Rep. Duncan to scrutinize DoD's handling of anthrax scare

The House Armed Services Committee chairman, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), said yesterday that his committee will inquire about how the Department of Defense (DoD) handled an anthrax scare that shut down three area post offices early this week.

"We are obviously very interested in the anthrax attacks, and we are going to look into it," he said in an interview, adding that the committee is currently focused heavily on Iraq and Afghanistan.

John Ullyot, communications director for the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Chairman John Warner (R-Va.) requested a DoD briefing on the issue but is reserving judgment until the briefing is completed.

Michael Greenberger, the director of the University of Maryland Center for Health and Homeland Security, blasted the DoD for its role in the response.

"The facts are that the DoD went out on its own and … used its own testing methods," he said. "It was as if the national response plan was never written."

Jackie Kucinich