Today’s Headlines and Commentary
U.S. officials are investigating at least two possible incidents on U.S. soil that appear similar to previous mysterious, invisible attacks on CIA and State Department personnel that occurred abroad, reports CNN. The suspected condition sometimes called “Havana syndrome” in reference to an unexplained illness U.S. officials experienced in Cuba in 2016 includes symptoms such as ear popping, vertigo, pounding headaches and nausea, sometimes with an unidentified “piercing directional noise.” One of the incidents is believed to have occurred on the south side of the White House after one National Security Council official became sick in November of last year. Defense officials briefed Congress on the matter earlier this month, stating Russia or China might be responsible for the attacks, though they did not have enough information to say conclusively.
Today’s Headlines and Commentary
The Pentagon is reviewing a request by the Capitol Police to have a two month extension of National Guard forces in the U.S. Capitol, where they have been providing added security following the Jan. 6 attack, writes the Associated Press. There have been continued concerns about potential violence and the request comes amidst news of a “possible plot” on March 4 by a militia group. Currently there are over 5,000 Guard members in Washington D.C., and their mission is set to end on March 12.
The Central Intelligence Agency has formed a task force to investigate the cause of mysterious incidents, which harmed its officers in Cuba, China and Russia, according to the New York Times. Dozens of intelligence officials and diplomats have experienced symptoms including headaches, memory loss and dizziness as part of a phenomenon that has become known as Havana syndrome.