A newly declassified US Senate report reveals significant flaws in the CIA’s handling of Havana syndrome, a mysterious illness affecting primarily US officials stationed abroad. The report concludes that foreign adversaries are “very unlikely” to be responsible, despite earlier theories suggesting targeted attacks with directed energy weapons. However, it acknowledges “many unanswered questions” and warns that adversaries may be developing such technologies, potentially explaining some reported symptoms.
The 18-page report details the inadequate medical care provided to nearly 100 CIA-affiliated individuals reporting “anomalous health incidents” (AHIs). Many experienced “delayed, denied, or pre-conditioned care” and struggled to access benefits. The report sharply criticizes the CIA’s shift away from supporting affected personnel over a year before officially concluding foreign adversaries were unlikely culprits. This resulted in significant “moral injury” for many, impacting their recovery due to feelings of disbelief and lack of support. Furthermore, CIA employees reporting symptoms had a significantly lower success rate (21%) in obtaining workers’ compensation compared to other government agencies (67%), with the CIA aggressively contesting claims and often refusing to confirm basic incident details.
Reports of Havana syndrome, characterized by headaches, dizziness, cognitive issues, and unusual sensory experiences, first emerged in Havana in 2016. Two National Institutes of Health (NIH) studies, published in March in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found no significant physical differences between affected individuals and control groups in brain structure or function. However, these studies, which have since been shuttered due to concerns about participant coercion, did note higher rates of imbalance, fatigue, post-traumatic stress, and depression among those reporting symptoms.
Despite over 1,500 global reports, the underlying cause remains unclear. A Government Accountability Office report found that 334 Americans qualified for care in the military health system, yet many struggled to access treatment. The Department of Defense’s trauma registry, intended to collect patient data, contained information for only 33 patients. The Senate committee expresses concern over the widespread denials and challenges to health benefits in light of the ongoing uncertainty, urging the intelligence community to avoid past mistakes of withholding support due to a lack of complete understanding of the illness. The report concludes by emphasizing that solving medical mysteries can take years, and the government should not repeat past errors by denying care based on incomplete knowledge.