五角大楼周一证实，一名去年参加立陶宛北约峰会的高级国防官员可能出现了新的“哈瓦那综合征”病例。白宫表示，它支持一项情报评估，即外国对手不太可能对神秘的健康症状负责。
官员们表示，对驻外政府人员多年来报告的奇怪健康疾病的调查正在进行中。这些疾病的症状包括不明原因的听力损失、头痛、耳鸣和头晕。
副新闻秘书萨布丽娜·辛格说:“我可以证实，一名国防部高级官员出现了与异常卫生事件中报告的症状相似的症状。”
周日，哥伦比亚广播公司的《60分钟》、《内幕》和《明镜》周刊据报告的那俄罗斯引用新的证据和对受害者、他们的律师和一名前政府调查员的采访。俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京的新闻秘书德米特里·佩斯科夫周一告诉记者，关于俄罗斯参与的指控“是媒体特别毫无根据的指控”，随后补充说，“从来没有人发表或表达过这些毫无根据的指控的任何令人信服的证据。”
《60分钟》(The Insider)和《明镜》周刊(Der Spiegel)在联合调查中透露，一名美国高级国防官员在前往维尔纽斯参加2023年北约峰会后出现了奇怪的症状，国防部长劳埃德·奥斯汀(Lloyd Austin)也参加了此次活动。
辛格周一表示，此人不是与奥斯汀同行的代表团成员。不过，她不能说两人是否住在同一家酒店，并把有关调查的问题转给了情报部门。辛格还以隐私问题为由拒绝透露这位高级国防官员的身份或提供他们的最新医疗状况。
她说:“我不知道国务卿(奥斯汀)代表团面临风险。
在2月份发布的一份威胁评估中，情报界表示，外国对手“不太可能”造成这些健康问题。然而，报告指出，美国情报机构对这一评估有不同程度的信心，并指出情报中的“差距”。
当时的一份声明称:“我们继续密切检查异常卫生事件(AHIs)，特别是在我们确定需要额外研究和分析的领域。”“大多数情报部门得出的结论是，外国对手不太可能对报告的不良事件负责。情报部门的信心水平各不相同，因为我们在收集外国对手的挑战方面仍有差距，就像我们在涉及外国对手的许多问题上一样。”
白宫周一引用了这些发现。白宫新闻秘书卡琳·让·皮埃尔告诉记者，关于“60分钟”的报道，情报界“还没有得出结论”。她说，乔·拜登总统“支持国家情报总监办公室的评估”。
她说:“我可以说的是，自情报委员会评估以来，我们自2023年以来所做的工作，我们非常认真地对待这一问题。”
马克·扎伊德是一名具有安全许可的告密者律师，代表许多受害者。他说，毫无疑问俄罗斯参与了此事，最新的报道应该会起到推动作用。
“我们终于有了与俄罗斯人直接相关的证据，肯定会迫使政府给出真正的答案，”他告诉ABC新闻。
政府“不能只是说‘不，我们看了这个，发现那里什么都没有。’因为那是谎言。这绝对是谎言，”他补充道。
扎伊德说，如果俄罗斯或另一个外国对手没有责任，应该有某种解释。他说，政府可能是在避免指责俄罗斯以避免直接冲突。
“如果这是俄罗斯人使用一种装置，故意伤害我们的情报人员和他们的家人——那就越界了。这是一种战争行为，据我们所知，我们没有做出任何回应。
驻古巴首都的国务院人员于2016年底首次报告了“哈瓦那综合征”，但很快，驻世界各地的外交官和其他政府工作人员开始出现类似的无法解释的神经症状。官员们估计，2023年有96个国家的约1500名美国人员报告了症状。
据说症状的类型和严重程度各不相同，但据报道通常包括突然发作的严重头痛、注意力难以集中、听觉障碍和记忆力丧失。
Senior DOD official experienced 'Havana syndrome' symptoms at NATO summit in July, Pentagon says
The Pentagon on Monday confirmed a possible new case of "Havana syndrome" involving a senior defense official who attended the NATO summit in Lithuania last year, as the White House says it stands behind an intelligence assessment that a foreign adversary is unlikely to blame for the mysterious health symptoms.
Officials said an investigation into the bizarre health ailments -- symptoms that include unexplained hearing loss, headaches, ear ringing and dizziness -- reported by government personnel stationed abroad for years now is ongoing.
"I can confirm that a senior DOD official experienced symptoms similar to those reported in anomalous health incidents," deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said.
On Sunday, CBS's "60 Minutes," The Insider and Der SpiegelreportedthatRussiamight be behind the attacks, citing new evidence and interviews with victims, their lawyers and a former government investigator. Dmitry Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putin's press secretary, told reporters Monday that the allegations of Russia's involvement "are exceptionally groundless accusations by the media," later adding that "no one has ever published or expressed any convincing evidence of these unfounded accusations."
Among the revelations from the joint investigation by "60 Minutes," The Insider and Der Spiegel was that a senior U.S. defense official experienced the strange symptoms after traveling to the 2023 NATO summit in Vilnius, an event also attended by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Singh said Monday that the person was not part of the delegation traveling with Austin. She could not say, though, whether the two stayed at the same hotel, and referred questions about the investigation to the intelligence community. Singh also declined to identify the senior defense official or provide an update on their medical status, citing privacy concerns.
"I'm not aware that the Secretary [Austin] delegation was at risk," she said.
In a threat assessment released in February, the intelligence community stated a foreign adversary was "unlikely" to have caused the health problems. It noted, however, that U.S. intelligence agencies had varying levels of confidence in that assessment, noting "gaps" in intelligence.
"We continue to closely examine Anomalous Health Incidents (AHIs), particularly in areas we have identified as requiring additional research and analysis," a statement read at the time. "Most IC agencies have concluded that it is very unlikely a foreign adversary is responsible for the reported AHIs. IC agencies have varying confidence levels because we still have gaps given the challenges collecting on foreign adversaries -- as we do on many issues involving them."
The White House on Monday cited those findings. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters the intelligence community "has not concluded that," regarding what "60 Minutes" reported. She said President Joe Biden is "standing by the assessment" of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
"What I can speak to is what we have done since 2023 since the intelligence committee assessment, and we have taken this very seriously," she said.
Mark Zaid, a whistleblower attorney with a security clearance who represents many of the victims, said there's little doubt in his mind that Russia is involved and that the latest reporting should move the needle.
"We finally have direct connective evidence to the Russians, certainly to the extent of forcing the government to give real answers," he told ABC News.
Biden signs law to expand health care for 'Havana syndrome' victims
The government "can't just say 'no, we looked at this and found there's nothing there.' Because that's a lie. It's an absolute lie," he added.
Zaid said that if Russia or another foreign adversary isn't to blame, there should be some kind of explanation. It's possible, he said, the government is avoiding blaming Russia to avoid direct conflict.
"If this is the Russians, using a device, knowingly harming not only our intelligence officers but their families -- it's crossing that line. That's an act of war, and we've done nothing that we know of to respond," he said.
"Havana syndrome" was first reported in late 2016 by State Department personnel stationed in the Cuban capital, but soon, diplomats and other government workers stationed around the world began experiencing similar, unexplained neurological symptoms. Officials in 2023 estimated there were some 1,500 American personnel in 96 countries who reported symptoms.
Symptoms are said to vary in type and severity but often are reported to include the sudden onset of severe headaches, difficulty concentrating, auditory disturbances and memory loss.
