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US Slashing Embassy Staff In Cuba Because of Apparent Sonic 'Attacks' (qz.com)
PolygamousRanchKid shares a report from The Washington Post (Warning: may be paywalled; alternative source): The United States is yanking more than half its diplomatic personnel from its embassy in Havana and warning Americans not to visit Cuba, saying it is for their own safety after a string of mysterious injuries harmed at least 21 Americans stationed there. "We have no reports that private U.S. citizens have been affected, but the attacks are known to have occurred in U.S. diplomatic residences and hotels frequented by U.S. citizens," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement. "The Department does not have definitive answers on the cause or source of the attacks and is unable to recommend a means to mitigate exposure." Investigators are looking into the possibility that they were subjected to some sort of "sonic attack," among other theories, though it is not clear why American diplomats and a handful of Canadian envoys would be the only ones to complain of symptoms. Cuba has denied having anything to do with the injuries. Among the possibilities being explored is that agents acting on behalf of a third country may be responsible.
What's this world coming to?
Reading comprehension not your strong suit?
It says no PRIVATE CITIZENS were injured. The 21 that were injured are government officials.
Seems like this could explain it. While sonic weapon explanation makes no sense. No wargoal can be achieved by causing such symptoms and such weapons would be useless.
"The Department does not have definitive answers on the cause or source of the attacks and is unable to recommend a means to mitigate exposure."
Is the whole DoD, with a massive budget unable to mitigate this thing?
Think about it for a second: The most 'technologically advanced' country in the world brought down to its knees by some third-world operating entity! Really?
I know who to blame: "Those Russians."
Trump needs a quick war he can win, and he needs it yesterday. His string of failures is starting to make the yahoos restless.
There will be a Trump Hotel & Casino in Havana by the end of next year.
You are welcome on my lawn.
Based on the symptoms, it's entirely possible that these attacks are using microwaves, not sound. That probably better explains the after effects that some of the victims have experienced. I believe Cuba because they have nothing to gain and everything to lose by attacking American and Canadian diplomats. I tend to think the attacks are state sponsored, given the apparent sophistication and the number of victims. Cuba probably isn't responsible, but this is precisely the kind of thing Russia would do.
Are you under the impression that they left them on nonstop in predictable locations?
All we want to do is eat your brains.
Nothing about this "sonic attack" story makes any sense whatsoever from a physics point of view.
This whole thing reeks of "cover story". I think we can all safely assume that we have no idea whatsoever what the truth of the situation is.
Just get a phone line there and call them.
I bet the Russians did this. They're hacking our Alexas and using them for sonic DoS attacks.
Hmm. That might explain this story.
If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
It was a ghetto blaster and a Björk cd. I still have the headache it caused.
This message was not sent from an iPhone because Peter Sellers really was a deviated prevert without a dime for the call
The smart thing to do would have been to evacuate the embassy without telling anybody, possibly leaving behind a skeleton crew who understood the risk. They could pack it with sensors and determine what it was and where it was coming from. It seems plausible that Cuba wouldn't do this, and since Canada has had normal relations with them for years that's an obvious mistake. I'm guessing the Canadian embassy is near the US one; but if it isn't then we have to ask ourselves who would want to mess with both countries? We're probably not going to find out though now, because our hand was tipped... unless we actually know who it is and are deciding not to announce *that*, in which case I stand corrected and might applaud them for a smart move... if I'm alive long enough to see it declassified. That takes what, 50 years usually?
For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
First sentence of TFS:
The United States is yanking more than half its diplomatic personnel from its embassy in Havana and warning Americans not to visit Cuba, saying it is for their own safety after a string of mysterious injuries harmed at least 21 Americans stationed there.
Second sentence of TFS:
"We have no reports that private U.S. citizens have been affected, but the attacks are known to have occurred in U.S. diplomatic residences and hotels frequented by U.S. citizens," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement.
PopeRatzo is right. Those sentences contradict each other. Why would the State Department warn private citizens if only government officials have been affected? There might be a case for avoiding hotels where US diplomats have stayed, but discouraging civilians from visiting Cuba altogether? That seems like fear-mongering.
I have to wonder whether your reading comprehension is up to snuff.
If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
Nothing about this "sonic attack" story makes any sense whatsoever from a physics point of view.
This is Slashdot . . . making sense has never been high up on the priorities here.
This is not the answer that I was looking for . . . I expected a few Slashdotters to chime in that they are building "sonic attackers" in their mom's basement . . . 3D printed, IoT enabled . . . in a Blockchain!
Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
How astute of you. My sources in the state department say that it was definitely the Russians. Not only that, they were acting on direct orders from Donald Trump.
...these are just the Kanye West CD's you've sent us!
-- Fidel
Do you like fishsticks, Fidel?
This space unintentionally left blank.
This was discussed before. It's most likely highly directional RF (microwaves), which easily penetrate walls, etc, while staying well focused. There are numerous studies where microwaves directed at a person's head will manifest as sounds they can "hear", although it is likely caused by the direct stimulation of the structures in the ear by the radio waves.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
http://grouper.ieee.org/groups...
Better known as 318230.
If and when the truth is ever known, it will turn out to be a CIA operation gone bad.
I'll go with "The Russians" with a "Microwave Listening Device" in "Hotels to Which They Had Access During Construction." The effects on humans are probably unintended consequences of hitting the resonators with too much power. Hey, Ivan, crank it down to 10.
FOLLOW THESE RULES!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
I agree completely, but I do think that a chemical - i.e. a drug - of some kind was very likely used against these people. There are absolutely drugs that can make you hear things and develop SIB (swelling, itching brain).
.:Semper Absurda:.
Which is why it is often disguised as part of modern art, lamp sources, ornamentation on furniture, etc.
When the resonating surface is read with the microwave beam, anyone in its path is potentially endangered, especially is the emitter is poorly calibrated, or the operator is incompetent and tries to substitute more power for proper installation and operation.
Without having spend more than a minute of thought on this, my guess is that someone tried to eavesdrop, and harmed the people he was trying to monitor. As to who did it... the usual suspects look pretty good in this case.
No good deed goes unpunished...
Well, certainly the youtube sample doesn't make any sense.