![]() The Pentagon has long studied the possible military applications of directed energy, including lasers and high-power microwaves, and today spends roughly $1.5 billion a year looking into this technology. troops were increasingly vulnerable to the attacks, POLITICO reported at the time. Decker was one of several DoD officials to brief lawmakers in 2021 that U.S. He left DoD in the last few weeks to lead the effort for the House Permanent Select Intelligence Committee Republicans, according to two people familiar with the move. Griffin Decker, a career civil servant, led DoD’s efforts related to the incidents until recently. Melissa Dalton, assistant secretary for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs, is the interagency coordination lead. Gregory Masiello as the military deputy, Robinson said. Senior department leaders are focused on the effort: DoD policy chief Colin Kahl is leading the effort, with Marine Corps Maj. The Pentagon’s main line of effort, the cross-functional team, was established by the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act to address the national security challenges posed by the incidents and to ensure the victims receive adequate care. “As I have said before, something happened here and just because you don’t have all the answers, doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen.” The search continues ![]() ![]() Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said in a statement. personnel … were simply experiencing symptoms caused by environmental factors, illness, or preexisting conditions,” Sen. ![]() “I am concerned that the Intelligence Community effectively concluded that U.S. Several lawmakers have expressed frustration in recent days over the official findings from the intelligence community. Two of the agencies, which intelligence officials would not name, had low confidence in the assessment, because they still believe “radiofrequency (RF) energy is a plausible cause,” according to a statement from Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines. But the seven agencies that participated had varying levels of confidence in the final determination. The news that the Pentagon is continuing to study the issue comes after most intelligence agencies concluded in a comprehensive investigation led by the ODNI released Wednesday that it is “very unlikely” a foreign adversary using a weapon was responsible for the incidents. The DoD team primarily deals with helping those affected by the incidents and “is not focused on creating weapons,” Robinson said.īut the Pentagon is working on developing “defenses” against the syndrome and is investigating to see if it is possible that a weapon could be responsible, an intelligence official told reporters in a briefing on the findings last week.Īn email from a Pentagon official sent out after the Office of the Director of National Intelligence-led report released on Wednesday reassured victims that the DoD team is “keeping the course.” The official urged victims to continue to “report any incidents you may have experienced and encourage those around you to do the same.”Ī State Department task force is also continuing to collect reports of possible incidents, and coordinating care for those affected, according to a senior State Department official, who said the department supports the intelligence community’s assessment.ĭoD treats government employees who have suffered brain injuries, including some related to the Havana Syndrome incidents, at Walter Reed National Medical Center. This includes “the causation, attribution, mitigation, identification and treatment for such incidents,” Robinson said. Meanwhile, a “cross-functional team” in the Pentagon mandated by Congress “remains focused” on addressing the incidents, DoD spokesperson Lt. The people, like others interviewed for this story, were granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive subject. The Pentagon’s research arm, including the Army and Air Force research laboratories, are testing weapon systems to try to determine what could cause the symptoms, according to two former intelligence officials with knowledge of the efforts.
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