updated
Tinnitus, headaches, dizziness: For years, the US security apparatus has been puzzling over what is behind mysterious illnesses in US embassies. So far, the outposts in countries hostile to the USA have been particularly affected – the consulate in Geneva is now also included.
According to insider reports, cases of the so-called “Havana syndrome” occurred at the US mission in Geneva last year.
REUTERS
The embassy in Paris is also affected.
REUTERS
The mysterious attacks on US embassies and consulates continue.
Now it turns out that the consulate in Geneva is also affected.
The authorities still have no idea what is behind the complaints.
For years, the US security apparatus has been puzzling over cases of the so-called “Havana Syndrome”. In the meantime, hundreds of cases have been noted in which employees of embassies and consulates around the world were suddenly affected by so-called neural disorders. These include headaches, dizziness, tinnitus or a sudden onset of fear of heights. There are also reports of head injuries. The cases were first detected in the US Embassy in Cuba, hence the name. Government insiders have now told the Wall Street Journal that the US representation in Geneva is also affected. There were also cases in the embassy in Paris.
The US remains in the dark about the origins of the syndrome
The cases occurred last summer. In Geneva, three people are affected. In one case, the symptoms were so bad that the person was flown to the United States for treatment.
In 2016, employees at the US Embassy in Cuba first reported the complaints. Those affected suspected that Cuban security forces or even the secret services of Russia or China were using the system. In March 2018, it was revealed that an employee at the US consulate in Guangzhou, China, reported similar complaints.
In the meantime, cases have been added in Austria, Serbia and Great Britain. A total of 200 people are said to be affected. So far, all investigations have not led to any result. Government officials officially speak of “abnormal health incidents”. In 2019, two researchers claimed there were no unnatural events behind the symptoms. The matter has now expanded into a political affair in the USA. Those affected and their relatives have long accused the US government of lax handling of the alleged attacks. Last year, the head of the CIA station in Vienna, where incidents had also occurred, was fired for his inaction on the case. President Joe Biden signed legislation in early October designed to help those affected. A task force is also at work.
Havana syndrome is a collective term for complaints such as headaches, dizziness, tinnitus, nausea, blurred vision or sudden fear of heights, the cause of which is unclear. The syndrome first emerged in the fall of 2016 among diplomats and staff at the US Embassy in Havana. It later also performed in China, Russia, Austria and at the White House in Washington, DC.
In 2019, researchers wrote that the ailments may be due to pesticides. Secret services suspect that there could be attacks with powerful microwaves. However, the exact cause is still unclear.
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