Rubio REJECTS intel claim 'Havana syndrome' was not from adversary

2023-03-03

Marco Rubio REJECTS intelligence claim ‘Havana syndrome’ was not from a foreign adversary: Republican Senator says random headaches are not just ‘coincidences’ and demands full explanation

The Florida Republican accused the intelligence community of ‘potentially rushing to a conclusion’
U.S. officials announced Wednesday that intelligence agencies had determined it was ‘very unlikely’ a foreign adversary was involved in the mysterious illnesses
Attorney Mark Zaid, who represents dozens of sufferers said his clients were appalled at the findings

Sen. Marco Rubio, vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee, repudiated the findings of the intelligence community which said it is ‘very unlikely’ the mysterious Havana Syndrome was linked to foreign adversaries.

The Florida Republican accused the intelligence community of ‘potentially rushing to a conclusion.’

Named for the Cuban city where some 40 US embassy personnel first reported cases in 2016, Havana syndrome has since afflicted hundreds of officials at US facilities around the world, with symptoms including headaches, dizziness and cognitive issues.

U.S. officials announced Wednesday that intelligence agencies had determined it was ‘very unlikely’ a foreign adversary was involved in the mysterious illnesses being expeirenced at U.S. missions across the globe.

‘Upon first glance I am concerned that the Intelligence Community (IC) effectively concluded that U.S. personnel, who reported AHI symptoms, were simply experiencing symptoms caused by environmental factors, illness or preexisting conditions and is potentially rushing to a conclusion while a substantial number of questions remain.’ Rubio said in a statement.

‘As I said before, something happened here and just because you don’t have all the answers, doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen. I will not accept that all these reported cases were just coincidences.’

He promised he would follow the issue ‘until we receive real explanations.’

The syndrome has ended careers for some sufferers and caused them to rack up massive medical bills.

The assessment casts doubt on the popular theory that directed energy weapons were involved in the phenomenon.

The new assessment combines the findings of seven US intelligence agencies, and follows comments from a State Department official that no ‘outside causality’ of Havana syndrome had been identified.

Five of the agencies determined it is ‘very unlikely’ a foreign power is responsible for Havana syndrome, whether through deliberate attack or as an unintentional side effect of some form of electronic surveillance.

Of the other two agencies, one described the foreign adversary theory as merely ‘unlikely’ and the other declined to render a determination.

Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said in a statement Wednesday that her agency continues to ‘surge resources and expertise across the government to explore all possible explanations.’

In a follow-up tweet, Rubio wrote: ‘The @CIA took the investigation of ‘Havana Syndrome’ seriously But when you read about the devastating injuries it’s hard to accept it was caused by AC units & loud cicadas Something happened here & just because we don’t have all the answers doesn’t mean it didn’t happen’

The mysterious aliment is named for the US embassy in Havana (above) where the first cases were reported in 2016, and hundreds of people have since reported symptoms

Intel chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., said his committee will continue to asses the findings and ‘hold the intelligence community accountable.’

‘Make no mistake: the priority of this Committee remains the safety, security, and well-being of the intelligence workforce and their families,’ said Warner. ‘We will continue to hold the Intelligence Community accountable for ensuring that those officers who have reported being affected by AHIs are being treated with the respect, dignity, and care they deserve, as required by Congress under the HAVANA Act.’

The HAVANA Act allowed the CIA, State Department, and other agencies to provide payments to U.S. officials who suffer brain injuries like the inexplicable syndrome while on assignment.

State Department personnel with ‘qualifying injuries’ were granted payments of between roughly $100,000 and $200,000 each under the legislation which President Biden signed into law in 2021.

Attorney Mark Zaid, who represents dozens of sufferers said his clients were appalled at the findings.

‘They are very demoralized by today’s assessment. One said the report is ‘humiliating, so disheartening.’ Another said “today is just so terrible;” yet another argued “the findings are particularly egregious,”’ Zaid told Politico, adding that one client broke into tears.

‘What they’re presenting today is the absence of evidence. And to be able to refute things is very difficult because of the classified nature of most of these incidents,’ Zaid added.

Though descriptions vary widely, sufferers of Havana syndrome often describe hearing unsettling, unidentified noises accompanied by intense feelings of pressure in the head, followed by headaches and cognitive symptoms lasting for months, or longer.

Despite six years of investigations, scientists, physicians and government officials have been unable to determine the cause of the symptoms.

However, some have speculated they are the result of microwave or other types of directed energy attack from a foreign power, perhaps during attempts to gather information remotely from electronic devices.

Russia is the foreign power that has been most often accused of being responsible for the phenomenon, although there has been no evidence to back up those claims.

After US officials and embassy staff reported hundreds of cases in nearly 70 countries, on every continent except Antarctica, new reports of Havana syndrome declined sharply starting in early 2022.

The new intel assessment, which reviews approximately 1,000 cases of such ‘anomalous health incidents,’ casts doubt on the theory that a foreign power is responsible for the ailments.

According to the Post, the assessment cites evidence including cases where there was no ‘direct line of sight’ to affected personnel who reported symptoms inside US facilities.

After US officials and embassy staff reported hundreds of cases in nearly 70 countries, new reports of Havana syndrome declined sharply starting in early 2022

What is ‘Havana Syndrome’? The mysterious illness that started in the US embassy in Cuba and causes memory and hearing loss

The problem has been labeled the ‘Havana Syndrome,’ because the first cases affected personnel in 2016 at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba.

At least 200 cases across the government are now under investigation.

People who are believed to have been affected have reported headaches, dizziness and symptoms consistent with concussions, with some requiring months of medical treatment. Some have reported hearing a loud noise before the sudden onset of symptoms.

Countries its been reported in: Cuba, United States, China, Russia, Vietnam, Austria, Germany, Serbia, United Kingdom, Georgia, Poland, Taiwan, Australia, Colombia, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan

Symptoms include:

-hearing loss

-severe headaches

-memory issues

-dizziness

-brain injury

A review of geolocation data and forensic information also produced no evidence of adversaries present during the incident, or of directed energy beams being deployed, the assessment found.

As well, the assessment found no evidence that foreign leaders, including in Russia, had knowledge of, or had authorized, energy beam attacks on US personnel.

The assessment also examined whether any adversary even possessed an energy beam device capable of causing the reported symptoms.

Of the seven agencies, five determined that it was ‘very unlikely,’ while the other two said it was ‘unlikely.’

The new findings contradict a report last year from a panel of independent experts convened by the intelligence community, which found that pulsed electromagnetic energy ‘plausibly explains’ the symptoms of Havana syndrome.

As well, a 2020 report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine found that microwave energy, specifically directed, pulsed radio-frequency energy ‘appears to be the most plausible mechanism in explaining these cases.’

The new assessment does not find plausible evidence supporting any other theory for the symptoms, which remain a frustrating mystery for officials.

Over the years, explanations for the sounds and symptoms associated Havana syndrome have included exposure to pesticides, cricket noises, ultrasonic signals, and mass psychogenic illness.

About 20% of the total number of victims are or were employed by the State Department. Almost all the others were employed by the CIA or the Department of Defense, which have their own medical policies.

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