A single line often inverts meaning once you see what it
answers, so neighbouring messages are always shown.
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October 8-21, 2001 - Historic, breaking news every day. New York City, Washington, D.C., Florida are targets of mail-related anthrax cases. As of Oct. 21 there have been 9 cases of anthrax - 1 death from inhalation, 2 serious inhalation anthrx and 6 cutaneous anthrax with about 40 documented "exposures:. Check news clips for accuracy. Secretary Thompson appointed me Chair of the Vaccine Technology Team to determine the scientific and technical feasibility of upscaling the production of smallpox vaccine - see Memo of October 17 (Wednesday) from ASF to Claude Alan (Deputy Secretary, DHHS). Within this period of time there has been major inconsistencies regarding the "grade" of the anthrax involved in the above exposures. I have spoken with USAMRIID current and former scientists, particularly Co. Peter Jahrling. He has examined the material from Sen. Daschle's office and finds that it clearly is finely milled and what he would consider "weapon grade". He told me that it was better than any bioweapon of anthrax that the USA has ever made. He believes that it was from Iraq. To my amazement, Gov. Ridge (Penn) was recently appointed to the Cabinet-level post of Director of the Office of Homeland Security and he went on television stating that he was told by scientists (likely CD and/or Army people that this was "garden-variety" anthrax; that is was sensitive to all antibiotics and that it was definitely not weapon grade. I was floored. I called back Peter Jahrling and he said that he looked at under low power and it looked like a clump, which would suggest that is was crude and not weapon grade. However, when he looked under electron microscope he saw pure spores that were finely milled. He hydrated the system and the spores became totally suspended and remained so which is the definition of weaponized. Clearly, someone is intentionally not telling Gov. Ridge the truth or he is masking the truth. The obvious potential reason is that the USA does not want to deal right now with the obvious conclusion that the material came from Iraq. I have been trying to cry the warning. I mentioned this to Terrell Halaska (Deputy Chief of Staff to Tommy Thompson) as well as to Stuart Simonson of OGC/OS/DHHS. I also hinted to Tim Russert, Sen Lieberman and Sen John McCain who were my co-guests on "Meet the Press" on Sunday, Oct. 21, 2001. I believe that there will be hell to pay when the American public realizes that they have not been dealt with in a totally open manner. Lew
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Oct. 8 - 17, 2001 - Thompson asks me to chair a "Vaccine Technology Team" to provide scientific and technical feasibility with pros, cons, and recommendations on how to expand the existing smallpox vaccine stores and develop new, additional stores. See my Oct. 17 memo to Thompson.
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Oct. 10, 2001 - Met at St Regis Hotel in Washington, D.C. with Secretary Thompson; Secretary of State for Health, UK Mr. Alan Milburn; Minister of Health of Canada, Mr. Allan Rock; Secretary of Health of Mexico, Julio Frenk to discuss international collaborations in Public Health related particularly to the response to bioterrorism. Claude Allen and Tommy Thompson appoint me chair of a committee to advice on technical matters related to smallpox vaccine manufacture, testing and application.
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Oct. 21 - 22, 2001 - More cases of inhalation anthrax, most recently in a DC Postal worker who did not touch the Daschle letter, but who was only in the central Post Office Building where the letter was initially sorted. I am convinced that this is very high grade material. I in good conscience cannot refrain from bringing this to the attention of DHHS forcefully. I spoke to Stu Simonson (Oct. 21) and told him that he must tell Secretary Thompson of my concerns. I also mentioned this to Frank Sesno (CNN) who has called me at home because of the concern that there may have been an exposure at CNN since they have contracted a private environmental firm to monitor their offices. They received a tentative positive ID for anthrax in the environment and called me. I told Frank that he must report this to the CDC and gave him the appropriate number. He did so and is now working with the CDC. On Oct. 22 at a CNN morning appearance, I saw Frank Sesno again and he wanted to pursue our conversation. I strongly urged him to explicitly ask Gov. Ridge just from whom he is getting information that this is not weaponized material. I believe that it is of weapons grade given my conversations with Peter Jahrling at USAMRIID. Also, I received a phone call from Sen. Bill Frist who was in NYC. We had both been on the Diane Rehm Show this AM and he called to ask advice on how to get the correct message out. I also implored Sen. Frist to look into the weaponizing situation in the same manner that I did with Frank Sesno. Hopefully this will get straightened out before all credibility is lost. See New York Times article of October 22, 2001 by Judith Miiler and Sheryl Stolberg.
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2001-10-23 00:00
Anthony S. Fauci
Oct. 23, 2001 - Major problem in that DC Postal workers are enraged that they were not given CIPRO. They feel that there was not enough care in surveying their Brentwood mail facility. See news accounts around this time. I directly and forcefully told Sec. Thompson that Gov. Ridge had either been mislead or was misleading the American people (which I doubt) regarding the quality of the anthrax spores that had been obtained from the Daschle letter (see above). I strongly suggested to him that he meet with the President and with Gov Ridge to emphasize that we cannot serve the public well with regard to the Public Health if we are not given correct information. Someone at that meeting leaked this to the NY Times and Sheryl Stolberg called me and heard that I had "angrily confronted the FBI for withholding information". I refused to comment; however, off the record I mentioned that the FBI was not in the room at that meeting and that I was trying to get Sec. Thompson to demand the truth.
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Oct. 24, 2001 - Called to emergency meeting at DHHS. Thompson in a very concerned state of mind; asked for my help and counsel. We now have reliable intelligence that the USA will be hit with a major bioterrorism attack within the next several days (from present to Oct. 31). He appointed me in charge of all vaccines. It was clear that the CDC was not responding adequately. I was amazed at the disconnect between that CDC and DHHS and the lack of responsiveness of the CDC to the Secretary. I have lost confidence in their capability of responding to any bioterrorism attack, much less a major one that is being predicted. Thompson wants to move all responsibilities away from CDC and put them in DHHS office with me in charge of vaccines. I encourage him not to dismantle the CDC, but to try and fix it. If Jeff Koplan does not cooperate, then fire him. I will prepare a vaccine report for anthrax similar to the one that I prepared for smallpox (see above).
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Oct. 25, 2001 -- The Miller/Stolberg article appears in the NY Times. I come out looking good. All stories break that the Daschle letter anthrax is of the highest grade and almost certainly was made by and/or stolen from a country and not made in someone's backroom lab.
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Oct. 25-28, 2001 -- More cases of inhalation anthrax (5 in Washington, D.C. among postal workers.). Media frenzy. I appear on every major network show including Meet the Press on Oct. 21 and This Week with Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts on Oct. 28. Several newpaper editorials in L.A. Times, NY Times and Washington Post (Charles Krauthammer) calling for me to be put in charge of the Bioterrorism effort and response. Major concern is still the clash of the CDC style of doing things without letting DHHS or anyone else know about it and then having mixed messages get out with the style of Tommy Thompson who reverts to the Governor of Wisconsin mode which is to trust a small group of inner circle people and run things from his office. I have become one of these inner circle people. However, I am very concemed that this clash of styles between the CDC and DHHS is very destructive. I am working with Stewart Simonson (Thompson's confidante) and Mike Osterholm to try to get the CDC and the rest of the DHHS to work in harmony so that we can be effective and so that we do not look like a bunch of disorganized incompetents to the rest of the world. It is very frustrating for me.
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Oct 29, 2001 -- More calls by the Press and others for me to be by Gov. Ridge's side for White House Press briefings. Received call from White House that Ridge wants me at the press conference at WH tomorrow. First case in New Jersey of cutaneous anthrax in woman who had no direct connection with postal service. Possibility of contaminated letter from Hamilton Township post office going to her home or place of employment. The plot is thickening!