Intelligence Chiefs Agree Biden-Era Havana Syndrome Assessment Should Be Retracted
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, FBI Director Kash Patel, NSA acting director Lt. Gen. William Hartman, and Defense Intelligence Agency director Lt. Gen. James Adams all answered “yes” when asked by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) whether the assessment should be withdrawn.
Tommy Flynn
Leaders of key U.S. intelligence agencies testified on March 19, 2026, that the Biden administration’s 2023 Intelligence Community Assessment on “Havana Syndrome” — formally known as anomalous health incidents (AHIs) — should be retracted due to flawed analysis and mishandling.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, FBI Director Kash Patel, NSA acting director Lt. Gen. William Hartman, and Defense Intelligence Agency director Lt. Gen. James Adams all answered “yes” when asked by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) whether the assessment should be withdrawn. CIA Director John Ratcliffe deferred to Gabbard but stated he would support retraction if she determines it is warranted.
The 2023 assessment, released under then-DNI Avril Haines, concluded it was “very unlikely” that a foreign adversary, including Russia, was responsible for most reported AHIs. It attributed the symptoms — including sudden pressure or sound in one ear, vertigo, headaches, and in some cases traumatic brain injury — largely to medical conditions, environmental factors, or stress.
Crawford and the House Intelligence Committee have long criticized the report for lacking analytic integrity, running counter to Intelligence Community Directive 203, and causing “real serious harm” to affected personnel. The committee’s investigations found evidence of a possible cover-up, obstruction of congressional oversight, and mistreatment of survivors.
Gabbard committed during the hearing to a “comprehensive and complete” review by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, with findings to be shared publicly. This marks the latest instance of the Trump administration reviewing or correcting prior intelligence assessments viewed as politicized or flawed.
The move comes amid renewed focus on directed-energy weapons as a potential cause. Earlier expert panels, including a 2022 National Academies report and a declassified 2022 experts group, found pulsed radiofrequency energy as a “plausible” explanation for core symptoms in certain cases.
No timeline was given for completion of the review. The House Intelligence Committee has already sent criminal referrals to the Department of Justice related to the original assessment’s handling.