- Indeed, if the Russians have disabled American intelligence officials and diplomats, they have broken every rule of the game in the intelligence world.
- The lack of an American response caused a scandal among the victims
- However, the Americans definitely paid the Russians one way or another
- More important information can be found on the Onet home page
Havana syndrome is a very serious set of illnesses, in many cases causing disability, brain damage or neurological symptoms, that has even affected US intelligence officers, diplomats and officials.
According to journalists, this was the result of the use of sonic weapons by a special unit of the Russian military intelligence (former GRU, i.e. current GU – Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation). Journalists proved a link between the trips of Russian intelligence officers and cases of disease, and officials were rewarded and promoted for their work on developing “immutable sonic weapons.”
The syndrome mentioned above is called the Havana syndrome because the first cases of its occurrence took place in Havana, Cuba in 2016. Journalists from “The Insider”, “Der Spiegel” and “60 Minutes” indicate that the first attack may have occurred earlier. in Frankfurt am Main. Next took place, among others: Vienna and Hanoi. Interestingly, at least one attack took place in Warsaw.
What raises serious controversy in the American intelligence community, especially among the victims, is that in many cases people who suffer from tinnitus, migraines, dizziness and other diseases, which exclude them from any professional activities for years, why the American authorities are not properly prepared. Admit the existence of the syndrome, why, despite serious circumstantial evidence pointing to Russia, Moscow was not accused of the above actions.
The rules of the game in a world without rules
As Vincent Seversky, retired colonel of the intelligence agency and current author of spy novels, points out in an interview with Onet, there is a fundamental difference in the treatment of intelligence officers and collaborators in the intelligence world, and agents recruited by them, on the other hand.
There are some rules for the latter. Regarding the first services, no matter how they fight each other, except in wartime, they generally treat captured enemy intelligence officers well and replace them over time, and consular officers — that is, enjoy. Immunity – If captured they are immediately released and expelled from their territory.
The actions of the Russians towards the Americans are an incredible violation of the rules of the game. Accepting this situation means that over time, the Americans will not actually be able to spy on Russia, and the Russians will continue to conduct intelligence operations in the United States.
principle of reciprocity
Seversky emphasizes that services always use the principle of reciprocity. In the case of the Havana syndrome, it meant that the Americans had to invalidate certain Russian officials in response to the actions of the Russians.
Often, such attacks take place on the territory of third countries, so not only “unknown criminals” but also “unknown country” were behind the attacks. Seversky notes, however, that services – while true to the principle of reciprocity – are still loyal to the second principle, which states that every action must be fruitful.
Answer Options
The former head of the military information services, General Marek Dukachewski, in an interview with Onet, emphasizes that there is only one service in the world, which, regardless of the calculation of profits and losses, will definitely not go or kill Russia. This service, as you can easily guess, is the Israeli Mossad.
According to Dukachewski, the Americans could have chosen a different path, e.g. By presenting evidence to the Russians and supporting one service in their struggle against the other. Another method is to provide evidence to outright criminals and change their country of employment in exchange for their lives.
When asked whether this type of threat is effective, Dukaszewski says it depends on whether it saves a given officer's life or his family breaking the rules of the game. With a man she had broken these rules before.
A third, more sophisticated way of responding to the Russians is also possible, General Dukachewski reckons. In this situation, the Americans obtain evidence but do nothing with it, so that they can over time provide the Russians with real or fictitious evidence that their (Russian) officials have identified as criminals over the years.
As a result of such a move, the Russians would begin to suspect their own officers of treason, which would eventually lead to the freezing of the given service, which from the American point of view was more important than actual revenge. In particular, as Seversky points out, one can take revenge years later.
Postcard from Havana
A former intelligence official, who wishes to remain anonymous, says in an interview with Onet that the fact that the Americans did not respond to the Russians should not be taken for granted.
Despite rising war tensions in Ukraine, the evidence is that there have been no new cases of Havana syndrome among US intelligence and diplomatic officials for some time. Onet's interlocutor In 2016 and 2018, two consecutive heads of Russian military intelligence died suddenly – in the first case, officially from a heart attack, and in the second from cancer.
For example, the key question is whether a postcard from Havana arrived at their address on the day they died.