Letter to Donald H. Rumsfeld

January 14, 2004

The Honorable Donald H. Rumsfeld
Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301

Dear Secretary Rumsfeld:

It has come to my attention that a deposition given by a former employee of the Deseret Test Center indicates that additional unclassified documents regarding Project 112 and Project Shipboard Hazard and Defense (SHAD) have not been provided to Congress nor been made public. I am requesting that this information be expeditiously provided to my office and to the Congress.

As you know, Project 112 and Project SHAD involved a series of chemical and biological tests conducted during the 1960s and 1970s for defensive and offensive purposes. Many of these tests may have exposed servicemembers and civilians to harmful agents or decontaminants.

For the past five years I have called upon the Department to release all relevant unclassified information regarding
these tests so that servicemembers who participated could be screened for any possible health problems. While the Department eventually moved forward with an investigation, additional evidence continues to come to light that suggests that the Department may not have acted in good faith to get to the bottom of this situation.

The most recent example of this involves the deposition of an individual who was charged with planning the logistics of these tests. Dr. Clifton Spendlove testified under oath in December that nose swabs and gargle samples were taken from individuals involved in some of these tests. This information runs contrary to the information that the DoD has provided to my office and contrary to information that has been provided during Congressional hearings. The DoD has, to this point, maintained that servicemembers were not test targets but rather test conductors. The information provided by Dr. Spendlove suggests otherwise.

Dr. Spendlove also testified that he personally kept written, detailed records of the tests and filmed the tests as they were carried out. He believes that these records are still on file at the Deseret Test Center Library, yet this information has not been provided to Congress.

In June of 2003, DoD officials briefed myself and my colleagues about the Defense Health Directorate's decision to shut down the Project 112 and Project SHAD investigation. Many members of Congress disagreed with that decision, citing the need to seek additional information. Clearly there is more information which needs to be assessed.

I am asking that you have your staff immediately provide my office with a briefing regarding Dr. Spendlove's files and information on when they will be made available to Congress and to the public.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

MIKE THOMPSON
Member of Congress