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CNN Live Saturday

Recent Anthrax Scare Just A Scare

Aired November 08, 2003 - 14:22   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.


KELLI ARENA, CNN ANCHOR: Well two years ago at this time, five people died and 13 others got sick from anthrax-laced letters making their way through the postal system. No one has ever been arrested in the case. Leonard Cole is in New York. He is the author of the book "Anthrax Letters." We thank you for joining us.
LEONARD COLE, AUTHOR, "ANTHRAX LETTERS:" Pleased to be with you, Kelli.

ARENA: Let's start with what your reaction is to how the postal service handled the possibility of another anthrax attack this time around. Quite different from what we saw two years ago. Wasn't it?

COLE: Way different. They were kind of late in getting to shutting down some of the postal facilities. Some were closed earlier, up in New Jersey there was one closed three days before the large facility in Washington was and unfortunately. There's a suit now being levied against the postal inspectors or the post's officials down in Washington.

ARENA: Some suggest that the pendulum has swung too far to the other side, though. That in this case, they may not have needed to shut down every single one of those facilities. Do you agree, or is this really just the post office being responsible?

COLE: I think the post office is, as we could say, gun shy, defensive about this. It's understandable. Frankly, I know it cost money and I know that it cost a lot of disruption, but can you imagine the possibility that if there were a positive finding for anthrax in more than one of those facilities, and they were still left open, you'd see a lot more concern and criticism than for having prematurely closed or possibly prematurely closed.

ARENA: Well, do you believe that the U.S. now is ready for a possible bio error attack?

COLE: Well you know, when you say ready, how ready are we for any kind of violence or any kind of activity on the streets? A person could be on 42nd Street in New York and some lunatic could throw a grenade, or some bullets could be sprayed around. We're vulnerable, but the truth is we're a lot better prepared for a bio attack or a chemical attack then we were two years ago, largely because of the experience of two years ago.

I mean the very reaction you have from the postal facility is, a, because our detector devices are in place that had not been the case two years ago. That gave some kind of false positive. It gave the indication anthrax might well be there. It wasn't until later confirmed test indicated that was a false positive, no anthrax spores there. That was not the case even in terms of having that capability for early detection two years ago.

I think everyone being more concerned, the fact that the medical community now is familiar with something like anthrax or smallpox or plague, these are exotic biological weapons that hardly doctors have experience with.

ARENA: All right, Mr. Cole, I am really sorry. We have to cut you short. Thank you for joining us. Leonard Cole, the author of "The Anthrax Letters." We'll be back in just a moment.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired November 8, 2003 - 14:22   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KELLI ARENA, CNN ANCHOR: Well two years ago at this time, five people died and 13 others got sick from anthrax-laced letters making their way through the postal system. No one has ever been arrested in the case. Leonard Cole is in New York. He is the author of the book "Anthrax Letters." We thank you for joining us.
LEONARD COLE, AUTHOR, "ANTHRAX LETTERS:" Pleased to be with you, Kelli.

ARENA: Let's start with what your reaction is to how the postal service handled the possibility of another anthrax attack this time around. Quite different from what we saw two years ago. Wasn't it?

COLE: Way different. They were kind of late in getting to shutting down some of the postal facilities. Some were closed earlier, up in New Jersey there was one closed three days before the large facility in Washington was and unfortunately. There's a suit now being levied against the postal inspectors or the post's officials down in Washington.

ARENA: Some suggest that the pendulum has swung too far to the other side, though. That in this case, they may not have needed to shut down every single one of those facilities. Do you agree, or is this really just the post office being responsible?

COLE: I think the post office is, as we could say, gun shy, defensive about this. It's understandable. Frankly, I know it cost money and I know that it cost a lot of disruption, but can you imagine the possibility that if there were a positive finding for anthrax in more than one of those facilities, and they were still left open, you'd see a lot more concern and criticism than for having prematurely closed or possibly prematurely closed.

ARENA: Well, do you believe that the U.S. now is ready for a possible bio error attack?

COLE: Well you know, when you say ready, how ready are we for any kind of violence or any kind of activity on the streets? A person could be on 42nd Street in New York and some lunatic could throw a grenade, or some bullets could be sprayed around. We're vulnerable, but the truth is we're a lot better prepared for a bio attack or a chemical attack then we were two years ago, largely because of the experience of two years ago.

I mean the very reaction you have from the postal facility is, a, because our detector devices are in place that had not been the case two years ago. That gave some kind of false positive. It gave the indication anthrax might well be there. It wasn't until later confirmed test indicated that was a false positive, no anthrax spores there. That was not the case even in terms of having that capability for early detection two years ago.

I think everyone being more concerned, the fact that the medical community now is familiar with something like anthrax or smallpox or plague, these are exotic biological weapons that hardly doctors have experience with.

ARENA: All right, Mr. Cole, I am really sorry. We have to cut you short. Thank you for joining us. Leonard Cole, the author of "The Anthrax Letters." We'll be back in just a moment.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com