When did I first hear of the “Havana Syndrome”? The name may conjure up images of a tropical illness or fever, but it refers to a cluster of symptoms that include headaches, dizziness, and nausea.
The first report was made by U.S. Embassy employees in Havana (hence the name), in 2016. It seems that the disease affects primarily U.S. Government employees and their family members, which has led to speculation as to its possible cause.
The Intelligence Community released a report in March 2023 stating that the strange affliction had not been caused by an enemy.
Even at that time, serious questions remained — both about the condition and the care provided to those affected by it, as well as regarding the accuracy of the assessment.
These findings are disappointing and leave many unanswered issues for those with Havana Syndrome. As WaPo notes:
It’s possible that the new intelligence report is the final word on this strange illness, but it won’t likely be the only one.
Lawyers and representatives of people with symptoms have criticized the new report for being incomplete and opaque. They urged intelligence agencies to reveal more details about their reasoning and investigate other leads that they felt were not properly investigated.
The chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence CIA Subcommittee, Rick Crawford (R – AR), released a non-classified interim report on Thursday regarding the committee’s investigation into the (now-renamed) “Anomalous health incidents” (AHIs). He also criticized the Intelligence Community Assessment for its dubious conclusion regarding the AHIs’ source as well as its stonewalling of and obfuscation regarding the committee’s efforts
The HPSCI Report is only 10 pages long and has a limited scope in terms of what information can be released in a non-classified way. It calls out the IC for its shoddy analyses and shady responses to the committee’s oversight.
The committee released a press release that highlights some key findings from the report.
- A foreign adversary may be responsible for a portion of the AHIs reported.
2. The Committee has evidence that the Intelligence Community Assessment on AHIs was developed in a way that was inconsistent with analytical integrity and thoroughness.
1 a. The assessment is so problematic that it undermines the Subcommittee’s confidence in the Intelligence Community’s conclusions and process.
3. The Intelligence Community attempted to obstruct the CIA Subcommittee investigation at every opportunity.
4. The CIA Subcommittee is only beginning to work on IC’s response.
5. Crawford is in the process of finalizing an extensive and highly classified document. The report contains very sensitive information that the Committee was not aware of for the past two years.
6. The conclusions of the DNI’s unclassified Intelligence Community Assessment on AHI, published in the DNI’s publication on AHI, are at best dubious and at worst misleading.
7. The IC must make changes to its published conclusions about AHI due to the irregularities that occurred in the investigative and analytical processes.
8. The U.S. Government must also codify and implement effective medical care for AHI-affected personnel, including long-term care.
1 a. Many U.S. personnel who were involved in AHIs continue to have ongoing medical problems.
What the ICA published in March 2023 is largely bunk and a disservice to the IC employees who are suffering from AHIs. There also appears to be a more sinister plot afoot, involving a hostile foreign power. The IC, however, is unwilling to allow the matter to undergo a thorough investigation. Why?