A panel of experts assembled by the Biden Administration found not all cases of "Havana Syndrome" — a mysterious illness first identified in 2016 — could be explained by stress or psychosomatic reactions. The panel concluded some incidents could have been caused by injuries from radio waves, The New York Times reported.
The panel was made up of both government scientists and outside experts. In their report released Feb. 2, the panel said their conclusions did not refute earlier findings from a CIA-led investigation that said most cases of Havana Syndrome were likely not caused by a sustained global campaign from a foreign adversary. That report said most cases could be explained by environmental causes, undiagnosed medical conditions or stress.
Still, there are some mismatches between the panel's work and conclusions from the CIA-led investigation, the Times reports. The panel's conclusion regarding radio waves, for example, could fuel arguments from those who believe a foreign nation could have caused some of the injuries among CIA officers and diplomats, possibly via an eavesdropping device.
Officials who were briefed on the panel's findings did not say how many cases it focused on, though they confirmed between 10 and 20 victims were interviewed, according to the Times.
The first Havana Syndrome cases were identified in 2016 among diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba. People believed to have the condition reported 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.