Sonic attack on US ambassadors in Cuba. WTF?

[davidm]

This sounds like something from a bad cold war drama.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-expels-2-cuban-diplomats-after-incidents-in-cuba/2017/08/09/21baff58-7d2e-11e7-b2b1-aeba62854dfa_story.html

WASHINGTON — The two-year-old U.S. diplomatic relationship with Cuba was roiled Wednesday by what U.S. officials believe was a string of bizarre attacks on a group of American diplomats in Havana with a covert sonic weapon that left the victims with severe hearing loss.

In the fall of 2016, a series of U.S. diplomats began suffering unexplained losses of hearing, according to officials with knowledge of the investigation into the case. Several of the diplomats were recent arrivals at the embassy, which reopened in 2015 as part of former President Barack Obama’s reestablishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba.

Some of the diplomats’ symptoms were so severe that they were forced to cancel their tours early and return to the United States, officials said. After months of investigation, U.S. officials concluded that the diplomats had been attacked with an advanced sonic weapon that operated outside the range of audible sound and had been deployed either inside or outside their residences.

[Shoeless]

O
[Garrett Morris]OUR TOP STORY TONIGHT…[/GM]

[davidm]

The Washington Post seems to have changed their article to omit mention of hearing loss and sonic devices, but other outlets are still running that story. One example is time magazine.

http://time.com/4894747/us-diplomat-cuba-havana-sonic-weapon-hearing-loss/

[bobot]

In case of Sonic Attack, do not panic.

[gnoitall]

Only minions of President Eggman need worry about Sonic attacks.

[davidm]

I’m not sure why some people think that severe hearing loss is funny, but whatever.

Canadian diplomats are apparently suffering from the same problem.

http://time.com/4896456/canada-diplomat-cuba-hearing-loss-sonic-device/

(WASHINGTON) — The Canadian government said Thursday that at least one Canadian diplomat in Cuba also has been treated for hearing loss following disclosures that a group of American diplomats in Havana suffered severe hearing loss that U.S. officials believe was caused by an advanced sonic device.
Global Affairs Canada spokeswoman Brianne Maxwell said Canadian officials “are aware of unusual symptoms affecting Canadian and US diplomatic personnel and their families in Havana. The government is actively working — including with US and Cuban authorities - to ascertain the cause.”

[Dewey_Finn]

Apparently this was something that the victims didn’t notice at the time but was affecting their hearing after prolonged exposure. What sort of technology could that possibly be?

[beowulff]

@Dewey_Finn

Apparently this was something that the victims didn’t notice at the time but was affecting their hearing after prolonged exposure. What sort of technology could that possibly be?

High-powered ultrasonic emitter.
Like a dog repeller, but even more powerful.

[davidm]

I wonder if whoever is responsible intended to cause deafness or if it was for some other purpose and the deafness was an unintended side effect. What possible reason would someone have for deafening these people?

[Senegoid]

And couldn’t the Americans (and now Canadians) have brought in sophisticated detection equipment to detect and measure all that Sonic disruption, if that’s what they suspected was happening? I have to assume they must have, but I’ve seen no mention of it.

This is all being kept so hush-hush (all those leaky news reports notwithstanding). What gives?

[Common_Tater]

The Soviets were known for this kind of thing, there were even rumors of diplomatic personnel getting deadly cancers in certain embassies at a statistically improbable rate. “Even a Death Ray” as Gilligan pointed out.

[snfaulkner]

I coulda swore this was in the game forum from the title.

[davidm]

@Senegoid

And couldn’t the Americans (and now Canadians) have brought in sophisticated detection equipment to detect and measure all that Sonic disruption, if that’s what they suspected was happening? I have to assume they must have, but I’ve seen no mention of it.

This is all being kept so hush-hush (all those leaky news reports notwithstanding). What gives?

Apparently they didn’t realize what was happening until the damage was done.

[Melbourne]

@Common_Tater

The Soviets were known for this kind of thing, there were even rumors of diplomatic personnel getting deadly cancers in certain embassies at a statistically improbable rate. “Even a Death Ray” as Gilligan pointed out.

There are always people getting deadly cancers at a statistically improbable rate. It’s a statistical certainty.

The Soviets were thought to be deliberately bathing some areas in Microwave Radiation. One reason that this was suspected to have been deliberate was that the Americans were familar with methods of evesdropping using microwave interference. The other reason was that in at least one case, there wasn’t an accepted alternative explanation for all the microwave radiation.

Microwave radiation does not cause deadly cancers in any kind of statistically probable way. It causes Americans to be afraid of getting deadly cancers, but that’s not the same thing.

Higher-frequency (ultrasonic) sounds attenuate rapidly with distance: I’m not familiar with any use in spying. Actually, the reverse: electronics equipment often emits tiny amounts of ultrasonic sound, which can be used to detect electronic bugs.

[Machine_Elf]

@beowulff

High-powered ultrasonic emitter.
Like a dog repeller, but even more powerful.

I thought loud sounds only caused hearing damage at the particular frequencies contained within the sounds, e.g. a loud sound at 100 Hz will damage your ability to hear 100Hz, but not your ability to hear 10,000 Hz. That being the case, I wouldn’t think ultrasound would cause hearing loss at audible frequencies.

Am I wrong about that?

[Common_Tater]

@Melbourne

There are always people getting deadly cancers at a statistically improbable rate. It’s a statistical certainty.

The Soviets were thought to be deliberately bathing some areas in Microwave Radiation. One reason that this was suspected to have been deliberate was that the Americans were familar with methods of evesdropping using microwave interference. The other reason was that in at least one case, there wasn’t an accepted alternative explanation for all the microwave radiation.

Microwave radiation does not cause deadly cancers in any kind of statistically probable way. It causes Americans to be afraid of getting deadly cancers, but that’s not the same thing.

Higher-frequency (ultrasonic) sounds attenuate rapidly with distance: I’m not familiar with any use in spying. Actually, the reverse: electronics equipment often emits tiny amounts of ultrasonic sound, which can be used to detect electronic bugs.

Well OK if you say so. Point being they were zapping the embassies with something, it’s not good.

[beowulff]

@Machine_Elf

I thought loud sounds only caused hearing damage at the particular frequencies contained within the sounds, e.g. a loud sound at 100 Hz will damage your ability to hear 100Hz, but not your ability to hear 10,000 Hz. That being the case, I wouldn’t think ultrasound would cause hearing loss at audible frequencies.

Am I wrong about that?

Ultrasonic sound can cause hearing damage in the audible spectrum.
Here’s a report.

[Dewey_Finn]

One news report I saw on this said the devices might have been installed in the residences of the victims.

[Darren_Garrison]

Photo of the device.

[dropzone]

@bobot

In case of Sonic Attack, do not panic.

Use your wheels; it’s what they are for.