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CNN Saturday Morning News

Letter Containing Anthrax Mailed to Senator Leahy

Aired November 17, 2001 - 10:23   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now we want to go back and turn our attention to the new anthrax concerns on Capital Hill. Our CNN congressional correspondent Kate Snow joins us from Washington with more details.

Hi, Kate.

KATE SNOW, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, good morning, Kyra. The latest letter found in a bunch of mail that was being sorted through by the FBI, 250 barrels of congressional unopened mail that had been gathered up from here and taken away when that first letter to Senator Tom Daschle was opened about five weeks ago. This latest letter sent to Senator Patrick Leahy, he is a Democrat of Vermont and a fellow Democrat and the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Now, the FBI says the letter appears in every respect to be similar to the one you just saw on your screen, that letter that was sent to Senator Tom Daschle and also to two other anthrax-tainted letters that were discovered. Senate sources the handwriting on these letters is appearing to be very, very similar.

Now, initial tests by the FBI show the Leahy letter appears to contain anthrax, but because it has been nearly five weeks since it was removed from Capitol Hill, health officials say it poses little risk.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. GREG MARTIN, CAPITOL PHYSICIAN'S OFFICE: The first two weeks are the most dangerous period. And we're well beyond that now. We've seen no evidence of cutaneous or inhalation disease in any of our patients at the capital and we are quite confident that we will not see any because of this letter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: Now, as a precaution, the Capitol Police will close down two offices here on Capitol Hill later this afternoon -- one of the Senate office buildings that houses Senator Leahy's office, the other, a Senate building that houses the mail room for the Senate side of the capitol. Again, it's just a precaution. They're not exactly sure, Kyra, whether this letter ever even made it to those offices. In fact, it could have been collected and returned to the FBI before ever reaching Capitol Hill.

Back to you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, Kate, does this letter provide any new clues. They hope it does. You know, investigators all along have thought and suspected that there might be at least one other letter out there and for -- you know, to explain why there were so many that got sick and even two deaths here in the Washington area. And they're hoping that because this is an unopened letter, that perhaps it provides a lot of clues. They're able to take it away and get it to a laboratory and they can open it up in a contained environment. Maybe they'll be some clues in that letter that will help them find the author -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Now, how long will it take to go through all the other bundles of mail and...

SNOW: Yes.

PHILLIPS: ... and how exactly will that be tested? No doubt, this is going to be a very long process again.

SNOW: Well, yes, they've been going through every single one of these 250 barrels of mail from Capitol Hill. They started it earlier this week. They're dressed up in environmental protected suits and going into this warehouse. They're combing through every single barrel and we understand they're almost done with that process, but it's quite possible they could find another piece of mail out there -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, our Kate Snow, CNN congressional correspondent with the latest on that letter. Thank you so much Kate.

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