Causes of Havana Syndrome finally revealed in declassified report

A government report has finally revealed what may have caused a mysterious brain disorder plaguing thousands of American diplomats and spies. The House intelligence committee has released a declassified report on Havana syndrome, stating that ‘it appears increasingly likely’ that a ‘foreign adversary’ could be behind some of the cases.

The mysterious condition has baffled scientists since it was first reported in 2016, with more than 1,500 US officials around the globe reporting symptoms like persistent dizziness, nausea, and balance issues that have no explanation. The subcommittee, chaired by Arkansas representative Rick Crawford, says US intelligence networks in Cuba and other affected areas could have been compromised by foreign spies in ‘adversary’ countries like China , Cuba, and Russia .

Exposure to radiation, chemical agents, and electromagnetic energy have all been blamed for the condition, though some experts have suggested the symptoms are psychosomatic. The new report criticized the US intelligence community for ‘thwarting’ the committee’s attempts to investigate the phenomenon. It accused the FBI and CIA of failing to properly investigate US agents’ symptoms.

‘Because of this lack of cooperation and the Subcommittee’s inability to access specific information, the Subcommittee concludes there must be something IC [intelligence community] leadership has sought to prevent Congress from discovering,’ the scathing report says. The subcommittee said it would investigate further during the incoming Trump administration. Earlier this year, a separate government-funded study found no signs of brain injury in 80 self-reported victims and said it was very unlikely to be caused by foreign adversaries.

However, researchers admitted the symptoms were ‘quite profound’ and ‘disabling.’ The Foreign Policy Research Institute estimates that 1,500 American officials have suffered mysterious neurological injuries since 2016. The phenomenon was dubbed Havana syndrome after multiple government personnel stationed at the US embassy in Havana, Cuba , reported symptoms.

However, symptoms have also been reported in the US, Austria, China, Colombia, Georgia, Germany, India, Poland, Russia, and Vietnam. According to the new report, these symptoms include vertigo, loss of balance, ear pain, headache, nausea, fatigue, and difficulty with cognitive tasks. The report states that Anomalous Health Incidents (AHIs) have mainly affected federal employees, particularly those in the intelligence sector, as well as their family members and children.

The report states: ‘Since initial reports in 2016, AHIs have been pervasively affecting U.S. government officials, including White House staff, diplomats, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officers, Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ) agents, and military personnel and their families, at home and abroad.’ Earlier this year, a study funded by the National Institutes of Health evaluated 81 intelligence workers who claimed to suffer from Havana syndrome.

The research team, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Maryland, weighed the results of these MRIs against the MRIs of 48 control participants. Though the team could not rule out a temporary injury, they found ‘a lack of evidence for an MRI-detectable difference between individuals with AHIs and controls.’

However, 24 patients did show testable signs of a condition called ‘persistent postural-perceptual dizziness. This occurs when brain networks fail to communicate properly, which could be caused by inner-ear problems of stress. Despite a lack of evidence, the research team admitted that ‘these individuals have real symptoms and are going through a very tough time. ‘They can be quite profound, disabling and difficult to treat.’

The subcommittee called for current data on Havana syndrome to be updated and that ‘the issue of AHIs should be reinvestigated.’ They also expressed the dire need of patients to receive medical care and resources. The report states: ‘While some of those impacted have succeeded in receiving federal support for ongoing medical care, including but not limited to workers’ compensation, significant gaps have been identified which have left some in need of care for injuries received while serving the country.’

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