The Trouble With the Havana Syndrome
From the Cold War files, a cautionary tale about secrecy and national security
While focused on unraveling the events of November 1963, JFK Facts (Substack edition) also covers underlying issues of secrecy, transparency, and accountability which shape our understanding of both that distant history and the world today.
Which is why I have to recommend Mike Isikoff’s fascinating and unexpected Conspiracyland podcast series, “The Strange Story of the Havana Syndrome.” A veteran investigative reporter for Yahoo News, Isikoff studies the reports that scores of U.S. diplomats and intelligence officers have suffered debilitating symptoms after serving in Havana, Moscow, and Beijing. He finds the claim that Russia or Cuba or some foreign power is responsible both factually dubious and politically motivated.
The Havana Syndrome story has had big political implications—but only for one country. After reports of unexplained illnesses from two doze…
