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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Anthrax Case Discovered in New York City

Aired October 12, 2001 - 19:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Target Terrorism: another case of anthrax of another type in another city.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This has got to cause concern for our nation. But I want everybody in the country to know we're responding rapidly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: We'll have live reports on the response and the investigation and we'll get the medical view. Is this germ warfare? I'll speak with an expert on bioterrorism. Violent protests in Pakistan, even though, in Afghanistan, the U.S. airstrikes are briefly put on hold. We'll go live to the Pentagon and to Islamabad as America targets terrorism.

Good evening. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting tonight from Washington. Within the past few minutes U.S. airstrikes against targets in Afghanistan have resumed. We'll have complete details a little bit later.

But we begin with the anthrax scare. The FBI is investigating a new incident involving anthrax. This time in New York City. An NBC Nightly News employee has tested positive for a skin anthrax infection. The woman, who works at NBC's Rockefeller Center headquarters, had opened an envelope with a suspicious white powder inside. The envelope with a St. Petersburg, Florida postmark was addressed to NBC News nightly anchor, Tom Brokaw.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM BROKAW, NBC ANCHOR: Tonight, we find ourselves in the unusual and unhappy position of reporting on one of our beloved colleagues. A member of my personal staff who has contracted a cutaneous anthrax infection. That's an infection of the skin that is responding favorably to treatment and her full recovery is expected. Other NBC employees are undergoing preventative measures and health officials emphasize that the condition is not contagious. That the chances are remote that anyone else was infected. Still, as you may have noticed, we have moved our base of operations tonight to the home of NBC's Today program. (END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And the woman as Tom Brokaw just said is in good condition and she is expected to make a full recovery. While the case raises new concerns and fears New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is asking people not to overreact.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUDOLPH GIULIANI (R), MAYOR OF NEW YORK: So one piece of good news is that if anyone else was going to be infected it would have happened by now. If this were some kind of a case that was going to have large implications or at least we're hopeful of that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Another scare involved the New York Times. Reporter Judith Miller received a suspicious envelope also with a St. Petersburg postmark. It contained a substance that smelled like talcum powder. That substance is now being tested. In a moment, we'll speak with the New York Times reporter who was there when the envelope was found. But first, CNN's Michael Okwu who is keeping track of all of these latest developments joins us now live from New York. First of all, Michael how are NBC news employees reacting? You've spoken with several of them.

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, I have spoken to several of them. Some of them were quite nervous. Others of them said it was just another day and they had to go on. They expressed of course concern for the women which most of them knew, but of course did not identify. And but other than that they said that it was just another day and they had to continue what they were doing.

In fact, Wolf I got the sense from many of the NBC employees that I spoke to that they really personified the feeling that was prevalent all around, all across New York City streets today. People were quite fearful before the anthrax cases came to light. That because of the FBI alert that was issued yesterday, but the anthrax cases that came forth today, that were made public today I think really put a damper on that.

Now, the building here was never officially evacuated. Many of the employees who work in the building were given the opportunity to leave if they wanted to. Many of them stayed. Many of them left. In fact I spoke to several people, one of whom said to me that look it's like quote "living in Israel." And if that's overstating things at the very least, it gives you a sense of the psyche of New Yorkers these days. That on the one hand they have to be more vigilant than ever if not downright fearful and on the other hand they understand that life has to go on -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Michael, what are you hearing about employees over at the New York Times?

OKWU: Well, I spoke to a source that I have at the New York Times moments ago and he told me that Howell Rains, the executive editor of the New York Times, just moments ago addressed the entire staff of the New York Times. And he said that you can imagine that with this group of very intelligent and inquisitive people that they were very concerned that the tone of the room was one of extreme concern. And he also mentioned to me that there are, at least 26 people who will start on antibiotics at the New York Times as a result of this.

All of the tests so far that have been conducted we should say have been negative. But earlier on this afternoon the New York Times also released a statement in which they said that employees were moved from the newsroom on the third floor to other floors in the building while testing was done and it continues to say that the air in the newsroom was tested for radioactive and chemical substances and that these tests were negative, Wolf.

BLITZER: Michael Okwu in New York. Thank you very much. The Bush Administration is moving quickly to deal with growing public apprehension over the anthrax cases. Let's go live to CNN Senior White House Correspondent John King over at the White House, John.

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the President spent so much time at his prime time news conference last night trying to reassure the American people that the government was doing all it could to reduce the risk of future terrorist attacks here at home. But the President woke up this morning; he was briefed on this case in New York and the New York Times case as well and realized he'd have to do it all over again.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KING (voice-over): Defiance is one weapon in the President's fight against fear.

BUSH: They will not take this country down.

KING: Not long ago this tribute to Hispanic heritage would've been just another White House event, but there is no such thing as routine anymore. Every sign of emotion watched around the world. Every hour it seems bringing a new ripple to the war on terrorism. This day's biggest challenge, another anthrax case. This one in New York.

BUSH: I want everybody in the country to know we're responding rapidly.

KING: No evidence yet of any link to Osama Bin Laden or terrorism. But plenty of suspicion.

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: With the copies of the manuals that they actually used to train people with respect with how to deploy and use these kinds of substances so you start to piece it all together. Again, we have not completed the investigation and maybe it's coincidence, but I must say I'm a skeptic.

KING: The Justice Department is leading the investigation and reminding Americans everywhere to take precautions.

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The individuals receive mail of which they are suspicious, they should not open it. They should not shake it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: The government is taking new precautions as well. New security measures to deal with bioterrorism here at the White House and the Capitol. All 8,300 facilities across the country managed by the General Services Administration have been given new guidelines, strict new guidelines on how to handle the mail. And we're told, Wolf that the Administration is preparing a multi-billion dollar emergency spending request for the overall war on terrorism, likely to include we are told several billion dollars for new bioterrorism defense -- Wolf.

BLITZER: John King at the White House, thank you very much. And the New York anthrax exposure is supposedly cutaneous in its form, transmitted that is through the skin. To get some insight let's get to CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Sanjay, first of all what's the difference between a natural form of anthrax and manmade anthrax?

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's an important question, Wolf.

Natural anthrax usually refers to naturally occurring. What it doesn't mean and here's sort of the important point -- when it's natural you can still take that anthrax. You can take it to a different location and you can perform this thing called weaponizing it, drying it, grinding it up and making it into a spore small enough to be inhaled. Weaponizing it does not mean that it was manmade.

If you trace it through testing it's still going to come back as that natural line of anthrax, even though it was weaponized. So a difference there. When you talk about manmade, you're actually talking about doing something to the bacteria itself. Doing things like trying to make it more antibiotic resistant, perhaps more lethal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): This is the most common and treatable form of the disease. It is very different from inhalation anthrax; the form that killed the Florida man and reached two others who worked in the same building. None of the forms of anthrax are contagious from one person to another. Cutaneous infection most commonly occurs if the anthrax spores or bacteria come in contact with an open wound, cut or sore in the skin. Anthrax is unlikely to infect a person if it merely touches healthy or intact skin. Most cutaneous anthrax cases are from contact with an infected animal.

However, it can also be weaponized and delivered through for example powder contaminated with anthrax spores. The incubation period ranges from 12 hours to five days. At first a patient may notice an itch, a rash, which may eventually turn black. If left untreated, the anthrax spores can travel through the bloodstream and get into the lymph glands. The bacteria can infiltrate the body's immune system causing shock and in some cases death. Several types of antibiotics are effective to treat the cutaneous form of the disease, including penicillin and Cipro.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: And even without antibiotics, three out of four patients will fully beat the infection. With antibiotics, nearly all patients will recover. Wolf.

BLITZER: Sanjay Gupta, thank you very much for joining us and we have some new pictures that are just being release right now. I want to put those up on the screen. These are new pictures that the Department of Defense has just released showing missiles being launched at the targets in Afghanistan.

This is from the USS John Paul Jones, a warship that's launched some cruise missiles. We'll have more on that upcoming shortly, but as we've just heard the suspicious envelope which went to the New York Times was received by a reporter who's written a book about biological weapons. I'm joined now by another New York Times reporter, science writer Josh Schwartz, who's also co-written a book on the bioterrorism threat. He's in our New York bureau. John, thank you for joining us. First of all tell us what it was like at the New York Times today when everyone got word that there was this suspicious envelope that arrived.

JOHN SCHWARTZ, REPORTER, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": Well, of course everyone was concerned. There's a lot of confusion when something like this happens. People tell you that you can't leave the building, you can't go from one floor to another. They ask you to go downstairs. They ask you to go upstairs. It's all part of the process of trying to get a handle on the situation. But throughout it all, people were pretty calm.

BLITZER: And what about Judy Miller, the reporter at the New York Times an old friend of all of ours, who received this letter? How's she doing?

SCHWARTZ: Well from what I understand she's doing fine. She sits around the corner from me. I didn't see her while this was going on. Friends who were sitting right next to her and overhearing the conversation said that once the envelope was open and she spilled the white powder on herself she got up moved to another chair and immediately started reporting that story. She's just unstoppable.

BLITZER: First of all give her our best wishes. All of us here at CNN, of course. The Washington Post had an editorial today and I want to read a sentence or two from it because you're an authority on this whole subject of bioterrorism. It said this: a concerted effort to prevent panic may be able to dissuade people from depleting antibiotic stocks, unwisely self-medicating or otherwise undercutting the nation's best attempts at readiness." But how do you stop people from panicking in a situation like this? SCHWARTZ: It's always hard to change people's emotions. Try to stop a stock market rally. Try to stop a stock market plunge. It can't be done. All you can do is try to explain and explain and explain what the situation is. In the case of biological terrorism, stockpiling Cipro is not going to do you any good. The likelihood that it's going to happen to you is very low. The likelihood that a run on the drug is going to make it impossible to get the drugs where they need to go if something happens is very high. So stockpiling Cipro is not only a bad idea, it's bad for the country.

BLITZER: And if you start taking Cipro and you don't need it, it could be countereffective couldn't it?

SCHWARTZ: Well, it's a drug. It's got side effects. You don't know whether you're going to have a problem with it or not. You never take a drug unless you really need and it and it's easy enough to know if you need it. It's easy enough to get these tests. At the New York Times what they said all day long was if anyone wants to get swabbed for this, get a nasal passage swab and get tested, it can be done. If it turns out that there was any anthrax in the envelope. Looks like there wasn't, but in fact the main thing to do is offer the services and offer the help that people need so that they can calm themselves down.

BLITZER: You write something in your book entitled Living Terrors that I want to read. You say this: Even if it is known that a release of biological agents occurred, the potential victims might not know if they were even exposed. Do you recall with perfect accuracy where you were three weeks ago at 3:10 PM? The point being that the incubation period can be anywhere from what -- from 60 days? It's a long time. It allows criminals to really get away.

SCHWARTZ: That's one of the things about biological terrorism that's most insidious. In other words, as the, there isn't a blast. There isn't an event and in fact the realization creeps in over time. A lot of the early damage in a large-scale event could be done before anyone's aware what's going on because they don't recognize the symptoms when they first start appearing.

BLITZER: What's your biggest fear, John?

SCHWARTZ: Well a disease like anthrax is a terrible thing, but it is at least not contagious. The worry down the road is if somebody got a highly infectious agent, if somebody were to buy something like smallpox in which case the damage could be multiplied greatly.

BLITZER: John Schwartz, thank you so much for joining us and once again give everyone at the New York Times our best wishes, especially Judy Miller. And when we come back, the war on terror may also involve a battle for the heart and minds. We'll get a live report on anti-U.S. protests in Pakistan. And the U.S. takes a brief bombing pause as the Pentagon assesses the damage in Afghanistan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. U.S. airstrikes against targets in Afghanistan have resumed even as another round of violent anti- American protests continue in cities in Pakistan. CNN's Christiane Amanpour is live in the capitol, Islamabad with the latest. Christiane, what are you hearing and what are you learning right now?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, reports out of Kabul according to the wire agencies, and we haven't been able to reach Al Jazeera yet to confirm it ourselves, say that the temporary lull appears to be over and that there are new air raids over the capital Kabul. We talked earlier to our sources in Kandahar and it was quiet at that time and clearly people there were relieved it was quiet.

There had been two very heavy nights of bombardment they report to us, in which it was becoming so heavy they said that even in the center of town windows were being broken and they were afraid the mud huts were going to collapse. You know most of the houses there are built in sort of combination of mud and brick. In any event, these renewed bombing and indeed the week of bombing has made sort of already raw passions in this region even more inflamed and there have been obviously more demonstrations in the region, particularly in Pakistan. On the other hand to keep this in perspective, the demonstrations in Pakistan, while they were noisy, while they were quite rowdy, in some instances had to be dispersed with tear gas. They were by no means the kinds of mass demonstrations that the authorities had feared.

So once again, Friday prayers came and went. The demands by the Clerics for the people to get out of the streets came and went and the authorities in Pakistan are yet again breathing a sigh of relief. Because these demonstrations did not get out of hand as the authorities had feared. Indeed the authorities have deployed extra levels of security and have vowed to control the demonstrations. But having said that they were still mostly peaceful and nonviolent.

One other issue that is causing great concern in this region -- particularly now that the air strikes have started -- is the humanitarian situation inside Afghanistan. The U.N. aid officials are really quite worried that very, very many people there are quickly running out of what they need for sustenance and shelter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FILIPO GRANDI, U.N. REGIONAL COORDINATOR: We are very worried. Millions of Afghans are hungry and I would like to stress something that is not often said. Millions of Afghans are also afraid. We are worried because it is very difficult to reach them; very few convoys have been able to reach them in the last few weeks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: Now obviously the U.N. officials are hoping that at some point the neighboring countries Iran and Pakistan, which have so far closed their borders to any potential influx of Afghan refugees. They hope that if the case and the situation becomes dire that those two countries will allow Afghan refugees in here for humanitarian reasons, Wolf. BLITZER: Christiane Amanpour in Islamabad. Thank you very much. And what have the airstrikes in Afghanistan really accomplished? The military assesses the damage. We'll have a report from the Pentagon when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

As we reported, strikes on Afghanistan have resumed after being scaled back for the Muslim Holy Day. At the same time the Pentagon is assessing the damage to Taliban targets from the first days of the attacks. CNN Military Affairs correspondent Jamie McIntyre has details from the Pentagon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Videos from earlier this week show how U.S. laser-guided bombs have put a dent in Taliban air forces. But after six days of pounding, the U.S. is claiming modest success, not victory.

RUMSFELD: We have disrupted their communications somewhat. We have we believe weakened the Taliban military and damaged, but certainly not eliminated their air defense capabilities.

MCINTYRE: Pentagon satellite photos show a missile storage facility and a terrorist training camp damaged by U.S. bombs. On Day Six there were no preplanned attacks in deference to the Muslim Sabbath, but Navy fighters circled the skies looking for pop-up targets. The emphasis over the last few days has been to kill Al Qaeda and Taliban troops and their leaders.

RUMSFELD: The United States is seeking out concentrations of people who are involved in these terrorist activities and in the terrorist training camps and in the terrorist network. And when we find them we do try to deal with them.

MCINTYRE: Pentagon sources say a moving Chevy Suburban believed owned by Taliban leader Mohamed Omar was hit Wednesday night. It's not known who was inside. U.S. intelligence is detecting signs that as many as 400 Taliban fighters have defected to the other side. And the U.S. believes Taliban opposition forces have captured a major town on the main road from the capital, Kabul to the western city of Herat. But so far sources say there have been no major shifts in the front lines in the four key areas where opposition groups are battling Al Qaeda and Taliban forces. The Northern Alliance appears to be waiting for the dust to clear.

RUMSFELD: For those troops to make judgments as to whether or not they intend to take advantage of the work that's been done for them.

MCINTYRE: Meanwhile, the Pentagon continues to plan for the eventual insertion of Special Forces Commandos on the ground. GEN. RICHARD MYERS, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: Many of the conventional efforts that you see today are stage-setters for follow up operations. Some of those efforts may be visible, but many will not.

MCINTYRE: But Secretary Rumsfeld promises any use of ground troops will be in and out.

RUMSFELD: We are, have no aspirations to reside or occupy in their country for a short period of time even.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: So far the U.S. military has been able to strike targets with impunity. Basically because the Taliban haven't taken any efforts to disperse their troops or equipment. In fact it appears that unlike the Serbs who used decoys and deception to avoid NATO bombs in 1999, the Taliban according to one U.S. defense official, haven't seemed to learn much about U.S. military tactics, Wolf.

BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon thank you very much. And coming up at the half-hour for our North American viewers, the role of America's closest ally in the war on terrorism. That's in the Crossfire tonight. Here's Bob Novak with a preview, Bob.

ROBERT NOVAK, "CROSSFIRE": Wolf, thank you.

There's a lot of talk about Churchill and the Battle of Britain in these stir days for America. So tonight we'll question none other than Winston S. Churchill, that is Sir Winston's grandson who believes the special relationship between the U.S. and Britain is alive, well and very important. We'll also talk to an American security expert who disagrees. Next in the Crossfire.

BLITZER: Thank you very much, Bob. Then, I'll be back in just a moment with the latest developments, including the anthrax scare in New York.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Checking the latest developments of the new anthrax scares in New York City. Work goes on at the site of the demolished World Trade Center complex. These are the newest aerial pictures of the site. The latest numbers 4,776 missing, 442 confirmed dead and 384 victims identified. Here in Washington, the agency responsible for security at the U.S. Capitol is considering whether to bring in military troops to help with security needs.

Right now, Capitol Police are said to be stretched to the maximum. That's all the time we have tonight. I'll see you Sunday twice on Late Edition at noon eastern and a special Wolf Blitzer Reports at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Among my guests, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson. Until then, thanks very much for watching.

I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com