Cuban Diplomats Expelled After U.S. Diplomats Attacked With ‘Advanced Sonic Weapon’ In Havana

U.S. officials told AP that in the fall of 2016, at least five State Department employees at the U.S. embassy in Havana, Cuba suffered a variety of ‘physical symptoms’ after they hit with what is thought to be an ‘acoustic attack’ by an advanced sonic weapon – leaving at least two people with health problems so serious they needed to be brought back into the United States for medical attention.

Several of the diplomats were new arrivals to the embassy following it’s 2015 reopening after former President Obama reestablished diplomatic relations in 2015.

Some of the diplomats’ symptoms were so severe that they were forced to cancel their tours early and return to the United States, officials said. After months of investigation, U.S. officials concluded that the diplomats had been exposed to an advanced device that operated outside the range of audible sound and had been deployed either inside or outside their residences. It was not immediately clear if the device was a weapon used in a deliberate attack, or had some other purpose.

The U.S. officials weren’t authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. –AP

U.S. response

Following the ‘sonic weapon’ incident, two Cuban diplomats were expelled from their embassy in Washington on May 23, according to State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert, who would not confirm how many U.S. diplomats were affected or what their symptoms were – only stating that they had “a variety of physical symptoms.”

The State Department issued the following statement:

“Some U.S. government personnel in Havana on official duty have reported incidents which have caused a variety of physical symptoms. We do not have definitive answers on the source or cause of the incidents.”

“The Department has reminded the Cuban government of its obligations under the Vienna Convention to protect our diplomats. The Department is taking these incidents very seriously and is working to determine the cause and impact of the incidents. The Cuban government has assured us that it is also investigating and taking appropriate measures.”

Cuban Response

The Cuban Foreign Ministry stated it had been notified of the incidents on Feb. 17, and had launched an “exhaustive, high-priority, urgent investigation at the behest of the highest level of Cuban government,” adding that the expulsion of the two Cuban diplomats from Washington was “unjustified and baseless.”

The ministry also said it had created an “expert committee” to investigate the incidents, as well as beefing up security around the U.S. embassy and U.S. diplomatic residences.

Russia?

Cuba employs a state security apparatus that keeps many people under surveillance and U.S. diplomats are among the most closely monitored people on the island. Like virtually all foreign diplomats in Cuba, the victims of the incidents lived in housing owned and maintained by the Cuban government.

However, officials familiar with the probe said investigators were looking into the possibilities that the incidents were carried out by a third country such as Russia, possibly operating without the knowledge of Cuba’s formal chain of command. -AP

The kneejerk ‘Muh Russia’ reaction is sadly comical at this point…

 

.@marcorubio on sick embassy workers: “Cuban gov’t has been harassing US personnel working in Havana for decades.” https://t.co/MdWyWAu69J

— CBS4 Miami (@CBSMiami) August 10, 2017

 

asdf

 

 

asdf

If you enjoy the content at iBankCoin, please follow us on Twitter