Havana syndrome blamed on ultrasound weapon

The panel assembled by US intelligence agencies is the latest attempt to explain the neurological illness.

The US embassy in Havana, where the syndrome first appeared. Picture: AFP

An external energy source could be behind the mysterious illness dubbed Havana syndrome that has affected American diplomats and intelligence officers overseas, an expert panel has found, days after the CIA concluded that a foreign power was probably not mounting a global campaign against US personnel.

The panel assembled by US intelligence agencies is the latest attempt to explain the neurological illness that has afflicted hundreds of diplomats and spies at American missions throughout the globe, triggering nausea, dizziness and memory loss.

The string of “anomalous health incidents” has raised suspicion of a concerted attack from a secret sonic or microwave weapon by a foreign enemy, with widespread suspicion of Russia. President Joe Biden has vowed to determine “who is responsible”.

The acoustics, radiation and radio frequency specialist concluded the evidence for Havana syndrome was “genuine and compelling”. The panel said concentrated direct pulses of radio frequency or ultrasound energy could explain the symptoms, suggesting that a foreign attack could not be ruled out.

Parts of the report were redacted, but the panel said it had reviewed “independent, first-hand accounts in which researchers were exposed to high-power ultrasound beams and subsequently experienced some of the core characteristics” of Havana syndrome.

Underscoring the confusion surrounding the illness, however, the findings come days after the CIA concluded a foreign power, including Russia, was probably not using secret weapons to stage a global campaign. The majority of cases could be explained by existing medical conditions or other factors, the agency said, although it did not dismiss foreign involvement altogether.

The illness was first reported among CIA officers working at the embassy in Cuba in 2016. A spate of incidents has since occurred at missions around the globe, including Russia, China, Poland, Austria, Vietnam, Serbia and Taiwan. The most recent episode struck at the embassy in Bogota in October, with at least five families, including a child, falling ill days before a visit from Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Several people were evacuated from Colombia for treatment.

Spies and diplomats have reported dizziness, tinnitus, vertigo, visual problems and memory loss. Some of those affected claimed they heard sounds or felt an unexplained pressure or vibration.

Doctors who treated patients from the embassy in Havana also found evidence of brain injury or damage to the inner ear, similar to the concussion suffered in an explosion or car accident.

Sceptics have said the symptoms are psychosomatic or a result of mass hysteria among US envoys overseas. Although the expert panel gave credence to the evidence of an attack, its report did assess that “other incidents could be due to hyper-vigilance and normal human reactions to stress”.

The Times