The Foreign Service Journal, June 2022

12 JUNE 2022 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Seeking Closure on Moscow Signal The past three issues of The Foreign Service Journal have carried discussions about the attacks on American Embassy Moscow with microwave radiation from the mid-1960s to the late 1980s and the importance of understanding the details of such attacks in addressing causes and effects of the ongoing Havana syndrome (January-February, March and April ). Two decades ago, I reported on my relevant experience while serving as an FSO in Moscow, living on the third floor of the main embassy building from 1963 to 1966 ( “Blindsided at Embassy Moscow, ” February 2002 FSJ , page 13). I emphasized the shortcomings in the analyses by the State Depart- ment and other government departments of possible health impacts due to the microwave radiation. Then and now I have been particu- larly concerned about the problems that developed in my younger daughter’s eyes beginning in her early 30s: cataracts, numerous retina tears and detachments, and a macular hole in one eye. There seems to be no conceivable explanation for these problems other than exposure to microwave radiation. She was not yet 2 years old when we moved into our apartment, in the direct line of the radiation, with only a double windowpane protecting her. There are now several sources of infor- mation concerning the radiation targeting the embassy, beyond the reports in The Foreign Service Journal , that are of par- ticular relevance. The National Library of Medicine has many significant documents concerning health effects of exposure to microwave radiation. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers regu- larly obtains access to important reports and publications concerning the effect of microwave emissions on human health. The Departments of State and Defense, together with the Defense Intelligence Agency, have released a significant num- ber of declassified documents concerning the problems encountered in Moscow decades ago. Given the continued interest in the microwave impacts in Mos- cow, during the next several months I plan to consolidate available information and begin a detailed evaluation of the subject. I will address: 1) levels and frequency of radia- tion exposures within the embassy; 2) extent and significance of health effects of the radiation (excluding cancer, which is dis- cussed in a recent report of the National Academy of Sciences prepared for the State Department that could not defini- tively attribute cancer to the radiation in Moscow); 3) areas for future research; and 4) relevance of the findings concerning the Moscow radiation to improved under- standing of the Havana syndrome. If others would like to participate in these activities or have suggestions for other areas of focus, please contact me at Gschweitzer@nas.edu . Glenn Schweitzer Former FSO ProgramDirector, National Academy of Sciences Menlo Park, California A Moral Red Line in Ukraine The atrocities being committed by Russia have gone well past any moral red line. Since the U.N. Security Council has become dysfunctional, it is time for the U.N. General Assembly to act, establish an “emergency special session,” and then immediately authorize a true peacekeep- ing force for Ukraine to protect civilian sectors, evacuate civilians who desire to leave and investigate alleged violations of international law. Obviously, such a move is risky. Russia has already shown itself capable of bar- baric acts and a disregard for international norms, and the country does have a large strategic and tactical nuclear arsenal. However, the world must not allow any one country, no matter how well armed, to bully the rest of humanity into submis- sion. That said, this must be a defensive force and must be limited to only defend- ing the territory of Ukraine, no more. It must also use discretion in the pur- suit of its goals. And probably the nations making up the force should not be from the Perm 5 or NATO. There are huge risks. Let’s be hon- est about that. But are we really going to just sit nice, warm and safe behind our own borders while an entire civilization is destroyed, and millions dispossessed in the cold or killed? What does that say about us and our zeal for democracy as a concept? Instead, let the world stand together against genocide and tyranny. Larry Roeder State Department Foreign Affairs Officer, retired South Riding, Virginia n Share your thoughts about this month’s issue. Submit letters to the editor: journal@afsa.org