The US is slashing its staff in Cuba after diplomats reported brain injuries and hearing loss, perhaps from mysterious ‘sonic weapons’
- Mysterious "sonic weapons" have been blamed for symptoms affecting American and Canadian diplomats in Cuba.
- Victims reported hearing loss, mild traumatic brain injury, nervous system damage, and balance issues.
- Sound-based weapons exist, but experts aren't sure whether any were used in this case.
- Regardless, US officials are slashing embassy staff by 60% and warning Americans against visiting Cuba.
No one knows exactly what happened to the growing number of Americans and Canadians who returned from diplomatic missions in Cuba with mysterious and disturbing symptoms.
Some can no longer remember words, others have hearing loss, speech problems, balance issues, nervous system damage, headaches, ringing in the ears, and nausea. In some there are signs of brain swelling or concussions — mild traumatic brain injuries.
Before the symptoms appeared, some of the victims remember strange occurrences, though others didn't hear or feel anything. One diplomat reported a "blaring, grinding noise" that woke him from his bed in a Havana hotel, according to the Associated Press. The AP also reported that some heard a "loud ringing or a high-pitch chirping similar to crickets or cicadas," in short bursts at night, while others said they could walk "in" and "out" of blaring noises that were only audible in certain spots.
The vibrations, piercing sounds, balance issues, and hearing loss have led some to surmise that some kind of never-before-seen acoustic or sonic weapon was used against the diplomats. On Friday, the AP reported that the US State Department has determined that the incidents were "specific attacks" on diplomats.
The US has consequently moved to cut its Cuban embassy staff by 60%, and will issue a warning to Americans against visiting Cuba.
But a number of experts aren't sure whether such a device exists.
What really happened in Cuba?
The US government first acknowledged these cases in August. The incidents seemed to cease for a while, but they started again as recently as late August, according to the AP. The number of affected victims has grown to at least 21 Americans connected to diplomatic missions and fewer than 10 Canadian households, but the US has said the number of Americans affected could still rise.
Many diplomats and their family members started seeking medical attention for mysterious nausea, hearing problems, and balance issues in late 2016.
The cause of the attacks is still unknown. The FBI and Royal Canadian Mounted Police searched the homes, hotels, and other places where personnel seem to have been exposed to whatever triggered the symptoms, but didn't find any clues.
"There isn't an acoustic phenomenon in the world that would cause those type of symptoms," Seth Horowitz, a neuroscientist and author of the book "The Universal Sense: How Hearing Shapes the Mind," told Business Insider via email.
Horowitz explained that no known inaudible — and seemingly undetectable — device could have the properties attributed to these strange sonic weapons.
"Brain damage and concussions, it's not possible," Joseph Pompei, a former MIT researcher and psychoacoustics expert, told the AP. "Somebody would have to submerge their head into a pool lined with very powerful ultrasound transducers."
A motive for the strange "attacks" is unknown. Cuban officials denied involvement in the incident and also said they would never permit another country's security forces to carry out a covert attack.
"Cuba has never, nor would it ever, allow that the Cuban territory be used for any action against accredited diplomatic agents or their families, without exception," the Cuban government previously said in a statement.
Diplomats have experienced other forms of harassment, like break-ins and surveillance, since the US formally restored diplomatic relations with Cuba in 2015. But a physical attack is unprecedented, and many experts say Cuba has no interest in damaging relations with the US. Some experts have said that the fact Canadians experienced similar symptoms make the possibility of an intentional "attack" even less likely, since Cuba and Canada have a strong relationship.
The US hasn't accused Cuba of perpetrating attacks, and the Cuban government has reportedly been cooperative with the investigation. The decision to cut embassy staff is instead being described as the result of concerns that Cuban officials cannot adequately protect US employees from these attacks.
What we know about sonic weapons
Sonic weapons exist, but for the most part they are "highly visible and easy to avoid," according to Horowitz. There is no known sonic weapon or malfunctioning covert listening device that could be used in a covert way.
The fact that victims didn't all report hearing a certain noise, and that symptoms varied from person to person, make the case even more confusing.
Toby Heys, the leader of Manchester Metropolitan University's Future Technology research center told New Scientist that it's possible for something emitting infrasound — vibrations at a frequency below what humans can hear — to cause hearing loss. But Heys said that would require large subwoofers, making covert deployment unlikely.
Ultrasound devices, which operate above the range of human hearing, exist and could damage the ears, Heys said. But these would need to be directly targeted into the ear.
"Overall, I would be pretty circumspect about the claims to be honest — it is all very Philip K. Dick territory," Heys said. "That said, we are living in a fairly surreal world right now."
Horowitz previously said via email that without more evidence of these weapons, this incident should be considered a non-story, and that other possible explanations for these medical problems should be considered. The State Department has clearly decided otherwise, though the mystery continues to grow.
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