US to expel nearly two-thirds of Cuban embassy staff after mysterious ‘sonic’ attacks
It marks yet another major setback for relations between the United States and Cuba, two countries that only recently renewed diplomatic relations after a half-century of hostility
The Trump administration will order nearly two-thirds of Cuba’s diplomatic personnel to leave the United States after months of mysterious “attacks” that have damaged the health of American embassy staff in Havana, according to a congressional source and a person familiar with the plan.
The US State Department was expected to announce the expulsion on Tuesday, the sources said on Monday.
The latest plan was first reported by The Miami Herald, which cited a source as saying the expulsion of Cuban personnel was in “reciprocity” for the US drawdown from Havana.
Watch: most US embassy staff leaving Cuba
The steps being taken by US President Donald Trump’s administration mark a further blow to his predecessor Barack Obama’s policy of rapprochement between Washington and Havana, former cold war foes.