A former national security adviser to Donald Trump has expressed concern about the threat 'Havana syndrome' could pose to the United States and the president himself, calling for light to be shed on this mysterious ailment that hit American diplomats around the world.
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"If we were at war and an adversary could disable the president and his closest advisers (...), that would make us extremely vulnerable"
, estimated John Bolton in an extract, published Thursday February 17, d an interview which will be aired on Sunday on CBS's "60 Minutes" program.
"We don't know if we're coping well with such a threat
," he said,
"but I'd just as much like to focus on finding the answer now, rather than once it may be too late”
.
This "Havana syndrome" - headaches, nausea, sometimes neurological damage - affected American diplomats and soldiers first in the Cuban capital before being recorded elsewhere in the world (China, Germany, Australia, Russia , Austria) but also in Washington.
He allegedly assigned an official from the White House National Security Council, who suddenly felt ill while walking in a park near the headquarters of the American executive, CNN reported last year.
CBS says it spoke to senior Trump administration Homeland Security officials, who said they felt
"dizzy, confused"
and had blackouts while
Read also“Havana Syndrome”: the CIA does not believe in a foreign attack
"It's a very complicated case, you know, with a lot of incidents that have different explanations
," said current CIA boss William Burns, still in an excerpt broadcast by CBS News, saying he was determined. to
"ensure that people receive the care they deserve but also that we have the final say"
of the case.
In January, the CIA indicated in a preliminary report that it had no evidence to point the finger at the responsibility of a foreign power.
According to the report, the majority of cases are explained by medical conditions, including undiagnosed illnesses or environmental and technical factors.
About ten days later, the US government had however indicated, citing a group of experts, that electromagnetic waves could have caused these mysterious symptoms.