'Conspiracyland' podcast: The Strange Story of Havana Syndrome
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“The Strange Story of Havana Syndrome,” a “Conspiracyland” podcast hosted by Yahoo News Chief Investigative Correspondent Michael Isikoff, is an investigation into the baffling medical ailments— headaches, dizziness, extreme fatigue and even brain injuries — that have been reported by more than 1,100 American diplomats and intelligence agents in recent years. These symptoms, which have confounded U.S. intelligence and diplomatic officials, are collectively known as Havana syndrome because they first surfaced in Cuba more than five years ago, though they have since been reported all over the world. What and who was causing them, however, remains a mystery. As “Conspiracyland” documents, the reports about Havana syndrome were used as a political lever to upend U.S.-Cuba relations: They set off a chain of events that led the Trump administration to reverse President Obama's efforts to normalize relations with the island nation, a rollback that has continued under President Biden. It also has led to a spate of news stories suggesting that these health ailments were the result of targeted microwave attacks by a foreign power, with the Russian intelligence services under the control of Vladimir Putin considered the leading candidate. But as “Conspiracyland” reveals, the real story of Havana syndrome is starting to look very different than it did at the time.
