US intelligence has found no evidence linking a foreign power to the mysterious “Havana syndrome” injuries reported by some US diplomats and other government personnel, though two agencies now say it’s possible a foreign adversary may have developed or even deployed a weapon responsible for the injuries.
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The U.S. embassy is pictured in Havana, Cuba. File Image- AP
A report released by the intelligence community on Friday reaffirms the conclusion that a foreign adversary is not responsible for the mysterious health issues affecting government workers. However, it left open the possibility that foreign actors may have developed the capability to cause such ailments.
Of the seven agencies involved in investigating the anomalous health incidents (AHIs), initially reported in Cuba and known as “Havana syndrome,” five upheld a 2023 assessment that dismissed the likelihood of a foreign nation being behind the attacks.
However, two agencies reached a different conclusion, suggesting that a foreign power could have developed or even deployed a weapon responsible for the injuries reported by U.S. diplomats and government officials.
A White House statement said President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration would be briefed on ongoing research, including into whether a small number of U.S. personnel had been hit with pulsed electromagnetic or acoustic energy.
The conclusion, which echoes early investigations, comes from a review conducted by seven different intelligence agencies who examined cases of brain injuries and other symptoms reported by American diplomats and other military and government personnel who have raised questions about the involvement of a foreign adversary.
The ailments were first reported by personnel at the U.S. embassy in Havana in 2016, leading to suspicions they might have been deliberately caused by a foreign power, or by non-state foreign attackers. Cuba has repeatedly denied any involvement.
Symptoms that include headaches, balance problems and difficulties with thinking and sleep were first reported in Cuba in 2016 and later by hundreds of American personnel in multiple countries. US embassy personnel working in Havana were the first to raise concerns, which later led the series of health effects to be dubbed “Havana syndrome.”
In the new assessment, the two agencies, which officials did not identify, did not find evidence linking any specific incident to a foreign technology, but based their findings on understandings of foreign weapon development and capability. One of the agencies found there was a “roughly even chance” that a foreign government