US diplomats in Vienna complain of a condition known as “Havana syndrome”. About 20 people in total. The Austrian Foreign Ministry announced that the government would work with the United States to clarify the matter. For the first time, the “Havana Syndrome” appeared with US diplomats in Cuba five years ago. Since then, there have been more such events, also in other countries.
For the first time, US diplomats reported unusual illnesses possibly caused by “sound attacks” in Cuba in 2016. They’ve been dubbed “Havana syndrome.” Since then, such events have occurred in other countries. Most of the cases involved State Department or CIA employees who complained of dizziness and insomnia.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced in June that he would conduct a thorough investigation into the alleged attacks on US diplomats. Such attacks are carried out using directed electromagnetic waves, the effect of which leads to the development of various neurological diseases – migraines, hearing loss, dizziness, sleep disturbances.
“We take these reports very seriously.”
The New Yorker reported Friday that as of January, symptoms of “Havana syndrome” had been reported by about 20 US diplomats, intelligence officers and other officials stationed in Vienna. More cases of this condition have been reported only in Havana.
The Austrian diplomat said: – We take these reports very seriously, and in keeping with our role as the host country, we are working with the US authorities to jointly get to the heart of the matter.
Vienna has long been the center of diplomatic and espionage activities, Reuters writes. The city is the headquarters of many United Nations agencies and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which is the reason for the presence of many diplomats and secret intelligence agents. According to the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there are 158 American diplomats in Vienna.
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