--- title: "Twitter Roasts Feds After CIA Admits Havana Syndrome is Fake After All" description: "The CIA has announced that Havana syndrome is, in fact, not due to Russian attacks." date: "2022-01-20" modified: "2022-01-20" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/havana-syndrome-cia" categories: - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "bioweapons" - "cia" - "havana syndrome" --- # Twitter Roasts Feds After CIA Admits Havana Syndrome is Fake After All ![The CIA has announced that Havana syndrome is, in fact, not due to Russian attacks.]() *\Image: Futurism\* The CIA [has announced]() that a foreign nation is likely not to blame for most cases of "Havana syndrome"— a confusing move that came to the delight of countless internet pundits. First, [some backstory](). In late 2016, reports emerged about [a mysterious condition]() experienced by American ([and some Canadian]()) diplomats and intelligence agents in Havana, Cuba. Official explanations have [often suggested]() that these officials were the victims of some sort of sonic attack from a foreign power, with Russia being the primary suspect. In the intervening years, other State Department-affiliated Americans started experiencing similar symptoms [in a number of other countries]() where the US government conducts operations, including China, Germany, and Colombia. While many pundits have argued that Havana syndrome is [psychosomatic](), the Biden Administration and Congress have taken the reports very seriously — so much so that President Joe [Biden signed a bill compensating Havana syndrome victims]() last fall. But the findings from the CIA's [interim study]() into Havana syndrome have now cast significant doubt on the government's prior stance on the strange disorder — and raises many more questions than answers. Fortunately, it also led to some excellent memes for us to enjoy. Here's the crème de la crème. ## Galaxy Brain https://twitter.com/ashleyfeinberg/status/1484021499757576197 Havana syndrome was fake until the CIA said so, this line of reasoning goes — so therefore, it must actually be real, right? ## Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights https://twitter.com/kittynouveau/status/1484025459193139200 This one's pretty self-explanatory. ## The Friends We Made Along the Way https://twitter.com/TheDCSentinel/status/1484146501953765377 With lots of people suggesting that Havana syndrome is little more than hysterical psychosis, some are arguing that the CIA's about-face makes the suspected root of the campaign — to conduct more wars — seem that much more obvious. ## Havana Fat Doink https://twitter.com/TheDCSentinel/status/1484149413010366467 "The District Sentinel," a left-leaning podcast, really hit a home run today with its tweet — perhaps a reference to a recent study that found weed [may make it harder]() for you to get infected with COVID-19. ## And What's the Deal https://twitter.com/beanytuesday/status/1484044978443673604 https://twitter.com/beanytuesday/status/1484046219689271297 Flawless extrapolation. Ten out of ten. ## The Sober Truth https://twitter.com/meowmeowmeuw/status/1484160467027255299 https://twitter.com/meowmeowmeuw/status/1484194885515231233 While this one isn't funny per se, it is a stark reminder that the US government is more likely to act when a couple thousand employees complain of a mysterious set of symptoms than when hundreds of thousands of Americans die of COVID. Checkmate, America. **READ MORE:** [Most ‘Havana Syndrome’ Cases Unlikely Caused by Foreign Power, C.I.A. Says]() \[*The New York Times*\] **More on Havana syndrome:** [*The Department of Homeland Security is Investigating Microwave Weapon Attacks*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()