Thursday, August 2, 2001

Had meeting at NIH (Building 31, 7A-24 Conference room called by Richard Falkenrath of the National Security Council who is Ambassador to the Biological Weapons Convention. Present at the meeting were: John La Montagne, Thomas Monath (Acambis Co.- Vice Pres. For Research and Med. Affairs), Stuart Nightingale (DHHS), Robert Mikulak (Director, Office of Chemical & Biological Weapons Convention, Dept. of State), Carole Heilman (DMID/NIAID), George Poste, Matthew Meselson (Harvard), Margaret Hamburg, Joshua Lederberg. Purpose of meeting was to review a White Paper that had been put together as an internal document for President Bush. The President had just rejected signing the renewal of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) on the basis that it was unenforceable. Falkenrath was tasked with putting together a briefing document that was an expression of our interest in the problem, but was an alternative approach to the BWC. We crafted something that was a “high road” approach indicating that since we cannot enforce restrictions among committed users and abusers, then at least we can support biomedical research to provide better diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines. At worst, even if it does not help with bioterrorism, it would be useful for mankind.