Ken Dilanian is a well-known journalist who works as the justice and intelligence correspondent for NBC News. He has covered many important stories related to national security, foreign policy, and politics. But recently, some of his fans and followers have been wondering about his health status. Is Ken Dilanian sick? What illness does he have? Here is what we know so far.
A Scary Incident in Moscow
The first hint of Ken Dilanian’s health problems came in December 2017, when he was on a reporting trip to Moscow, Russia. He was staying at a hotel when he suddenly felt very ill. He described his symptoms to NBC’s Andrea Mitchell in an interview:
“I couldn’t stand up,” he said. “I was falling over. I had an incredible sense of nausea and ringing in my ears. I was, frankly, terrified.”
He managed to recover enough to fly back to the U.S., but he never felt the same again. He suffered from chronic fatigue, headaches, dizziness, and cognitive impairment. He had trouble sleeping, concentrating, and remembering things. He visited several doctors and specialists, but none of them could find a clear diagnosis or treatment for his condition.
A Possible Explanation: Havana Syndrome
Ken Dilanian was not the only American official who experienced such mysterious symptoms. Since 2016, dozens of diplomats, spies, and military personnel have reported similar health issues while serving in Cuba, China, Russia, and other countries. The phenomenon was dubbed as the “Havana Syndrome”, after the first cases were reported in the U.S. embassy in Havana, Cuba.
The cause of the Havana Syndrome remains unknown, but some experts and officials have speculated that it could be the result of a deliberate attack by a hostile actor using a microwave weapon. Microwave energy is a type of electromagnetic radiation that can heat up or damage living tissue. Some studies have shown that exposure to pulsed and directed microwave energy can cause neurological and physiological effects, such as headaches, nausea, hearing loss, and brain damage.
A recent report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, commissioned by the State Department, supported this hypothesis. The report concluded that the most plausible explanation for the symptoms suffered by at least some of the affected American officers is “directed, pulsed radiofrequency energy,” a type of energy that includes microwaves
The report did not directly implicate any country or entity as the perpetrator of the attacks, but it noted that Russia has done the most research and development on microwave energy. Some intelligence officials have also expressed their belief that Russia was behind the incidents, as part of its efforts to harass and harm American personnel abroad
The Impact on Ken Dilanian’s Life and Career
Ken Dilanian believes that he was a victim of the Havana Syndrome, and that he was targeted by a microwave device while he was in Moscow. He thinks that his work as a journalist covering sensitive topics made him a potential enemy of the Russian government. He told NBC:
“I was doing a lot of reporting on Russia, on their malign activities in Europe and the United States. And I think that’s what made me a target.”
The illness has taken a toll on Ken Dilanian’s life and career. He had to retire from the CIA in 2020, after 26 years of service. He said that he was unable to perform his duties as a spy and a manager, and that he felt like he was letting his colleagues down. He also had to limit his travel and his reporting assignments, as he could not handle the stress and the physical demands of his job. He said that he felt frustrated and depressed by his situation. He told NBC:
“I loved my job. I loved the people I worked with. And I loved the mission. And to have that taken away from me, it’s been devastating.”
Ken Dilanian is not alone in his struggle. Many other American officers who suffered from the Havana Syndrome have also faced difficulties in getting proper medical care, compensation, and recognition for their injuries. Some of them have filed lawsuits against the U.S. government, alleging that it failed to protect them and provide them with adequate support
Ken Dilanian hopes that the new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will help raise awareness and understanding of the Havana Syndrome, and lead to more action and accountability from the U.S. government. He also hopes that more research and treatment options will be available for him and his fellow sufferers. He told NBC:
“I want to get better. I want to get my life back. And I want to make sure that this doesn’t happen to anyone else.”