Several of the diplomats targeted in those strange sonic weapon attacks in Cuba have suffered from permanent brain damage, according to medical records obtained by CBS News. Both American and Canadian envoys to Havana have been diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury, along with likely damage to the central nervous system.
Consultants from the University of Miami Health System were asked by the State Department to evaluate the diplomats that were suffering from a similar range of symptoms – including hearing loss, nausea, and migraines – in the Cuban capital city.
An American doctor was also dispatched to Havana earlier this year to assess the health of various US embassy staff in order to establish the extent of the problem.
A little recap: a few weeks ago, it became apparent that several diplomats from both the US and Canada had fallen ill in Cuba, with several of them quitting their assignments abroad early and returning home, and others ordered to leave on a permanent basis in order to make sure they make a full recovery.
The symptoms, as mentioned, were always the same, and they only seemed to occur on Cuban state-owned properties, which also includes the residences the envoys lived in while on their assignments. After an investigation by both the FBI and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police began in earnest, they came to the conclusion that a sonic device – an acoustic weapon – was to blame.
Confusion abounded – not just in terms of the motivation behind the attacks, and the identity of the antagonists, but with regards to the technology being used. Sonic weapons do exist, but they mostly consist of using audible sound, fired in narrow beams, to disperse troublesome crowds. Initial reports on these Havana attacks suggested the weapons were inaudible, at least to human hearing.
Although it has since emerged that a range of sonic attacks are being used – both audible and inaudible ones – the focus will now be on the fact that long-lasting, perhaps lifelong damage is being caused by them. What type of sonic weapon could engender that kind of harm?
Although low-frequency infrasound systems can “silently” cause a wide range of symptoms in human targets – including fairly severe inner ear and even hair cell damage – the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) doesn’t suggest that any brain damage can be caused.
High-frequency microwaves, however, could certainly cause brain damage without making a sound. If targeted at a person, small bursts could induce “shockwaves” in brain tissue, as well as the inner ear. Prolonged exposures could cause permanent damage.
Without any hard evidence, this is all pure speculation at this point. In any case, things have certainly taken a turn for the worse, and the mystery has only deepened.