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A comment on Havana Syndrome in Vietnam: Possible Russian Role in Attack on Americans.

Re:Havana Syndrome in Vietnam: Possible Russian Role in Atta... by rdtsc on Monday April 01, 2024 @12:42AM (#39890982)
> "It requires you to confront the fact that you have your arch enemy acting against your own people, your own intelligence workers, on your territory, and this is nothing other than a declaration of war."

That’s a fair point. The attackers know this. They know US officials may know. But they also figured US wouldn’t make it public that they know.

However there are two problems: 1) this still opens the Russians for covert retaliation. Now their officials might start getting fast acting cancers , heart attacks, planes exploding, etc. 2) US intelligence has a lot money to offer for any defectors. Those conducting those operations know they have a golden ticket in their pocket if can defect to the West. I suspect some of these journalistic stories serve exactly that purpose - raise the profile of the issue to hopefully encourage someone to switch sides, hopefully with a bag full of evidence.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Havana Syndrome in Vietnam: Possible Russian Role in Atta... by af78 on Monday April 01, 2024 @03:19AM (#39891606)
True but russian security services spare no every effort to make potential defectors think twice; russia has a long history of punishing defectors. Recent examples include the Skripals in the UK and a helicopter pilot in Spain.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Havana Syndrome in Vietnam: Possible Russian Role in Atta... by rdtsc on Monday April 01, 2024 @10:36AM (#39894583)
That's fair as far as England, Spain, in general Europe and probably other countries are concerned, But I am not sure if true for US. I can't recall any public assassinations in US like that.

However, now with the war in Ukraine and escalating threats, I can see them taking a step in that direction.

[ Parent | on HN ]