CIA concludes mysterious ‘Havana Syndrome’ is not foreign covert attack

The US Central Intelligence Agency, the CIA, has determined that the mysterious sickness affecting hundreds of US diplomatic workers across the world, the “Havana syndrome,” is not part of a widespread targeted campaign by a foreign power, according to US media reports.

Officials briefed on the intelligence agency’s preliminary finding said that “hundreds of cases of the Havana Syndrome could be explained by environmental factors, undiagnosed medical conditions or stress,” as reported by The New York Times on Thursday.

The agency is continuing its investigation into about two dozen instances that could offer clues as to whether US adversaries had a hand in causing some of the cases.

The agency has determined the majority of the 1,000 reported cases were “unlikely caused by such actors,” questioning theories of a larger foreign attack operation.

The syndrome, which first appeared in Havana, Cuba back in 2016, is typically defined by headaches, nausea, vertigo, and dizziness.

Since then, other cases have been identified in India, Colombia, Vietnam, Serbia and Russia, Austria, and China.

President Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, denied any connection between his country and the syndrome after Washinton implied the syndrome may be caused by foreign interference.

The deputy director of the United States in the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Relations, Johana Tablada, did the same, accusing the United States of using the syndrome to pursue an anti-Cuban policy.

To carry out its investigation and identify the disease, the CIA used tests administered in the US Air Force and Navy to assess the overall coordination and balance of military personnel, as well as examinations on the cognitive functions of patients.

As a result of recent findings, a new section of tests may be added to this tool to better understand the causes of stress and depression experienced by the victims.