Gabbard Reverses Controversial Biden Intel on Havana Syndrome
WHO:
NDTV - Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence
NDTV - President Donald Trump
CNN - Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence
CNN - Rep. Rick Crawford, Republican of Arkansas, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee
CNN - Bill Burns, CIA director during the Biden administration
CNN - President Donald Trump
WHAT:
NDTV - Gabbard disclosed that the United States has historically provided funding for more than 120 biological laboratories across over 30 countries.
NDTV - Gabbard stated that over 40 laboratories in Ukraine were involved in handling Soviet-era biological warfare pathogens.
CNN - Gabbard rescinded two Biden-era intelligence assessments regarding "Havana Syndrome."
CNN - The assessments were criticized for selectively excluding relevant intelligence and relying on an "ethically flawed medical study."
CNN - Gabbard's memo stated that the assessments "limited intelligence collection to maintain an analytic line which relied on absence of evidence."
CNN - The government spent more than $10 million to purchase a device that produces pulsed radio waves, believed to be related to the injuries.
WHERE:
CNN - The incidents associated with "Havana Syndrome" first emerged in Havana, Cuba, and have since been reported worldwide.
WHEN:
CNN - The mysterious illness first emerged in late 2016.
CNN - One intelligence assessment was from 2023, and another was from January 2025.
CNN - Gabbard is expected to leave office later this month.
WHY:
NDTV - Gabbard criticized previous administrations and health officials for misleading the public regarding the existence of US-supported biolabs.
CNN - The rescission of the assessments aims to address concerns from the AHI victim community and restore analytic integrity.
CNN - Victims argue that the U.S. government ignored evidence suggesting that Russia was behind their symptoms.
HOW:
NDTV - Gabbard issued a formal directive to the Intelligence Community to prioritize the collection of data on overseas biological laboratories.
CNN - The intelligence community and the Defense Department have sought to understand if officials were victims of directed energy attacks by foreign governments.
CNN - An intelligence panel in 2022 suggested that some episodes could "plausibly" have been caused by "pulsed electromagnetic energy" from an external source.
(UPDATED June 12, 2026 23:26 UTC)
Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, revealed that the United States has historically funded more than 120 biological laboratories in over 30 countries, with over 40 of those located in Ukraine handling Soviet-era biological warfare pathogens. During her announcement, Gabbard criticized previous administrations and health officials for misleading the public about the existence of these U.S.-supported biolabs. In response, she issued a formal directive to the Intelligence Community to prioritize the collection of data on overseas biological laboratories.
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(UPDATED June 12, 2026 17:54 UTC)
Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, has rescinded two intelligence assessments from the Biden administration regarding "Havana Syndrome," which were criticized for excluding relevant intelligence and relying on an ethically flawed medical study. In her memo, Gabbard stated that these assessments limited intelligence collection and were aimed at maintaining a narrative based on the absence of evidence, while the government spent over $10 million on a device believed to be linked to the injuries. The incidents associated with "Havana Syndrome" first emerged in Havana, Cuba, in late 2016, and victims argue that the U.S. government ignored evidence suggesting Russian involvement in their symptoms.