Tillerson says closing US embassy in Cuba ‘under review’ following mysterious health ‘incidents’ of diplomats
In the fall of 2016, a series of US diplomats began suffering unexplained losses of hearing that US officials concluded was due to an advanced device that operated outside the range of audible sound.
world Updated: Sep 17, 2017 21:45 IST
The Associated Press, New York
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says the Trump administration is considering closing down the US Embassy in Havana following unexplained incidents harming the health of American diplomats.
Tillerson says “we have it under evaluation” and that shuttering the embassy is “under review.” He says the issue is “very serious” regarding the harm some individuals have suffered.
Tillerson, who spoke on CBS’ “Face the Nation” ahead of President Donald Trump’s trip to the UN General Assembly this coming week, notes that the State Department has brought home some of the people affected.
At least 21 Americans have been medically confirmed to have suffered harm in Havana. Tillerson previously called it “health attacks” but the State Department now prefers to call them “incidents”. The cause and culprit haven’t been determined.
In the fall of 2016, a series of US diplomats began suffering unexplained losses of hearing. Several of the diplomats were recent arrivals at the embassy, which reopened in 2015 as part of former President Barack Obama’s re-establishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba.
