A new study presented by a board of the National Academy of Sciences concludes that “directed” microwave radiation may be the cause of illness among U.S. diplomats in Cuba and China.
The report, which was commissioned by the U.S. State Department, was published Saturday (December 5). It is the latest study by the U.S. to shed light on the mysterious illnesses that began in late 2016 among staff at the U.S. Embassy in Havana.
Directional pulsed radio frequency energy appears to be the most plausible explanation for certain symptoms,” the National Academy of Sciences investigation reports. Those symptoms include high intracranial pressure, dizziness, and cognitive impairment. The report concludes that this explanation is more likely than the previously proposed causes.
The previously proposed causes of those people’s illnesses included tropical diseases or psychological problems. The study did not identify the source of the energy source, nor did it say whether it was the result of an attack, but it noted that previous studies of such injuries had been done in the former Soviet Union.
The 19-member research committee that produced the study says there are a number of significant obstacles to fully understanding this medical mystery, including the fact that not all people report the same symptoms and that the National Academy of Sciences does not have access to all previous studies of similar illnesses, some of which are classified.
David Relman, chair of the committee and a professor of medicine at Stanford University, said, “This committee finds these cases quite troubling, in part because of the possible role of the directed pulse radio frequency energy mechanism, but also because some of these sick individuals are significantly suffering and disabled,” the report said. Our nation should address these cases in a coordinated and comprehensive manner to deal with potential future cases.”
The U.S. State Department issued a statement on Saturday saying, “We are pleased that this report is now available and can be combined with relevant data and analysis to help us reach a definitive conclusion about what happened.”
About two dozen diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba, as well as Canadian diplomats and personnel at the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou, China, experienced health conditions during the first half of 2017.
Some Americans have criticized the U.S. government for its poor response to their health concerns, and at least one has sued the U.S. State Department.
Between late 2016 and May 2018, several U.S. and Canadian diplomats in Havana complained of unexplained health problems. A U.S. government statistic says 26 Americans have experienced such health problems.
Some people reported hearing sharp noises in their homes or in hotels. These reports led early researchers to make some claims.
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