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A new CIA document reportedly states that bizarre illnesses being attributed to “Havana Syndrome” are not the results of an attack by a foreign power, but those findings are being challenged by a whistleblower who claims the agency is hiding something.
An NBC News report late Wednesday night citing “six people briefed on the matter” said that, according to an interim report by the CIA, hundreds of supposed Havana Syndrome cases could plausibly be attributed to other things, even though roughly two dozen remain unexplained.
CIA DIRECTOR’S TEAM EXPERIENCED HAVANA SYNDROME SYMPTOMS ON RECENT TRIP TO INDIA
“CIA interim report is disinformation,” countered national security attorney Mark Zaid. “Other agencies furious no coordination occurred & they disagree.”
Zaid’s comment is in line with what one source told NBC about how the CIA acted alone in putting together the interim report and did not consult with the Department of Defense or other government agencies.
Zaid said he and his law firm have already filed a whistleblower complaint challenging the CIA report.
“This interim report is largely bc CIA is having revolt within its workforce as officers don’t want to go overseas,” Zaid added.
Fox News reached out to Zaid for additional comment, but he did not immediately respond.
Havana Syndrome refers to brain injuries of unknown origin, marked by symptoms including headaches, memory and cognition problems, hearing and vision loss, and dizziness. It was first reported in 2016 by 26 diplomats and their families working in Cuba. Since then, more than 200 cases have been reported, including a member of CIA Director Bill Burns’ team who claimed to suffer symptoms on a trip to India.
The New York Times reported that despite the interim report’s findings, the CIA is still investigating two dozen unexplained cases, and Burns said, “We are not done.”
Former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos, who suffered Havana Syndrome symptoms, noted that an investigation could take time.
“It took us 10 years to find Osama bin Laden,” Polymeropoulos told the Times. “I would just urge patience and continued investigation by the intelligence community and the Department of Defense.”
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In November, the FBI deemed Havana Syndrome to be a “top priority.”
The CIA launched a task force in December to investigate the cause of Havana Syndrome after scientists for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine identified “directed, pulsed radio frequency (RF) energy” as the most likely cause of the mysterious condition.
In response to the Times report, Zaid tweeted a National Security Agency document from 2014 that discussed evidence linking a “hostile country” to “a high-powered microwave system weapon that may have the ability to weaken, intimidate or kill an enemy over time and without leaving evidence.”
“Guess CIA failed to check with NSA,” Zaid said.
Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin and Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
