Sverdlovsk Correspondence | Meselson CBW Archive

Introduction

Early in 1980, Dr. Meselson received a call from Julian Hoptman at the CIA asking him to come to Langley to consult on the matter of the Sverdlovsk anthrax epidemic. Hoptman was the principal working level person at the agency engaged with the problem. His immediate supervisor was David Boston. Meselson spent several days in Langley [DATES NEEDED].

There were no hotels in Langley at the time, so Hauptman welcomed Dr. Meselson into his home. This provided opportunity for less formal conversations over dinner and in the evening.

Hoptman was a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient [NO, NOT ON ANY LIST OF RECIPIENTS - SOME OTHER MEDAL?] for his service in World War II. Hoptman held a Master's Degree in Microbiology from [UNIVERSITY - CHECK THIS]. Dr. Meselson believes he was shown everything Hauptman himself saw, including human intelligence (HUMINT).

Upon returning to Cambridge, Dr. Meselson prepared this memo Meselson 1980 memo to files on Sverdlovsk anthrax outbreak, summarizing the outstanding questions on his mind at that point.

Meselson September 19xx summary of trip to Moscow

US Government Telex Communications:

From US Mission Geneva to Sec State April 24, 1980 about potential bioweapons in Sverdlovsk

From US Mission Geneva to Sec State Jun 2, 1980 about potential bioweapons in Sverdlovsk

From US Mission NATO to Sec State Jan 15, 1982 about Soviet reports of anthrax

From Sec State to Embassy Moscow August 26, 1986 re Meselson Visit

Embassy Moscow to Sec State Aug 29, 1986 Meselson debrief 8 pgs

Embassy Moscow to Sec State Aug 29, 1986 Meselson debrief Unclassified 18 pgs

From Sec State to Embassies Moscow and Geneva Sep 17, 1986 Meselson visit to Washington Sept 12 1986

From Dept State to Embassy Moscow Jan 21, 1988 Meselson visit to Moscow

From Embassy Moscow to Dept State Feb 1, 1988 about potential Meselson visit to Moscow

From Dept State to Embassy Moscow Jul 2, 1988 about Sverdlovsk and rising tensions

From Embassy Moscow to Sec State Jul 11, 1988 about bioweapons convention

From Embassy Moscow to Sec State Aug 12, 1988 about Sverdlovsk

From Sec State to Embassy Moscow May 18, 1989 about Sverdlovsk anthrax

From Embassy Moscow to Sec State May 19, 1989 about biological weapons convention

From Sec State to Embassy Moscow May 19 1989 about biological weapons convention

From Sec State to Amb Floweree Geneva May 14, 1990 about Sverdlovsk

From Embassy Moscow to Sec State Apr 14, 1992 about bioweapons

From Embassy Moscow to State Dept Jun 19, 1992 about Meselson visit

Glenn Cross to Dept State May 31, 2001 Analyses of 1979 Sverdlovsk Antrhax Release Disputed

All MM Congressional testimony regarding Sverdlovsk anthrax outbreak:

Statement at hearings: 'Germ Wars'--Biological Weapons Proliferation and the New Genetics, Committee on Governmental Affairs and Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, U.S. Senate, 17 May 1989, pp 207-211, 498-503, 523-528. SUDOC: Y4.G74/9:S.hrg.101-744.

Statement at hearings: The Biological Weapons Act of 1989, Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and International Law of the Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. House of Representatives One Hundred First Congress, second session, on H.R. 237 and H.R. 4314, 1 May 1990, pp 50-64. SUDOC: Y4.J89/1:101/79.

Meselson to Donald E. Ellis February 12, 1981, requesting more information on visit

Ellis memorandum on Soviet Visit on discussions with Gubanov

Hughes Hoptman letters

Hughes to Meselson April 28, 1981 - re: publications on Sverdlovsk

Hughes to Meselson August 18, 1981 re: references

Meselson letter to Dumaev July 14, 1983 - Proposal for Meselson to visit Sverdlovsk to Deputy Chairma, State Committee of the USSR for Science and Technology, following up on Geneva meeting8

Letter and sketch map of Sverdlovsk from CIA or MacMahon at CIA

Dumaev letter to Meselson October 27, 1983

Any Martin Kaplan letters mentioning Dioumayev

Kaplan to Diomayev July 25, 1983 - Kaplan letter re: proposal for Meselson to visit Sverdlovsk

Kaplan to Diomayev August 30, 1983 - Kaplan letter re: Acadamician Fokin and Acad, Velikhov on proposed Pugwash meeting in Soviet Union

Kaplan to Diomayev September 1, 1983 - Kaplan expressing disappointment no meeting in Venice, requesting yes or no answer

Kaplan to Meselson September 5, 1983 - Agenda for proposed Pugwash meeting with Fokin, and Markov's feedback on Dioymayev's non-appearance in Venice.

Kaplan to Dioumayev November 13, 1983

Kaplan to Diomayev February 26, 1986 - Kaplan urging decision on proposed Meselson visit to Sverdlovsk

Kaplan to Fokin February 26, 1986 - re: proposed Meselson visit to Sverdlovsk

Fokin to Kaplan May 8 1986 - refusing proposal

Lederberg Memo October 23, 1986 - Josh Lederberg insights on Sverdlovsk, the CBW Convention

Kaplan to Chervov February 15, 1988 - Kaplan sharing schedule for June meeting, and describing timeline of communication re: permission for Meselson visit to Sverdlovsk

Mesleson to Adams October 6, 1988 - Meselson request for additional support from McArthur Foundation to pay for visit

Meselson to Kosenko November 4, 1988 - Meselson email to EV Kosenko, Chief, Foreign Relations, USSR Ministry of Health re: Meselson to Chazov, September 30, 1988 requesting permission to visit Sverdlovsk

Burgasov Letters (Deputy Minister of Health)

Meselson to Burgasov September 9, 1986 summarizing Kaplan meeting in Geneva

Meselon to Burgasov September 30, 1986, discussing proposed methods for study in Sverdlovsk

Meselson to Burgasov April 21, 1987 - Proposing meeting in Moscow

Meselson to Burgasov June 9, 1987 - inviting Burgasov to Harvard to edit manuscript

Chazov Letters

Meselson to Chazov September 30, 1988 -

Meselson to Kosenko and Chazov Novermber 4, 1988 -

Federov Letters

Federov to Meselson December 30, 1988 - re: efforts to approve Meselson

Meselson Letter to Federov March 9, 1989

Shevardnadze draft August 1, 1990 - Bio EBB Document 7, Comrade Shevardnadze’s response to J. Baker’s memo on the subject of the Soviet biological warfare program for the Soviet-American meeting of ministers in Irkutsk

Bio EBB Document 8 - notes on Biological Weapons

FBIS translation from Izvestia or Komsomolskaya Pravda telling that Yablokov has been asked by Yeltsin to investigate Sverdlovsk anthrax outbreak

Kaplan to Goldanski June 5, 1989 - Martin Kaplan to Vitalii Goldanski, Soviet representative to Pugwash re: Meselson Sverdlovsk visit

Meselson Letter to Yablokov January 22, 1992 Asking if Meselson can help him in investigation

Letters in Russian from Yablokov to authorities in Moscow and/or Yelaterinberg and English translations

Yablokov Spravka 1991 - needs date re: outbreak attributed to meat

Yablokov to Yeltsin Month 2, 1991 - re: pensions

Yablokov to Rossel Month 2, 1992 - Introducing Dr. Meselson

Yablokov to Suetin March 26, 1992 - Introducing Dr. Mesleson and other members of the proposed expedition

Yablokov to Grachev March 26, 1992 - Introducing Dr. Meselson and party

Any further letters/correspondence with Yablokov:

Meselson to Yablokov January 22, 1992 Letter/telex from Yablokov to me (the first one)