Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio on Thursday rejected a report by the intelligence community claiming that a mysterious illness plaguing diplomats known as “Havana Syndrome” was not caused by a foreign advisory.
“Something happened here and just because you don’t have all the answers, doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen. I will not accept that all these reported cases are just coincidences and I will continue to work on this issue until we receive real explanations,” Rubio, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, stated in a press release.
After the release of a declassified Intelligence Community Assessment on Anomalous Health Incidents (AHIs) commonly referred to as “Havana Syndrome”, I issued the following statement: pic.twitter.com/Zdi8ruJZR7
— Senator Marco Rubio (@SenMarcoRubio) March 2, 2023
His statement comes the day after multiple intelligence agencies, including the CIA, concluded there were no foreign powers that possessed the technology necessary to cause the neurological symptoms displayed by over 1,500 diplomats in 96 countries since 2016, ABC News reported.
An independent panel of experts concluded in 2022 that an external energy source could explain the symptoms, suggesting that a foreign power could have utilized “pulsed electromagnetic energy” in order to sicken people, The Washington Post reported. This assessment was supported by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, which determined that “directed, pulsed radio frequency energy appears to be the most plausible mechanism in explaining these cases,” the outlet stated. (RELATED: Blinken Says He Has ‘No Doubt’ American Diplomats Have Havana Syndrome, Adds They Can’t Figure Out Who Is Responsible)
“I am concerned that the Intelligence Community (IC) effectively concluded that U.S. personnel, who reported [Anomalous Health Incidents] (AHI) symptoms, were simply experiencing symptoms caused by environmental factors, illness, or preexisting conditions and is potentially rushing to a conclusion while a substantial number of questions remain,” Rubio continued.
“The Senate Intelligence Committee will continue our ongoing independent review on AHIs and take steps to ensure that those officers affected by AHIs are receiving immediate and comprehensive care as required by law,” Rubio concluded.