The State Department is rolling out a voluntary new program to gather diplomats’ baseline health information before they head to overseas posts, according to a State Department cable reviewed by POLITICO. It’s part of the department’s response to a wave of mysterious injuries that have harmed scores of U.S. officials in recent years — known as “Havana syndrome.”
A group of American diplomats wrote last week to Brian McKeon, the State Department’s chief operating officer, saying the department has not taken their ailments seriously, NBC News reported.
Now, McKeon has sent a message to State Department employees announcing the new pilot program to begin gathering information on diplomats’ health before they leave the U.S. Participation is voluntary and on a first-come, first-served basis, according to the cable. The health screenings will take about three hours, including examinations of hearing and vision as well as blood collection.
The cable noted that U.S. diplomats stationed in Havana and China experienced “multiple non-specific symptoms, some of which were associated with an unusual auditory or sensory event.” It added that more people have reported similar “unexplained health incidents (UHIs).”
“Should an individual experience a UHI while at Post, the baseline testing can be repeated as part of the overall evaluation of the incident and post-incident data can be compared to pre-incident data,” the cable says. “This information will assist the Department in its investigation of possible causes and may inform care of affected individuals.”
Reached for comment, a State Department spokesperson confirmed that the program is underway.
"While we won’t comment on internal correspondence, Ambassador Pamela Spratlen is leading the effort, in close coordination with Department leadership, to support our employees as we seek to determine the cause of these incidents and assist those who have been affected. One new initiative includes a baseline testing program, an idea supported by the National Academy of Sciences report and that is being implemented by the Department’s Medical Services Division," the spokesperson said.
U.S. intelligence officials suspect that Havana syndrome may be the result of directed energy attacks, and that the Russian government may bear responsibility for the injuries. But the intelligence community has publicly indicated that it has reached a consensus on the matter, and American officials have said very little publicly about the injuries. CIA and Department of Defense personnel have also experienced Havana syndrome. CIA Director William Burns has been receiving daily briefings on the issue.
The injuries can be debilitating and can cause brain damage. And they appear to be increasingly prevalent. Officials are investigating multiple suspected attacks, including one incident that occurred last year near the White House and another in Miami.
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