(DON THOMPSON / iNFOnews.ca)

OPINION

It started five years ago. U.S. and Canadian diplomats and their families in Havana, Cuba started falling ill - later the two nations’ embassy staffs got sick, too.

Mysteriously, Cubans - neighbours, housekeepers, gardeners and cooks, as well as workers in offices nearby the two countries’ embassies - never complained of the strange illness. Consistently, the Americans and Canadians said they heard unidentifiable - often painful sounds - and experienced odd physical sensations during and after what they described as 20- to 30-second bursts of high-pitched noise.

Both the U.S. and Canadian governments investigated, as dozens of their diplomatic corps and family members complained of the strange ailments over two years. It became known widely simply as “Havana Syndrome.”

While some affected families were moved out of Havana early on, the Canadian government didn’t stop posting new diplomats and their families to Cuba until April 2018. The U.S. withdrew most of its non-essential personnel from Cuba seven months earlier in September 2017.

Canadian investigators first said the illnesses were likely caused by pesticides…a result of offices and residences being fumigated. American investigators suspected it was something different. Otherwise, why would just Americans and Canadians fall ill from pesticide spraying…and not Cubans who worked and lived in and around them?

Both Americans and Canadians returned home and were evaluated…they reported hearing, balance and cognitive changes along with mild traumatic brain injury…also known as concussion.

Finally, last December a nearly three-year study by the U.S. National Academies of Science made it clear…the mysterious neurological symptoms were consistent with directed microwave energy…not pesticide exposure. While some scientists said ultrasonic sound waves could have played a part, ongoing investigation tends to point to targeted microwave efforts by another nation…most likely Russia, according to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Even so, officially neither Canada nor the U.S. has said what caused the illnesses. But similar illnesses happened in China and other countries in 2018 and 2019…so foreign adversaries are increasingly suspected.

The whole mess became more complicated when Canadian diplomats and their families who became ill in Cuba sued the government for $28 million for allegedly ignoring or attempting to conceal information about their ailments and then taking too long to remove them from Cuba. Also, some Canadians claims were handled under workmen’s compensation, as others are going through the courts.

Two months ago, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. signed a bill directing various organizations - including the U.S. State Department and C.I.A. - to determine damages and award compensation to Americans who took ill during postings in Cuba. That - it seems - could lead to inconsistent rulings and judgments depending on who reviews the files. As I said, it is a considerable mess.

Both Canada and the U.S. have taken steps - like completing brain scans of diplomats and their families, as well as staff, before sending anyone to Cuba - and they continue to investigate the matter.

I hope that each nation will continue to seek the culprit and take appropriate actions. And, for those who serve us on foreign shores - members of the diplomatic corps, staff and their families - I also hope Canada and the U.S. will treat them fairly, equitably and with the respect they deserve.

And now, with just days before Christmas, I wish all of you a safe and peaceful holiday…and truly…a healthy and prosperous New Year.

— Don Thompson, an American awaiting Canadian citizenship, lives in Vernon and in Florida. In a career that spans more than 40 years, Don has been a working journalist, a speechwriter and the CEO of an advertising and public relations firm. A passionate and compassionate man, he loves the written word as much as fine dinners with great wines.

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