That
is the point exactly:
The
assertion stands, but apparently the alleged
symptoms don’t! And yet, without a motive, without a weapon or even a proper description of what would constitute this weapon (or
“device”) and without a consistent set of symptoms, the U.S. Administration is able to claim that Cuba is responsible for
“attacks that sickened U.S. diplomats”:
“I do believe Cuba’s responsible, I do believe that,” Trump said.
And, of course, as long as the symptoms aren't remotely clear,
any person who at
any time experienced
any kind of symptoms, like the
"tingling" sensations in
any part of the body, is now free to imagine that he or she is a victim of the Cuban science-fiction device!
Well, firstly let's whittle down a dividing line between media speculation and what the government is actually claiming. The facts, as presented by the government, are:
1. Numerous Americans attached to the embassy in Havana since its reopening have been suffering from some kind of somatoform disorder.
2. The complaints of symptoms are specifically correlated with having spent time working at the embassy and living in the American accommodations at the recently-renovated Hotel Capri.
3. Somatic symptoms were later experienced by personnel sent to Havana to investigate the initial complaints.
4. Some of the complaints allege audible, high-pitched sounds that seemed coincidental with development of the somatic symptoms. Some of the alleged sufferers recorded the sounds, so there can be no question they existed.
5. The recordings had many different sounds on them, but a particular sonic element common to the various recordings was found and isolated for further study, and a clip of this isolated element was provided to the AP (the sound you hear in the videos linked above).
The State Department and the US intelligence community does seem to be of a mind that the sound is part of a deliberate harassment campaign, which they have deemed an attack. They have not said Cuba is culpable. President Trump has implied that he believes they are, but the president has objectively and repeatedly proven to be an unreliable source and lacks any credibility to speak with authority on what the actual opinion of any government agency is, as he regularly contradicts, misrepresents, and/or repudiates those opinions in favor of his personal thoughts on any given matter when making public statements. So in that sense, whatever he says about the matter can be ignored.
What can not be claimed as fact OR the assessment of the government based on statements they have made:
A. That all of the symptoms that have been reported so far are the result of the alleged "attack"; proper research requires that all potentially relevant data be collected,
B. That the sounds themselves somehow caused any or all of the symptoms; so far there is only a correlation that isn't well understood (so far as is being said publicly),
C. That the sounds and whatever produced them are necessarily the only vector by which American diplomatic personnel were being "attacked" or harassed.
D. That the element in the sound clip released to the AP is the only thing in the recordings the government investigators find interesting or potentially important.
Any impressions you have of the situation so far that aren't consistent with all of the above, come from speculation being reported with more weight than it ought.
