In Defense of Crickets, Part 1 of 3: Havana Syndrome, and Irradiation of Diplomats; 1950s, 1970s, 2000s

By Patricia Burke of Safe Tech International (with Don Maisch)

September 2021 marked the release of a report, one year ago, by an advisory group for the U.S. State Department.

As reported by the Independent, “The ‘most likely source’ of the mysterious ‘Havana syndrome’ is crickets, according to a declassified US State Department report. The JASON Group, an independent organisation of scientists that has advised the US government since the Cold War, had carried out a study in 2018 that pointed to crickets as the source of the mysterious syndrome.”

William Andreas Brown: Combating Espionage in Embassy Moscow 60 Years Ago (But Not Telling Diplomats About the Microwaves)

Sixty years ago, another episode involving injuries to diplomats unfolded, and various ‘expert studies’ were also involved.

In “War of the Waves: Combating Espionage in Embassy Moscow,” the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training reports, “One of the strangest episodes was revealed in the 1970s, when the U.S. confirmed that the USSR had been beaming microwaves at the embassy for the past 15 years. One concern was that the Soviets were trying to inflict physical harm on the Americans working there. Famed columnist Jack Anderson wrote that a CIA file named “Operation Pandora” described the Soviets’ attempt to “brainwash” Americans.

The level of microwaves was actually lower than what was considered safe in the U.S. at the time; another explanation is that the USSR was apparently trying to jam electronic monitoring devices located at the embassy.

William Andreas Brown discusses the widespread concern among Americans working at the embassy at the time, and their anger at the State Department for its lack of transparency on the issue:

“I have to tell you what a shock it was in about 1972 or 1973 to wake up to the great, microwave scandal and to find that Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and his associates had kept from us the fact that for years we had been bombarded by microwave apparatuses, directed straight at the embassy in Moscow. We learned only years later that this had happened and that information on it had been kept from us. Foreign Service physical examinations routinely include a blood test.”

“Unbeknownst to us, the Department of State was testing our blood to see what, if anything had happened to us as a result of the microwave radiation. This was a pretty jolting realization.”

“[] the studies of our blood samples over the years of people who had served in Moscow showed that something like six months after a person arrived in Moscow, his or her white blood counts rose significantly. Some people speculated that this had to do with the water supply. A team led by a doctor was sent out from Washington to look into the matter. [] he had earlier pooh-poohed the notion that the radiation the American staff was receiving was deleterious.”

“[] the point is that microwave emissions were being beamed at us. [] a visiting technician from the State Department came with equipment and said, “Do you mind if I set this up in your office?” I said, “Okay, but why here? Why in my office?” He said, “Because actually there are at least two beams being directed at the embassy. One comes in from the front of the embassy building, and one comes in from that great, white building over there, which is called the ‘White House.’  You know, where the Russian Parliament meets. One beam comes this way, and the two beams intersect right here at your desk.” – William Andreas Brown

James Schumaker: Moscow Embassy Cancer Deaths

The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training also published diplomat James Schumaker’s account in the article “Microwaving Embassy Moscow — Another Perspective.”

“The existence of the microwave problem had been kept under wraps for years, first because no one knew that there might be health consequences, and later, according to unconfirmed reports, because Henry Kissinger wanted to avoid damaging chances for détente.  When Ambassador Stoessel learned about the problem, he threatened to resign unless the Embassy community was told.  As a result, the microwave story was finally made public in a press conference called by the Ambassador.

A study of the Embassy community by Johns Hopkins in 1978 purportedly proved that in actuality Embassy personnel were on average healthier than ordinary Americans, but in my view, and the view of many at the Embassy, this study was not conclusive.  In particular, the study did not recognize the fact that Americans permitted to go out to Moscow were already pre-selected to have “1” clearances in most cases [healthy for worldwide service], and so naturally the Embassy population would be much healthier than an average group of ordinary Americans.

At the same time, journalists like Paul Brodeur were pointing out that the health effects of low-intensity microwaves were not well understood, nor were the possible synergistic interactions of outside microwaves with similar microwave sources within the Embassy itself.

All in all, many people in Moscow were agitated and offended by what appeared to be efforts to sweep the whole controversy under the rug. The clincher for many Moscow staffers was the unusual incidence of illness on the part of American Ambassadors stationed in Moscow.  An article by Paul Brodeur in the December 20, 1976 issue of New Yorker and an earlier article in Time Magazine reported that not only had two recent American Ambassadors to Moscow died of cancer (Llewellyn “Tommy” Thompson and Charles Chip” Bohlen), then-Ambassador Walter Stoessel was suffering from a severe blood disorder (Ambassador Stoessel, who was universally admired, eventually died of leukemia in 1986).  To most Moscow staffers, it just seemed like too much of a coincidence.” – James Schumaker

Gaia.com: “How the Soviets Weaponized EMFs During the Cold War“

Gaia.com reported, “Foreign Service Officer James Schumaker recalled that “the bombardment of the upper floors of the embassy began as soon as we moved in (after WWII) back in 1953. It was known that the Soviets had been irradiating the embassy, but it was kept under wraps for years, partly because no one knew the consequences.” Officially, there was no EMF bombardment. But there were political reasons as well. “Henry Kissinger wanted to avoid damaging chances for détente,” Shumaker said.

The CIA investigated the Moscow “signal,” as it was known, to learn if the central nervous system was impacted by microwave electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs). According to Foreign Policy Magazine, the CIA theorized that the Soviets were trying to achieve mind control with the low-level radiation. “The U.S. wanted to figure out what was going on without tipping off the Soviets that they knew about the irradiation, and so the diplomats working in the embassy — and being exposed to daily radiation — were kept in the dark.”

A 1971 study by the Naval Medical Research Institute (NMRI) documented the biological impacts of microwave and radio frequency (RF) radiation — precisely what the Soviets used in Moscow. The exhaustive and lengthy list includes:

• Cataract lesions
• Burns at the site of surgical implants, i.e. pins
• Liver enlargement
• Decreased fertility in men
• Altered “fetal development”
• Nervous system effects, including headaches, insomnia, restlessness, cranial nerve disorders, seizures and convulsions
• “Psychophysiologic” disorders, such as: depression, anxiety, neurasthenia (generally feeling lousy), dizziness, insomnia, fatigue,
• Irritability, memory loss, chest pain, and tremors

Several blood disorders, including increased white blood cell counts, were also identified. The report also notes biochemical, metabolic, gastrointestinal, and endocrine gland changes and disorders. Under “miscellaneous effects,” the study lists “loss of hair, sensations of buzzing vibrations,” and “sparks between dental fillings.”

Another study, comparing the Moscow embassy staff with other U.S. embassy personnel from around the world, found that the Moscow staff members had a statistically significant increase in depression, irritability, concentration, memory loss, ear and skin problems, and vascular problems. Again, the longer employees stayed, the worse the problems became.

Dr. Neil Cherry, a New Zealand environmental scientist, reported, “The dominant resulting cancers for embassy personnel were brain tumor, leukemia, and reproductive organ cancer. This confirms that low-level, chronic microwave exposure is associated with very significant increases in illness and mortality in organs across the whole body, consistent with widespread cellular chromosome damage.”

1971 Naval Microwave Brief

The ‘Official’ Position: No Adverse Health Effects

While dozens of studies conclude that microwave exposure has clear health impacts, the official position is that “no adverse health effects of the radiation were shown” in embassy staff members. Despite research, this continues to be the official position — that microwave technology such as cell towers and phones and smart meters is safe. Over time, the evidence of the dangers of EMFs and RFs has accumulated.” – Gaia.com

Don Maisch: EMF Facts Consultancy, The Procrustean Approach

”The Procrustean Approach – Setting Exposure Standards for Telecommunications Frequency Electromagnetic Radiation, An examination of the manipulation of telecommunications standards by political, military, and industrial vested interests at the expense of public health protection” addressed “the Moscow Signal.”  Don Maisch’s 2010 report is available for free download here.

The chapter regarding the Russian Embassy microwaves is here.

A Quandary

 “[t]here is no question that penetration of the central nervous system has been achieved, either directly or indirectly into that portion of the brain concerned with the changes in work functions.”

Two Explanations for Havana Syndrome

American diplomats recently reported injuries, coined the “Havana Syndrome”. (An un-quantified portion of civilians worldwide also reports experiencing harm.)

The National Academies: Directed, Pulsed Radio Frequency Energy

“….directed, pulsed radio frequency energy appears to be the most plausible mechanism in explaining these cases, especially in individuals with the distinct early symptoms.”

JASON, A National Security Advisory Group: Crickets

As reported by the New York Post, “The illness is marked by a sudden auditory buzzing sensation followed by neurological side effects, including pain, dizziness, nausea and brain fog, according to its victims. The victims are mostly US spies and diplomats, some of whom had been at the US Embassy in Havana in 2016, around the time the reports of the affliction first appeared, hence the name. Since then, potential cases have cropped up elsewhere, including Germany, Austria, Russia and China.

Wild reports speculating the source of the “sonic attacks” have surfaced as of late. Some have suggested symptoms associated with Havana syndrome closely mirror the effects of microwave radiation. Fueling the unsettling reports, a 2019 study commissioned by the State Department showed that the brains of purported Havana syndrome patients had been altered by the disease, though it has yet to be seen whether those effects will be long-term.

The theory? Crickets, said researchers with JASON, an advisory group who frequently works with the State Department over scientific matters of national security.

JASON scientists disputed the theory held by the National Academies of Science (NAS) that microwaves are the “most plausible” weapon, adding in their report that it is “highly unlikely” that sonic beams were involved in the incidents — and blamed, instead, the “psychogenic” effects of group hysteria.”- New York Post

Part 2 of this 3-part series “In Defense of Crickets features EMR Australia’s Lyn McLean noting that “some people can hear wireless radiation.”

In part 3, Paul Harding will look at another explanation for harm to diplomats over the last sixty years, as well as escalating reports of injuries to civilians. This includes invasive sound mischaracterized as tinnitus without a source; cancer; infertility; and exploding levels of neurological diseases being diagnosed at younger ages, especially for American women.

Whether unintentional or weaponized, the introduction of internal electric fields into the body, including the nerves and brain, with damage to the blood-brain barrier and cell walls, caused by kilohertz frequencies riding on subcarrier waves in both wireless and wired technologies, may be the unacknowledged culprit.

Not crickets.

Cricket image source (top): Indies short-tailed cricket (Anurogryllus celerinictus) (orthsoc.org)