The Department of Defense is funding experiments attempting to recreate “Havana syndrome” on animals.
The experiments, revealed by three people familiar with the matter and documents viewed by Politico, aim to see whether the phenomenon can be recreated on animals using radio frequencies. “Havana syndrome,” first reported in 2016, is a mysterious illness reported by numerous U.S. spies and diplomats overseas, characterized by dizziness, head pain, vision problems, cognitive troubles, and vertigo.
‘HAVANA SYNDROME’ NOT CAUSED BY ENERGY WEAPON OR FOREIGN ADVERSARY, US FINDS
Although the government determined that the ailment was not caused by an energy weapon or foreign adversary, the Pentagon is exploring its origins. Over the past year, it has granted funds to projects attempting to recreate the phenomenon on ferrets, which have brains similar to humans, and primates. The Army spent $750,000 on the Wayne State University study on ferrets alone.
“Behavioral, imaging, and histological studies will determine if the [animal brain injury] model is comparable to the abnormalities seen in humans following concussive head injury,” DOD spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Tim Gorman told the outlet. “The model may subsequently be used to test potential treatments to alleviate the deficits associated with traumatic brain injury.”
“DOD continues to address the challenges posed by [anomalous health incidents], including the causation, attribution, mitigation, identification, and treatment for such incidents,” he continued. “Our foremost concern remains providing care to affected individuals — since the health and well-being of our personnel are our top priority.”
Unsurprisingly, animal rights activists took issue with the experiments.
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“We are disturbed by a reported military plan [exposing] monkeys to pulsed microwave radiation in a misguided attempt to determine human brain effects associated with Havana syndrome,” Shalin Gala, vice president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said. “This has been debunked as has the purported justification for the Army’s current $750,000 taxpayer-funded brain injury experiment that bombards 48 ferrets with radio waves.”
A partially declassified intelligence report released last week cast heavy doubt on the long-running theory that “Havana syndrome” was the nefarious work of a foreign adversary by means of an energy weapon. Two intelligence agencies expressed “moderate to high confidence” that a foreign power is “very unlikely” to be behind the phenomenon, three expressed moderate confidence, and two others believed it was “unlikely,” although they had “low confidence.”
