Biden Officials Say the Truth About Havana Syndrome Is Still Unknown

White House officials said Friday that the truth behind the mysterious illness known as Havana syndrome remains unknown and contradicts a new intelligence assessment of what has befallen spies and diplomats over the past nine years. said.

Friday, Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Announcing the latest assessment of the diseaseThis greatly reinforced the previous conclusion that foreign governments were not responsible for them. But the document updates the intelligence agencies’ conclusions in 2023 and notes that the two spy agencies have at least subtly changed their positions.

The White House noted this change in a briefing with reporters, but the Office of the Director of National Intelligence held a separate briefing with a much different emphasis and tone.

This was a very strange note on which to end President Biden’s term. While President-elect Donald J. Trump regularly questioned the intelligence agencies’ findings during his first term, the Biden White House has embraced the intelligence community’s analytical work. But on Friday, administration officials took a sharply different tack from the intelligence community.

The incident and symptoms were first reported in Cuba in 2016 and were collectively known as Havana syndrome. The illness, which the government called an abnormal health incident (AHI), continued through the Trump administration and reached its peak in the first year of the Biden administration.

Spies and diplomats around the world have reported hearing noises and feeling changes in pressure before experiencing a variety of symptoms, including migraines, dizziness, and nausea. Some of the symptoms lasted for years and were similar to those associated with traumatic brain injury.

The bottom line is that mysteries remain and the government needs to accept the fact that it “doesn’t have all the answers,” said a senior government official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. did.

Administration officials emphasized that some agencies currently disagree with the intelligence community’s overall conclusions. National Security Council Spokesman Sean Savet said the new assessment “includes a significant change in judgment by some of the intelligence community” and emphasized the importance of continuing to investigate and investigate this issue. Emphasized gender.

But an official with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss classified matters, said the overall conclusion of most agencies remains unchanged. They believe it is “very unlikely” that a foreign enemy is the cause of the disease.

Intelligence officials said there was no lack of evidence and that classified information led multiple agencies to such a conclusion.

Officials have previously said there were no communications or other intelligence indicating that Russia, China, Cuba or any other adversary had orchestrated the attack. Some intelligence agencies indicate that foreign agents were confused about the Havana Syndrome allegations.

Both agencies, which have changed their positions, still believe it is unlikely that a foreign government was responsible. But officials did not rule out the possibility that foreign governments had developed new weapons or prototypes to harm U.S. officials, although one government agency said it was unlikely such devices were used. I decided that.

Some people suffering from Havana syndrome and their legal representatives criticized the new intelligence report’s conclusions and praised the White House for pressing for a new investigation.

Mark Zaid, a lawyer who represents several people suffering from Havana syndrome, said intelligence agencies continue to “hidden the truth”.

“The fact that the White House’s statement differs from that of the intelligence agencies said to be controlled by the president means that the evidence underlying the conclusion that foreign governments were not involved in the AHI attack on Americans is not complete.” “It speaks volumes about the lack of sexuality,” Zaid said.

Mark Renzi, a State Department official who developed the condition while stationed in China and continues to be treated for Havana syndrome, said the condition was caused by pulsed microwave radiation, a type of directed energy device or weapon that can cause brain damage. He said he believed that this was the cause. disease.

“The White House is absolutely right to be skeptical and dismissive of this biased and false assessment,” Renzi said.