(Washington) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday pledged to “shed light” on “Havana syndrome”, a mysterious disease that strikes American diplomats around the world, sometimes compared to ” acoustic attacks ”attributed by some to Russia.
He announced the appointment of two seasoned diplomats: Jonathan Moore, responsible for coordinating the State Department’s response, and Margaret Uyehara, who will be responsible for ensuring that anyone reporting symptoms receives appropriate medical attention.
These “abnormal health incidents,” as they are called in administrative jargon, first appeared in Cuba in 2016, where American diplomats, after hearing very high-pitched sounds, began to complain of loud noises. migraines, dizziness or nausea. Brain damage has even been diagnosed.
Since then, cases have been successively reported in China, Germany, Australia, Russia, Austria and even in Washington.
The State Department refuses to provide an estimate of the number of people affected. “The number of 200 cases has been mentioned,” confirmed or suspected, a source familiar with the matter told AFP recently.
Some of them have publicly complained in the past that they are not taken seriously enough.
Antony Blinken on the contrary called on Friday each diplomat concerned to come forward without fear of being “stigmatized” or of suffering “negative repercussions”.
PHOTO ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS, ASSOCIATED PRESS
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
“All of us in the US government and particularly in the State Department are absolutely determined to shed light on the cause and perpetrators of these incidents, to take care of those affected, and to protect our colleagues,” he said. he said.
We rely on all the capabilities of our intelligence services. We recruit the best scientific minds, within the administration but also outside.
Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State
He said the alleged victims had been in care since last month at Johns Hopkins University Hospital, a well-known facility in Baltimore, near Washington.
Diplomats now undergo in-depth neurological, auditory and ophthalmological examinations before leaving for post abroad, “in order to have a basis of comparison if they subsequently report an abnormal health incident,” the secretary added. of state.
From the start, U.S. officials have wavered, with some officials downplaying symptoms sometimes attributed to stress, others privately mentioning possible radio wave attacks and suspecting countries like Russia.
But this thesis is also questioned by some scientists, who consider improbable a common cause for all the reported cases.