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06/15/92 6:13PM — srl PAGE 002

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June 15,1992

Dr. Joshua Lederberg
President Emeritus, Professor
Rockefeller University

1230 York Ave,

New York, N.Y. 10021

Dear Josh:

After sending you the revised version of my memo earlier
today, I have received indirectly some additional information.
According to Jeff Smith of the Washington Post, Yeltsin said on
May 27 that the KGB had admitted to him, apparently at the time
of the Sverdlovsk incident, that the anthrax outbreak had
originated at the BW research installation. Jeff gave me no
further details but from his questions it is apparent he is
writing an article that will indict Burgasov, Nikiforov et al for
deliberate misrepresentation and will probably treat all the
Americans involved in their visit here somewhat harshly as well.

I suggested that the details of what Yeltsin had said would
matter in particular whether the KGB had specifically said at the
time that the incident involved airborne propagation. I said that
would be an important element in judging whether the account
given here during the 1988 visit was accurate but incomplete or
whether it involved direct misrepresentation.

I assume that Jeff's article will appear tomorrow since he
said he was working on deadline.

Sincerely,

John Steinbruner