Save the Lab from Patriotic Correctness

As exemplified by the well-publicized cases of Thomas Butler, David Kelly, and Steven J. Hatfill, the fallout from the War on Terror has been particularly hazardous for scientists. Donald A. Henderson, who was inaugural director of the US Office of Public Health Preparedness, which coordinates the national response to public health emergencies, has accused the FBI of losing "all perspective" and of being "out of control" in the Butler and Hatfill investigations.1 The dangers are summed up by the case of Butler, chief of the division of infectious diseases at Texas Tech University. Butler has been charged with transporting plague samples from Tanzania in violation of new rules on labeling, transportation and reporting of biohazards, and with lying about the fate of 30 vials of the samples. After claiming in January that the samples had been stolen, sparking an international bioterrorism scare, he signed a statement after intense grilling by the FBI and admitted, according to published reports, that he had destroyed the samples some time earlier. The indictment was recently expanded to include 54 unrelated charges of embezzlement, tax evasion, and mail fraud. While no scientist is above the law, the ferocious pursuit of Butler is of great concern. Here is a respected researcher, ironically one whose work contributes to the fight against bioterrorism, whose career and good name is being decimated on the basis of technical violations of the new biosecurity regulations. Are 10-hour, overnight interrogations, reportedly occurring in the absence of a lawyer,1 and the stacking of irrelevant, supplementary charges to be the norm in handling minor breaches of the law when dealing with infectious agents? If so, it might be prudent, but horribly sad, to pursue alternative avenues of research. Butler faces life in prison and fines of up to $17.1 million if convicted on all charges. Does he at least have the support of his employer? No. The president of Texas Tech Health Sciences Center is recommending that Butler be dismissed from the university. Thankfully, the National Academy of Sciences is protesting to the US Attorney General about its handling of the prosecution; other scientific organizations should follow suit. This is not an isolated case. David Kelly, a British weapons expert, paid the ultimate price. He apparently committed suicide after being identified by the UK government as the source for a BBC story on Iraq. Kelly, an Oxford-educated microbiologist with a background in agricultural science, was sufficiently well respected to have been nominated for a Nobel Peace prize. He had been scientific adviser to the Proliferation and Arms Control Secretariat for more than three years. The third example concerns the ongoing saga of Steven J. Hatfill, named as a "person of interest" in the investigation of the anthrax-contaminated mail attacks from two years ago, in which five people died and 17 were sickened. Again, the pursuit of this scientist seems excessive. Losing his job is the least of his problems--the man has been publicly dissected, even though he is still not an official suspect in the inquiry. The Washington Post recently reported that the FBI has hired a former colleague of Hatfill's, who provided the bureau with information about him.2 Those who have spoken out against these assaults on scientific integrity and academic freedom fear that this ongoing behavior by those in charge will sap any research that invites political scrutiny. I add my voice to this small chorus, which I hope continues to grow. Richard Gallagher, Editor(rgallagher@the-scientist.com) References 1. www.the-scientist.com/news/20030905/04 2. M.W. Thompson, "Hatfill ex-colleague gets FBI job," The Washington Post, Sept. 7, 2003, page A18. function sendData() { document.frm.pathName.value = location.pathname; result = false if (document.frm.score[0].checked) result = true; if (document.frm.score[1].checked) result = true; if (document.frm.score[2].checked) result = true; if (document.frm.score[3].checked) result = true; if (document.frm.score[4].checked) result = true; if (!result) alert("Please select") return result; } .myradio{background-color : #94bee5} Please indicate on a 1 - 5 scale how strongly you would recommend this article to your colleagues? Not recommended 1 2 3 4 5 Highly recommended Please register your vote

Save the Lab from Patriotic Correctness

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