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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports
White House Discovers Anthrax in Mail Facility; Congress Holds Bioterrorism Hearings; U.S. Troops Target Taliban Frontlines
Aired October 23, 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: Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting from Washington. The country's most famous residence may be the latest target of the anthrax assault, but the White House believes the bacteria did not make it inside.
Also today:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These global terrorists picked the wrong fight, the wrong country, the wrong leader.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: But the U.S. faces a growing battle on the home front.
Congress holds bioterrorism hearings as its office buildings are closed for an anthrax cleanup. And anthrax letters leave a trail of death and illness through the postal service.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TOM DASCHLE (D-SD), MAJORITY LEADER: This was sophisticated material that I think, obviously, goes back in some way to the terrorist network that performed the operation on September 11th.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: We'll get an update from northern Afghanistan, where U.S. jets are targeting Taliban front lines.
And should the bombing continue during the upcoming Muslim holy month? A dilemma for military planners as "America Strikes Back."
The anthrax investigation is changing, literally, minute by minute. We'll talk to Washington, D.C.'s senior health office, Dr. Ivan Walks, as well as the chief U.S. postal inspector, Ken Weaver, shortly.
But first, we're standing by. President Bush is at the White House. He's been meeting with Congressional leaders. He is about to speak. Let's listen.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... honor to brief key members of the Senate and the House on our trip to the Far East. It was a very successful trip, in that we were able to have an honest dialogue about the need to fight terror. And the 21 nations -- 20 other nations represented there agree with our country and they appreciate our determination to fight and win the war against terror. They understand that an attack on America could have been an attack on them.
And the cooperation was very strong and very evident. And I am most grateful, and I am most grateful for the opportunity to share with the members of the House and the Senate. This is central.
And I want to first thank Chairman Biden and Chairman Hyde and the other members here for standing solidly with the administration to formulate and conduct a foreign policy that's in the best interest of our country. It's oftentimes said that when it comes to foreign policy, partisanship stops, and that's exactly what's happened here at this table. I've had a lot of discussions with both chairman up to now and I will continue having discussions with the leaders of the House and the Senate, because, whether you're Republican or Democrat, we all want to win this war.
I'd be glad to answer a couple of questions.
QUESTION: Sir, is the White House under attack now, the latest anthrax case?
BUSH: Well, there's no question that the evildoers are continuing to try to harm America and Americans. Today, at a remote facility, we detected some anthrax. And just like at the Congress, our government's responding very quickly.
We're working hard to find out who is doing this and bring them to justice. We're also working to develop measures necessary to protect American citizens and postal workers. All of us around this table grieve when we hear the fact that a citizen has lost a life. Two postal workers passed away, and our hearts are with their families; our prayers are with their loved ones. But the evil ones continue.
QUESTION: Mr. President, whatever contaminated that machine, was it a letter or package that got into the West Wing? Or has all mail been cut off?
BUSH: We're making sure that the West Wing, the White House is safe. Let me put it this way, I am confident when I come to work tomorrow that I'll be safe.
QUESTION: Mr. President, have you or the vice president been tested for anthrax? What is your sense of this latest development, since for the most part these attacks have been aimed at prominent people in prominent places? Is it your sense that the real purpose here is to sow fear and confusion in the American public?
BUSH: First of all, I don't have anthrax. And it's hard for Americans to imagine how evil the people are who are doing this.
We're having to adjust our thinking. We're a kind nation, we're a compassionate nation, we're a nation of strong values, and we value life. And we're learning people in this world, you know, want to terrorize our country by trying to take life.
They won't succeed. This country is too strong to allow terrorists to affect the lives of our citizens.
I understand people are concerned, and they should be. But they need to know our government is doing everything we possibly can to protect the lives of our citizens -- everything.
We're waging an aggressive campaign overseas to bring Al Qaeda to justice.
Today, I, in working with the postmaster general, have got our OMB to allocate $175 million for immediate relief -- immediate safety at post offices around the country. This is what he requested, he thinks this is what's necessary to assure the post office employees that they will be as safe as possible, and we're going to spend that money.
Our health care workers are working around the clock to help people in need, and I will tell you that I think not only are they doing a good job, I think they've probably saved a lot of lives by their quick action. And I'm proud of how quickly and how hard they're working.
The object of terrorism is to try to force us to change our way of life, is to force is to retreat, is to force us to be what we're not, and they're going to fail. They're simply going to fail. And I want to assure my fellow Americans that our determination -- I say "ours," I'm talking about Republicans and Democrats here in Washington -- has never been stronger to succeed.
BUSH: And bringing terrorists to justice, protecting our homeland, because what we do today will affect our children and grandchildren. This is our call. This the time for us to act in a bold way, and we are doing just that.
QUESTION: Mr. President, are you now operating on the assumption that the September 11 attacks and the anthrax attacks -- anthrax letters are linked?
And if I may shift gears for a second and ask about your meeting with Foreign Minister Peres...
BUSH: Yes.
QUESTION: ... would an Israeli failure to withdraw from the Palestinian areas make it harder to keep Arab states in the international anti-terrorism...
BUSH: Well, I told Shimon Peres that, first of all, our country and the people of our country are saddened by the fact that the cabinet minister was assassinated. That's just unacceptable behavior.
I also told him that we continue to call upon Chairman Arafat to do everything he can to bring the killer to justice. It's very important that he arrest the person who did this, or those who did this act, and continue to arrest those who would disrupt and harm Israeli citizens. He must should the resolve necessary to bring peace to the region.
And finally, I did express our concern about troops in Palestinian territory. And I would hope the Israelis would move their troops as quickly as possible.
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)
BUSH: Well, he's a very thoughtful man. He's a friend. A friend of America's. And he listened very carefully.
Your first question was?
QUESTION: The link between September 11...
BUSH: Well, we don't have any hard evidence, but there's no question that anybody who would mail anthrax with the attempt to harm American citizens is a terrorist.
And there's no question that Al Qaeda is a terrorist organization. So it wouldn't put it past me that there are -- you know, it wouldn't surprise me that they're involved with this. But I have no direct evidence.
I do know that this country is strong enough to endure -- to endure the evil ones. And we're making great progress on the ground in Afghanistan and we'll bring the Al Qaeda to justice, and we're doing everything we can to find out who mailed these letters.
QUESTION: Have you been tested for anthrax?
BUSH: I don't have anthrax.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, all.
BUSH: I don't have it. I'm going to work tomorrow, too.
BLITZER: President Bush, at the White House meeting with the chairman of House International Relations Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as well as other members, declaring something that probably none of us ever thought we would hear a president of the United States say. Simply, "I don't have anthrax." He said that a few times, when asked if he had been tested, and if he is being treated for anthrax. The president repeating, "I don't have anthrax."
Mr. Clinton also saying that there is still no hard evidence to point -- excuse me, Mr. Bush, saying he doesn't have any hard evidence to determine who was responsible for the anthrax attacks, whether there's a direct link to Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden, although he says, he wouldn't put it past them.
The president, also announcing that he's accepted a recommendation from the postmaster general for $175 million, for what he described as "immediate relief" to help postal workers get through this immediate crisis.
Let's go live to our senior White House correspondent, John King. John, we also learned today within the past hour or so, that they did discover some traces of anthrax, small traces of anthrax, at a remote postal facility that services the White House. What's the latest on that?
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, investigative sources are telling us that they think the assumptive possibility right now is that that letter was contaminated. A letter or letters was contaminated, when at the Brentwood facility, that processes mail for the District of Columbia, White House mail is opened and screened at this off-site facility.
And there is no powder, no evidence of any package specifically itself containing anthrax. But a slitting machine, the machine that opens the White House mail so that it can be run through more security checks -- did have a very low trace level of anthrax, we are told, in a test conducted this morning.
Now, this machine has been tested periodically, we are told, since September 11th, especially since the anthrax scares of the past week or two. They're refusing to say exactly when it was last tested, but in that test this morning, a very low trace level, we are told, of anthrax spores was detected. No one at the facility has reported any symptoms or any illness, but as a precaution, those workers are being tested and being offered treatment, antibiotics if they so choose.
And workers at the mailroom facilities that are not in the White House itself, but as part of the White House campus, also being tested, as well as the mailrooms off campus here at the White House. The president there saying, as you noted, that he does not have anthrax, refusing to answer directly the question, when asked if he had been tested. But he obviously had an answer, so one would presume he has been tested in the days and weeks since.
One more footnote: the president also making clear that in a meeting with the Israeli foreign minister, Shimon Peres, today, he made clear, bluntly so, we are told by sources, that he wants Israel to withdraw its troops from the Palestinian territories. The president making clear in that meeting that Arab outrage at the Israeli action is hurting his efforts -- harming his efforts to hold together this international coalition -- Wolf.
BLITZER: John, you listened very carefully to all of the words, as all of us do, precise words that the president uses. Did you get the sense that he's beginning to suspect very seriously that these anthrax attacks here in the United States are in fact linked to Osama bin Laden and the Al Qaeda organization, more so than homegrown, domestic, American terrorists? KING: We heard the president there, and I just was speaking to Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska on his way out of that meeting with the president. He said the president was asked in private as well, and that the president said, "there is no hard evidence," making the direct link between these anthrax cases and Osama bin Laden. But you did hear the president say this is terrorism, sending anthrax in the mail is terrorism, and that the bin Laden organization is capable of that. And we have heard the president in the past, say words like -- quote -- "I wouldn't put it past him."
But still, no hard link here. And we are told from people who have met with the president in recent days, that is one of his frustrations. While he fully applauds the investigation and believes investigators are working as hard as they can, very frustrated that they have yet to come up with any firm clues linking this anthrax back to a source.
BLITZER: John King at the White House. And of course, we'll be back to you as developments continue.
But imagine this for a moment: the United States Congress holds a hearing on bioterrorism, but the hearing takes place away from Capitol Hill because parts of the Hill have been attacked by bioterrorists.
This is not science fiction. It did, indeed, happen today. And despite the disruptions, Congress is doing its best today to carry out its constitutional duties. CNN Congressional correspondent Kate Snow is outside the U.S. Capitol with the latest from there -- Kate.
KATE SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, a bit of an odd day on Capitol Hill, to be sure. The Senate did come in for regular business this morning. They went into the Senate chamber about 9:30 a.m. Eastern time. They worked on a foreign aid bill and on some judicial nominees of President Bush.
Meantime, House members just now returning back to Capitol Hill. They're going to be taking a vote within the hour, their first vote. But their office buildings are all shut down, both on the Senate and the House sides. None of the staff members have access to their office buildings. That's so environmental teams can continue working on screening through all of those office buildings.
Today we saw more crews suited up in environmental gear. This is protocol for them, going into House office buildings, specifically, looking for traces of anthrax. At this hour, health officials discussing when and whether those buildings might be able to reopen again.
Senator Tom Daschle indicating this afternoon that he is hopeful that some of the Senate side buildings -- those that were swept through first after the initial letter to Daschle was discovered -- some of those buildings he hopes might be able to be open, he says, as soon as tomorrow. Other members on Capitol Hill, though, Wolf, saying they're a little bit more uncertain about that. They think it may take quite a bit of time before the areas completely secured, and feel confident and safe, that people can get back to business without any threat -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Kate, the White House is clearly now about go through what Capitol Hill has already gone through, and is continuing to go through: search, of course, for anthrax. Are there specific lessons that leaders on the Hill have learned that could be applied to the White House?
SNOW: There are a number of lessons being taken away from the experience of the past week here. One thing Congressional leaders have learned is that is it is better to be safe than sorry. It's better to err on the side of caution.
You recall last week, House members took some criticism for deciding to get out of town. They felt vindicated, though, over the weekend, when some traces of anthrax were found on the House side of the campus here, in one of the House office buildings.
Also, they've learned to look at the chain, look back. From when the letter arrived at Senator Daschle's office, it didn't just go there. It went through a mailroom on the Senate side, it went through an off site postal facility here, an intake facility here. And of course, it went through the Brentwood facility the city of Washington, which is now affecting so many people. That's another lesson they learned.
And finally, Wolf, I think one of the final lessons they learned is just to be very careful when they are responding to something like this. There are six Capitol Hill police officers today, who are testing positive for exposure to anthrax, because they went into that office wearing their plainclothes -- wearing their uniform, I should say, and not wearing any protective gear.
Back to you, Wolf.
BLITZER: Kate Snow on Capitol Hill, thank you very much.
Now the situation facing Washington, D.C. postal workers, two of whom now have confirmed to have died from anthrax, two whom are also infected, plus two more now believed to be infected, but not yet 100 percent confirmed. Those are numbers we have right now, but, the numbers of course, have been changing throughout the day.
CNN medical correspondent Rea Blakey has an update for us from D.C. General Hospital -- Rea.
REA BLAKEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, I can tell you that the postal employees I have spoken to, many of them not employed at the Brentwood facility, are not only concerned, they are experiencing rather high levels of anxiety. One individual telling me that she is unable to sleep at night, and the more information she hears, the more concerned she becomes.
Basically, the employees there seem to be generally expressing some dismay as to why they're not getting information specifically from the U.S. postal service. They say they're getting a lot of reports from the media. They hear from the health department, but they feel as if the management of the postal service -- and this, again, the employees that I've spoken to -- is not being responsive to their concerns, not making them feel safe and secure in their work environment.
As you might imagine, this is a circumstance that has a number of people across the District of Columbia quite concerned, the postal employees in particular. All of the postal employees in D.C. are now told they need to be treated with Cipro as a precautionary measure. Whether or not they were exposed is really beyond the issue at this point.
Many of those employees still believe that this all should have happened sooner. You talk with Kate Snow about whether or not the White House could learn any lessons from what happened on Capitol Hill. The folks at the Brentwood facility and other post offices around the D.C. area are wondering why the lesson isn't being applied in their circumstance, with what seems like the same level of fervor and intensity.
Mayor Tony Williams has a real charge in front of him these days. Much like Mayor Giuliani, he's got to make sure that he manages the city properly, and he's got to keep everybody calm and relaxed, in what is somewhat of a difficult situation, to put it lightly.
Here is a look at the mayor's sentiments from a news conference, a little earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR ANTHONY WILLIAMS, WASHINGTON: I think all of us can stand today and say that in light of the information we have today, in retrospect, we should have done a number of things earlier. I happen to think that if we knew then what we know now, we would have acted earlier, but we didn't know then what we know now.
I think we have new information now. There's been new experience now. My understanding, from talking to health professionals, is that the science is changing now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLAKEY: Now, the mayor is expected to arrive here at D.C. General within the next half hour or so. He himself says that he will be tested, and take any treatment that the doctors deem necessary -- not only the mayor, but his mother. Both of them have been at a D.C. post office earlier this week -- last week, actually. And they're doing this, not only as a precaution, but the mayor says, in support of the public servants who, at this point, are obviously potentially risking their lives, Wolf, at post offices around the city.
BLITZER: Rea Blakey, outside D.C. General Hospital here in Washington, thank you very much.
We want to check in now with Dr. Ivan Walks. He's the chief health officer of the District of Columbia. Dr. Walks, thanks so much for joining us. You just heard Rea Blakey say the mayor is about to be tested, and presumably, treated. That means he's going to start taking the antibiotic Cipro?
DR. IVAN WALKS, D.C. CHIEF HEALTH OFFICER: Actually, the mayor is within that group of people that we are going to treat. Testing is a public health tool to determine a treatment perimeter. We have determined that treatment perimeter, we expanded it today, and the mayor is within that perimeter. Testing is not needed, treatment is what he needs, and he will get the treatment.
BLITZER: So he'll go in for 60 days of Cipro?
WALKS: He will come in, he'll get a 10-day supply of Cipro, like everyone else has. And as we determined the sensitivity of that particular strain of anthrax, and we, at this point, think there is only one, he will get the appropriate antibiotic. And he will get what everybody else is getting, because his exposure risk is the same.
BLITZER: Were you there at that facility, the Brentwood facility, as well, when he was there?
WALKS: No, and the mayor did not go to Brentwood. The mayor went to the Brooklyn mail facility. But again, now that we have expanded the treatment perimeter, he and his mom are within that treatment perimeter.
It's important to note: the mayor is not sick. The mayor does not have anthrax. The mayor is leading us very well at this time. The mayor is within the treatment perimeter, and as directed by medical folks, he will receive prophylactic treatment.
BLITZER: You heard the mayor acknowledge it was a mistake, with hindsight, that all those postal workers at that facility didn't start taking the treatment last week when the letter went to Senator Daschle, and all the staffers in the Hart Senate office building began receiving the treatment. The suggestion is that, even the best health experts in the United States, at the Centers for Disease Control, and others, are really learning, as this crisis escalates.
WALKS: And I think we have to support that. I think we have to honestly support the fact that people need to be able to learn. As smart as we are, if we're not learning, we're dead -- literally. We're continuing to learn, the science is progressing. We are progressing with it.
Don't make those scientists, those people who are working so hard, be afraid to act on what they know today, because next week, as we learn more, we may look back and say what they should have done last week. Those people are working very hard. They're working very closely with us.
We believe that they will ultimately be vindicated, because we now know that inhalation anthrax is no longer a death sentence. We have people alive, confirmed with inhalation anthrax, and they are clinically stable, getting excellent care, at Inova Fairfax Hospital. BLITZER: You've heard some complaints here in the community, in the District of Columbia, a double standard. One standard for the largely white group of Congressional staffers, another standard for the largely black postal workers, here in Washington. What do you say about that?
WALKS: The District's department of health was not involved in the early Capitol Hill investigation. It was a federal issue, the federal folks handled it. As we became involved, when Brentwood was identified as a place that that letter came from, we again jumped in at that point.
Since then, we have ensured that District residents, District postal workers are getting the highest standard of care. But not only that, responding to September 11th -- on September 26th, the District's health department sent out a very important directive. And it has been key for us, as we have gone through the last couple weeks.
We always have to have people report diagnosis to us. As of September 26th, we wanted people to report symptoms. The gentleman who was first confirmed here in the District went to the hospital. We were notified the same day. He was suspicious. We began to follow that case closely, and that's how we've stayed on top of things.
BLITZER: Dr. Ivan Walks, thanks for joining us. Good luck to you, and good luck to everybody in the District of Columbia. Appreciate it very much.
WALKS: Thank you.
BLITZER: We're going to take a quick break.
When we come back, we'll speak with the chief U.S. postal inspector, Ken Weaver, as well as the former chief U.N. weapons inspector in Iraq, Richard Butler. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back. In his regular briefing today, the chief White House spokesman said that it remains unclear whether the anthrax mailings are the work of homegrown dissidents or terrorists from overseas. But if you go by the results alone, it seems that whoever is responsible is quite good at what they're doing, perhaps professional.
Former U.N. weapons inspector Richard Butler is one of the several experts who are suggesting that the anthrax could -- repeat, could -- have come from Iraq. He joins us now live from New York.
Ambassador Butler, thanks for joining us. Why do you suspect Iraq?
RICHARD BUTLER, FORMER U.N. CHIEF WEAPONS INSPECTOR: Wolf, you were very right when you said that I suspect, OK? We do not know.
This is a really tough situation we're in, now that these additional people have died, the postal workers. We need the facts, Wolf. We've got two paths to walk down. One is the postal route, where the letters came from, who mailed them. The other is the scientific route.
And it's in that context, following the scientific route, that I believe this was rather sophisticated anthrax, not just your common garden variety. It had been refined. That means know-how, that means machinery. And one of the possible places that that could have come from, is Iraq. That's all I'm saying. It could have come from the former Soviet Union.
And we've got to be fair and logical. Maybe there's some crazy person in this country who did it. But, if we walk down that scientific path, we might have a chance of finding out where the stuff came from.
BLITZER: Ambassador Butler, is it a foregone conclusion, absolutely no doubt, that Iraq does indeed have sophisticated quantities of anthrax?
BUTLER: Wolf, I can give you a deliciously simple answer. Yes. Absolutely yes.
BLITZER: Because as you know, they deny it.
BUTLER: Oh, come on! They've denied so many things over the years! You have no idea, the extent to which, you know, they went to conceal from us, their biology program. I mean, it's nonsense.
Wolf, in today's media, there is a credible report that because they think some action may be taken against them soon, they'll be moving their chemical and biological supplies out of the Baghdad area, into safe places in the north and south of Iraq.
Wolf, hear me clearly. Anyone who knows the situation in Iraq will back up what I have said. Yes, of course they have this stuff. They made thousands of gallons of anthrax in the past. What I don't know is exactly how many, because you see, they always tried so hard to keep that final figure, that final quantity from us. You bet. They have it.
BLITZER: I have heard several experts suggest, though, that with Saddam Hussein getting some increased spirit around the world, even in Europe, with the prospect of sanctions being eased, why would he be crazy enough, stupid enough to risk all of that by providing anthrax to those, let's say, who were lacing these letters, delivered mail here in the United States?
BUTLER: Wolf, I hear that stuff, too. And I think it has merit. If you deal with this in a purely rational way, OK, he would be crazy to do what, you know, he may have done. I say, we don't know. He would be crazy, in a sense, to involve himself in this bioterrorism in the United States. You know, were that to be revealed, it would have nothing but terrible down sides for him.
So, on that rational level, sure, maybe he didn't do it. On the nonrational level, I don't know why we don't hear more of this in the West, but this is a man who repeatedly says that -- you know, he hates the United States, and that he will take vengeful action against the United States.
And so, now, whether that's just propaganda to, you know, raise the temperature on the Arab street, or whether he means it -- it's always very hard to fathom. So on a rational level, no. On an irrational level, maybe. But Wolf, what have got to have here is no speculation. We have to have the facts. And if we walk down that scientific path of finding out what kind of anthrax this was and where it may have been made, we will all be greatly advantaged.
BLITZER: Some have pointed to intelligence reports confirming that Mohamed Atta, the suspected ringleader of the September 11 attacks, did have at least one, perhaps two meetings in Europe over the past couple of years with a known Iraqi intelligence agent. Is that enough of a smoking gun? Because clearly in the U.S. intelligence community they are saying it may not necessarily be the smoking gun.
BUTLER: Wolf, those are fact. Those meetings took place. Is it enough of a smoking gun? I doubt it. Let me just make clear what the facts are. Mohamed Atta met twice in Prague with a very senior Iraqi intelligence official. Some reports not verified say that that intelligence official gave him a package. You know, it is implied that that may have contained anthrax spores. We don't know that.
Secondly, we know that the deputy head of Iraqi intelligence went south to the border of Afghanistan and met with Osama Bin Laden. OK? I mean, they are facts. Now, what did they talk about? You know, what did they have in common? What did they plan to do?
There are also reports, by the way, that the original bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993 had Iraqi involvement. Now this is stuff that is out there, Wolf, which is very disturbing. And as I have been very careful to say every time with you or other personalities -- Paula Zahn on CNN -- you know, we must stick to the facts.
All I have ever said is that this would be a fruitful line of inquiry, to see whether or not Iraq was involved. But is it the smoking gun? No, not yet. And believe me, I am deeply convinced that before there were to be any action against Iraq on this case -- you know, on September 11 and everything that has flowed from it -- we would actually need more than a smoking gun. We would need some very hard evidence.
BLITZER: Ambassador Richard Butler, we always appreciate your insight. Thank you very much for joining us.
BUTLER: OK. Thank you.
BLITZER: And when we come back, we will take a look for the first time at copies of the letters to were mailed to Tom Brokaw and Senator Tom Daschle. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: Welcome back. The U.S. Justice Department has just released copies of letters -- the letters with anthrax that were mailed to Tom Brokaw and the "New York Post" as well as to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle. We will take a close look at those letters in just a moment. But first, let's go to Joie Chen in Atlanta for a quick check of the latest developments.
CHEN: Hi, Wolf. We want to keep our viewers up to date on everything that is going on. Within the past half hour, President Bush told reporters -- and this is a quote -- "I do not have anthrax." That abrupt assertion was necessitated by the news this afternoon of the positive test for anthrax at the special facility that processes incoming White House mail. This facility is miles away from the White House at a military base. Mr. Bush's chief spokesman says he is confident that anthrax did not get through to the White House.
Anthrax was confirmed today as the cause of death of two Washington-area postal employees. Two other employees in a mail facility near Capitol Hill remain in critical condition with the inhaled form of anthrax. And two more are postal workers are now believed to have anthrax. Thousands of area postal employees are being given antibiotics as a preventive measure. And as you may have heard here just a short time ago, the city's chief health officer says Mayor Anthony Williams will receive treatment as well.
President Bush's top health appointee says the administration will more aggressively move against anthrax. The pledge by Tommy Thompson came amid charges that the government failed to respond quickly enough to the threat being faced by the postal workers. Thompson also called for faster manufacture of antidotes against a range of biological weapons.
The House and Senate have reconvened. The Congress today is described as still crippled from the recent anthrax mailing to Capitol Hill. Congressional office buildings closed late last week still are off limits. Staffers worked today from temporary spaces cut off from constituent calls.
An Arab-based television network says it received this footage of a U.S. attack on a Taliban convoy carrying fuel. Reports from the region say the attacks occurred today about five miles from the Taliban stronghold, Kandahar. U.S. jets also attacked the Taliban's front lines and alleged terrorist strongholds near Kabul.
But of course, great interest remains today on the anthrax story.
BLITZER: Thank you very much, Joie. Let's take a close look at those letters that the U.S. Justice Department has just released copies of the letters that were mailed to Tom Brokaw, the "New York Post" as well as the Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle.
First let's put up on the screen the letter to was sent to both Tom Brokaw as well as the "New York Post." An identical letter with the date 09-11-01 at the top. Saying: "This is next. Take penicillin now" --penicillin misspelled. Death to America. Death to Israel. Allah is great." Let's put up on the screen now the letter that was sent to Senator Daschle. "You can not stop us. We have this anthrax. You die now. Are you afraid? Death to America. Death to Israel. Allah is great."
Joining us now Dr. Helen Morrison. She is a forensic psychiatrist who has studied these kinds of letters in the past. Dr. Morrison, what is your take -- what do you make -- what do we learn about whoever wrote these letters on the basis of the writing, the substance there?
DR. HELEN MORRISON, FORENSIC PSYCHIATRIST: Well, unfortunately very little. We can do a lot of speculation.
First of all, the printing with the date is very similar, if not exactly the same. If you look at the way the ones are formed, that's not American one. That is a one that is generally down in Europe or the Middle Eastern areas. Number two, the printing is not exactly similar, but there are a lot of similarities, especially if you look at the lines that have to do with "death to America, death to Israel." And "Allah is great."
Were they written by the same individual? That's a big question. However, there must be at least one -- when I talk individuals, one type of situation in which the anthrax is coming from the same source. The DNA tests have shown that to be true. So are they -- and have they scripted letters?
Have they been mailed after 9- 11-01? Obviously they were, looking at the postmarks from Trenton and postmarks that were written for the letters in New York and the letters in Washington. Do they compare at all to what was found in the letter sent from the post office near Boca Raton? I don't know that. I haven't seen that.
But if you look at those envelopes that you are showing on the screen now, there are a lot of similarities in how those were printed, whether they were scripted and printed from a script, or whether a small cell of individuals is writing these letters. It's not clear.
BLITZER: What do you make, Dr. Morrison, of the fact that the way they -- that individual wrote the date at top -- 9-11-01 -- which is the American way of writing a date? The European, the non-American way is very often they put the date first. They would write 11-9-01. What does that say to you?
MORRISON: Well, it says they may have been attempting to -- this is speculation again -- may have been attempting to throw us off, making us think that there is some disgruntled individual in this be country who is at the bottom of this, making it more difficult for to us identify. But if you look at way the ones are formed, that's not American way to form a one.
BLITZER: That's more of a non-American way.
MORRISON: Yes. BLITZER: Also, the fact they had date, 9-11-01 at the top of these letters but they were mailed later. The letter to Tom Brokaw was mailed I guess September 16, the letter to Senator Daschle was mailed in early October. What, if anything, does that mean?
MORRISON: Well, it could mean there is a small group moving around mailing letters from different post offices. They could be the same individuals. And very likely are the same individuals, meaning that they are within the same cell. It's my opinion -- and again, speculation -- but it's my opinion that these were not written by someone who is a disgruntled, unhappy individual in America. It seems to very clearly relate to a supply of anthrax that is similar in all cases and to the possibility that a small cell is doing this writing and sending.
BLITZER: And just to be precise on the Florida, the Boca Raton anthrax incident at the AMI -- the American Media Company, which publishes supermarket tabloids, at least as of right now no one has found a letter that was sent to that place, although the assumption is that a letter did get there, although no specific letter has been found.
MORRISON: No, not yet.
BLITZER: Do you sense that based on the handwriting, based on the substance, based on what we know about these letters, the bottom line, when all is said and done, that this is a sophisticated international terrorist organization or a disgruntled homegrown Americans or an individual? Is there any suspicion that you have based on what you know?
MORRISON: Well, the suspicion of whether it was an American or not was based on the structure of the sentences. It's not easy to learn how to write English. It's not easy to learn how to write English appropriately. But then again, you look have to look at the fact that many of the people in the cells have lived in the United States for quite a long period of time. They are very sophisticated. They have to be, in order get this supply of anthrax. This is not just something that's been picked up in a barnyard are in a stream somewhere. This is definitely a very pure form of anthrax.
BLITZER: The best forensic scientist in the United States will be scrutinizing these letters, other evidence. Specifically with the letters, what do you think they will be looking for most specifically?
MORRISON: Most specifically, they are going to be looking at strokes. They are going to be looking at slants of letters. They are going to be looking at whether or not this was traced from something, whether or not it was written by the same person trying to change their hand or trying to change the slant of the letters. That can be picked up by a good forensic clinician.
BLITZER: Dr. Helen Morrison, I want to thank you very much for your expertise, your insight into these letters. We will be studying them, I guess, for a long time. Appreciate it.
MORRISON: Yes, we will. Thank you very much.
BLITZER: Thank you very much. And a case of inhalation anthrax has now been confirmed in a letter carrier in New Jersey. For -- you may recall that the contaminated letter sent to NBC as well as to the Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle had been traced to the Trenton area in New Jersey, although the exact origin remains unclear.
CNN's Gary Tuchman in Hamilton Township, near Trenton, with the latest from there -- Gary.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, behind me the postal sorting facility here in Hamilton Township that has now been closed for five days and will remain closed indefinitely because at least 13 different areas have tested positive for anthrax.
But that's not the worst anthrax news here in the state of New Jersey. That news came today with the announcement that a woman who works in this building has tested positive for the most deadly form of anthrax, the inhalation anthrax. That was the very disappointing news, and news that has created a lot of anxiety here at this particular post office.
There are a lot of people inside here right now who are going about their work, because you can see there is a tent place there. That tent behind me is where the post office work is taking place. 60 percent of the letters inside are still going out.
What's interesting is we have seen an observation that most of the people inside the tent are not wearing gloves. We asked them why, and they told us they did not feel it was necessary. As you said, three of the letters with anthrax have been postmarked from here: the letter to NBC news, the letter to the Senate Majority Leader, and the letter to the "New York Post".
This woman, whose name has not been released, is said to be in serious but stable condition, we are told. We are also told she is holding her own and that indeed is good news.
Now, another post office in this area, about 15 miles away from here in Ewing Township, New Jersey -- it's a small post office, a satellite office where the mail from here gets sent-- that's where a letter carrier has been affected. She has skin anthrax. We've reported that for the last few days. And that particular woman walked a mail route in Ewing Township. She is doing OK, we are told. A short time ago we talked with a letter carrier who today was walking the exact same route.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's my job. I got to do it. I mean, if something happens, you know, we have got to put the mail out. You can't stop the mail.
TUCHMAN: Are you worried about your health, about your well- being?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've just got to be careful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: But of course in a situation like this, it's very hard to quantify just how to be careful. It's not like looking out for traffic or looking out for mean dogs. This is a whole different world we're living in right now. The people who work behind me, the people who work in the other post office -- more than 1,000 of them -- have been told they all should go to the doctor -- many of them already have -- and that they should all get prescriptions for the antibiotic Cipro. It really is a different time and there is a lot of anxiety from these people. Wolf, back to you.
BLITZER: Gary Tuchman in New Jersey. Thank you very much.
And the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins in the middle of November. Should the U.S. stop bombing during Ramadan? We will have debate when we come back.
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BLITZER: The Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins on or about November 17th, with the sighting of the new moon. Many are urging the United States to stop bombing targets in Afghanistan during Ramadan. Joining us now to debate this issue are Nihad Awad -- he's executive director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and Larry Wortzel of the Heritage Foundation. He's also a former U.S. Army colonel and has been director of the U.S. Army War College's Strategic Studies Institute. Thanks for joining us. Mr. Awad, first of all, we heard President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan the other day urge the United States to stop bombing. Why do you believe he is right, the U.S. should suspend its military campaign during Ramadan?
NIHAD AWAD, COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS: Well, first of all, the human -- the sanctity of human life transcends time and place. Whether the U.S. should be bombing Afghanistan during Ramadan or after Ramadan, I think this is not the question within the Muslim world.
The question is: how sound our policy is to combat terrorism, and how do we balance that -- safeguarding our nation from the threat of terrorism -- and also uprooting terrorism, and the way we do it. How sound is this policy? How far are we going? Especially in light of the growing number of civilian casualties. Muslims around the world are asking, why is this happening in this fashion?
And they have asked a question that I believe which is to the great benefit of our government and our nation is to really produce the evidence. Share it with the world, so that we secure an alliance to uproot the causes of terrorism and no one will question our intention and our policy after that.
BLITZER: Larry Wortzel, the risk of inflaming the Muslims around the world the Arab world, by continuing the bombing during Ramadan. Is it worth it, as far as the U.S. is concerned? LARRY WORTZEL, HERITAGE FOUNDATION: I think we have to -- the United States has to prosecute the war. I think important to realize that there is no Islam prohibition on fighting during Ramadan, and there are provisions so that warriors don't have to fast.
The Prophet Mohammed launched a war in 624 during Ramadan. In 1973 Egypt attacked Israel during Ramadan. For eight consecutive years, Iran and Iraq fought during Ramadan. So I think we have to base this on the military need to defend the United States and to break apart these Al Qaeda cell cells.
BLITZER: What about that, Mr. Awad?
AWAD: Well, I agree with him that the month of Ramadan is holy for Muslims and don't mean that there should be no fighting. Then there should be no fighting after Ramadan, during Ramadan or before Ramadan. If there should be fighting, fighting should be done.
The question is, as my colleague said, is really where are we going with that? And of course, you know, during the month of Ramadan, it is a spiritual platform for Muslims. They get together, they reflect, they pray, and also they look at the needy. And they see on television and see hundreds of casualties and see millions of Afghan refugees. And definitely, this, you know, cause to grow the anti-American sentiment in the Muslim world, because they see the human depth of the suffering in Afghanistan.
BLITZER: From a military standpoint, Mr. Wortzel, what would be the down side of taking a month off and stopping the air campaign, the ground effort, if you will, during Ramadan?
WORTZEL: Well, from a military standpoint it would permit the terrorist cells and the Taliban themselves to regroup and resupply. That would be a mistake. But I think it's also important to realize from an economic standpoint that before September 11th, the United States was the greatest giver of aid -- economic and food aid -- to Afghanistan and continues to be. Those people are -- need aid, and aid flights need to continue, but we cannot leave the population of the United States unprotected from this war that is being waged by these terrorists.
BLITZER: Mr. Awad, do Muslims appreciate the fact that over the past decades the times the United States did engage in military conflict it was to help Muslims, whether in Bosnia or Kosovo and Somalia, to liberate Kuwait. Is that appreciated in Islamic world?
AWAD: Of course. And this is greatly appreciated, and no one can question that. Now, as I said, we have look at the long-term policy and its impact on our nation's interests and how to safeguard it not only from the threat of terrorism but also from the threat of having a failed policy in the future.
And again, I think that the administration should benefit from the American-Muslim experts here because of our affinity and our cultural connection to the Muslim world to help and give some guidance to make our policies effective. And I agree with my colleague again that yes, we have to save our country from the threat of terrorism. We have to uproot it. We have to, you know, go after the perpetrators, bring them to justice. But also I think it is important to follow international law and you know, we do not want to act and behave like the ones who hurt us.
BLITZER: Mr. Wortzel, it seems the bush administration is having a tough time trying to convince -- to win over the hearts and minds of many in the Arab world and the Muslim communities around the world that it's doing the right thing. Why is that?
WORTZEL: Well, first of all, it's not being aided a great deal by Muslim clerics who may understand these things quite well and could articulate that message. And that's where part of that has to come from. I think the administration has to be sensitive to the concerns, particularly in Pakistan. But in the end, this is a legal war. The United Nations has given the sanctions to prosecute it, and NATO has invoked Article V of the NATO treaty, recognizing it as a war in self- defense.
BLITZER: OK. Larry Wortzel and Nihad Awad, I want to thank both of you for joining us on this important issue. And on our web site at CNN.com, today's quick vote has posed the question: Should the U.S. pause in its attack on the Taliban for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: That's all the time we have for now. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. We are standing by for a news conference from the Capitol Hill Police. They are expected to -- sources tell us that they are expected to announce that the Russell Senate Office Building will reopen tomorrow. One of three Senate office buildings. Two others apparently not reopening tomorrow. We will have much more detail coming up. "LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE" will begin right now.
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