Chapter 7An Interview with Dr. Robert StreckerTHE next morning, I tried contacting Strecker again. First Idialed what I thought was his published telephone number.Again, it rang continuously unanswered. Then I called thenumber directory assistance had given me for Dr. WilliamCampbell Douglass, a physician from Clayton, Georgia, who hadpublished an article entitled "WHO Murdered Africa," whichsupported Strecker's theory. As in past attempts, a machineinstructed me to leave a message."Is there anyone there!? This is about the sixth time I've called.I've been trying to reach you for months. I'm trying to reach Dr.William Douglass. I need to get in touch with Dr. RobertStrecker. My name is Dr. Len Horowitz, and this is anemergency. If anyone can answer, would you please return mycall?" I then left my 800 number and hung up.'Two days later I received a call from a Mr. William Douglass. Iwas delighted. He immediately informed me, however, that hewas not the person I sought."I've been getting a couple of calls a month for Dr. Strecker, so Ifinally decided to get his number. If you like, I can give it toyou.""Please. I would really appreciate it."Finally! I thought as I quickly dialed the magic numbers, feelingthe end of my frustration might be near."Hello, this is Dr. Strecker's office," a woman's kindly voiceanswered.Following a lengthy introduction, the woman informed me thatDr. Strecker was indeed alive, well, and practicing internalmedicine in Needles, California. He was busy seeing patients, Iwas told, but I was assured he would return my call that evening."All right!" I affirmed as I hung up the phone. Then I quicklyrelayed the good news to Jackie.The infonnation on Strecker's whereabouts immediately helped toease her concerns.On the LineThat night, Robert Strecker returned my call with news about hisongoing crusade to bring the "truth to light." We spoke at lengthabout our independent investigations, immediately developingthe warm rapport that two black sheep isolated from theestablishment's scientific flock might.Pondering safety, I asked, "Has anyone from the governmentever bothered you over all these years?""Not really," he replied. "Since the suspicious deaths of mybrother and Representative Huff, [1] I've just gone about my
usiness. There was one incident though that occurred shortlyafter I sent reports of my findings to all the health andintelligence agencies.""What happened?""Well, first, the CIA warned all agencies that I was a communistand told them not to take anything I said seriously. My brotherTed obtained a copy of the release they sent out through theFreedom of Information Act. Their counterintelligence effortsapparently worked.""Do you still have a copy of the release?""I wish I did," Strecker replied. "It disappeared along with a lotof other records Ted and I had collected. Shortly after Ted'sdeath, my office was burglarized.""Interesting," I said. "Who do you think did it?""I believe it was the CIA, but I obviously can't prove it."Following an illuminating conversation, Robert - as he preferredto be called - and I agreed to mail each other copies of ourprevious publications. He would send me a copy of 'The StreckerMemorandum,' which I still had not viewed, and I would sendhim 'Deadly Innocence,' which he had not heard about.Then we also agreed to exchange interviews. I set up a time to bea guest on "He Said/She Said," a radio program Strecker cohostedwith Betsy Prior on KGER-AM, Los Angeles, and heagreed to be interviewed for this book.The Strecker InterviewSeveral weeks went by before we could coordinate our schedulesfor my telephone interview with Strecker. <strong>By</strong> this time, I hadwatched 'The Strecker Memorandum,' and considered, as Acerhad, Strecker's position that AIDS had been "predicted,requested, created, and deployed."Strecker, I now knew, was a stocky, earnest-looking man in hislate 40s or early 50s. His dark blond hair glistened as he spoke.His wire-rimmed glasses and slightly graying temples portrayed amore mature, intelligent, demeanor than what his boyish facedisguised. He spoke quickly and easily, accompanied by anunmistakable Midwestern drawl. He appeared to me to be a onceall American, football hero type, whose athleticism and idealismwas quickly dashed by the nature of medical education andacademic politics.I began the interview by reading from a list of questions I hadprepared for Robert to answer:LEN: Robert, first off, what convinced you that the AIDS viruswas synthetically manufactured?ROBERT: What convinced us [The Strecker Group] was the factthat this new agent had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Thatthe virus had characteristics of animal viruses more so than
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EMERGING VIRUSES: AIDS &EBOLANature
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inherent in the production of live
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natural barrier and has been shown
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"DAVID was an alcoholic, an active
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mass of circumstantial and scientif
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investigators, for a grossly uninfo
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NIAID-National Institute for Allerg
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Part IIntroduction and Scientific B
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viruses in the cow carcasses used t
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depend to maintain our relative fre
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ʺThe WHO Does What?ʺ"The only thi
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the buildup of new susceptibles in
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In 1964, shortly after President Ke
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lymphotrophic (lymph-cell-targeting
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immunological and therapeutic proce
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substances used in the diagnosis of
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Chronicle 1969;23;3:112-117.[20] Si
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In February 1967, as international
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experiments conducted at Porton, En
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technique, weapon, tactic, or strat
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mankind in general, require that th
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experimental studies is to be comme
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