Anupama Nair
Havana Syndrome – this is a term, which has quite become famous these days. I first heard it when a Central Intelligence Agency officer who visited India stated he was inflicted with this disease in India. What is Havana Syndrome and from where did it originate? Havana Syndrome is a set of medical signs and symptoms reported by embassy officials of the United States and Canada first in Havana, Cuba, in 2016, and subsequently in 100 other countries, including the United States, Austria, Germany, Canada, Russia, China and now India. The disease came to light when the US and Canadian officials in Havana reported “feeling ill after hearing strange sounds and experiencing odd physical sensations in their hotel rooms”. Some were even left with dizziness and fatigue for months. A study in the United States reported ‘brain abnormalities’ in diplomats who had fallen ill.
The Biden Administration, however, preferred calling the Syndrome ‘unexplained health incidents’ (UHI). The disease hit the news after the visit of Kamala Harris to Vietnam was delayed due to many American officers reported the symptoms of Havana syndrome just before her trip in July. In fact, American diplomats in Vienna, Austria, also reported possible cases of the syndrome. Havana syndrome still manages to remain a mystery for the world even after five years. The question, many ask is what are the symptoms? What causes it and above all, and why is it mysterious?
Many researchers believe the cause is due to “psychological illness to some sort of sonic weapon”.
However, microwave radiation has emerged to be the believable cause, according to a report by the National Academies of Sciences (NAS) in the US. “Microwave weapons are a type of direct energy weapon, which aim highly focused energy in the form of sonic, laser, or microwaves, at a target”. Another section has altogether dismissed the Syndrome, saying the stressful environment of foreign missions was behind US diplomats experiencing such symptoms.
According to Robert Baloh, a professor of neurology at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), it is nothing but a mass psychogenic or stress-related condition. Baloh said the situation was similar to the way people felt sick when they are told they have eaten tainted food even if there was nothing wrong with it. “When you see mass psychogenic illness, there's usually some stressful underlying situation. In the case of Cuba, the embassy employees, particularly the CIA agents who were first affected were certainly in a stressful situation”, said Baloh. The officials of the US embassy became ‘hyper-aware and fearful’ as reports spread and took everyday symptoms like brain fog and dizziness as Havana syndrome.
A study conducted by the panel of 19 experts did research on four possibilities to explain the symptoms of Havana syndrome: infection, chemicals, psychological factors and microwave energy. The study concluded that “directed pulsed radio frequency energy appears to be the most believable mechanism in explaining these cases”.
What are the symptoms? The victims described “having a sensation of pressure in their heads, nausea and fatigue, vertigo and also ear pain”. But one revelation that shocked the world was “when the brain of some affected people was scanned, the diagnosis surprisingly revealed tissue damage similar to the one caused by a car accident or a bomb blast”.
The study under James Giordano, an advisor to the Pentagon and Professor in Neurology and Biochemistry at Georgetown University, however, believed that China and Russia have been engaged in microwave research and could have invented tools developed for industrial use. He noted that ‘significant research’ had been conducted on microwave weapons in Russia and China. Both countries, however, denied of having any role in the ‘attacks’.
The news of the Syndrome in India has come as shock to many. Sources in the Indian Intelligence state they were not aware of “any such weapon being in the possession of an Indian agency”. Even if there was one, it is unlikely the Government would admit to having acquired such counter-espionage technology given the sensitive nature of intelligence work. The question is “why would an Indian agency target the US as they are our close friends,” an intelligence official said on anonymity.
Another question asked is could a foreign country use India to target US officials? Sources say it is highly unlikely. “Even if we were to assume that the Russians or the Chinese have been able to bring in such equipment without our knowledge, once such a thing comes out, it negatively impacts relations between our country and theirs. Why would they risk that unless they want to hurt us as well?” an intelligence official said.
Indian officials claim as yet there has been no reporting of Havana Syndrome in Delhi or anywhere in the country. “We have not come across this in the past five years or earlier. None of our intelligence officials have either reported being a target of such a thing,” a senior intelligence official said.
The question asked is “if a foreign power is doing it, why will they target the CIA or embassy officials alone? Why aren’t other countries reporting the Syndrome? Other than the Canadian embassy in Havana, there have been no such reports from officials of any other country anywhere else in the world. We cannot claim it an imaginary disease even as it targets only American officials but not civilians. Hope we solve this mystery soon. All the best scientists!
