Top Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee will continue their investigation into Havana syndrome until they are “satisfied” following a report that Russia is behind mysterious psychological attacks on US troops.
A CBS ’60 Minutes’ segment that aired Sunday compiled five years of evidence from The Insider and Der Spiegel that reveals that a Russian intelligence unit may be behind the puzzling neurological symptoms of Havana syndrome.
Several defense officials and members of the US military detailed the immense pain and disorientation they suffered after being attacked by the ‘energy weapon’.
“I felt like I was trapped in this disoriented state, unable to function,” FBI agent “Carrie” said of her Havana syndrome symptoms.
His shocking claims come a year after five government intelligence agencies found that it is “very unlikely” that a foreign adversary of the United States was behind the neurological attacks.
Now, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner of Dayton, Ohio, exclusively told DailyMail.com that his committee’s investigation into Havana syndrome and other anomalous health incidents ( IAH) is “ongoing” in light of the 60 Minutes report.
The State Department described what it saw as “medically confirmed symptoms,” including headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, memory loss, confusion and disorientation.
“I felt like I was trapped in this disoriented state, unable to function,” FBI agent “Carrie” said of her Havana syndrome symptoms.
“Congressman Rick Crawford is leading the investigation into attacks on men and women who serve our nation and the medical care they receive if they are harmed,” Turner said.
Crawford, R-Ark., chairman of the Central Intelligence Agency Subcommittee, told DailyMail.com that the “care and protection” of American diplomats and troops is of “utmost importance.”
“The House Intelligence Committee’s investigative efforts on this matter continue and will continue until we are satisfied with the Intelligence Community’s response to this challenge,” he added.
Retired Army Lt. Col. Greg Edgreen, who led the Pentagon investigation into the Havana Syndrome incidents, told 60 Minutes that he is “confident” Russia is behind the attacks.
He also alleged that the attacks are part of a global mission by Russia targeting US officials to “neutralize” them.
He also said that acknowledging the potential use of sonic weapons would raise security issues that the Biden administration does not want to deal with.
And attorney Mark Zaid, who represents more than 24 clients suffering from Havana syndrome, said there is “evidence of a cover-up” by the U.S. government.
Another affected government employee was Marc Polymeropoulos. He was named deputy chief of CIA operations in Europe and Eurasia, focusing on Russia, in 2017.
He was in Moscow when he suddenly felt a throbbing pain in his head, which he initially attributed to food poisoning. But when, a few days later, the next painful “attack” came, he realized it had to be something else, Der Spiegel reports.
Six years later, the pain still hasn’t subsided. Polymeropoulos said he is “like a vise in my skull” and that sometimes his vision was so bad that he couldn’t even drive a car anymore. He had to end his CIA career in 2019, but not before being treated as a pariah within the agency.
The year-long collaboration also reported that high-ranking members of Russian intelligence Unit 29155 received awards and promotions for work related to the development of “non-lethal acoustic weapons.”
Russia has previously denied any involvement and today dismissed the allegations as “baseless.”
These stunning claims come a year after five government intelligence agencies found that it is “very unlikely” that a foreign adversary of the United States was behind the neurological attacks.
The White House is fighting discrepancies between the CBS investigation’s findings and the intelligence community’s March 2023 report.
“That particular article about Russia… I know they hadn’t come to that conclusion,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during Monday’s briefing.
He went on to say that the administration is taking the attacks on American troops and officials “very seriously.”
“The President takes American personnel; the most important thing is to make sure they are protected,” he added.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Monday that the Intelligence Community report from March 2023 remains reliable.
“The intelligence community has reached a general conclusion since March 2023 that a foreign adversary is unlikely to be responsible for these anomalous health incidents,” he told reporters.
Representative Brad Wenstrup, who also sits on the House Intelligence Committee, told DailyMail.com that he “has long been concerned about the possibility of foreign adversaries deploying advanced technological capabilities against American personnel and the effects that these could have on your health. even before the CBS ’60 Minutes’ report.
‘As a result, I introduced bipartisan legislation (the IIR AHI Act, HR 7305) to require DOD to report all data on the investigation into the source of these attacks and the treatment of this disease, to our appropriate committees in Congress. ‘
In December, Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2024, which included funding for the intelligence community.
According to a statement issued by Turner and HPSCI ranking member Jim Himes, D-Conn., at the time, the bill ensures that affected U.S. personnel receive care and support.
Additionally, it provides investments in “needed research” and continues the administration’s investigation into Havana syndrome.
In 2021, Congress passed the Havana Act authorizing the State Department, CIA, and other government agencies to provide payments to personnel and their families who have been affected by the disease during their assignment.
In June 2023, the State Department authorized six-figure payments to victims, approximately between $100,000 and $200,000.
The mysterious ailment has its roots in the original cases that began between November 2016 and June 2018 among 25 American diplomats stationed in Havana, Cuba.
The State Department described what it saw as “medically confirmed symptoms,” including headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, memory loss, confusion and disorientation.
Chairman Mike Turner of Dayton, Ohio, exclusively told DailyMail.com that his committee’s investigation into Havana syndrome and other abnormal health incidents (AHI) is “ongoing” in light of the 60 Minutes report .
Russia has previously denied any involvement and today dismissed the allegations as “baseless.”
After U.S. embassy officials and staff reported hundreds of cases in nearly 70 countries, new reports of Havana syndrome decreased dramatically beginning in early 2022. But the mystery of what caused the ailments and alarm persists. (Above a chronological map of key incidents)
Retired Army Lt. Col. Greg Edgreen (pictured), who led the Pentagon investigation into the Havana Syndrome incidents, told 60 Minutes that he is “confident” Russia is behind the attacks.
In some cases, they also include difficulty walking, insomnia, sensitivity to sound, ear pain and pressure, tinnitus, and brain abnormalities similar to concussion-like symptoms.
After the first cases appeared in Cuba and became public knowledge, diplomats abroad in countries such as Uzbekistan, China, Germany, Vietnam and Colombia.