The CIA has concluded that the "
Havana Syndrome
", a mysterious illness that strikes American diplomats around the world and sometimes compared to "
acoustic attacks
" attributed by some to Russia, was not a priori attributable to a attack by a foreign power, according to information from the
New York Times
on Wednesday, January 19.
Read alsoHavana syndrome: the head of the CIA in Vienna sacked
The
New York Times
and NBC cite preliminary CIA findings on incidents that first occurred among diplomats in 2016 in the Cuban capital, with US and Canadian diplomats complaining of severe headaches and nausea.
“
In hundreds of cases, the agency has found plausible and alternative explanations
” for a foreign operation, according to sources cited by NBC.
But the investigation of the CIA continues concerning about twenty cases which remain unexplained.
“We will continue to investigate these incidents”
“
The interim report was not a final conclusion of the Biden administration or the entire intelligence community
,” NBC said, citing US officials. A victims' group quoted by The
New York Times
said the CIA's findings "
cannot and should not be the final word on the matter
." “
Although we have reached important intermediate conclusions, we are not finished
”, tried to reassure William J. Burns, the director of the CIA, quoted by the
New York Times
. "
We will continue to investigate these incidents
," he said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged in November 2021 to "
shed light
" on the "
Havana Syndrome
", appointing two senior diplomats on this file. These "
abnormal health incidents
", as they are called in the administrative jargon, are characterized by severe headaches, dizziness or nausea. Brain damage has even been diagnosed.
Since its appearance in Havana, cases have successively been reported in China, Germany, Australia, Russia, Austria and even in Washington.
The State Department refuses to provide an estimate of the number of people affected, the figure of 200 is mentioned.
From the start, US authorities have wavered, with some officials downplaying symptoms sometimes attributed to stress, others privately discussing possible radio wave attacks and suspecting countries like Russia.
But this thesis is also questioned by some scientists, who consider a common cause unlikely for all the reported cases.