US Trying To Determine If 'Havana Syndrome' Cases Constitute Foreign Attacks - White House

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th July, 2021) The US National Security Council (NSC) is conducting a review of the intelligence community's information about the mysterious "Havana Syndrome" cases among government officials and whether they are attacks by a foreign power, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said during a news conference on Monday.

"The [NSC] is coordinating a full review of intelligence reporting to ascertain whether there may be previously unreported incidents that fit a broader pattern. At this time we still don't know the cause of these incidents or whether they constitute an attack of some kind by a foreign actor. These are areas of active inquiry, something that our intelligence community is working on and very focused on," Psaki said.

Earlier on Monday, the US and Austria announced the launch of a joint investigation into Havana Syndrome cases among personnel in Vienna. Over twenty US embassy staffers reported symptoms consistent with Havana Syndrome, which include hearing strange noises that are sometimes felt as vibrations or pressure.

US diplomats in Cuba and China have also reported cases of the mysterious syndrome since 2016. A government study into the phenomenon concluded that it may be some sort of directed energy weapon.

Last month, the US Senate passed legislation that gave greater powers to the heads of several agencies including the CIA and State Department to provide financial and medical support to personnel impacted by Havana Syndrome.