WASHINGTON -- Canada and the United States have responded in drastically different ways to bizarre attacks on diplomatic personnel in Havana, with the Americans pursuing a hardline approach that escalated Tuesday.
The U.S. expelled 15 of Cuba's diplomats from Washington, just days after removing more than half its personnel from Havana to protest the failure to protect Americans from unexplained sonic attacks that have caused dizziness, hearing loss and cognitive damage.
Although several Canadian personnel were also affected this year, the federal government says the attacks have apparently stopped; there have been no incidents since the spring; the Cuban government has been co-operative in investigating the incidents; and there is no change in policy.
A prominent anti-Castro hardliner says he doesn't blame Canada for taking a different tack. While Sen. Marco Rubio urged the U.S. to respond forcefully, he said circumstances will differ from country to country.
"Every nation will have to make their own determination, obviously," Rubio told The Canadian Press.
"But for us it was indisputable that we could not expose our diplomats and people serving abroad to physical attacks. If the host nation can not guarantee their safety, they can't be there."
The U.S. announced Tuesday that it had given the Cuban government a list of 15 names of people who had to leave Washington within one week, the latest move in the fallout of the strange attacks and one which was criticized by the Cuban government..
The move reverses several years of historic momentum toward closer relations between the old enemies, as the Cold War foes only recently re-established diplomatic relations and reopened embassies that had been shuttered for decades.
But the U.S. was adamant Tuesday: diplomatic relations with Cuba will continue. It also stressed that the latest announcements do not mean it believes the Cuban government is behind the unexplained attacks.
"This move does not signal a change of policy or determination of responsibility," a U.S. State Department official said Tuesday.
"We are maintaining diplomatic relations with Havana. The decision on expulsions was taken due to Cuba's inability to protect our diplomats in Havana, as well as to ensure equity in the impact on our respective operations. ...
"We will need full assurances from the Cuban government that these attacks will not continue before we can even contemplate returning personnel."
The U.S. also disclosed that the attacks had produced a 22nd victim, one more than previously reported. That person was the victim of an attack in January. The incidents stopped for a time, but reportedly recurred as recently as late August.
The Canadian government said there have been no known Canadian victims since the spring. Canada, which has historically had far warmer relations than the U.S. with Castro-led Cuba, announced last week that it is not following Washington's lead in withdrawing diplomats.
"We do not have any reason to believe Canadian tourists and other visitors could be affected," said a statement last week from Ottawa.
"Canada currently has no plans to change its travel advice and advisory for Cuba or remove its staff from Cuba."
The Associated Press reported that Cuban official called the American response "irresponsible," and "hasty."
President Raul Castro's government has denied involvement in the attacks.
Before full diplomatic relations were restored in 2015, Cuba had about two-dozen accredited staffers at what was then called the Cuban interests section, according to a State Department list. The AP reports that the number at times climbed as high as more than 50, and the latest edition of the U.S. "Diplomatic List" identifies 26 accredited Cubans at the embassy, almost all accompanied by spouses.
The removal of 15 will reduce the Cuban staffing to roughly a dozen accredited diplomats.
In Havana, the U.S. had roughly 54 diplomats in its embassy until deciding Friday to pull more than half of them out and leave behind only "essential personnel." The departing Americans are expected to have all left Cuba by week's end, officials said.
The Cuban diplomats being expelled will not be deemed "persona non grata," officials said, a designation that would prevent them from ever returning to U.S. soil.
To medical investigators' dismay, symptoms have varied widely. In addition to hearing loss and concussions, some people have experienced nausea, headaches and ear-ringing. The AP has reported that some now suffer from problems with concentration and common word recall.
With files from The Associated Press
