US intelligence says directed energy could explain Havana syndrome

Hidden devices blasting electromagnetic energy or ultrasound waves could be behind the "Havana syndrome" that affected US diplomats based there, says tech and medical experts. — REUTERS/File Photo

Intense directed energy from an external source could have caused some cases of the debilitating so-called "Havana syndrome" among US diplomats, US intelligence said Wednesday, supporting the possibility of deliberate attacks.

A panel of technological and medical experts convened by the US intelligence community found that pulsed electromagnetic energy and ultrasound, delivered from close distances, could cause the unique mix of symptoms in a certain number of what are officially called anomalous health incidents (AHIs).