Havana Syndrome: Conspiracy Or Cause For Concern?
September 26, 2022
Suspicious Spy-Only Sickness
“Havana syndrome” is a phenomenon first suffered by CIA officers and U.S. diplomats in Havana, Cuba in 2016. Symptoms of Havana syndrome include dizziness, vertigo, and extreme fatigue, which often begin after hearing strange chirping sounds. Many sufferers are affiliated with the U.S. government, from intelligence officers to diplomats, leading some within the intelligence community to believe it to be the work of a shadowy enemy looking to take down high-value U.S. targets. In a sick twist of fate, one victim appears to be Dr. Paul Andrews, a CIA doctor who traveled to Cuba in order to study the syndrome.
Andrews retold his first-hand experience with Havana syndrome in a CNN interview on Sunday. After heading to bed in his Havana hotel, he awoke the next morning to pain in his right ear, nausea, a headache – and a clicking sound. He experienced nausea and disorientation throughout the day preventing him from carrying out even basic tasks. Five years later, he still suffers balance and vision problems.
Over the past few years, roughly 1,100 U.S. diplomats and spies have reported symptoms. While many government officials and many media outlets (and former U.S. President Trump) were quick to attribute the symptoms to a hostile government like Russia or China, no single cause of Havana syndrome has yet to be discovered. According to a comprehensive CIA study, the vast majority of incidents could be “explained by environmental causes, undiagnosed medical conditions or stress.” The agency also found zero evidence of a foreign government orchestrating microwave attacks on U.S. operatives.
Either way, the government has found room in the budget to protect its employees – the HAVANA Act, signed into law in 2021, compensates current and former U.S. officials suffering from unexplained brain injuries with payments up to $189,000. If you have a history of migraines, now’s the time to apply for a job at the CIA! (CNN, NYT ($), Yahoo News)
Some Good News
- Colorado Man Noticed Tired Straphangers Waiting at Bus Stops — So He Made Benches for Them (People)
- Buzz stops: bus shelter roofs turned into gardens for bees and butterflies (Guardian)
Economically Communist, Socially Conservative
- Heading back to Havana, we’ve got another strange phenomenon (no microwave technologies this time, though). On Sunday, Cuba held a nationwide referendum on a government-backed “family law” code, which includes the right to same-sex marriage as well as other family-based social reforms.
- While the current Cuban nation started out atheist under Fidel Castro, the country has become increasingly religious. Evangelical Cuban leaders have developed a strong sense of social conservatism in a section of the population, and a past referendum on same-sex marriage was shut down during the 2018-2019 election.
- The current measure up for vote includes more than provisions on marriage, though. The code would also allow surrogate pregnancies, more rights for grandparents related to their grandchildren, protections for elderly citizens, and more laws on gender violence. (WaPo, $)
An Explosive Welcome Party
- Just days ahead of U.S.Vice President Kamala Harris’ planned visit to South Korea this week, North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the sea off its coast. The vice president’s visit coincides with scheduled military drills held by South Korean and U.S. forces.
- The missile launch on Sunday was the first since June but continues a series of short-range missile tests by Pyongyang focused on missiles designed to evade defenses by maneuvering during flight and flying on lower trajectories. 2022 has been a record year for North Korean missile tests, with the country testing its first intercontinental ballistic missile since 2017. South Korea’s military reports that the North may test a submarine-launched ballistic missile.
- Ironically, the defense exercises accompanying Harris’ visit are part of a U.S. effort to scare the North into submission, with both D.C. and Seoul trying to display military unity to deter Pyongyang’s aggression. (Reuters)
Additional World News
- In Lebanon, migrant boat tragedy kills 89, but others still plan to journey to Europe (LAT, $)
- China warns “external” interference in Taiwan will lead to “forceful” response (Axios)
- Super Typhoon Noru makes landfall in Philippines; authorities on alert (WaPo, $)
- Hundreds of thousands without power in Atlantic Canada after Fiona rumbles north (CNN)
- Italy’s election could usher in its first far-right government since World War II (NPR)
- Pope calls for courage in halting use of fossil fuels to protect planet (Guardian)
- Iran summons UK envoy amid anti-government protests (AP)
“The healthy man does not torture others – generally it is the tortured who turn into torturers.” – Carl Jung
Taking A Stand
- Liz Cheney is doubling down on her public denouncing of former President Trump. This weekend she told Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith during the Texas Tribune Festival, “I certainly will do whatever it takes to make sure Donald Trump isn’t anywhere close to the Oval Office.” She stopped short of saying whether or not she plans to run for president in 2024.
- Cheney’s anti-Trump agenda has made her an outcast in her party. She lost her seat as chair of the House Republican conference last year to Elise Stefanik, and lost an August primary for her reelection to a Trump-backed candidate. She remains on the committee investigating the January 6th insurrection, which only adds to Republican ire against her.
- “I’m going to make sure Donald Trump, make sure he’s not the nominee,” Cheney said. “And if he is the nominee, I won’t be a Republican.” She then said that her work on the committee made her more sure of her stance, because “While leaders in Congress were begging him, ‘Please, tell the mob to go home,’ Donald Trump wouldn’t.” She added, “just set the politics aside for a minute and think to yourself, ‘What kind of human being does that?’” (Axios)
Operator? Yes, I’d Like To Speak To The Violent Mob
- Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), a member of the January 6 committee, appeared Sunday on Meet the Press. During the interview, Raskin was asked about Denver Riggleman, a former GOP lawmaker who served on the committee’s staff, claiming that the switchboard in the White House connected to the phone of a rioter on the infamous day.
- Raskin said: “You know, I can’t say anything specific about that particular call, but we are aware of it. And we are aware of lots of contacts between the people in the White House and different people that were involved, obviously, in the coup attempt and the insurrection.” It has been stressed that Riggleman wasn’t as involved in the committee as he claims to be. Another public hearing is scheduled for this week. (NBC)
Additional USA News
- Tropical Storm Ian is tracking toward Florida and may soon hit hurricane status (NPR)
- DeSantis is not stopping his migrant charters. And Biden world can’t do a thing about it. (Politico)
- GOP lawmaker suggests there’s ‘pressure’ on Republicans to impeach Biden if party wins the House (CNN)
- GOP quiet as Arizona Democrats condemn abortion ruling (AP)
- Trump to Maggie Haberman: I ran for fame (Axios)
- Texas vow to ‘eliminate all rapists’ rings hollow at clinics (AP)
- January 6 panel to take up key unanswered questions in final hearing (Guardian)
Operatives On Display
- Both the CIA and NSA have something new to offer the country, this time outside the realm of intelligence. This year, both agencies have revamped their museums, but only one is open to the public. For its 75th anniversary, the CIA overhauled its museum, which is open now. Exhibits include a Tabasco sauce-covered dead rat that spies used to hide messages, a pigeon-mounted camera, and a spy drone designed to mimic a dragonfly.
- Besides cool spy gadgets, the museum also hosts memorabilia from the agency’s past operations, both successful and failed: it holds a reconstruction of an East Berlin tunnel used to tap into Soviet communications for 18 months, but also memorabilia from the failed Bay of Pigs invasion and stories of operatives caught by other governments. Sound cool? Unfortunately, the CIA museum is only open to personnel and their families.
- The NSA museum, in contrast, is open to the public. The collection mainly focuses on the agency’s cryptologic history, with code-breaking and code-making machines from World War 2, as well as the Enigma machine used by Adolf Hitler. “It’s a wonderful paradox that ‘No Such Agency’ has the only museum in the U.S. intelligence community that’s completely open to the public,” said Vince Houghton, the museum’s director. (NYT, $)
Additional Reads
- What is rainbow fentanyl? Colorful pills drive new warnings about deadliest drug in the US (CNN)
- Soldier who went missing during Korean War accounted for (ABC)
- A bizarre fast radio burst came from a binary system, astronomers say (CNN)
- NASA cancels Artemis I launch attempt but delays roll back decision (Ars Technica)
- Jupiter is coming its closest to Earth in decades (NPR)
- Elton John was moved to tears by a surprise award from President Biden (NPR)
- US spy satellite launched into orbit from California (AP)