One of the weirdest news stories in recent years has been the so-called ‘Havana Syndrome’ when US embassy personnel in various parts of world, starting in Havana, reported hearing buzzing, having headaches and nausea, and other medical complaints. Aided by US government sources and egged on by anti-Cuban forces, the media quickly assumed that this was caused by a new kind of weapon developed by Cuba or possibly Russia or China.
While this was always far-fetched, Branko Marcetic writes that a secret government study concluded back in 2018 supported one theory that it was psychosomatic and caused by crickets. The cricket theory was postulated by some scientists two years ago but dismissed as preposterous. The new government study was classified and only released this week.
In news that won’t be news for many observers of US-Cuba relations, Buzzfeed reported Thursday that a thorough scientific investigation completed in 2018 by an elite government science advisory body determined that the so-called Havana Syndrome that US spies and diplomats have suffered in recent years was most likely caused by crickets.
The report, commissioned by the State Department and kept classified until last week, backs up what various observers have been saying from almost the very beginning: that the neurological injuries reported around the world by US personnel, including dizziness, headaches, and hearing loss, were most likely psychosomatic. In other words, they were probably caused by stress or emotional strain, and spread to others through the power of suggestion.
What’s critical to understand here is that since mid-2017, anti-Cuban hawks, using the establishment press as their megaphone, have baselessly and incessantly claimed that the illness was actually the result of “attacks” carried out by Washington’s geopolitical adversaries, and using a mysterious, never invented microwave weapon. This campaign began on August 9, 2017, when the Associated Press, in a report republished everywhere, from CNBC and CBS to Politico, regurgitated the supposed conclusions of nameless “US officials” that “the diplomats had been exposed to an advanced device that operated outside the range of audible sound and had been deployed either inside or outside their residences,” for which Washington expelled two Cuban diplomats as retaliation.
Within days, nameless US officials were popping up in a variety of trusted liberal-leaning mainstream outlets like CNN and the Guardian to make the same assertions or, as in the Washington Post, to tell the public they were investigating it as an attack.
…Despite constant statements from scientists and other experts that the symptoms seemed like classic cases of psychosomatic illness, that the sounds recorded sounded suspiciously like crickets, and that there was no evidence such a microwave weapon had ever actually been invented, mainstream outlets continued broadcasting these unsubstantiated charges from anonymous US officials for the next four years.
He goes on to point to a consistent stream of comments from anti-Cuban hawks and anonymous sources, all pushing the same line that US embassy and CIA personnel were being targeted by enemy nations. Mainstream media, even supposedly liberal ones, dutifully and uncritically repeated these claims. He says that this follows a similar pattern of misinformation by those who want to keep the US in a state of perpetual war or at least war-readiness. There were similar unsubstantiated stories by war hawks who were trying to nullify some of the good moves that Trump made, such as improving relations with Russia and North Korea. This resulted in a spate of stories about Trump and his allies being compromised by Russia, that Russia had attacked the Vermont power grid, and stoking conflict with Iran.
This is one of those stories where all the explanations, that this was a never-before-seen microwave weapon, that it was caused by crickets, or that it is psychosomatic, have problems.
Trust me, this story is not over.
I think the cricket explanation is plausible, but there is precedent for Russian types to irradiate our embassies with microwaves (I don’t want to relearn how to post links here), just look in Wikipedia for “The Thing (listening device)”.
What amazes me though, given that history, is that it seems that we do not have technology monitoring our embassies for high levels of RF being beamed into them. If we did have such a program, we could have ruled that theory out immediately. I guess our intelligence agencies are so busy bugging the whole internet that such a low-tech bugging approach can’t even enter their mindspace these days.
Does this mean we can finally retire the use of “crickets” to mean “nothing going on”?
Does this also mean US embassy personnel are exclusively drawn from urban populations who’ve never spent a warm night out in the countryside?
Or potentially it’s tinnitus. Those working in the foreign service are usually well into their 30s and 40s, the prime age for tinnitus to start. And it has numerous causes, natural and man made. Those who don’t expect to have it might assume it hasn’t happened to them, that it’s not their own bodies failing them.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tinnitus/symptoms-causes/syc-20350156
I’ll happily go for a combination of crickets and mass hysteria (which I guess could be roughly classified as psychosomatic.
The strange ultra sound or whatever seemed to defy the laws of physics and simple logic. From a logical point of view, sure the Cuban Gov’t which has been assiduously seeking improved relations with the USA is going to launch some “Tom Swift” attack on a newly re-opened US embassy. Why, oh well, they are evil communists.
The Russians? Of course Cuba is going to be happy watching a bunch of Russian tourists loading up a tonne or so of esoteric equipment in a van and parking outside the US embassy in the middle of the night. Why Cuba? Weather is better than Vienna this time of the year?
The level of idiocy in most of these accusations was embarrassing. It was worthy of Rachael Maddow.
As Mano said, all the most probable, as well as the most unlikely, explanations for this have problems, at the moment.
It would help if all the afflicted were tested for tinnitus (@3) or if there was some kind of monitoring of embassies and the like for high-intensity radio or microwave frequencies, not from weapons, but just whatever fields are there (@1), or if any kind of testing or scrutiny could be done of the afflicted for mass hysteria/psychosomatic illness (@4). Right now, I don’t know of them doing any of those.
The answer to mysterious “weapons” being trained on us (which, as Mano says, they don’t actually want, since it’s a good reason to warmonger) is data. More data, on all the possibilities. With data, one (or so) explanation(s) can move to the forefront of the most likely, others can sink to not at all likely. And then the most likely can be addressed, steps can be taken, which would please everyone except the warmongers.
It begs the question of why anyone would go to all that trouble and expense to develop and deploy a high tech super secret weapon…that only causes irritation and mild illness? Let alone what they hope to accomplish by using it?
Oh, noes! Those dastardly communists are using crickets now to attack our people? This is the dirtiest trick they’ve pulled since yellow rain!
moarscienceplz @1 and garnetstar @5 both make similar points…
I rather suspect that there probably is, but they prefer not to advertise the details. I also rather suspect that, amongst the people cleared to know about such things, it’s perfectly well known that the whole idea is a crock of bullshit, because they concocted it in the first place.
The thing you have to remember is that these people are professional liars. It’s not a mystery they’re trying to solve, it’s propaganda they’re trying to sell. There’s no point expecting them to be honest about it. You might as well wonder why they didn’t let the UN inspectors do their jobs in Iraq to find out if there really was WMD…
Dunc, mmm.
From the BBC: ‘Havana syndrome ’ and the mystery of the microwaves. Long article.
Might be crickets — all over the world. Sure.
I am writing on behalf of a group of victims (Citizens) suffering from Havana Syndrome and what the UN has defined as Cybertorture from Directed Energy Weapons. We hope to spread awareness, and to help pass laws against Cybertorture in order to prevent further abuse.
Recently in the news, Government officials on every continent including the Diplomats in Cuba, White House staff, a CIA officer in Australia, government employees in Vienna and the US military in Syria, over 200, have all complained of the effects of Directed Energy Weapons. Kamala Harris just delayed her trip in Vietnam due to Havana Syndrome. Cybertorture is a growing problem and is receiving attention. The crimes being committed violate every basic human right.
We need to have some government focus to make progress. Currently, there are no specific laws protecting humans from Cybertorture. When victims approach the authorities, they are told that they can’t help because there are no laws against Directed Energy weapons and Cybertorture. Victims are turned away when they complain, outcast by society and dismissed incorrectly as mentally ill. The victims are isolated and all alone as their lives and relationships are destroyed.
The victims need protection and for that we need specific laws against Cybertorture. It won’t cost anything to pass laws against Cybertorture, but it could prove to be invaluable because there is no one to reach out to for help when assaulted. Our human dignity must be protected and respected. There are thousands of testimonials from victims that are targeted which corroborate the horrendous experiences online.
Please request an investigation for the Diplomats, CIA, US military in Syria, and CITIZENS experiencing symptoms of Havana Syndrome. Authorities have not been listening to the complaints from citizens. Demand answers from our lawmakers because they are ignoring our requests to pass legislation against this type of abuse. Please keep reporting on the issue of Cybertorture and Directed Energy Weapons until the government addresses the thousands of victims in the United States alone.
In the short term, Cybertorture victims need urgent medical and financial assistance. However, the victims experiencing Havana Syndrome need permanent laws against Directed Energy Weapons, Neuroweapons and Microwave assaults as a long term solution. Finally, the victims need acknowledgment that they are being affected by Havana Syndrome to overcome the isolation involved.
Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you and discussing this in more detail. The victims need medical and financial assistance until the source of the attacks can be determined. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need any additional information. Please find my contact information, blog and YouTube Channel below.
Kind regards,
Scott William Cranmer
1433 So Saltair Ave, 6
Los Angeles, CA 90025
310 339 0162
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcDslisL3C9pbGmkKIl0tcA
Blog: Cybertorture.blogspot.com
@ Scott Cranmer
Recently in the news, Government officials on every continent including the Diplomats in Cuba, White House staff, a CIA officer in Australia, government employees in Vienna and the US military in Syria,…
There must be some serious lapses in US security to allow this. /sarc
It’s even more astonishing that they let “Cybertorture from Directed Energy Weapons” slip through the cracks. What useless layabouts. Let’s make sure to give them even more powers to Do Something™ before it’s too late.
I mean, if the enemy can shoot directed energy weapons through the internets in order to commit “intimidation, harassment, surveillance, public shaming and defamation” (cybertorture) on unsuspecting spooks and diplomats and even their dogs, then nobody is safe.
Are they sound waves? Microwaves? Heat waves? Wavy-waves? There’s no time for such questions. Congress just needs to write some fucking laws.