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'Havana Syndrome': Diplomatic Staff Malaise In Cuba & China—A Sonic Or Microwave Weapon?

That time when it really was a microwave weapon.

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/03/10/russians-americans-microwaves-00086482

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There was one thing, though, that hung in the back of Schumaker’s mind. A year before his arrival, State Department officials had told embassy staffers and their families that the Soviet Union had been blasting some kind of microwave beam at the embassy for up to 14 hours per day. But American higher-ups said there was little reason for concern. Issuing a “Fact Sheet,” the State Department said that this microwave beam — later dubbed the “Moscow Signal” — was “no cause for concern,” as “no causal relationship had been established between these microwave transmissions and any health problems.”
....
It was only years later, when Schumaker received a surprise leukemia diagnosis — and after multiple American ambassadors had already died from cancer, with the another diagnosed with a “severe blood disorder” — that Schumaker realized that microwave radiation, and the U.S.’s lackadaisical response, was far more disastrous, and even fatal, than he ever thought. And in recent months, that realization only deepened, for a pair of reasons.
This reminds me of an episode in the early 1980s involving a Russian-owned mansion in Glen Cove on Long Island. There were reports that the building was being used as a surveillance hub to spy on American operations, but because it was a residence of the Soviet delegation to the U.N., it enjoyed diplomatic immunity and was therefore not subject to direct investigation. The mayor and most of the city council, already upset over "lost" property taxes, retaliated - and caused a minor international incident - by denying the residents passes to the city's beach, tennis, and golf facilities.

I knew a fellow who lived near the place. He told me he was trying to keep the controversy going by publicizing the fact that the nearby high school was likely being bombarded by microwaves when the spy info was being beamed to Moscow. ("Won't somebody think of the children?") As far as I know, he was unsuccessful.
 
Some comments from Marginal Revolution:

Phil S.
2024-04-01 13:03:55
As it was initially reported, over the years, seemed at least semi-plausible. Somehow in the last years, a certain segment of the (general US) commentariat decreed that it had been decisively debunked. I didn't quite understand (or fully endorse) the debunking, and I haven't yet read the long linked article or seen the 60 minutes segment reinforcing (rebunking?) H.S.

But, mainly on the quality of folks endorsing both sides, I was probably 60/40 for H.S. until a year ago, ~40/60 for (i.e. flipped) after some evidence/arguments/reports against, and am tentatively back to 60/40 for, pending digesting the newest info.

Of note, even if some who reported H.S. symptoms don't really have them, have social contagion, etc., that's not a universal debunking. i.e. You can interview/closely analyze 100 purported cases, and quickly discover that 30 of them are implausible. That doesn't mean H.S. is bogus. And of course, it also doesn't mean all 70 of the remaining cases are legit, but *some* may be.

Harun
2024-04-01 13:40:06
Can someone explain why Russia only used this weapon against Americans? Why not use it in Ukraine prior to the invasion, for example?
 
Igor Sushko @igorsushko
URGENT: Scientist whose previous work included directed energy beam research for the US intelligence community said Biden's symptoms during the CNN debate made him think of the Havana Syndrome.
This is according to former KGB spy Yuri Shvets who defected to the US in 1993.

1719903903128.png


Yuri Shvets said his source told him an energy beam could be precisely directed toward a person's brain from a significant distance, and calibrated to cause the kind of milder symptoms, relatively speaking, exhibited by Biden during the debate.

It would make sense that lower intensity energy beams of various wavelengths could result in milder symptoms. Victims have certainly reported varying symptoms, some permanent, others not.

"In Putin's mind, this has been Russia's biggest victory against the West." (Havana Syndrome)Mark Lenzi was an electronic threats analyst for US diplomatic missions abroad. Russia neutralized him with the directed RF energy weapon by causing permanent injury. Tip of the iceberg.

Shvets, a former KGB spy who was based in Washington DC during the 80's, does not believe in coincidences, and the fact that Russia's IL-76 government plane landed in the US on June 27 before the debate and then left after the fact on June 29 could further suggest foul play.
 
Igor Sushko @igorsushko
URGENT: Scientist whose previous work included directed energy beam research for the US intelligence community said Biden's symptoms during the CNN debate made him think of the Havana Syndrome.
This is according to former KGB spy Yuri Shvets who defected to the US in 1993.

View attachment 79090

Yuri Shvets said his source told him an energy beam could be precisely directed toward a person's brain from a significant distance, and calibrated to cause the kind of milder symptoms, relatively speaking, exhibited by Biden during the debate.

It would make sense that lower intensity energy beams of various wavelengths could result in milder symptoms. Victims have certainly reported varying symptoms, some permanent, others not.

"In Putin's mind, this has been Russia's biggest victory against the West." (Havana Syndrome)Mark Lenzi was an electronic threats analyst for US diplomatic missions abroad. Russia neutralized him with the directed RF energy weapon by causing permanent injury. Tip of the iceberg.

Shvets, a former KGB spy who was based in Washington DC during the 80's, does not believe in coincidences, and the fact that Russia's IL-76 government plane landed in the US on June 27 before the debate and then left after the fact on June 29 could further suggest foul play.
Interesting theory. Though if an energy beam was in theory aimed against Biden's speech, then surely that kind of beam attack could have been detected some how?
 
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I doubt it's that precise. I get the impression that if US buildings are being attacked then more than one person is being affected. I am not sure that you could aim it at one person like that? He's just an older man who wasn't very well on the day, I would say. It's an interesting theory though.
 
Igor Sushko @igorsushko
URGENT: Scientist whose previous work included directed energy beam research for the US intelligence community said Biden's symptoms during the CNN debate made him think of the Havana Syndrome.
This is according to former KGB spy Yuri Shvets who defected to the US in 1993.

View attachment 79090

Yuri Shvets said his source told him an energy beam could be precisely directed toward a person's brain from a significant distance, and calibrated to cause the kind of milder symptoms, relatively speaking, exhibited by Biden during the debate.

It would make sense that lower intensity energy beams of various wavelengths could result in milder symptoms. Victims have certainly reported varying symptoms, some permanent, others not.

"In Putin's mind, this has been Russia's biggest victory against the West." (Havana Syndrome)Mark Lenzi was an electronic threats analyst for US diplomatic missions abroad. Russia neutralized him with the directed RF energy weapon by causing permanent injury. Tip of the iceberg.

Shvets, a former KGB spy who was based in Washington DC during the 80's, does not believe in coincidences, and the fact that Russia's IL-76 government plane landed in the US on June 27 before the debate and then left after the fact on June 29 could further suggest foul play.

Biden’s decline has been noted and remarked on for a considerable length of time.

maximus otter
 
Biden’s decline has been noted and remarked on for a considerable length of time.

maximus otter
Yes, I doubt that it has anything to do with directed energy beams.
 
Havana Syndrome study shut down after mishandling data

A long-term study of Havana Syndrome patients was shut down after a National Institute of Health (NIH) internal review board found the mishandling of medical data and participants who reported being pressured to join the research. The study had until now not found evidence linking the participants to the same symptoms and brain injuries. The internal investigation that halted the study was prompted by complaints from the participants about unethical practices.

This comes after the intelligence community released an interim report last year concluding a foreign adversary is "very unlikely" to be behind the symptoms hundreds of U.S. intelligence officers are experiencing, despite qualifying for U.S. government funded treatment of their brain injuries.

https://apple.news/ABy5cLM88RJKSMnSk93bmrw

maximus otter
 
Havana Syndrome study shut down after mishandling data

A long-term study of Havana Syndrome patients was shut down after a National Institute of Health (NIH) internal review board found the mishandling of medical data and participants who reported being pressured to join the research. The study had until now not found evidence linking the participants to the same symptoms and brain injuries. The internal investigation that halted the study was prompted by complaints from the participants about unethical practices.

This comes after the intelligence community released an interim report last year concluding a foreign adversary is "very unlikely" to be behind the symptoms hundreds of U.S. intelligence officers are experiencing, despite qualifying for U.S. government funded treatment of their brain injuries.

https://apple.news/ABy5cLM88RJKSMnSk93bmrw

maximus otter
Please don't link to news aggregators. Some people can't open them.

Here is the original link: https://www.foxnews.com/world/havana-syndrome-study-shut-down-after-mishandling-data
 
Still some discord though.

Most of the US intelligence community believe it is "very unlikely" an international power is linked to mysterious symptoms experienced by US diplomats and their families.

However, in a new report published on Friday, two of the seven US intelligence agencies and departments say foreign actors could have developed radiofrequency technology associated with "Havana Syndrome" symptoms experienced by US diplomats and their families.

US officials said the two intelligence bodies "changed their judgement" based on new reporting on the progress of international energy research programmes.

The mysterious illness has affected US personnel stationed around the globe in recent years.

One intelligence body (it is not specified which one) said new information makes it "likely" that a foreign actor could use radio frequency to cause "biological effects" consistent with some of the Havana Syndrome symptoms.

In their latest assessment the US intelligence community continue to look into those symptoms, known as "anomalous health incidents" (AHIs). Those affected have reported unexplained symptoms such as dizziness. The US intelligence community emphasised that it is not calling into question "the experiences or suffering" of US diplomats and their families.

However, the intelligence community said it continues to hold the view that, according to medical research, the symptoms - or AHIs - reported by those affected "do not have a consistent set of physical injuries".

And five of the seven intelligence agencies and departments deemed it was "very unlikely" that a foreign actor used "a novel weapon or prototype device to harm even a subset" of US personnel and their families.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y6dqz017qo
 
The most damning fact to me is the correlation in timing with the Presidential change in power (late 2016). I can't say much about politics but it was a tsunami of concern in the US, particularly regarding international policy. I'm leaning to psychogenic illness and mass contagion. Half the US population was anxious. Those serving in already stressful conditions in foreign areas would really be pressed. Also, there was never any weapon capable of causing the ambiguous illness described.
 
The most damning fact to me is the correlation in timing with the Presidential change in power (late 2016). I can't say much about politics but it was a tsunami of concern in the US, particularly regarding international policy. I'm leaning to psychogenic illness and mass contagion. Half the US population was anxious. Those serving in already stressful conditions in foreign areas would really be pressed. Also, there was never any weapon capable of causing the ambiguous illness described.
In my workplace, one person only has to mention feeling a bit queasy and suddenly the entire workforce is having to go home ill. Humans are incredibly easy to influence. In my opinion, obviously.
 
In my workplace, one person only has to mention feeling a bit queasy and suddenly the entire workforce is having to go home ill. Humans are incredibly easy to influence. In my opinion, obviously.
If one of my family members is sick I am also prone to sympathetic illness. It just happens, even though I know that's what I'm doing.
 
If one of my family members is sick I am also prone to sympathetic illness. It just happens, even though I know that's what I'm doing.
Yes, it happens to me too, but only with vomitting type illnesses. I rarely get sympathetic cold symptoms, just upset stomachs.
 
With me I get faint echos of any kind of health problem my mum gets. This is even when I have no knowledge of it until she tells me later. It's weird.
 
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