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CIA director "fuming" after Havana syndrome strikes team member in India
A US intelligence officer traveling in India earlier this month with CIA director William Burns reported experiencing a mysterious health incident and symptoms consistent with so-called Havana syndrome, according to a report by CNN. The officer received immediate medical care upon returning to the US.
The case raises fears that such incidents are not only increasing, but potentially escalating, unnamed officials told CNN and The New York Times. The new incident within Burns' own team reportedly left the CIA chief "fuming" with anger.
The director's schedule is tightly guarded, and officials do not know if the affected intelligence officer was targeted because the officer was traveling with the director. If the health incident was an attack carried out by an adversarial intelligence agency—as feared—it's unclear how the adversarial agency learned of the trip and was able to prepare an attack. It's also possible, however, that the officer was targeted for other reasons and without knowledge that the officer was traveling with the director.
[...] The incident is the second high-profile case in less than a month. On August 24, another so-called "anomalous health incident" affecting US embassy staff in Hanoi, Vietnam, came to light. It is still unclear how many staff members were affected in that incident, but NBC News reported that two US personnel were medevaced out of the country.
Previously:
US Embassy Employees in Cuba Possibly Subjected to 'Acoustic Attack'
U.S. State Department Pulls Employees From Cuba, Issues Travel Warning Due to "Sonic Attacks"
Latest Explanation for Cuban Embassy Symptoms: Microwave Weapons
"Sonic Attack" Recording Made by Diplomats is Actually a Recording of Crickets
Mysterious health "attack" cases rise to 130, US officials confirm
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 23 2021, @05:49AM (2 children)
Why would any intelligence agency deliberately and very publicly announce any such incidence? Such a stupid move no matter which way one looks at it. Firstly, it reveals to any perpetrator that the targeted "intelligence" agency is (pretending to be) totally clueless. Secondly, there is absolutely nothing to be gained by revealing anything to the new media, unless it is intentional misinformation. How is the news media or the public supposed to help remedy the situation? What is the point of announcing this?
But the announcement does appear to be supportive of the theory that the total planet has gone completely bananas.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 23 2021, @06:59AM (1 child)
It's all about politics. The CIA wants to appear as a victim filled with righteous fury, which will no doubt excuse their "retaliation".
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 24 2021, @03:23AM
No doubt they employed pre-emptive retaliation, and now the terrorists need to be killed with an expensive toy.