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Tillerson says U.S. weighing closing embassy in Cuba over sonic attacks

 

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrives at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, September 14, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is considering closing its embassy in Havana in response to an alleged sonic attack on U.S. personnel in Cuba, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Sunday.

 

"We have it under evaluation," Tillerson said on CBS' "Face the Nation" programme. "It's a very serious issue with respect to the harm that certain individuals have suffered."

 

Five Republican senators on Friday called for the Trump administration to retaliate against the Cuban government by expelling Cuban diplomats and possibly shuttering the U.S. embassy there over attacks that began in late 2016.

 

The State Department said in August that Americans linked to the U.S. embassy in Havana had experienced physical symptoms from "incidents" involving sound waves. Five Canadians were also affected.

 

Symptoms included nausea, dizziness and temporary loss of hearing or memory.

 

Cuba, the United States and Canada have investigated the attacks, but the probe has not yielded any answers about how they were carried out or who was responsible for them.

 

Cuba has denied involvement. The U.S. State Department has not blamed Havana for the attacks but asked two Cuban diplomats to leave Washington in May.

 

(Reporting by Ayesha Rascoe; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-09-18

[craigt3365]

Doubtful Cuba is behind this.  But probably know who did it.  Very little happens there they don't know about.  It's a very controlled state.

[NanLaew]

With the rapprochement between Washington and Havana that started under the previous administration, I think there's only one nation with a history of full diplomatic and economic relations with Cuba that stands to lose a strategically significant piece on the chess board.

 

I would hope that Tillerson sees beyond Trump's mantra  of "repeal anything Obama did" and this 'consideration' of US Embassy closure will remain just that, a sop to the current wannabe presidential dynasty that ultimately will never, ever be.

Edited September 18, 2017 by NanLaew

[craigt3365]

9 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

With this growing rapprochement between Washington and Havana, I think there's only one nation with a history of full diplomatic and economic relations with Cuba that stands to lose a strategically significant piece on the chess board.

Russia is even discussing opening a military base there.  That would be interesting. LOL

[IAMHERE]

The Cubans are inept is all. They like the Russians have listening devices planted in the US Embassy that are powered (activated) by the sonic sound waves. The Cubans screwed up the power and frequencies to make the bugs work. Not particularly because they wanted to harm Americans but because they just didn't know how to activate the sonic devices. Not enough sound training or perhaps the Russians sold them hinky spy equipment. YMMV

[tryasimight]

5 hours ago, IAMHERE said:

The Cubans are inept is all. They like the Russians have listening devices planted in the US Embassy that are powered (activated) by the sonic sound waves. The Cubans screwed up the power and frequencies to make the bugs work. Not particularly because they wanted to harm Americans but because they just didn't know how to activate the sonic devices. Not enough sound training or perhaps the Russians sold them hinky spy equipment. YMMV

Why would my mileage vary in response to issues in Cuba?