For more than 18 months , US diplomats have come down with similar illnesses that include mild encephalon impairment and hearing loss after they exact to have heard unusual sounds . The incidents began in Cuba but reports have now spread to other countries . As authorities have ramp up efforts to do by any potential cases , almost 200 masses have reportedly come forward to be screen .
The State Department has had little to say about the incidents that began in Havana in the crepuscle of 2016 , and the result information emptiness that has left the door wide opened for conspiracy theories and other unverified claims . For now , no one can say for certain what is come about in these cases , but it seem US diplomats are being targeted in some sorting of attack that ’s left expert baffle . In the rootage , officials think that some unknown “ transonic machine ” was being used against the victims , butother theorieshave emerged in the meantime .
Some American diplomatist reported hear unknown sound , of which anaudio recordingwas afterward released to the public . symptom variegate between dupe but the inclination included “ get wind release , dizziness , tinnitus , balance problems , visual difficulties , headache , fatigue , cognitive issuing and sleeping difficulty . ” Since then , we ’ve seenreportsof diplomats fall ill in China .
On Tuesday , theAssociated Pressreported that 26 Americans have been “ medically confirm ” to have been injure in wafture of incident , and diplomats who have served in at least seven urban center in four countries have seek examination . Nearly 200 employee from the US diplomatical foreign mission and their kin member have elect to take part in a new viewing political platform that US official , speak anonymously , told the AP is part of “ an teemingness of caution . ” Of those Americans , fewer than a twelve were said to have been transported to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia for further reexamination by medical professionals .
The AP name a antecedently unreported incident that had officials worry about President Trump’srecent visitwith Kim Jong - Un :
As President Donald Trump was heading to Singapore for a historic elevation with North Korea ’s loss leader , a State Department diplomatical security agent who was part of the advance team describe hearing an strange sound he believe was similar to what was know by U.S. diplomats in Cuba and China who after became ominous .
The agent immediately underwent medical covering — part of a unexampled U.S. political science protocol established to reply to such possible health incident anywhere in the Earth . And while the president was flying to the Southeast Asian city state , the U.S. delegation fix for his arrival was change urgent messages with the State Department headquarters back in Washington , including the agency ’s Diplomatic Security and the U.S. Secret Service .
Four US officials told the AP that it change state out to be a false warning signal , but there is a heightened knowingness among security officials as the White Houseprepares to meetwith Russia ’s president Vladimir Putin next month .
suspicion of Russian liaison in the attacks were arouse last September when an unnamed USAID officeholder and his wife were flown out of Tashkent , Uzbekistan for valuation after theyreported eventsthat echo what happened in Havana . The State Department later said that it is n’t “ go to discuss every suit separately , ” but “ We can reassert that there was no incident in Uzbekistan . ”
At this detail the only medically confirmed compositor’s case have occurred with diplomatist post in Cuba and one stationed in China . The US hasissued an alertwarning Americans traveling to China to assay medical attention if they experience “ auditive or receptive phenomena ” similar to what was describe in Havana , and the State Departmentrecommendedanyone traveling to Cuba should “ reconsider ” their architectural plan .
Since reportersfirst blindsidedspokesperson Heather Nauert with questions about the incidents last August , the State Department has been reluctant to give on - the - record book details about its investigation . It still refers to these case as “ specific attacks ” without saying what is specifically happen . We ’ve seen legion theories for what could stimulate these kinds of symptoms floated over the last year , including weaponizedmicrowaves or wireless wavesandmalfunctioning surveillance gear wheel . The fact that they do n’t know how the flack go on tend to obscure the fact that we do n’t know why they ’re go on in the first seat .
What does seem to be absolved is that authorities are so concerned that they ’re step on it to address any potential incident that arises . And the longer the mystery goes on , diplomatist abroad are only more susceptible to private fears that they may be a victim .
[ Bloomberg / AP ]
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