Russia is accused of using a secret “microwave weapon” to attack two CIA agents in Australia under a worldwide campaign that has allegedly caused brain injuries to diplomats and spies.
The so-called Havana Syndrome has been reported for years after American diplomats stationed in Cuba suddenly started hearing strange chirping and grating noises that always occurred while they were at home or in hotels.
What happened next was terrifying, with victims suffering headaches, memory and hearing loss, and difficulty sleeping for years. Some have become wheelchair-bound while others have been forced to wear weighted vests to correct their balance.
But it’s the first time that the mysterious attacks have been reported on Australian soil.
According to a report in GQ magazine, The Mystery of the Immaculate Concussion, the two men were in Australia to hold talks with ASIO and other intelligence agencies under the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance with the US, the UK, Canada, and New Zealand.
“While in their hotel rooms in Australia, both of the Americans felt it: the strange sound, the pressure in their heads, the ringing in their ears. According to these sources, they became nauseous and dizzy,” journalist, Julia Ioffe, wrote.
In the same report, retired CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos, who helped run clandestine operations in Russia and Europe, also claims to have been attacked in December 2017 in Russia.
He reportedly suffered severe vertigo in his hotel room in Moscow and developed debilitating migraine headaches that forced him to retire from the CIA.
Polymeropoulos said it was difficult for him to speak out about the attack but said that since speaking to GQ, he had been inundated by messages of support from former CIA colleagues.
Polymeropoulos spoke out because he believed the dozens of US officials left ill by the attacks have been abandoned by the Trump administration, which has expelled Cuban diplomats over the issue but never pointed the finger at Russia.
“This was a very difficult decision to speak out [sic]; I only wish for the United States Government to do the right thing and provide proper medical care for patriots who have suffered what is no doubt a combat injury,” Polymeropoulos said.
In response, US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, insisted all officials who had reported being harmed were receiving care.
