"[This book] embodies the Buddhist wisdom about change, life, and the
world more than anything written after the events of that day."
Robert Stone

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July 17, 2008

UTAH PERSPECTIVE

This e-mail from John C. Browne, of St. George, Utah…

“As you point out, everyone has a 9-11 story.

“I was on Capitol Hill that day, having a meeting with the Senate Armed Services committee staff - in the Senate Hart Building (I was Director of Los Alamos National Lab at the time) and after seeing the TV footage of the World Trade Center immediately called my staff at Los Alamos to tell them to increase security levels.

“I then walked across the Capitol grounds just as the word came that another plane had hit the Pentagon. (We could actually see the smoke!) The Capitol police told us another plane was headed toward the Capitol building and directed us toward the subways. Since we were involved in a lot of counter-terrorism technology, I knew that the subway could be a target as well - especially for a bio-attack - so I walked about 10 blocks to the Department of Energy and got involved in some of the CT response.

“….It was one of the most challenging periods of my life - our people at Los Alamos were involved in the over-flights of NYC to determine the hazardous nature of the smoke content and then the analysis of the anthrax samples and the interrogation of DC mail.

“My biggest terrorism concern still surrounds a nuclear device stolen and smuggled into one of the world's capitals - people are working hard on this but it is a very challenging problem.

“…As you said, no one ever forgets that day. I am glad you wrote your book and shared the images of 9-11.”

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