Friday, 30 April 2021 _US federal agencies are investigating “unexplained health incidents” after two American officials in the Washington area reportedly experienced sudden symptoms similar to the “Havana syndrome,” symptoms American diplomats and spies abroad reportedly suffered.
One of the unexplained attacks occurred in November near the Ellipse, the large oval lawn on the south side of the White House, according to CNN. The person sickened by the attack is a National Security Council official.
The other one happened in 2019 when a White House official, who was walking her dog in a Virginia suburb of Washington, fell sick, according to a report by GQ magazine last year.
Following the attacks, the CIA, state department and Pentagon have all launched investigations; however, officials said the investigations have not reached a conclusion yet.
According to the National Academy of Scientists, the wave of mysterious brain injuries, which allegedly began in Cuba in 2016, is most likely the result of some form of microwave energy device.
The symptoms include hearing strange sounds followed by dizziness, nausea, severe headaches and loss of memory which in some case can continue for years.
“The health and wellbeing of American public servants is a paramount priority for the Biden administration. We take all reports of health incidents by our personnel extremely seriously,” a White House spokesperson said.
“The White House is working closely with departments and agencies to address unexplained health incidents and ensure the safety and security of Americans serving around the world. Given that we are still evaluating reported incidents and that we need to protect the privacy of individuals reporting incidents, we cannot provide or confirm specific details at this time.”
There have been allegedly dozens of victims, most of whom were stationed in Cuba and China, with a handful of cases elsewhere.
Also on Thursday, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told lawmakers she would provide Congress with more information on such investigations when asked about the attacks. However, she was light on details since the information is classified.
“I completely understand that getting the information is critical for you to be able to respond to these issues and ensure that you’re able to make good decisions,” Haines told US Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., during testimony before the Senate Committee on Armed Services.
“Our concern obviously with the classification is because it’s either protecting sources and methods and it’s critical to our national security,” Haines added.
Last year, Cuba dismissed a US government report suggesting that American diplomats and spies in the country were targeted with pulsed microwave energy attacks and were afflicted with certain injuries as a result.
Last year, the US government claimed that between 2016 and 2018, US embassy staff suffering from mysterious ailments in Havana and elsewhere were the target of a secret weapon.
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