The United States has raised the issue of so-called Havana Syndrome with Russia, but Washington has no indication of who is responsible for the anomalous health incidents among diplomats, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told MSNBC on Thursday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th January, 2022) The United States has raised the issue of so-called Havana Syndrome with Russia, but Washington has no indication of who is responsible for the anomalous health incidents among diplomats, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told MSNBC on Thursday.
"We've raised this with the Russians, but we still don't have a determination of who may - of who is responsible. So we've made clear that if they are responsible, or for that matter, anyone who is responsible will suffer severe consequences. But I don't - I want to be very clear we don't yet have a determination," he explained.
Earlier in the day, the State Department told Sputnik that it was "vigorously investigating" cases of Havana Syndrome. The statement came after The Wall Street Journal reported that diplomats working at the US diplomatic missions in Geneva and Paris may have been affected by Havana Syndrome.
The incidents reportedly happened in the summer of 2021. In Geneva, three American officials reported symptoms similar to Havana Syndrome. At least one diplomat was evacuated to the US for treatment. Senior embassy officials in Paris also informed diplomats by email of one more suspected case and called on the mission's staff to report unusual symptoms.
US diplomats were first diagnosed with Havana Syndrome in Cuba in 2016 and then in China in 2018. The diplomats said they experienced piercing sounds that have caused longer-term health effects. American diplomats in Russia, Tajikistan, Austria and in several African countries have also reported experiencing Havana Syndrome symptoms, including nausea and dizziness.
