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Washington (CNN) -
As reports of US diplomats and intelligence officials ill with the mysterious Havana syndrome continue to increase, within the US State Department frustration increases among base employees and diplomats over what several officials say it has been a lukewarm response from that office.
Particular concern provokes the lack of information from the leadership, including what some say has been a hands-off approach from Secretary of State Tony Blinken, who has yet to meet with any of the State Department victims despite saying that would prioritize incidents.
Fear of the mysterious disease is affecting the professional decisions of diplomats, sources say.
Some foreign service officials choose not to take jobs that could make them targets of the inexplicable phenomenon that has sickened hundreds of American officials in recent years.
Two diplomats who spoke to CNN decided not to apply for jobs in Berlin and Vienna because they wanted to avoid cities where they had heard of incidents.
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Lack of information
Diplomats and intelligence sources who spoke to CNN said they want basic information such as the number of people affected and the location of the incidents, data that the State Department used to release publicly at press conferences about the incidents in Cuba and China.
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Diplomats also wonder what the Department is doing to ensure that they and their families are not sent back to buildings or apartments where health incidents have been previously reported.
Some victims affected by the strange syndrome are also angered by the way the Department has handled their cases.
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"For the most part, we don't know anything other than what's in the press," said an American diplomat.
"It is difficult for people to make informed decisions about where to serve," he added.
The cautious approach is even more pronounced for diplomats with children.
Strike the right balance
State Department officials told CNN they are aware of the frustration and fear among employees.
Also, they are currently considering ways to share more information with their workforce.
Officials emphasized that they are working to strike the right balance.
They want to share more details so diplomats can make informed decisions, particularly related to their security, but they also don't want to overstate the threat.
The Department has established a team of medical experts to respond to reports of possible health incidents.
It has also offered referral medical exams to diplomats in case they later report an incident.
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But those who have not been affected, and fear the possibility, still feel left in the dark.
The lack of basic information has led to a rumor campaign that has spread among foreign service officials trying to find out if a job is vacant because the person who previously held it was rotated or because the person had to take a leave of absence. medical.
"When you go to a high threat post, you know that diplomatic security will keep you informed about what the threats are and that they will take all possible steps to mitigate those threats. In this situation, the threat is not clear and the mitigation is not clear either. "said a second diplomat.
Differences with the CIA
Blinken's response contrasts with that of CIA Director Bill Burns, who according to sources has been actively involved in the issue and has met with intelligence officials affected by the attacks.
Blinken, who said he would prioritize these incidents when he became the nation's top diplomat, plans to meet soon with a group of diplomats who have been affected, State Department officials said.
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Ambassador Pamela Spratlen, a career foreign service official, oversees the task force - the Health Incident Response Task Force - that was created in response to the series of these incidents in Cuba and China in 2018. Spratlen she was taken out of retirement and put into the role by Blinken earlier this year.
He has met with some of the diplomats who have been affected.
In general, US diplomats who spoke to CNN said they are concerned about the psychological impact the phenomenon has had and whether it shows that whoever is behind it has achieved their goals of sowing fear and confusion in a way that could eventually hamper the ability of the State Department to do their job.
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But other seasoned diplomats disagree.
They resist the idea of turning down a position because of these incidents that are somewhat rare and undefined.
They also point out that there are many American diplomats who are still willing to serve in European countries, which are coveted assignments for career diplomats.
Frustrated victims
In addition to American diplomats who are concerned about defending themselves against future threats, some victims have also expressed frustration at the way the State Department has treated them throughout the process.
A victim of a series of incidents that took place in 2018 in Guangzhou, China, claimed that the State Department retaliated against him for speaking out about his persistent symptoms.
Mark Lenzi, a member of the diplomatic security services, has filed two whistleblower complaints, as well as a handful of formal complaints of discrimination.
The impact of health incidents and the frustration with the State Department's handling of them are not exclusive to experienced diplomats.
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Lindsay Bryda, who worked as an intern at the US consulate in Guangzhou in 2018, told CNN that she had the first and only seizure of her life days after her internship ended in July 2018.
Byrda says he first learned of the health incidents during the first week of his internship, in May 2018, when consular officials called a meeting with all U.S. personnel to inform them about consulate officials who had fallen ill with symptoms. similar to those experienced by diplomatic personnel in Havana, as of 2016.
Medical evacuations were then performed and Bryda only learned later that the foreign service official who had lived in her apartment immediately before she received treatment for symptoms consistent with Havana syndrome, she told CNN.
Bryda says that she was subsequently told by the director of administration at the consulate that her health could be affected and that she should vacate the apartment, which was in the Edinburgh International apartment complex in Guangzhou.
Returning from a short trip to Beijing, he found a police security line on the other side of his door, he recalled.
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Bryda, whose experiences were corroborated by another intern working with her at the time, suffered the seizure shortly after during a trip to Thailand and says she relayed the incident to the State Department.
They told her that her case was included in internal reports of abnormal health incidents coming out of China.
Despite repeatedly pressuring the State Department Task Force to obtain his medical records, he has yet to receive a response.
State Department Task Force
Since taking the reins of the Department earlier this year, Spratlen has implemented a number of new initiatives, together with interagency partners, to support officials and more effectively probe the cause of these incidents.
Now there is an inter-agency tool that was created to evaluate the reports of these incidents in different agencies in one place.
This has been a particularly welcome development for investigators investigating the case.
While it has not shared information publicly on the number of new incidents, the State Department sent a memorandum earlier this year ordering employees and their families to report "immediately" any new medical symptoms that fit the bill. Diverse pattern of symptoms of Havana syndrome.
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"We have made it clear that any employee who has reported a possible unexplained health incident has what it takes to seek immediate and appropriate care and attention. These health incidents have been a priority for Secretary Blinken from day one," he said State Department spokesman Ned Price during a press conference.
Earlier this month, Spratlen and Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Brian McKoen met with US diplomats in Vienna to hear them directly and make it clear that this challenge is high on the Department's agenda, officials said. .
Differences within the State Department
But Spratlen does not report directly to Blinken, something some sources say shows the Department is not making the issue as high a priority as it claims.
The Department has been handling this unique situation for approximately five years and has faced criticism along the way.
A declassified 2018 State Department report, obtained by the James Madison Project and published in the George Washington University National Security Archive, concluded that the Department's initial investigation of the 'Havana syndrome' "was characterized by a lack of superior leadership, ineffective communications, and systemic disorganization. "
CNN's Nicole Gaouette contributed to this report.
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