Published 19:26 IST, December 6th 2020

Microwave radiation likely cause of illness in US diplomats in China and Cuba: Study

A report by National Academy of Science committee found that “directed” microwave energy is the likely cause of illness among US diplomats in China, Cuba

World News
3 min read

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A report released on December 5 by the National Academy of Science committee found that “directed” microwave radiation is the likely cause of illness among US diplomats in Cuba and China. According to the Associated Press, the research commissioned by the State Department is the latest attempt to find a cause for the mysterious illness that started to emerge in late 2016 among American personnel in Havana. The report, however, does not conclude that the directed energy was delivered intentionally, by a weapon, as some US officials have long believed.

The researchers found that “directed, pulsed radio frequency energy appears to be the most plausible explanation for symptoms that included intense head pressure, dizziness and cognitive difficulties”.

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According to the study, the researchers did not name a particular source of energy, however, they noted that previous study on this type of injury was done in the former Soviet Union. In the report, the 19-member committee said that it faced significant challenges in trying to get to the bottom of the medical mystery. Further, they noted that among the “ill” US diplomats, not everyone reported the same symptoms. It is also worth noting that the National Academy of Science did have access to all the previous studies on the illness, some of which are classified.

Committee chairman David Relman, who is a professor of medicine at Stanford University, said, “The committee found these cases quite concerning, in part because of the plausible role of directed, pulsed radio-frequency energy as a mechanism, but also because of the significant suffering and debility that has occurred in some of these individuals.''

He added, “We as a nation need to address these specific cases as well as the possibility of future cases with a concerted, coordinated, and comprehensive approach”.

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26 US diplomats affected

According to reports, the effects “microwave radiation” were experienced by about two dozen Americans affiliated with the US Embassy in Cuba as well as Canadian diplomats and personnel at the US consulate in Guangzhou, China, in 2017. Several Americans have also been critical of the US government’s response to their health complaints and at least one has also filed suit against the State Department. The US officials, on the other hand, previously had considered a tropical disease or psychological issue to be the explanation for the illness.

AP reported that between 2016 and 2018, several US and Canadian diplomats in Havana complained of health problems from an unknown cause. One US government count even put the number of American personnel affected at 26. Some diplomats reported hearing high-pitched sounds similar to crickets, leading to an early theory of a sonic attack.