The cause of the mysterious “Havana Syndrome” remains a mystery, but a multiyear investigation by seven US intelligence agencies has cast doubt on speculation that a hostile power was behind the unexplained ailments. The declassified findings, released on Wednesday, showed that there is little evidence to support the belief that a foreign power was responsible for the symptoms, which include migraines, nausea, memory lapses and dizziness.
The investigation explored 1,000 reported cases, but in January a CIA official stated that the majority could be “reasonably explained by medical conditions or environmental and technical factors, including previously undiagnosed illnesses”. The first known cases appeared in Havana, Cuba, in 2016, with later incidents reported in countries such as Australia, Austria, China, Colombia, Germany and Russia.
Of the seven agencies involved, some expressed differing levels of certainty that a foreign power was not involved in the incidents, including one abstention. However, none of the agencies challenged the conclusion that a foreign power did not cause the symptoms.
The uncertainty about the mysterious illnesses set off widespread speculation in the US, with some officials characterising them as a targeted attack on US personnel overseas. In October 2021, Congress passed the Helping American Victims Afflicted by Neurological Attacks (HAVANA) Act, allowing government agencies to “compensate affected current employees, former employees and their dependents for qualifying injuries to the brain”.
In response to the investigation’s findings, CIA Director William Burns said in a statement that the agency would work to address the “real health issues” experienced by agency personnel with “honesty and compassion”. He added that the CIA will continue to investigate any potential threats to personnel and will take appropriate action if necessary.
The cause of “Havana Syndrome” remains unknown, but the investigation by US intelligence agencies has cast doubt on speculation that a hostile power was behind it. The agencies concluded that there is little evidence to support this belief and that the majority of cases could be explained by medical conditions or environmental and technical factors. The US government has labelled the cases “anomalous health incidents” and Congress has passed legislation to provide compensation for affected individuals. The CIA will continue to investigate any potential threats to personnel and will take appropriate action if necessary.