Cuba Warning

From USA Today:

"U.S. warns Americans against visiting Cuba, cuts embassy staff"

The U.S. State Department, responding to a series of mysterious "attacks" on diplomats in Havana, warned Americans on Friday against travel to Cuba and ordered more than half of its diplomatic personnel to leave the island. The warning comes as the Trump White House was already moving to reverse the Obama administration's easing of travel restrictions two years ago as part of an effort to improve relations between the longtime enemies. In 2015, Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro restored diplomatic ties. Embassies re-opened, and travel and commerce restrictions eased. President Trump has reversed some changes, but broadly left the rapprochement in place. The latest decision will deliver a heavy blow to the Cuban economy, which increasingly depends on tourism.   The State Department, in issuing the formal travel warning, said on its website that the U.S. has been unable to identify the source of the attacks on diplomats and believes that "U.S. citizens may also be at risk. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement that while there are no reports that private U.S. citizens have been affected "the attacks are known to have occurred in U.S. diplomatic residences and hotels frequented by U.S. citizens." He said the decision to pull out non-emergency diplomatic personnel and their families was done to ensure their safety. "We maintain diplomatic relations with Cuba, and our work in Cuba continues to be guided by the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States," Tillerson said. "Cuba has told us it will continue to investigate these attacks and we will continue to cooperate with them in this effort."  The U.S. is expected to pull out roughly 60% of the embassy's U.S. staff and halt the processing visas in Cuba indefinitely. Cubans seeking visas to enter the U.S. may be able to apply through embassies in nearby countries. The U.S. will also stop sending official delegations to Cuba, though diplomatic discussions will continue in Washington. The decision by the State Department follows a series of unexplained reports, beginning almost a year ago, of health problems for some 21 diplomats and their families. Significant injuries have included ear complaints, hearing loss, dizziness, tinnitus, balance problems, visual complaints, headache, fatigue, cognitive issues and difficulty sleeping, the State Department said.  After a lengthy lull, the U.S. noted renewed attacks in August, senior State Department officials said in a background call with reporters ahead of the official announcement. One official said the means and methods of the attacks remain unknown and therefore could not be characterized as "having stopped in August."

The FBI and other agencies that searched homes and hotels where incidents occurred found no devices. And clues about the circumstances of the incidents seem to make any explanation scientifically implausible. Some U.S. diplomats reported hearing various loud noises or feeling vibrations when the incidents occurred, but others heard and felt nothing yet reported symptoms later. In some cases, the effects were narrowly confined, with victims able to walk “in” and “out” of blaring noises audible in only certain rooms or parts of rooms, the Associated Press reported. Diplomats from Canada, which has warm relations with Cuba, have suffered similar health problems.

^ It does seem strange that this is happening to Americans (and Canadians) in Cuba. I had no plans to ever go to Cuba, but definitely wouldn't go now. ^

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/09/29/u-s-warns-americans-against-visiting-cuba-cuts-embassy-staff/716121001/