Spies, diplomats, and now researchers – the ‘strange ailment’ being probed by the US Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark
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A scientist aiming to disprove a curious disease affecting American intelligence officers and diplomats over the last ten years evaluated a secret microwave weapon on himself – and later underwent neurological injury and symptoms mirroring those of the sufferers.
The Norwegian state researcher was attempting to debunk ‘Havana syndrome’, an enigmatic condition that has allegedly affected hundreds of officials worldwide over the past decade, and one extensively thought to be associated with a clandestine device being utilized by America’s rivals.
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Designated as Anomalous Health Incidents (AHI) by the US administration, a 2020 National Academies of Sciences report concluded that ‘directed, pulsed radio frequency energy’ was the most plausible justification for the main symptoms.
The syndrome gets its title from its original documentation among US and Canadian diplomatic personnel in Havana, Cuba, in late 2016.
Those impacted have depicted hearing a prominent, penetrating sound or feeling acute pressure/vibration in the head stemming from a specific direction. This leads to severe headaches, queasiness, ear discomfort, and dizziness, along with long-term effects including exhaustion, sleeplessness, ‘brain fog’, memory impairment, and persistent balance issues, according to The Washington Post.
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Individuals acquainted with the experiment admitted it didn’t prove that AHIs originate from a foreign adversary deploying secret weapons similar to the prototype examined in Norway. One source mentioned that the impacts on the researcher, whose identity was not revealed, contrasted from those observed in a “classic” AHI case.
Nonetheless, the occurrences have reinforced the stance of those who contend that ‘pulsed-energy devices’, apparatus that emit potent beams of electromagnetic energy, such as microwaves, in brief bursts, can influence human biology and are likely under development by America’s enemies.
“I believe there’s significant evidence that we should be worried about the capability to create a directed-energy weapon that can induce a range of hazards to humans,” stated retired military surgeon and Air Force general Paul Friedrichs. He oversaw biological threats on the White House National Security Council under former President Joe Biden.
The Trump administration assumed office pledging to resolve the AHI issue; however, there has been limited progress. A review commissioned by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is projected to focus largely on the Biden administration’s handling of the matter, and its release has been postponed, the Washington Post reports.
In a recent development, the US government has allegedly acquired another foreign-made device that discharges pulsed radio waves, which certain specialists think could be related to AHI incidents.
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The equipment is presently being tested by the Department of Defence; however, it is distinct from the apparatus created by Norwegian researchers.
Key details of the Norwegian trial remain confidential due to its highly classified status.