A leaked letter purportedly written by a senior US military official and published on social media on Monday highlights stark contradictions in the government’s approach to victims of Havana syndrome – a mysterious series of health incidents affecting personnel at embassies and consulates overseas.
The letter, dated 24 March 2024 and signed by air force Brig Gen Shannon O’Harren, reassures victims of the “anomalous health incidents” (AHIs) that the defense department believed that their experiences and symptoms were real while promising them quality healthcare that never came.
It was posted on X by the Canadian investigative journalist Catherine Herridge three days after a declassified Senate report into AHIs revealed that another government entity, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), mishandled and downplayed the incidents, which occurred in Cuba, China and a number of European countries.
Those affected suffered headaches, dizziness and cognitive issues, sometimes accompanied by unusual sensory experiences.
“We believe your experiences are real, and we are unwaveringly committed to continue to provide quality care for you and those who are eligible,” O’Harren, assigned to the defense department’s AHI cross-functional team, wrote.
“Rest assured, we are continuing our efforts … to investigate the cause of AHIs, to examine reports and studies thoroughly, and to care for and treat you with respect and compassion through this process.”
O’Harren reportedly wrote the letter, addressed “Dear Colleagues”, following two National Institutes of Health (NIH) studies published in March that said victims did not show discernible physical damage or alteration.
Separately, intelligence agencies determined no foreign adversary was likely to have been involved – and distanced themselves from reports linking the incidents to portable microwave weapons developed by Russia and China.
The Senate report revealed that the “quality care” promised by O’Harren did not happen. Nearly 100 CIA-affiliated individuals who reported symptoms faced “delayed, denied or pre-conditioned care” and struggled to access benefits, the report said.
Overall, it concluded that the CIA’s response to the incidents, reports of which originated in Havana in 2016 and spread quickly to US diplomatic facilities in numerous other countries, was flawed and inconsistent.
More than 1,500 episodes of Havana syndrome were reported globally, but victims seeking treatment or other help were routinely denied or their applications challenged. Applications by CIA employees for workers compensation were approved at a rate of 21%, compared with 67% for other departments that did not contest claims so aggressively, the report noted.
The Guardian has been unable to independently verify the authenticity of the O’Harren letter, and the defense department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Herridge, a freelance veteran investigative reporter previously employed by Fox News and CBS News, did not reveal how she obtained the letter.
A separate post by Herridge on Monday featured an interview with a former intelligence officer who described suffering career-ending injuries and who accused the government of “gaslighting” the American public over Havana syndrome.
