symptoms.

Since then, the number of US diplomatic and intelligence officials revealing similar experiences in countries such as China, Austria, Colombia and Russia has risen to the hundreds.

“Everyone in the US government, especially the State Department, is focused on figuring out what causes and who is causing these incidents, caring for those affected and protecting our people,” he said. flash.

Mystery and the United States’ defense against the “Havana Syndrome”

The State Department implemented the treatment of casualties in 2018 at Johns Hopkins University and collected reference data from diplomats for use in analyzing reported cases.

Blinken appointed Jonathan Moore to coordinate the comprehensive response and Margaret O’Hara to ensure that anyone reporting symptoms receives full medical care.

He also noted that the State Department is implementing new technology at embassies and missions to help assess and protect individuals from threats that could be associated with “Havana Syndrome” cases.

“We harness the full capabilities of our intelligence community,” he said. “We are recruiting the best scientists inside and outside of government” to understand the problem.

Some scholars express their doubts about the theory of Russian attacks and do not dare to confirm an opinion with absolute certainty until the end of all investigations.

Others argue that the cases are caused by a psychogenic phenomenon in which people begin to feel ill after learning of a health threat. But this theory did not convince many.

[email protected]