◆ SpookStack

0s To: Counterterrorism From: Washington Field Re: 279A-WF-222936-USAMRIID, 10/17/2007 Details: Background Analysis of the spores used in the Fall 2001 anthrax attacks identified the organisms to be the Ames strain of Bacillus anthracis. The anthrax spore powders recovered from the anthrax letters addressed to the New York Post (Post) and Tom Brokaw (Brokaw) contain low levels of a non-anthracis Bacillus contaminant. The non-anthracis Bacillus contaminant has not been detected in the anthrax spore powders recovered from the envelopes mailed to either Senators Leahy or Daschle. Originally, the species of the non-anthracis Bacillus contaminant was incorrectly identified by multiple laboratories, however, upon thorough characterization and genetic sequencing, the contaminant was identified to be a strain of Bacillus subtilis. This is a significant factor for the search operations outlined herein. Since Bacillus organisms can be misidentified to belong to other Bacillus species, the guideline for the collection of cultures consistent with the Bacillus contaminant will be to collect non-anthracis Bacillus cultures. Bacillus subtilis is a non-pathogenic bacterium found ubiquitously in the environment. However, genomic DNA sequencing of the specific isolate of Bacillus subtilis discovered within the Post and Brokaw anthrax powders reveals that it is genetically distinct from other known isolates of Bacillus subtilis. Analyses of the Bacillus subtilis from both the Post and the Brokaw envelopes revealed that these two isolates are identical. USAMRITID is a military research institute located on the Fort Detrick, U.S. Army Post in Frederick, Maryland. Prior to the anthrax attacks in the Fall of 2001, USAMRIID was one of sixteen (16) U.S. laboratories which possessed the Ames strain of Bacillus anthracis. Phenotypic and genetic analyses of more than 1,000 Ames samples from the sixteen (16) laboratories has led investigators to conclude that the Bacillus anthracis used in the anthrax letter attacks was derived from a sample known as RMR-1029. At the time of its creation, RMR-1029 consisted of a large batch of pure, highly concentrated, Bacillus anthracis Ames spores, assembled for the purpose of conducting numerous anthrax aerosol challenges at USAMRIID. RMR-1029 was stored in the B3/B4 containment suite within Building 1425 of USAMRIID under the custody and control of Dr. Bruce Edwards Ivins.