Havana Syndrome: What We Know

 Link: 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/havana-syndrome-symptoms-11626882951?mod=politics_lead_pos10

MLA Format: 

Tau, Byron. "Havana Syndrome: What We Know". WSJ, 2021, https://www.wsj.com/articles/havana-syndrome-symptoms-11626882951?mod=politics_lead_pos10. Accessed 8 Oct 2021.

In late 2016, the first cases of Havana Syndrome appeared within U.S. and Canadian diplomats stationed in Cuba. By 2018, State Department employees and their families were being evacuated across China, Russia, Poland, Georgia, and Taiwan. Since then, serious concerns have arisen based off of consistent symptoms of Havana Syndrome that seem to be spreading like wildfire amongst politicians. With such an increase, people are wondering what causes an outbreak like this?

Initially, it was believed that something like this could have only become as a result of an attack by either a sonic or acoustic weapon, a type of directed energy, or "directed, pulsed radiofrequency energy", yet no conclusion and the true cause could be agreed on. 

Last May, The New Yorker even reported that a theory being comprised by investigators is that a foreign intelligence agency- possibly Russia's GRU military intelligence service- was aiming microwave devices at U.S. officials with the intent of collecting information from computers and cellphone data. Still, there is no identified culprit that can be confirmed. 

Former President Trump's initial reaction was to blame Cuba for the initial wave although Havana denied it. Since his presidency, the government and National Intelligence Agency have been tasked with figuring out what was used to initiate this attack along with the contribution of the Senate Intelligence Committee; hopes that answers will be given are expected by the fall. Today even, President Biden signed a law that provides financial assistance for U.S. government personnel who have suffered serious complications from Havana syndrome.