Steven Hatfill

In January 1999, Hatfill transferred to a "consulting job" at [[Science Applications International Corporation]] (SAIC), which has a "sprawling campus" in nearby [[McLean, Virginia]]. The corporation worked for a multitude of federal agencies. Many projects were [[classified information|classified]]. Hatfill designed BW defense training curricula for government agencies.

In January 1999, Hatfill transferred to a "consulting job" at [[Science Applications International Corporation]] (SAIC), which has a "sprawling campus" in nearby [[McLean, Virginia]]. The corporation worked for a multitude of federal agencies. Many projects were [[classified information|classified]]. Hatfill designed BW defense training curricula for government agencies.

By this time, there had been several [[anthrax hoaxes|hoax anthrax mailings]] in the United States. Hatfill and his collaborator, SAIC vice president Joseph Soukup, commissioned [[William C. Patrick]], retired head of the old US bioweapons program (who had also been a mentor of Hatfill), to write a report on the possibilities of terrorist anthrax mailing attacks. Barbara Hatch Rosenberg (director of the [[Federation of American Scientists]]' biochem weapons working group in 2002) said that the report was commissioned "under a [[CIA]] contract to SAIC". But SAIC said Hatfill and Soukup had commissioned it {{nowrap|internally{{snd}}}} there was no outside client.

By this time, there had been several [[anthrax hoaxes|hoax anthrax mailings]] in the United States. Hatfill and his collaborator, SAIC vice president Joseph Soukup, commissioned [[William C. Patrick]], retired head of the old US bioweapons program (who had also been a mentor of Hatfill), to write a report on the possibilities of terrorist anthrax mailing attacks. [[Barbara Hatch Rosenberg]] (director of the [[Federation of American Scientists]]' biochem weapons working group in 2002) said that the report was commissioned "under a [[CIA]] contract to SAIC". But SAIC said Hatfill and Soukup had commissioned it {{nowrap|internally{{snd}}}} there was no outside client.

The resulting report, dated February 1999, was subsequently seen by some as a "blueprint" for the [[2001 anthrax attacks]]. Amongst other things, it suggested the maximum amount of anthrax {{nowrap|powder{{snd}}}}{{nowrap|2.5 grams{{snd}}}} that could be put in an envelope without making a suspicious bulge. The quantity in the envelope sent to Senator [[Patrick Leahy]] in October 2001 was 0.871 grams.{{cite news| url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/2002/05/07/national/07ANTH.html| work=The New York Times | title=Anthrax Sent Through Mail Gained Potency by the Letter | first1=William J. | last1=Broad | first2=David | last2=Johnston | date=May 7, 2002|access-date=October 28, 2025}} After the attacks, the report drew the attention of the media and others and led to their investigation of Patrick and Hatfill.{{cite web|first=William J.|last=Broad|url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/2001/12/03/national/03POWD.html|title=Terror Anthrax Linked to Type Made by U.S.|work=The New York Times|date=December 3, 2001|access-date=October 30, 2025}}{{cite news|first1=Guy|last1=Gugliotta |first2= Dan|last2= Eggen|url=http://www.ph.ucla.edu/EPI/bioter/biowarfareexpertsques.html|title=Biological Warfare Experts Questioned in Anthrax Probe|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=June 28, 2002 |access-date=October 30, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020812130807/http://www.ph.ucla.edu/EPI/bioter/biowarfareexpertsques.html|archive-date=August 12, 2002|url-status=dead|via=UCLA}}{{cite web|last=Ross|first=Brian|url=http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/DailyNews/anthrax020627.html|title=Blueprint for Anthrax Attack|publisher=ABC News|work=World News Tonight with Peter Jennings|date=June 27, 2002|access-date=October 30, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021010003328/http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/DailyNews/anthrax020627.html|archive-date=October 10, 2002|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|first=Marilyn W.|last=Thompson|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A49717-2003Sep9|title=The Pursuit of Steven Hatfill|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=September 9, 2003|page=W06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018025455/http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A49717-2003Sep9|archive-date=October 18, 2011|url-status=dead|access-date=October 30, 2025}}

The resulting report, dated February 1999, was subsequently seen by some as a "blueprint" for the [[2001 anthrax attacks]]. Amongst other things, it suggested the maximum amount of anthrax {{nowrap|powder{{snd}}}}{{nowrap|2.5 grams{{snd}}}} that could be put in an envelope without making a suspicious bulge. The quantity in the envelope sent to Senator [[Patrick Leahy]] in October 2001 was 0.871 grams.{{cite news| url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/2002/05/07/national/07ANTH.html| work=The New York Times | title=Anthrax Sent Through Mail Gained Potency by the Letter | first1=William J. | last1=Broad | first2=David | last2=Johnston | date=May 7, 2002|access-date=October 28, 2025}} After the attacks, the report drew the attention of the media and others and led to their investigation of Patrick and Hatfill.{{cite web|first=William J.|last=Broad|url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/2001/12/03/national/03POWD.html|title=Terror Anthrax Linked to Type Made by U.S.|work=The New York Times|date=December 3, 2001|access-date=October 30, 2025}}{{cite news|first1=Guy|last1=Gugliotta |first2= Dan|last2= Eggen|url=http://www.ph.ucla.edu/EPI/bioter/biowarfareexpertsques.html|title=Biological Warfare Experts Questioned in Anthrax Probe|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=June 28, 2002 |access-date=October 30, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020812130807/http://www.ph.ucla.edu/EPI/bioter/biowarfareexpertsques.html|archive-date=August 12, 2002|url-status=dead|via=UCLA}}{{cite web|last=Ross|first=Brian|url=http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/DailyNews/anthrax020627.html|title=Blueprint for Anthrax Attack|publisher=ABC News|work=World News Tonight with Peter Jennings|date=June 27, 2002|access-date=October 30, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021010003328/http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/DailyNews/anthrax020627.html|archive-date=October 10, 2002|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|first=Marilyn W.|last=Thompson|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A49717-2003Sep9|title=The Pursuit of Steven Hatfill|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=September 9, 2003|page=W06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018025455/http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A49717-2003Sep9|archive-date=October 18, 2011|url-status=dead|access-date=October 30, 2025}}