US expels 15 Cuban diplomats over 'acoustic attacks', Cuba rejects

APD NEWS

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The U.S. government Tuesday announced it has asked for the departure of 15 Cuban diplomats from the Cuban embassy in Washington in response to mysterious "attacks" that led to the recall of some U.S. embassy staff in Havana.

The Cuban embassy in Washington resumed its role in 2015 when relations between the countries warmed

After the departure of the Cuban diplomats, the number of personnel working in both embassies will be "roughly very close to each other," an official from the U.S. State Department told reporters.

The expelled Cuban personnel have to leave the United States within seven days, said the official, who remained anonymous, adding that the action taken by the U.S. government does not signal any change in bilateral diplomatic relations.

The U.S. State Department on Friday had ordered more than half of the staff at the U.S. embassy in Havana to leave, following the "attacks" that caused health problems for American diplomats and intelligence personnel.

The withdrawal will be completed by the end of the week, the official said.

So far, 22 Americans working at the embassy in Havana have been confirmed to be suffering from physical debilitations.

Cuba said on Friday that the U.S. withdrawal of its diplomatic personnel is a "hasty decision" that will affect bilateral relations.

Josefina Vidal Ferreiro, director general of U.S. affairs at the Cuban Foreign Ministry, said in a short statement on TV that Cuba has "no responsibility" over the alleged "sonic attacks" on U.S. diplomats.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson

Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez to discuss the incidents.

It was the highest-level diplomatic contact between the two former Cold War enemies since Donald Trump became U.S. president in January.

Cuba rejects "unjustified" expel

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez on Tuesday rejected the "unjustified" request from U.S. government asking for 15 Cuban diplomats to be expelled from America.

In a press conference at the ministry, Rodriguez said the U.S. demand was "based" on the fact that "Washington reduced its staff in Havana and that the island's authorities didn't take necessary steps to prevent attacks against U.S. diplomats."

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs protests with energy and denounces this decision without base and unacceptable, as well as the pretext used to justify it when affirming that the Cuban government didn't take all the needed measures to prevent the 'alleged' incidents," said the minister.

Ten days ago, Cuba denounced the attempts to politicize the assumed events in which U.S. officials and their families on the island resulted harmed by "unknown acoustic attacks."

Cuba asked for the U.S. cooperation and demanded Washington not to take "rushed decisions without any evidence."

Last Friday the U.S. State Department announced the decision to pull 60 percent of its staff out of the embassy in Cuba in the wake of "sonic attacks" that have injured 21 people in its embassy in Havana.

But despite an intensive investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the local investigation agencies, the cause and perpetrators of the attacks remain a mystery.

Havana said to have nothing to do with the "attacks" while Washington accused the Cuban government of not protecting well enough its diplomats deployed in Havana.

Cuba and the United States resumed diplomatic ties in 2015 after 54 years of political enmity, but even before taking office President Donald Trump promised to reverse what he called a "terrible and misguided deal" with Havana.

Cuba mystery attacks

  • Late 2016 : US embassy staff and at least one Canadian began to notice symptoms

  • May 2017 : US expels two Cuban diplomats for failing to protect its diplomats

  • August : US says 16 employees have been treated but attacks seem to have stopped

  • Early September : US says attacks are continuing and 19 staff members have now been hurt

  • 29 September : Washington pulls diplomatic staff, warns US citizens not to visit and says 21 embassy employees now injured

  • 3 October : US expels Cuban diplomats from Washington

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)