As many as 200 Americans have now reported possible symptoms of 'Havana Syndrome'

[grarpamp]

CIA Director claims to be "fuming" mad and still
clueless as yet more "mysterious" attacks...

https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/09/cia-director-fuming-after-havana-syndrome-strikes-team-member-in-india/
https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/20/politics/cia-director-havana-syndrome-india-trip/index.html
https://twitter.com/JoshNBCNews/status/1430185838164463619
https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/12/covert-microwave-weapon-most-plausible-cause-of-cuba-health-attacks/


Another unexplained case —
CIA director “fuming” after Havana syndrome strikes team member in India
Some officials fear the incidents are increasing and escalating,
leaving officers on edge.

A US intelligence officer traveling in India earlier this month with
CIA director William Burns reported experiencing a mysterious health
incident and symptoms consistent with so-called Havana syndrome,
according to a report by CNN. The officer received immediate medical
care upon returning to the US.

The case raises fears that such incidents are not only increasing, but
potentially escalating, unnamed officials told CNN and The New York
Times. The new incident within Burns' own team reportedly left the CIA
chief "fuming" with anger.

Further Reading

CIA officer from bin Laden hunt to lead Havana Syndrome probe as cases rise
The director's schedule is tightly guarded, and officials do not know
if the affected intelligence officer was targeted because the officer
was traveling with the director. If the health incident was an attack
carried out by an adversarial intelligence agency—as feared—it's
unclear how the adversarial agency learned of the trip and was able to
prepare an attack. It's also possible, however, that the officer was
targeted for other reasons and without knowledge that the officer was
traveling with the director.

A CIA spokesperson told CNN only, "We don't comment on specific
incidents or officers. We have protocols in place for when individuals
report possible anomalous health incidents that include receiving
appropriate medical treatment. We will keep doing everything we can to
protect our officers."

The incident is the second high-profile case in less than a month. On
August 24, another so-called "anomalous health incident" affecting US
embassy staff in Hanoi, Vietnam, came to light. It is still unclear
how many staff members were affected in that incident, but NBC News
reported that two US personnel were medevaced out of the country.

The initial report of that incident came just as Vice President Kamala
Harris was set to fly to Hanoi from Singapore as part of a planned
weeklong visit. News of the incident kept Harris grounded at
Singapore's Paya Lebar Air Base aboard Air Force Two for more than
three hours until officials determined it was safe to proceed.

At the time, a spokesperson for the US embassy in Hanoi, Rachael Chen,
confirmed in a statement that "the Vice President's traveling
delegation was delayed from departing Singapore because the Vice
President's office was made aware of a report of a recent possible
anomalous health incident in Hanoi, Vietnam. After careful assessment,
the decision was made to continue with the Vice President's trip."

Cases and questions

Overall, there are now more than 300 possible cases among US personnel
from around the globe and stretching back years, according to
reporting by CNN.

The incidents first came to light in late 2016 among US and Canadian
diplomats and their families stationed in Havana, Cuba, giving the
cases their current moniker of Havana syndrome. A series of similar
cases were later widely reported among US personnel serving in a US
consulate in Guangzhou, China. Since then, cases have been reported
elsewhere in Asia, Europe, Russia, and even a few in the US. At least
two US officials have reported incidents in the Washington, DC, area
in the past few years, including one near the White House grounds.

Though the Biden administration has stepped up efforts to investigate
the incidents and provide medical care and support for those affected,
much about the cases remains a mystery. It is still not definitively
known if the incidents are even intentional attacks.

Generally, the incidents involve people experiencing directional
sounds and/or sensations that cause dizziness, nausea, headaches,
ringing in the ears, balance problems, and/or other symptoms that are
largely consistent with mild traumatic brain injuries or concussions.
Comprehensive medical evaluations of some of the US personnel affected
in Havana concluded they had sustained "injury to widespread brain
networks without an associated history of head trauma.” US personnel
who experience anything like these incidents are advised to leave the
area they are in immediately.

But who and/or what is causing the incidents and injuries are still
weighty unknowns. Medical and scientific experts have speculated that
the cause may be anything from pesticide exposures to malfunctioning
surveillance equipment, a collective delusion (mass psychogenic
illness), or even simply the irritating sounds of randy crickets.

A leading hypothesis, however, continues to be that the incidents are
indeed attacks, which are carried out by Russian operatives using a
covert microwave-energy device. A panel of experts with the National
Academy of Sciences concluded last year that directed pulsed
radiofrequency energy was the "most plausible" cause of the incidents
and injuries. Russian scientists have a long history of researching
related technology and its effects on people. Russian authorities have
reportedly denied any involvement in the incidents.