Split emerges among US intelligence agencies over mysterious 'Havana Syndrome'

A split has emerged between the United States. intelligence agencies on whether a foreign adversary might have been responsible for unexplained injuries caused by Havana Syndrome to U.S. diplomats and intelligence officers stationed abroad.

A U.S. intelligence assessment released Friday found that two of seven spy agencies now say a foreign actor may have developed or deployed a weapon that caused the mysterious health incidents. Officials declined to reveal which intelligence services had changed their minds about the injuries, which first appeared in Havana, Cuba.

Five of the seven intelligence agencies or departments echoed the 2023 findings and concluded that it was very unlikely that a foreign actor was the cause of the medical symptoms including dizziness, hearing loss, severe headache , pain in the ears and blurred vision. Their conclusions were based in part on sensitive intelligence reports that continue to point to foreign involvement, according to the assessment.

The intelligence reports included information that foreign adversaries were surprised by the incidents or made clear in internal communications that they were not behind them, an official with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said. to journalists during a teleconference.

But two agencies said a foreign power could be responsible. One said there was a roughly equal chance that a new weapon or prototype device had been used to harm a small number of members of the U.S. government who reported medical symptoms unusual.

And the other unnamed intelligence agency concluded that there was a roughly equal chance that a foreign actor had developed a weapon that could have harmed them.

The opinion of the two intelligence agencies is based on intelligence reports indicating that foreign actors are making progress in scientific research and weapons development, according to the report.

The second agency, however, warned that it was unlikely that a foreign adversary would have used such a weapon in any of the events associated with the Havana syndrome cases. Both dissident agencies said they had little confidence in their assessments.

The new assessment follows repeated criticism from current and former government officials who say their medical records were initially ignored or discarded and that the CIA and Office of the Director of National Intelligence attempted to downplay the possibility of a culprit. stranger. Both intelligence services have rejected the accusations.

White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said Friday that the report reflects a shift in key judgments of some intelligence components, adding that it reinforces why it is vital that the The U.S. government continues critical research, investigates credible incidents, and strengthens efforts to provide timely information. long-term care and clinical follow-up.

Former CIA agent Marc Polymeropoulos.NBC NewsNational Security Council officials support victims

Victims of Havana Syndrome say the different tone of the White House statement reflects a divide between officials at the National Security Council, other departments and lawmakers, on the one hand, and some officials in the Havana community. intelligence, on the other hand.

Two former government employees who suffered injuries related to the mysterious health cases told NBC News that senior National Security Council officials told a group of Havana syndrome victims in November that previous assessments of the information was no longer valid and that they believed a foreign actor was likely capable and responsible. .

The NSC has been providing quiet support for years, said Marc Polymeropoulos, a senior CIA officer injured in Moscow in 2017 and the first former intelligence community official to go public with his experience.

The NSC pushed the ongoing research and investigative work…which apparently led to a breakthrough, he said. All this was accomplished despite the CIA and ODNI's continued analytical obstinacy and victimization.

Republicans on a House intelligence subcommittee released a report in December saying it was increasingly likely that a foreign adversary was responsible for some of the reported health incidents. The report also said the intelligence communities' assessments were not consistent with analytical integrity and rigor.

The ODNI official who briefed reporters strongly rejected the lawmaker's accusation, saying all analytical work was done with strict objectivity and focusing on the facts.

Integrity is doing what is right and true, even in the face of impossible pressures, the official said. And I want to be clear on the fundamental principle of the analytical profession: put your emotions aside and let intelligence, reporting of facts, and critical thinking lead to our conclusions.

The ODNI official added that no one in the intelligence community doubts the veracity or experience of those who reported injuries. They are our colleagues and friends, the official said.

The Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio, rejected those statements and said the new assessment amounted to a cover-up by the Biden administration. He said the United States should completely change its assessment of its foreign adversaries' capabilities based on new intelligence.

This won't age well for the Biden administration, Turner said.

Mark Zaid, a lawyer for some of the victims, also criticized the new assessment. He said the country continues to shamefully hide the truth behind a veil of secrecy, but intelligence agencies are recognizing that a foreign power is behind these incidents.

Zaid said he had already filed a Freedom of Information request on behalf of the victims to request declassification of the new intelligence assessment. He also plans to take legal action next month to demand its release.

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