Sunday, February 29, 2004

Last day in Iraq…mostly in the red zone. Some very exciting and somewhat scary moments with the convoy getting caught in traffic in another “ambush alley” (narrow streets and high buildings where insurgents frequently shoot down on US troops from roof-tops or windows). During several of these “stalls” in traffic, the special forces, military police escorts and the CID (criminal investigation division) of the army jumped out of the cars and ran alongside with their M-4s pointed a the roofs and windows. They also ran up to cars that were blocking traffic and pointed drawn pistols and cocked M4s right into the cars to get people to move. Visited the MOH in the AM, the Women’s clinic, had lunch with Iraqi health people. This was all in the “red zone” and the SF had sniper observers on the roofs of the buildings surrounding the facility that we were visiting. We then left for the airport had a wonderful dinner at Baghdad airport (Bob Hope Dining Hall) with the troops of the 1st Armored Division, Military Police Brigade, the First Cavalry, and the 101st Airborne. Our troops are incredible, including the women. They are extremely well disciplined, polite, good looking and nice. General Scaparroti (Chief of Combat maneuvers) brought TGT and me into the “classified” command room of the base and showed us how they track hostilities on a real time giant computerized map screen. Met an incredible woman Major Rogers who was a beautiful, articulate and smart, 35-ish deputy chief of intelligence for the command. Also met Col. Flake who was the combat coordinator – one tough looking soldier. Also met Major (Doctor) John McGrath from the Medical Corps. He knew me right away since his wife is a physician (Allergist/Immunologist) and always talks about me. He asked for and got a picture of us together. Finally, we flew on Blackhawk helicoptors to Balad AFB to catch a C-17 to Rhein-Main AFB in Germany. The trip on the Blackhawk was tense and exciting. I sat 2 feet from the machine gunner who was focusing on the ground looking for flashes from small arms fire that happens all the time and usually misses the helicoper. As soon as they see a flash they immediately strafe the area with the M-50 machine gun. We flew all in the dark to avoid detection. We landed at Balad, stayed for awhile and mixed it up with the troops and then flew to Rhein-Main AFB near Frankfurt. From there we picked up the Gulfstream and flew back to Andrews AFB. We landed at 6:00 AM, March 1, 2004. March 2-19, 2004 – Following the Iraq trip a number of relatively important issues have arisen. There is sweeping interest in the conflict of interest arena with EZ forming a Blue Ribbon Panel on Conflict of Interest chaired by Norman Augustine and Bruce Alberts. Also, the NIH Ethics Advisory Committee (NEAC) is now reviewing all out side activity requests (as well as any already approved ongoing outside activities) for high ranking NIH officials such as IC Directors, Deputies, Scientific Directors, Clinical Directors, etc. The NEAC is co-chaired by Raynard Kington and Michael Gottesman. Happily they have approved my ongoing activities, including Harrison’s. I met with the Blue Ribbon Panel and urged them to distinguish between outside activities that could be conflictual such as consulting for drug companies and those that are purely academic such as writing, editing, lecturing (not on your immediate work) and awards. They seem to “get it”. I hope that their recommendations reflect this. Several investigations will come including GAO, IG, and a least 2 Congressional Committees. Also, the Congress is developing a subliminal hostility towards NIH because of the prior doubling of the budget and because our advocates are still screaming for a 10% increase in FY2005 instead of the 2.5% increase of the PB. Sen. Dominici called the NIHers “pigs” who are never satisfied. Moral in quite low. Good stuff going on with Gary Edson and the “neglected diseases” project. He really likes the proposal that I put together for Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) and leprosy and malaria. We are going through the exercise now of several meetings back and forth in deciding what to have the POTUS propose to the G-8 meeting in June in Sea Island. They want to have the POTUS show global leadership and urge the other G-8 countries to put up money and get involved; however, since we are already doing so much, he wants us to put up very little new money. We will probably have to re-direct money – no good deed goes unpunished. Gary also wants me to explore the possibility of making the HIV Vaccine Enterprise a possible proposal. He had spoken to Patty Stonesifer and she mentioned that Rick Klausner and I were working on this together. John Kerry won Democratic nomination prior to convention and he and Bush are going at it already. The big issue is the terrorism that is going on in Iraq with foreign Muslim extremists with ties to Al Quaeda almost daily blowing up mostly Iraqis and some US soldiers. Massive terrorist attack in Madrid a few days ago with bombs in trains; hundreds killed. Muslim extremists claim responsibility and say that they did it because Spain has helped the USA in Iraq. Incident occurred right before the Spanish elections and resulted in overthrow of the Party that supported Bush.