America

Most US agencies believe Havana syndrome was not the work of a foreign enemy: official

Most US agencies believe Havana syndrome was not the work of a foreign enemy: official

Most US intelligence agencies have reaffirmed in an updated assessment that it is “very unlikely” that a foreign enemy was responsible for the so-called Havana syndromea US intelligence official said on Friday.

The ailments were first reported by staff at the US embassy in Havana in 2016, leading to suspicions that they may have been caused deliberately by a foreign power or foreign non-state actors. Cuba repeatedly denied any involvement.

Five of the seven spy agencies involved in a years-long investigation “continue to assess that it is highly unlikely that a foreign adversary is responsible” for the migraines, nausea, memory lapses and dizziness suffered by hundreds of American spies, diplomats, other personnel and their families, the US official said in a briefing for reporters.

Two other agencies, however, have changed their judgments since an original 2023 assessment that ruled out the likelihood that a foreign enemy was to blame for the ailments, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence official said.

One of those agencies now believes there is an “approximately equal chance” that a foreign actor used “a novel weapon or prototype device” against “a small, undetermined subset of U.S. personnel or dependents” who reported symptoms, the agency said. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The second agency judged there was a “roughly even chance” that a foreign actor had developed a weapon or prototype, although it was unlikely to have deployed such a device, the official said.

The official did not identify any of the seven agencies involved in the new evaluation of what the US government calls “anomalous health incidents.”

Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channels YouTube, WhatsApp and to newsletter. Turn on notifications and follow us on Facebook, x and instagram.



Source link