在国会听证会上作证的证人指责美国情报界故意淡化影响美国人员的数十起异常健康事件(AHIs)，通常被称为“哈瓦那综合症”。
代表20多名“哈瓦那综合症”受害者的律师马克·扎伊德(Mark Zaid)说，“我认为，行政部门，特别是在中情局官员的命令和操纵下，没有如实报告所知道的情况，”他引用了美国情报，他说他在工作中看到过这些情报，但不能在非机密环境中透露。
一;一个美国情报部门去年发布的评估报告发现影响美国外交官、情报界成员和国防部官员的所谓“哈瓦那综合症”背后“不太可能”有外国对手。
在周三的国土安全小组委员会听证会上，每个证人都对情报界的说法提出质疑，引用了未披露的机密情报，他们说这些情报证明了他们的说法。
负责五角大楼对“哈瓦那综合症”调查的退休美国陆军中校格雷格·埃德格林(Greg Edgreen)告诉立法者，这些攻击可能与“定向能”有关，通过一种未来武器发射。他说，有“极其强烈”的迹象表明，至少其中一些事件是俄罗斯情报机构发动的攻击的结果。
“给我20分钟在一个安全的地方，我会说服你们所有人，”埃德格林说。
当被要求置评时，中情局发言人将问题提交给发布去年评估的国家情报总监办公室。
“我们继续专注于确定新的信息，以帮助提高我们的理解，特别是在我们已经确定需要额外研究和分析的领域，”ODNI发言人告诉ABC新闻。
去年3月，国家情报总监艾薇儿·海恩斯在一份声明中表示，这些健康事件可能是其他因素的结果，如“先前存在的疾病、常规疾病和环境因素”。
海恩斯补充说，证据也没有表明“因果机制”，如武器或“独特综合征”导致了报告的症状。
扎伊德告诉委员会，他知道世界各地发生了针对美国人员的袭击事件，包括在美国本土发生的袭击事件。他说，许多袭击集中在弗吉尼亚州北部，那里是许多中情局官员的居住地。
扎伊德补充说:“至少有24起病例，连中情局都承认他们无法用任何其他替代因素来解释。”他指的是该机构2022年对大约1000例“哈瓦那综合征”病例进行的评估。
该委员会的立法者承诺继续审查这些指控，并在保密的情况下听取更多证人的证词。
国防部长劳埃德·奥斯汀周三在国会山其他地方作证时，被问及对报告有AHI相关症状的国防部人员的赔偿问题。
“你能否向该委员会承诺，司法部将致力于解决这一问题，并向受害者提供所需的款项?”新罕布什尔州民主党参议员珍妮·沙欣问道。
“当然，参议员，”奥斯汀说。
国会通过的2021年《帮助受神经系统疾病折磨的美国受害者(哈瓦那)法》授权政府机构向在执行任务时因敌对行动而脑损伤的人员提供支付。
一名美国官员周三告诉美国广播公司新闻，自2016年以来，国防部“在军队医疗保健系统中为200多人提供了”与AHI有关的医疗评估和/或治疗。但这位官员以患者隐私规定为由，不愿透露其中有多少人被认为遭受了创伤性脑损伤。
但到目前为止，没有人收到付款。
这位官员说:“国防部尚未支付任何哈瓦那法案款项，因为我们正在努力为国防部制定实施指南。”“我们预计将在今年夏天发布这样的指导意见。”
A研究美国国立卫生研究院(National Institutes of Health)上个月发表的一份研究报告得出结论:“与一组匹配的对照组参与者相比，经历急性缺血性脑损伤的参与者中没有明显的MRI可检测证据。”
但不管怎样，五角大楼可能会向一些可能受影响的个人提供赔偿。
“实施指南将阐述确定谁有资格获得赔偿的标准。这位官员说:“我们预计核磁共振成像结果将是做出决定时考虑的几个因素之一。”
Witnesses tell lawmakers US intel community downplaying cases of mysterious 'Havana syndrome'
Witnesses testifying at a congressional hearing have accused the U.S. intelligence community of deliberately downplaying dozens of Anomalous Health Incidents (AHIs) affecting U.S. personnel, often referred to as "Havana syndrome."
"It is my view that the executive branch, particularly at the behest of and manipulation by officials within CIA, is not truthfully reporting what it knows," said Mark Zaid, an attorney representing more than two dozen victims of "Havana syndrome," citing U.S. intelligence that he says he's seen in his work but could not reveal in an unclassified setting.
Anassessment released last year by the U.S. intelligence communityfound it was "very unlikely" that a foreign adversary was behind the cases of the so-called "Havana syndrome" affecting U.S. diplomats, intelligence community members, and Defense Department officials.
Each of the witnesses at Wednesday's Homeland Security subcommittee hearing disputed the intelligence community's claim, citing undisclosed classified intelligence that they say proves their assertion.
Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Greg Edgreen, who ran the Pentagon's investigation into "Havana syndrome," told lawmakers the attacks are likely tied to "directed energy," shot through a kind of futuristic weapon. He said there are "extremely strong" indications that at least some of these incidents were the result of attacks conducted by Russian intelligence.
"Give me 20 minutes in a [secure facility] and I'll convince all of you," Edgreen said.
When asked for comment, a CIA spokesperson referred questions to Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which issued last year's assessment.
"We continue to remain focused on identifying new information to help improve our understanding, particularly in areas we have identified as requiring additional research and analysis,” an ODNI spokesperson told ABC News.
Last March, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said in a statement that the health events were probably the result of other factors such as "preexisting conditions, conventional illnesses, and environmental factors."
Haines added that the evidence also did not indicate that a "causal mechanism," such as a weapon, or a "unique syndrome" brought on the reported symptoms.
Zaid told the committee he's aware of attacks on U.S. personnel all over the world, including on U.S. soil. Many attacks, he says, were concentrated in Northern Virginia, an area home to many CIA officers.
"There are at least two dozen cases that even the CIA acknowledges they can't explain away by any other alternative factors," Zaid added, referring to a 2022 assessment by the agency that examined roughly 1,000 "Havana syndrome" cases.
Lawmakers on the committee promised to continue to examine these claims and hear more from the witnesses in a classified setting.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, testifying elsewhere on Capitol Hill Wednesday, was asked about compensation for Defense Department personnel who have reported symptoms associated with AHI.
"Will you commit to this committee that the department will work on that and provide the required payments to victims?" asked New Hampshire Democrat Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.
"Absolutely, senator," Austin said.
The Helping American Victims Afflicted by Neurological Attacks (HAVANA) Act of 2021 passed by Congress authorizes government agencies to provide payments to personnel who have suffered brain injuries from hostilities while on assignment.
A U.S. official told ABC News on Wednesday the Department of Defense has "provided medical assessment and/or treatment in the military health care system for more than 200 people" relating to AHI since 2016. But the official wouldn't say how many of those were deemed to have suffered traumatic brain injuries, citing patient privacy rules.
But so far, none has received payments.
"DOD has not made any HAVANA Act payments yet, because we are working to establish implementation guidance for the Department," the official said. "We expect to issue such guidance this summer."
Astudypublished last month by the National Institutes of Health concluded: "There was no significant MRI-detectable evidence of brain injury among the group of participants who experienced AHIs compared with a group of matched control participants."
But the Pentagon might provide compensation to some possibly affected individuals, regardless.
"The implementation guidance will address criteria for determining who qualifies for compensation. We anticipate that MRI results will be one of several factors considered in making the determinations," the official said.
