A new U.S. intelligence report has determined that "Havana syndrome," a mysterious illness first identified in 2016, was not caused by the actions of a foreign adversary, The Washington Post reported March 1.
The assessment contradicts a long-standing theory that a foreign enemy was using pulsed radio frequency energy to secretly target U.S. diplomats and intelligence officers.
People believed to have the condition report hearing a loud sound and pressure in their heads before experiencing dizziness, unsteady gait and visual disturbances, according to a 2020 report from the National Academies of Sciences.
The new intelligence report caps off a yearslong probe into the condition. Seven intelligence agencies reviewed about 1,000 cases of what they call "anomalous health incidents." Five agencies determined it was "very unlikely" that an adversarial government was responsible for the symptoms, while another agency said it was "unlikely." A seventh agency declined to share a conclusion regarding the involvement of a foreign government.
"I want to be absolutely clear: these findings do not call into question the experiences and real health issues that U.S. Government personnel and their family members — including CIA's own officers — have reported while serving our country," CIA Director William Burns said in a March 1 statement. "We will continue to remain alert to any risks to the health and well-being of agency officers, to ensure access to care, and to provide officers the compassion and respect they deserve."