A Message to the American Community from U.S. Ambassador Howard H. Baker, Jr.
October 18, 2001
In keeping with my pledge to give you all the information we have about what
is happening in the wake of the events of September 11, 2001, I want to tell you
about two incidents that occurred at our consulate-general in Osaka and the
Embassy here.
Yesterday, on October 17, a suspicious piece of mail addressed to Bob Ludan, our
Consul General in Osaka, reached his office on the upper floors of the consulate
building. It was placed into a plastic bag and sealed. The police were called
immediately and they took possession of the piece of mail for testing. Staff
members who had come into contact with the envelope were taken to a local
hospital for treatment. As a precautionary measure pending final test results
from Japanese authorities, something that can take several days, it was decided
to close the consulate-general.
Today, October 18, at approximately 2:15 p.m., Embassy mailroom personnel
identified a piece of mail addressed to me as suspicious. It was placed in a
plastic envelope. The mailroom was closed, the air conditioning system was
turned off, and all personnel that might have had contact with the suspicious
envelope were identified and taken for medical examination. We will identify all
visitors who were in the Embassy today so that they can be contacted if needed.
The police were called. They took possession of the envelope and we expect that
they will test the contents and give us results in several days.
I determined that the material facts of the two incidents were distinct enough -
the envelope addressed to me was quickly sealed in a plastic bag and the letter
was isolated to one floor - to justify keeping the Embassy open. We remain open
today and will be open for business tomorrow. I have informed my staff that if
any of them feel that they need to remain away from the Embassy for the interim
period as we await test results, they are free to take administrative leave.
These are disquieting times. I do not know who is sending these letters and why
they are doing so. I assume one objective is to create confusion and fear. I
believe that Japan remains one of the safest countries in the world and police
authorities have been very responsive in addressing our concerns. They are
cooperating with us in response to these two most recent incidents. Our job is
to be prudent and take measures appropriate to the circumstances and I believe
we have done so. I promise that the Embassy will keep you informed of any new
developments as they arise.