Havana Syndrome
The Crisis in America’s Diplomatic Corps
Robert Cole
Over the weekend, Americans reflected on the 9/11 attacks and the consequences of that day not only on those killed, but on the course of subsequent foreign policy. While the nation mourned however, investigations continued into another potential attack on Americans, one that has been going on for close to five years, affecting some 200 officials and their families at diplomatic postings from Cuba to Kyrgyzstan.
The symptoms first appeared in 2016 at the US embassy in Havana, Cuba, and included dizziness, fatigue, nausea, and a ringing in the ears, with some symptoms lasting for extended periods of time. The condition became known in the media as “Havana Syndrome” as a result, and reappeared in 2018 in Russia and China. From there, it went global, though reports of the condition have only been reported among American and a few Canadian diplomats, with approximately half of the total cases coming from CIA officers and their families. Potential new cases have continued to appear, including a pair of alleged cases in Vietnam that delayed Vice President Harris’ tour of the region, and two potential cases inside the US, both this year.
What is causing this strange illness, and how? The answer is still not fully known, but the evidence in favor of focused microwaves is increasing, though far from proven. The problems involved in proving the cause and culprits are multi-faceted, but one of the biggest barriers is the bureaucracy and secrecy that envelops the US intelligence services. On a basic level, few researchers or investigators have the clearance necessary to view the relevant materials, and the officials affected come from multiple government agencies, including the Department of Defense, CIA, and Department of State. Investigation into the types of sonic weapons and surveillance technology that might be responsible is also complicated by the legacy of the Cold War, when both American and Soviet intelligence conducted extensive research in the field. As a consequence, the relevant research and potential previous instances of Havana Syndrome during the Cold War have been kept secret, limiting the abilities of outside researchers to assist in finding a cause.
What would be the motive for inflicting such harm on American embassies? Possible explanations include that it is the byproduct of a signal that is being used to spy on phones and computers that contain sensitive material, and that its effect on American personnel has been recognized and weaponized by a foreign power. Such actions would constitute an “act of war” in the words of one former CIA official, and identifying the culprit could create an extremely tense diplomatic situation. Given the prevalence of cases in Cuba and Europe, as well as its inheritance of Soviet research on the topic, Russia is currently the leading suspect, though the Trump administration has previously blamed the Cuban government for the initial attacks.
The implications of Havana Syndrome and its causes for the future of global warfare and espionage are yet unknown. However, it represents a potential step toward a new era of using the human brain as the “21st Century battle-scape” according to James Giordano, a Pentagon adviser involved in early Havana Syndrome investigations. As governments increasingly utilize cyber-attacks as a means of engaging in undeclared low-level conflict with each other, such subtle weapons could be a new tool of waging war in all but name. As such, Havana Syndrome may be the first step in a new escalation of global conflict that may prove difficult to reverse.