Top U.S. officials meet to discuss "Havana Syndrome" as cause remains unclear

Washington — Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines convened a top-level meeting late last week to discuss the intelligence community's efforts to uncover the cause of the mysterious illness known as "Havana Syndrome." But even after months of intensified effort by multiple government agencies, evidence pinpointing the origin of the illness remains inconclusive, U.S. officials familiar with the matter said.  

According to a press release from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), Haines led a meeting of the Joint Intelligence Community Council, which included briefings from "a wide range of experts" late Friday. Among the participants were CIA Director William Burns, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Chris Wray, an administration official confirmed.  The Cabinet-level meeting is the latest in a series of government engagements on the issue, which achieved new prominence in recent months as former U.S. officials who have suffered symptoms shared more details about their experiences and, in some cases, their difficulty obtaining proper medical care.