View source for 1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attack

{{Infobox civilian attack
| title = 1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attack
| image = DallesRestaurantsCombined.jpg
| caption = Four of the restaurants in The Dalles affected by the attack
| location = [[The Dalles, Oregon|The Dalles]], [[Oregon]], United States
| coordinates = {{coord|45|36|4|N|121|10|58|W|type:event_region:US-OR|display=inline,title}} {{GR|1}}
| target = Voting population,<br>[[Wasco County]]
| date = August 29 – October 10, 1984
| type = [[Bioterrorism]]
| injuries = 751 people infected, <br /> 45 hospitalizations
| perps = [[Rajneeshee]] commune management
| weapons = ''[[Salmonella enterica]]'' Typhimurium
}}
The '''1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attack''' was the [[food poisoning]] of more than 750&nbsp;individuals in [[The Dalles, Oregon]], United States, through the deliberate contamination of [[salad bar]]s at ten local restaurants with [[salmonella]]. A leading group of followers of [[Osho (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh)|Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh]] (now known as Osho) had hoped to incapacitate the voting population of the city so that their own candidates would win the 1984 [[Wasco County, Oregon|Wasco County]] elections.<ref name="flaccus">{{cite news | last =Flaccus | first =Gillian | title =Ore. Town Never Recovered From Scare | agency =Associated Press | date =October 19, 2001}}</ref> The incident was the first, and single largest [[bioterrorism|bioterrorist]] attack in United States history.<ref name="healthexperts" /><ref name="lewis">{{cite web | last =Lewis | first =Susan K | title =History of Biowarfare: Bioterror, The Cults | work =Nova Online Website | publisher =[[WGBH-TV|WGBH]]/[[NOVA (TV series)|NOVA]] | date =November 2001 | url =http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bioterror/hist_nf.html#cult | accessdate = 2007-11-23 }}</ref> The attack is one of only two confirmed terrorist uses of [[biological weapons]] to harm humans.<ref name="wheelis" />

Having previously gained political control of [[Antelope, Oregon]], Rajneesh's followers based in nearby [[Rajneeshpuram]], Oregon, sought election to two of the three seats on the Wasco County Circuit Court that were up for election in November 1984. Fearing they would not gain enough votes, Rajneeshpuram officials decided to incapacitate voters in The Dalles, the largest population center in Wasco County. The chosen biological agent was ''[[Salmonella enterica]]'' Typhimurium, which was first delivered through glasses of water to two County Commissioners and then, on a larger scale, at salad bars and in salad dressing.

751 people contracted [[salmonellosis]] as a result of the attack; 45&nbsp;of whom were hospitalized. There were no fatalities. Although an initial investigation by the [[Oregon Department of Human Services|Oregon Public Health Division]] and the [[Centers for Disease Control]] did not rule out deliberate contamination, the actual source of the contamination was only discovered a year later. On February 28, 1985, Congressman [[James H. Weaver]] gave a speech in the [[United States House of Representatives]] in which he "accused the Rajneeshees of sprinkling salmonella culture on salad bar ingredients in eight restaurants".<ref name="nytimesweaver" /> At a press conference in September 1985, Rajneesh accused several of his followers of involvement in this and other crimes, including an aborted plan to [[Assassination|assassinate]] a [[United States Attorney]]; and he asked State and Federal authorities to investigate.<ref name="gordon">{{cite book | last =Gordon | first =James S. | title =The Golden Guru – The Strange Journey of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh | publisher =The Stephen Greene Press | year =1987 | pages =Page 181–182 | id = | isbn =0-8289-0630-0}}</ref> [[Oregon Attorney General]] [[David B. Frohnmayer]] set up an Interagency Task Force, composed of [[Oregon State Police]] and the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]], and executed [[search warrant]]s in [[Rajneeshpuram]]. A sample of [[bacteria]] matching the contaminant that had sickened the town residents was found in a Rajneeshpuram medical laboratory. Two leading Rajneeshpuram officials were [[indictment|indicted]] and served 29&nbsp;months in a minimum-security [[federal prison]].

==Planning==
[[Image:Osho Drive By.jpg|thumb|right|[[Osho (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh)]] in his luxury [[Rolls-Royce]]  greeted by [[sannyasin]]s on one of his daily "drive-bys" in [[Rajneeshpuram]], 1982]]
Several thousand of Rajneesh's followers had moved onto the "Big Muddy Ranch" in rural [[Wasco County, Oregon|Wasco County]], and established a city called [[Rajneeshpuram]].<ref name="snow" /><ref name="fitzgerald" /> They had taken political control of the small nearby town of [[Antelope, Oregon|Antelope]], [[Oregon]] (population: 75), whose name they changed to "Rajneesh".<ref name="thompson">{{cite book | last =Thompson | first =Christopher M. | title =The Bioterrorism Threat By Non-State Actors: "The Rajneeshee Cult"| publisher =[[United States Navy]] | date =December 2006 | pages =Pages 17–30 | url =http://www.ccc.nps.navy.mil/research/theses/thompson06.pdf | format=PDF|accessdate = 2008-03-13}}</ref> The group had started on friendly terms with the local population, but relations soon turned negative because of the unenthusiastic response from locals to the commune's expansion.<ref name="thompson" /> After being denied building permits for Rajneeshpuram, the commune leadership sought to gain political control over the rest of the County by influencing the November 1984 County election.<ref name="fitzgerald" /> Their aim was to win two of three seats on the Wasco County Circuit Court, and the Sheriff's Office.<ref name="flaccus" /> Their attempts to influence the election included the "Share-a-Home" program, in which thousands of homeless people were transported to Rajneeshpuram to inflate the constituency of voters for the group's candidates.<ref name="carus" /><ref name="carter" /> The Wasco County Clerk countered this attempt by enforcing a regulation that required all new voters to submit their qualifications when registering to vote.<ref name="entis">{{cite book | last =Entis | first =Phyllis | title =Food Safety: Old Habits, New Perspectives | publisher =Blackwell Publishing | year =2007 | pages =Pages 244–246 | isbn = 1555814174}}</ref>

The commune leadership planned to sicken and incapacitate voters in [[The Dalles, Oregon|The Dalles]], where most of the voters resided, in continuation of their efforts to rig the election.<ref name="grossman">{{cite news | last =Grossman | first =Lawrence K. | title =The Story of a Truly Contaminated Election | work =[[Columbia Journalism Review]] | date =January/February 2001 | url =http://backissues.cjrarchives.org/year/01/1/grossman.asp | accessdate = 2007-11-18}}</ref> Approximately twelve people were involved in the plots to employ biological agents, and at least eleven were involved in the planning process.<ref name="carus" /> No more than four appear to have been involved in development at the Rajneeshpuram medical laboratory, although not all of them were necessarily aware of the objectives their work served.<ref name="carus">{{cite book | last =Carus | first =W. Seth | title =Bioterrorism and Biocrimes | publisher =The Minerva Group, Inc. | year =2002 | pages =Pages 50–55 | url =http://www.fas.org/irp/threat/cbw/carus.pdf | format=PDF| id = | isbn =1410100235}}</ref> At least eight individuals were involved with the actual distribution of the bacteria.<ref name="carus" /> The main planners of the attack included [[Ma Anand Sheela|Sheela Silverman]] (Ma Anand Sheela), Rajneesh's chief lieutenant, and Diane Ivonne Onang (Ma Anand Puja), a [[nurse practitioner]] and secretary-treasurer of the Rajneesh Medical Corporation.<ref name="carus" /><ref name="miller">{{cite book | last =Miller | first =Judith | authorlink =Judith Miller (journalist) | coauthors =William Broad, Stephen Engelberg | title =Germs: Biological Weapons and America's Secret War | publisher =[[Simon & Schuster]] | date =September 17, 2002 | pages =Pages 1–34: "The Attack" | id = | isbn = 0684871599}}</ref> Salmonella bacteria were purchased from a medical supply company in [[Seattle]], [[Washington]], and cultured in labs located inside the commune.<ref name="carus" /> Contamination of the salad bars was considered a "trial run".<ref name="carter" /><ref>{{cite book | last =Board on Global Health, Forum on Microbial Threats, [[Institute of Medicine]] | title =Addressing Foodborne Threats to Health: Policies, Practices, and Global Coordination | publisher =National Academies | year =2006 | pages =Pages 39, 41 | isbn = 0309100437}}</ref> The group also attempted to introduce pathogens into The Dalles' water system.<ref name="carus" /> If successful, the same techniques were to be used closer to [[Election Day (United States)|Election Day]].<ref name="carter" /> This second part of the plan was never implemented<ref name="carter" /> because the commune decided to boycott the election when it became clear that those brought in through the "Share-a-Home" program would not be allowed to vote.<ref name="carter" />

== Salmonella poisoning ==<!-- the poisoning is already detailed in the previous paragraph, the section header needs to be moved or removed -->
[[Image:WascoCountyCourhouse.jpg|thumb|Perpetrators spread salmonella contaminants on surfaces in the Wasco County Courthouse.]]
[[Image:TheDallesTacoTimeSalsaBar.jpg|thumb|upright|The salsa bar of The Dalles Taco Time.]]
Two visiting Wasco County commissioners were poisoned with glasses of water containing salmonella bacteria during a visit to Rajneeshpuram on August 29, 1984.<ref name="wheelis" /> Both men fell ill as a result, and one was hospitalized.<ref name="wheelis" /> Afterward, members of Sheela's team spread salmonella on [[produce]] in grocery stores and on doorknobs and urinal handles in the county courthouse, but this did not produce the desired effects.<ref name="wheelis" /> In September and October 1984, they contaminated the salad bars of 10 local restaurants with salmonella, infecting 751&nbsp;people.<ref name="urbano">{{cite book | last =Urbano | first =Mary Theresa | title =The Complete Bioterrorism Survival Guide | publisher =Sentient Publications | year =2006 | pages =Pages 60–61 | isbn = 1591810515}}</ref> Forty-five people received hospital treatment; all survived.<ref>{{cite book | last =Schweitzer | first =Glenn E. | coauthors = Carole Dorsch Schweitzer | title =A Faceless Enemy: The Origins of Modern Terrorism | publisher =Da Capo Press | year =2002 | page =Page 121 | isbn = 0738207578}}</ref>

The primary delivery tactic involved one member concealing a plastic bag containing a light brown liquid with the salmonella bacteria, and either spreading it over the food at a salad bar, or pouring its contents into salad dressing.<ref name="mccann">{{cite book | last =McCann | first =Joseph T. | title =Terrorism on American Soil: A Concise History of Plots and Perpetrators from the Famous to the Forgotten | publisher =Sentient Publications | year =2006 | pages =Pages 151–158 | isbn = 1591810493}}</ref> The perpetrators referred to the contaminated liquid as "salsa".<ref name="miller" /> By September 24, 1984, more than 150&nbsp;people were violently ill.<ref name="garrett" /> By the end of September, 751&nbsp;cases of acute [[gastroenteritis]] were documented; lab results showed that all of the victims were infected with ''Salmonella enterica'' Typhimurium.<ref name="garrett">{{cite book | last =Garrett | first =Laurie |authorlink=Laurie Garrett| title =Betrayal of Trust: The Collapse of Global Public Health | publisher =Hyperion | year =2000 | location =New York | pages =Pages 540–541, 544 | isbn = 0786884401}}</ref> Symptoms included diarrhea, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, headaches, abdominal pain, and bloody stools.<ref name="urbano" /> Victims ranged in age from an infant, born two days after his mother's infection and initially given a five-percent chance of survival,<ref name="carter" /> to an 87-year-old.<ref name="snow">{{cite book | last =Snow | first =Robert L. | title =[[Deadly Cults|Deadly Cults: The Crimes of True Believers]]| publisher =Praeger/Greenwood | year =2003 | pages =Pages 87–90 | isbn = 0275980529}}</ref>

Local residents suspected that Rajneesh's followers were behind the poisonings, and turned out in droves on election day to prevent the organization from winning any county positions, thus rendering the terrorist plot unsuccessful.<ref name="flaccus" /> The Rajneeshees eventually withdrew their candidate from the November 1984 ballot.<ref name="mccann" /> Only 239 of the commune's 7,000&nbsp;residents voted.<ref>{{cite news | last =Staff | coauthors =[[United Press International|UPI]] | title = Few Followers of Guru Vote | work =[[The New York Times]] | publisher =[[The New York Times Company]] | date =November 9, 1984 | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990DE6DE1139F93AA35752C1A962948260|accessdate=2008-03-12 }}</ref> The outbreak cost local restaurants hundreds of thousands of dollars<!-----through litigation, fines, or lost custom?------> and health officials shut down the salad bars of the affected establishments.<ref name="flaccus" /> Some residents would not go out alone out of fear of further attacks.<ref>{{cite book | last =Stripling | first =Mahala Yates | title =Bioethics And Medical Issues In Literature | publisher =Greenwood Press | year =2005 | page =Page 24 | isbn = 0313320403}}</ref> One resident stated: "People were so horrified and scared. People wouldn't go out, they wouldn't go out alone. People were becoming prisoners."<ref name="snow" />

==Investigation==
Officials and investigators from a number of different agencies were dispatched to The Dalles to investigate the cause of the outbreak.<ref name="grossman" /> Dr. Michael Skeels, Director of the Oregon State Public Health Laboratory at the time, explained that the incident provoked such a large public health investigation because "it was the largest food-related outbreak in the U.S. in 1984".<ref name="garrett" />

The investigation identified the bacteria responsible as ''[[Salmonella enterica]]'' Typhimurium and concluded that the outbreak had been due to food handlers' poor personal hygiene, as workers preparing food at the affected restaurants had fallen ill before most patrons had.<ref name="miller" /><ref name="novick">{{cite book | last =Novick | first =Lloyd | title =Public Health Issues Disaster Preparedness: Focus on Bioterrorism | publisher =Jones and Bartlett Publishers | year =2003 | pages =Pages 90, 104, 113 | id = | isbn =0763725005 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last =Staff | title =Ill Handlers Suspected in Oregon Food Poisonings | work =[[The New York Times]] | publisher =[[The New York Times Company]] | date =October 21, 1984 | url =http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9404E3D91439F932A15753C1A962948260&scp=1 | accessdate = 2008-03-15 }}</ref>

Oregon [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] Congressman [[James H. Weaver]] continued to investigate because he felt the officials' conclusion did not adequately explain the facts.<ref name="carter">{{cite book | last =Carter | first =Lewis F. | title =Charisma and Control in Rajneeshpuram | publisher =Cambridge University Press | year =1990 | page =Pages 202–238 | isbn =0521385547}}</ref> He contacted physicians at the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|CDC]] and other agencies and urged them to investigate Rajneeshpuram.<ref name="nytimesweaver">{{cite news | last =Weaver | first =James | title =Slow Medical Sleuthing | work =[[The New York Times]] | publisher =[[The New York Times Company]] | date =April 24, 2001 | url =http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D00E0DC1639F937A15757C0A9679C8B63 | accessdate = 2007-11-23 }}</ref><ref name="carter" /> According to Lewis F. Carter's ''Charisma and Control in Rajneeshpuram'', "many treated his concern" as paranoid or as an example of "Rajneeshee bashing".<ref name="carter" /> On February 28, 1985, Weaver gave a speech on the floor of the [[United States House of Representatives]] in which he accused the Rajneeshees of sprinkling salmonella culture on salad bar ingredients in eight restaurants.<ref name="nytimesweaver" /><ref name="weavercongress">{{cite journal | last =Weaver | first =James | authorlink =James H. Weaver | title =The Town That Was Poisoned | journal =[[Congressional Record]] | volume =131 | issue =3-4 | pages =Pages 4185–4189, [[99th United States Congress]], 1st Session | publisher =[[United States Government Printing Office]] | location = [[Washington, D.C.]] | date =February 28, 1985 | url =http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:1985_Feb_28_Congressman_Weaver_THE_TOWN_THAT_WAS_POISONED.pdf | format=PDF| id = }} Transcription at [[s:The Town That Was Poisoned/Congressman Weaver|WikiSource]].</ref> As events later showed, Weaver had presented a well-reasoned, if only circumstantial, case, whose circumstantial elements were confirmed by evidence when investigators gained access to Rajneeshpuram several months later.<ref name="carter" />

In the week starting Monday, September 16, 1985, Rajneesh, who had recently emerged from a four-year period of public silence and self-imposed isolation at the commune,<ref name="miller" /><ref name="nytimesroiled" /> convened press conferences where he stated that Sheela and 19 other commune leaders, including Puja, had left Rajneeshpuram over the weekend and gone to Europe.<ref name="gordon" /><ref name="nytimesroiled">{{cite news | last =Martin | first =Douglas | title =Guru's Commune Roiled As Key Leader Departs | work =[[The New York Times]] | publisher =[[The New York Times Company]] | date =September 22, 1985 | url =http://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=F60F15FD3F5D0C718EDDA00894DD484D81 | accessdate = 2008-03-15 }}</ref> Following their departure, he said, he had received information from residents that Sheela and her team had committed a number of serious crimes.<ref name="fitzgerald">{{cite book | last =FitzGerald | first =Frances | authorlink =Frances FitzGerald (journalist)| title =Cities on a Hill | publisher =[[Simon & Schuster]]| year =1987 | pages =Pages 360–361, 378 | id = | isbn =0671552090 }}</ref><ref name="nytimesroiled" /> Calling them a "gang of fascists", he said they had attempted to poison his doctor and his female companion, as well as the [[Jefferson County, Oregon|Jefferson County]] district attorney and the water system in The Dalles.<ref name="fitzgerald"/> He added that he believed they had poisoned a county commissioner and Judge William Hulse, that they may have been responsible for the salmonella outbreak in The Dalles,<ref name="fitzgerald" /> and invited state and federal law enforcement officials to come to the Ranch and investigate.<ref name="miller" /> His allegations were initially greeted with skepticism by outside observers.<ref name="nytimesroiled" />

[[Oregon Attorney General]] [[David B. Frohnmayer|Dave Frohnmayer]] established a task force among local and [[Oregon State Police]], the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]], the Sheriff's office, the [[Immigration and Naturalization Service]] and the [[National Guard of the United States|National Guard]] that set up headquarters on the Ranch to investigate the allegations.<ref name="miller" /> Feeling they would need greater authority to perform an effective search, and fearing that evidence might be destroyed, they obtained [[search warrant]]s and subpoenas; 50 investigators entered the Ranch on October 2, 1985.<ref name="miller" /> Dr. Skeels found glass vials containing salmonella "bactrol disks" in the laboratory of a Rajneeshpuram medical clinic.<ref name="miller" /> Analysis by the CDC lab in Atlanta confirmed that the bacteria at the Rajneesh laboratory were an exact match to those that sickened individuals who had eaten at local restaurants.<ref name="miller" /> The investigation also revealed prior experimentation at Rajneeshpuram with poisons, chemicals and bacteria, in 1984 and 1985.<ref name="miller" /> Dr. Skeels described the scene at the Rajneesh laboratory as "a bacteriological freezer-dryer for large-scale production" of microbes.<ref name="garrett" /> Investigators found a copy of ''[[The Anarchist Cookbook]]'', and literature on the manufacture and usage of explosives and military biowarfare.<ref name="garrett" /> Investigators also believed that similar attacks had previously been carried out in [[Salem, Oregon|Salem]], [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]], and other cities in Oregon.<ref name="miller" /> According to testimony, the plotters boasted that they had attacked a nursing home and a salad bar at the [[Mid-Columbia Medical Center]], but no such attempts were ever proven in court.<ref name="miller" /> As a result of the bioterrorism investigation, law enforcement officials discovered that there had been an [[1985 Rajneeshee assassination plot|aborted plot]] by Rajneeshees to murder [[Charles H. Turner (attorney)|Charles Turner]], a former [[United States Attorney]] for Oregon.<ref>{{cite news | last =Larabee | first =Mark | title =Two Rajneeshee members plead guilty: Sally-Anne Croft and Susan Hagan return to the United States to face 15-year-old wiretapping charges | work =[[The Oregonian]] | date =December 16, 2000 }}</ref>

==Prosecution==
[[Image:1982 Osho driving.jpg|thumb|right|[[Osho (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh)]] driving one of his [[Rolls-Royce (car)|Rolls-Royce]] cars in 1982. According to KD, the mayor of Rajneeshpuram, Sheela claimed to have discussed the plot with Rajneesh, but this was never proven.<ref name="carus" />]]
The mayor of Rajneeshpuram, David Berry Knapp (known as Krishna Deva or KD), turned [[Turn state's evidence|state's evidence]] and gave an account of his knowledge of the salmonella attack to the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]].<ref name="carus" /> He claimed that Sheela said "she had talked with [Rajneesh] about the plot to decrease voter turnout in The Dalles by making people sick. Sheela said that [Rajneesh] commented that it was best not to hurt people, but if a few died not to worry."<ref name="carus" /> In Miller's ''[[Germs: Biological Weapons and America's Secret War]]'', this statement is attributed to Sheela:<ref name="miller" /> According to KD's testimony, she played doubters a muffled tape of Rajneesh's voice saying that "if it was necessary to do things to preserve [his] vision, then do it" and interpreted this to mean that killing people in his name was fine, telling doubters "not to worry" if a few people had to die.<ref name="miller" /> The investigation uncovered a September 25, 1984, invoice from the [[American Type Culture Collection]] of microbes, showing an order received by the Rajneeshpuram laboratory for ''Salmonella'' Typhi, the bacterium that causes the life-threatening illness [[typhoid fever]].<ref name="miller" /><ref name="frost">{{cite book | last =Frost | first =Robin M. | title =Nuclear Terrorism After 9/11 | publisher =Routledge | year =2005 | page=Page 52 | isbn = 0415399920}}</ref>

According to a 1994 study published in the journal ''Sociology of Religion'', "[m]ost sannyasins indicated that they believed that [Rajneesh] knew about Ma Anand Sheela's illegal activities."<ref name="latkin">{{cite journal | last =Latkin | first =Carl A. | coauthors =Sundberg, Norman D.; Littman, Richard A.; Katsikis, Melissa G.; Hagan, Richard A. | title =Feelings after the fall: former Rajneeshpuram Commune members' perceptions of and affiliation with the Rajneeshee movement | journal =Sociology of Religion | volume =55 | issue =1 | pages =Pages 65–74 | doi =10.2307/3712176 | year =1994 | url =http://jstor.org/stable/3712176 | publisher =Oxford University Press }}</ref> [[Frances FitzGerald (journalist)|Frances FitzGerald]] writes in ''Cities on a Hill'' that most of Rajneesh's followers "believed [him] incapable of doing, or willing, violence against another person", and that almost all of them thought the responsibility for the criminality was Sheela's – according to FitzGerald they believed he had not known anything about it.<ref name="fitzgerald" /> Carus writes in ''Toxic Terror'' that "There is no way to know to what extent [Rajneesh] participated in actual decision-making. His followers believed he was involved in every important decision that Sheela made, but those allegations were never proven."<ref name="tucker">{{cite book | last =Tucker | first =Jonathan B. (Ed.) | authorlink =Jonathan B. Tucker | coauthors = Seth W. Carus (section)| title =Toxic Terror: Assessing Terrorist Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons | publisher =MIT Press | year =2000 | pages =Pages 115–138 |isbn = 0262700719}}</ref> Rajneesh insisted that Sheela, who he said was his only source of information during his period of isolation, used her position to impose "a fascist state" on the commune.<ref name="nytimesroiled" /> He acknowledged that the key to her actions was his silence.<ref name="nytimesroiled" />

Rajneesh left Oregon by plane on October 27, 1985, and was [[Arrest warrant|arrested]] when he landed in [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]], [[North Carolina]], and charged with 35 counts of deliberate [[Illegal immigration to the United States|violations of immigration laws]].<ref name="occultism">{{cite news | last =Staff | title =Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh | work =Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology, 5th ed. | publisher =Gale Group | year =2001 }}</ref><ref name="bernett">{{cite book | last =Bernett | first =Brian C. | title =U.S. Biodefense and Homeland Security Toward Detection and Attribution | publisher =[[United States Navy]] | date =December 2006 | pages =Pages 13–35: "The Rajneeshee Cult Biological Attacks" | url =http://www.ccc.nps.navy.mil/research/theses/bernett06.pdf | format=PDF| id = }}</ref><ref name="gale03">{{cite news | title =Acharya Rajneesh | work =Contemporary Authors Online | publisher =[[Thomson Gale]] | date =September 5, 2003 }}</ref> As part of a plea bargain arrangement, he pled guilty to two counts of [[making false statements]] to immigration officials.<ref name="carter" /><ref name="mccann" /><ref name="bernett" /> He received a 10-year suspended sentence and a fine of [[USD|USD$]]400,000, and was deported and barred from reentering the United States for a period of five years.<ref name="carter" /><ref name="gale03" /><ref name="immigrationandcustoms">{{cite news | last =Staff | title =Leadership, Director, Office of Policy and Planning, Joseph R. Greene | work =[[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement]] | publisher =[[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement|ICE]] | date =September 25, 2006 | url =http://www.ice.gov/about/leadership/ot_bio/joe_greene.htm | accessdate = 2007-11-22 }}</ref> He was never prosecuted for crimes related to the salmonella poisoning.<ref name="carter" /><ref name="mccann" />

Sheela and Puja were arrested in Germany on October 28, 1985.<ref name="carter" /> After protracted negotiations, they were extradited to the United States and arrived in Portland on February 6, 1986.<ref name="carter" /> They were charged with attempting to murder Rajneesh's personal physician, first-degree assault for poisoning Judge William Hulse, second-degree assault for poisoning The Dalles Commissioner Raymond Matthews, and product tampering for the poisonings in The Dalles, as well as wiretapping and immigration offenses.<ref name="wheelis" /><ref name="carter" /> The U.S. Attorney's office handled the prosecution of the poisoning cases related to the 10 restaurants, and the Oregon Attorney General's office prosecuted the poisoning cases of Commissioner Matthews and Judge Hulse.<ref name="bernett" />

On July 22, 1986, both women entered no-contest ("[[Alford plea|Alford]]") pleas for the salmonella poisoning and the other charges, and received sentences ranging from three to 20 years, to be served concurrently. Sheela received 20 years for the attempted murder of Rajneesh's physician, 20 years for first-degree assault in the poisoning of Judge Hulse, 10 years for second-degree assault in the poisoning of Commissioner Matthews, four and a half years for her role in the salmonella poisoning, four and a half years for the wiretapping conspiracy, and five years' probation for immigration fraud; Puja received 15, 15, seven and a half, and four and a half years, respectively, for her role in the first four of these crimes, as well as three years' probation for the wiretapping conspiracy.<ref name="wheelis" /><ref name="carter" /><ref name="bernett" /> Both Sheela and Puja were released early for good behavior, after serving 29 months of their sentences in a minimum-security [[federal prison]].<ref name="wheelis" /><ref name="carter" /><ref name="senior">{{cite news | last =Senior | first =Jeanie | title = Anand Sheela tends patients in Switzerland: The former spokeswoman for Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh works in two private nursing homes | work = [[The Oregonian]] | date =December 26, 1999 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last =Suo | first =Steve | title =Ex-Rajneeshee pleads guilty in conspiracy | work =Oregon Live | date =December 21, 2002 }}</ref> Sheela was deported, and went on to run two [[nursing home]]s in Switzerland.<ref name="senior00">{{cite news | last =Senior | first =Jeanie | coauthors =Dave Hogan | title = Indian guru follower Anand Sheela arrested after German TV show: Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh's former spokeswoman is freed because a Swiss court already convicted her in 1999 | work =[[The Oregonian]] | date =January 22, 2000}}</ref>

==Aftermath==
{{quote box
|width=250px
|align=right
|quote=The Rajneeshees committed the most significant crimes of their kind in the history of the United States ... The largest single incident of fraudulent marriages, the most massive scheme of wiretapping and bugging, and the largest mass poisoning.
|source=—[[Oregon Attorney General]] [[David B. Frohnmayer|Dave Frohnmayer]]
}}
''[[The Oregonian]]'' ran a 20-part series on Rajneesh's movement, beginning in June 1985, which included an investigation into the salmonella incident.<ref name="grossman"/> As a result of a follow-up investigation, ''The Oregonian'' learned that Leslie L. Zaitz, one of their [[investigative journalism|investigative journalists]], had been placed as number three on a top-ten hit list by Sheela's group.<ref name="grossman" /> Then-[[Oregon Attorney General]] [[David B. Frohnmayer|Dave Frohnmayer]] commented on the poisoning incident and other acts perpetrated by the group, stating: "The Rajneeshees committed the most significant crimes of their kind in the history of the United States ... The largest single incident of fraudulent marriages, the most massive scheme of wiretapping and bugging, and the largest mass poisoning."<ref name="snow" /><ref name="graham">{{cite news | last =Graham | first =Rachel | title =The Saffron Swami | work =[[Willamette Week]] | date =25th Anniversary Issue | url =http://wweek.com/html/25-1983.html | accessdate = 2007-12-13}}</ref> Looking back on the incident, Skeels stated, "We lost our innocence over this ... We really learned to be more suspicious ... The first significant biological attack on a U.S. community was not carried out by foreign terrorists smuggled into New York, but by legal residents of a U.S. community. The next time it happens it could be with more lethal agents ... We in public health are really not ready to deal with that."<ref name="garrett" />

As of 2005, the Rajneesh group was the only known organization to have cultured its own [[pathogen]] for terrorist purposes.<ref name="leitenberg">{{cite book | last =Leitenberg | first =Milton | title =Assessing the Biological Weapons and Bioterrorism Threat | publisher = [[Strategic Studies Institute]] | date =December 1, 2005 | url =http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/display.cfm?PubID=639 | isbn =1428916261 }}</ref> Federal and state investigators requested that details of the incident not be published in the ''[[Journal of the American Medical Association]]'' (JAMA) for 12 years, for they feared a description of the events could spark [[copycat crime]]s, and ''JAMA'' complied.<ref name="garrett" /> No repeat attacks or [[hoax]]es subsequently occurred, and a detailed account of the incident and investigation was published in ''JAMA'' in 1997.<ref name="entis" /><ref name="torok">{{cite journal | author = T. J. Török, R. V. Tauxe, R. P. Wise, J. R. Livengood, R. Sokolow, S. Mauvais, K. A. Birkness, M. R. Skeels, J. M. Horan and L. R. Foster | title = A Large Community Outbreak of Salmonellosis Caused by Intentional Contamination of Restaurant Salad Bars | journal = [[Journal of the American Medical Association]] | volume =278 | issue =5 | pages =Pages 389–395 | date =August 6, 1997 | url = http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/278/5/389 | accessdate = 2007-11-18 | doi = 10.1001/jama.278.5.389 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last =Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction | title =Assessing The Threat: First Annual Report to The President and The Congress of the Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction | publisher =DIANE Publishing | date =December 15, 1999 | pages =Pages 18–19 | url =http://www.rand.org/nsrd/terrpanel/terror.pdf | format=PDF| isbn = 1428981128}}</ref> A 1999 empirical analysis in the journal ''Emerging Infectious Diseases'' published by the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|CDC]] described six motivational factors associated with bioterrorism, including: charismatic leadership, no outside constituency, apocalyptic ideology, loner or splinter group, sense of paranoia and grandiosity, and defensive aggression.<ref name="tuckercdc">{{cite journal | last =Tucker | first =Jonathan B. | authorlink =Jonathan B. Tucker | title =Historical Trends Related to Bioterrorism: An Empirical Analysis | journal =Emerging Infectious Diseases | volume =5 | issue =4 | publisher =[[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] | date =July 1, 1999 | url =http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol5no4/tucker.htm | accessdate = 2007-11-22 }}</ref> According to the article, the "Rajneesh Cult" satisfied all motivational factors except for an "apocalyptic ideology".<ref name="tuckercdc" /> An analysis in the book ''Cults, Religion and Violence'' disputes the link to [[Charismatic authority|charismatic leadership]], pointing out that in this and other cases, it was organizational lieutenants who played a pivotal role in the initiation of violence.<ref name="bromley" /> Arguing for a contextual rather than decisive view of charisma, the authors state that the attribution of outcomes to the personality of a single individual, even a charismatic leader, usually camouflages a far more complex field of social relationships.<ref name="bromley">{{cite book | last =Bromley | first = David G. | coauthors = J. Gordon Melton | title =Cults, Religion and Violence | publisher =Cambridge University Press | date =May 13, 2002 | page =Page 47 | isbn = 0521668980}}</ref>

[[Image:AntelopePlaque.jpg|thumb|right|240px|A plaque at the Antelope post office commemorates local resistance to the Rajneeshee "invasion".]]
The media revisited the incident during the [[2001 anthrax attacks]] in the United States.<ref>{{cite news | last =Dobbs | first =Lou | title =Anthrax Exposure Discovered in New York; Interview With William Cohen | work =[[Lou Dobbs Moneyline]] | publisher =CNN | date =October 12, 2001 | url =http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0110/12/mlld.00.html | accessdate = 2007-11-23 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last =Staff | title =Bioweapons are possible to get, but it's not easy | work =[[Star Tribune]] | date =October 21, 2001 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last =Mishra | first =Raja | title =A Heightened Alert for Bioterrorism Detection System is Keeping Health Officials Apprised | work =[[Boston Globe]] | date =September 27, 2001 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last =Staff | coauthors =[[Associated Press]] | title =Bioterror's first US victims offer hope to a nation – Cult Attack: The small town of The Dalles, near Portland, Oregon, was in 1984 the first place in America hit with germ warfare. The people of the town say that the country will get through this as well | work =[[Taipei Times]] | page =4 | date =October 21, 2001 | url =http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/against/archives/2001/10/21/108063 | accessdate = 2007-11-22 }}</ref> The 2001 publication of [[Judith Miller (journalist)|Judith Miller]]'s ''Germs: Biological Weapons and America's Secret War'', which contained an analysis and detailed description of the events, also brought discussion of the incident back into the news.<ref>{{cite news | last =Beard, David| title ='Germs' Examines US in Age of Bioterrorism | work =[[Boston Globe]] | date = October 16, 2001 |page=E3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last =Lalich | first =Janja | title =[[Bounded Choice|Bounded Choice: True Believers and Charismatic Cults]] | publisher =University of California Press | year =2004 | pages =Pages 9–10 | isbn = 0520240189}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last =Elmer-Dewitt | first =Philip | title =America's First Bioterrorism Attack | work =[[TIME]] | publisher =[[Time Warner]] | date =September 30, 2001 | url =http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101011008-176937,00.html | accessdate = 2007-11-18 }}</ref> Residents of The Dalles commented that they have an understanding of how bioterrorism can occur in the United States.<ref name="flaccus" /> The incident had spread fear in the community, and drained the local economy.<ref name="flaccus" /> All but one of the restaurants affected went out of business.<ref name="nestle">{{cite book | last =Nestle | first =Marion | title =Safe Food: Bacteria, Biotechnology, and Bioterrorism | publisher =University of California Press | year =2003 | pages =Pages 266–267 | isbn = 0520232925}}</ref> In 2005, the [[Oregon Department of State Lands|Oregon State Land Board]] agreed to sell {{convert|480|acre|km2}} of Wasco County, including Rajneeshpuram, to the Colorado-based youth ministry [[Young Life]].<ref name="oregonagrees">{{cite news | last =[[Associated Press]] | title =Oregon agrees to sell former Rajneeshees cult encampment | work =[[The Seattle Times]] | publisher =The Seattle Times Company | date =December 15, 2005 | url =http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002685608_webrajneeshees15.html
 | accessdate = 2007-11-24 }}</ref><ref name="katu">{{cite news | last =Staff | title =State agrees to sell former Rajneesh encampment | work =KATU 2 Portland | date =December 15, 2005 }}</ref> On February 18, 2005, [[Court TV]] aired an episode of ''[[Forensic Files]]'' about the incident, entitled: "'Bio-Attack' – Oregon Cult Poisonings".<ref>{{cite news | last =Staff | title ='Bio-Attack' – Oregon Cult Poisonings: In 1984, hundreds of people in The Dalles, Oregon became ill with food poisoning. Local, state and federal disease detectives slowly unraveled the medical mystery. Along with a unique strain of bacteria, they discovered a religious cult's bizarre plot to overthrow the government using germ warfare | work =Forensic Files: [[Court TV]] | publisher =Turner Entertainment Digital Network, Inc. | date =February 18, 2005}}</ref> The salmonellosis outbreak was also discussed in the media within the context of the [[2006 North American E. coli outbreak]].<ref>{{cite news | last =Staff | title =Spinach scare sparks memories of The Dalles | work =Nashua Telegraph | publisher =Telegraph Publishing Company | date =September 21, 2006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last =Staff | title =Spinach and bioterrorism prevention | work =Ocala Star-Banner | date =September 23, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last =Staff | title =Bioterror and spinach | work =[[E. W. Scripps Company|Scripps Howard News Service]] | date =September 19, 2006}}</ref>

The book ''Emerging Infectious Diseases: Trends and Issues'' cites the 1984 Rajneeshee bioterror attack, along with the [[Aum Shinrikyo]] group's attempts to use anthrax and other agents, as exceptions to the belief "that only foreign-state supported groups have the resources to execute a credible bioterrorism event".<ref name="lashley">{{cite book | last =Lashley | first =Felissa R. | coauthors =Jerry D. Durham | title =Emerging Infectious Diseases: Trends and Issues | publisher =Springer Publishing Company | year =2007 | page =Page 419 |isbn = 0826102506}}</ref> According to ''Deadly Cultures: Biological Weapons Since 1945'', these are the only two confirmed uses of [[biological weapons]] for terrorist purposes to harm humans.<ref name="wheelis">{{cite book | last =Wheelis | first =Mark | coauthors =Lajos Rózsa, Malcolm Dando | title =Deadly Cultures: Biological Weapons Since 1945 | publisher =Harvard University Press | year =2006 | pages =Pages 284–293, 301–303 | isbn = 0674016998}}</ref> The incident was the single largest bioterrorist attack in United States history.<ref name="healthexperts">{{cite news | last =[[E. W. Scripps Company|Scripps Howard News Service]] | title =Health experts fear bioterror attack | work =[[Grand Rapids Press]] | page =G1 | date =January 28, 2007| quote = A total of 751 people, including members of the Wasco County Commission, became ill with nausea, diarrhea, headaches and fever. Forty-five people were hospitalized, but no one died. It was the first, and still the largest, germ-warfare attack in U.S. history.}}</ref><ref name="cramer">{{cite news | last =Cramer | first =John | title =Oregon suffered largest bioterrorist attack in U.S. history, 20 years ago | work =The Bulletin | publisher =bendbulletin.com | date =October 14, 2001 }}</ref><ref name="hargrove">{{cite news | last =Hargrove | first =Thomas | title =Lab Unprepared for Germ Warfare | work =[[The Cincinnati Post|The Kentucky Post]] | page =A11 | date =November 25, 2006 }}</ref> In the chapter titled: "Influencing An Election: America's First Modern Bioterrorist Attack" in his 2006 book ''Terrorism on American Soil: A Concise History of Plots and Perpetrators from the Famous to the Forgotten'', author Joseph T. McCann concludes: "In every respect, the salmonella poisoning carried out by the cult members was a major bioterrorist attack that fortunately failed to achieve its ultimate goal and resulted in no fatalities."<ref name="mccann" />

==See also==
{{Portal box|Oregon|Terrorism|Biology|Criminal justice|Politics}}
* [[1985 Rajneeshee assassination plot]]
* [[Biological warfare]]
* [[Deportation]]
* [[Electoral fraud]]
* [[Elections in the United States]]
* [[List of terrorist incidents]]
* [[Public health]]
* [[Terrorism in the United States]]
* [[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement]]
* [[Voting system]]
{{-}}

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin|colwidth=60em}}
* {{cite book | last =Bernett | first =Brian C. | title =U.S. Biodefense and Homeland Security Toward Detection and Attribution | publisher =[[United States Navy]] | date =December 2006 | pages =Pages 13–35: "The Rajneeshee Cult Biological Attacks" | url =http://www.ccc.nps.navy.mil/research/theses/bernett06.pdf |format=PDF }}
* {{cite book | last =Carter | first =Lewis F. | coauthors =Ernest Q. Campbell, contributor | title =Charisma and Control in Rajneeshpuram | publisher =Cambridge University Press | year =1990 | pages =Pages 202–257 | isbn = 0521385547}}
* {{cite book | last =Carus | first =W. Seth | title =Bioterrorism and Biocrimes | publisher =The Minerva Group, Inc. | year =2002 | pages =Pages 50–55 | url =http://www.fas.org/irp/threat/cbw/carus.pdf | format=PDF|isbn =1410100235}}
* {{cite book | last =Entis | first =Phyllis | title =Food Safety: Old Habits, New Perspectives | publisher =Blackwell Publishing | year =2007 | pages =Pages 244–246: "Salad Days in The Dalles" |isbn = 1555814174}}
* {{cite book | last =FitzGerald | first =Frances | authorlink =Frances FitzGerald (journalist)| title =Cities on a Hill | publisher =[[Simon & Schuster]]| year =1987 |isbn =0671552090 }}
* {{cite book | last =Garrett | first =Laurie |authorlink=Laurie Garrett| title =Betrayal of Trust: The Collapse of Global Public Health | publisher =Hyperion | year =2000 | location =New York | pages =Pages 540–541, 544 |isbn = 0786884401}}
* {{cite book | last =McCann | first =Joseph T. | title =Terrorism on American Soil: A Concise History of Plots and Perpetrators from the Famous to the Forgotten | publisher =Sentient Publications | year =2006 | pages =Pages 151–158 – "Influencing An Election: America's First Modern Bioterrorist Attack" | isbn = 1591810493}}
* {{cite book | last =Miller | first =Judith | authorlink =Judith Miller (journalist) | coauthors =William Broad, Stephen Engelberg | title =Germs: Biological Weapons and America's Secret War | publisher =[[Simon & Schuster]] | date =September 17, 2002 | pages =Pages 1–34: "The Attack" | isbn = 0684871599}}
* {{cite book | last =Thompson | first =Christopher M. | title =The Bioterrorism Threat By Non-State Actors | publisher =[[United States Navy]] | date =December 2006 | pages =Pages 17–30: "The Rajneeshee Cult" | url =http://www.ccc.nps.navy.mil/research/theses/thompson06.pdf | format=PDF }}
* {{cite book | last =Tucker | first =Jonathan B. (Ed.) | authorlink = Jonathan B. Tucker| coauthors =Seth W. Carus (section) | title =Toxic Terror: Assessing Terrorist Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons | publisher =MIT Press | year =2000 | pages =Pages 115–138 | isbn = 0262700719}}
* {{cite journal | last =Weaver | first =James | authorlink =James H. Weaver | title =The Town That Was Poisoned | journal =[[Congressional Record]] | volume =131 | issue =3-4 | pages =Pages 4185–4189, [[99th United States Congress]], 1st Session | publisher =[[United States Government Printing Office]] | location = [[Washington, D.C.]] | date =February 28, 1985 | url =http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:1985_Feb_28_Congressman_Weaver_THE_TOWN_THAT_WAS_POISONED.pdf |format=PDF }}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{wikisource|The Town That Was Poisoned}}
{{commons category|Rajneesh movement}}
* {{cite news | last =Ayers | first =Shirley | title =Bioterrorism in Oregon | work =Emergency Film Group | date = | url =http://www.efilmgroup.com/News/Bioterrorism-in-Oregon.html | accessdate = 2007-11-18 }}
* {{cite news | last =Oregon State Archives| title =Wasco County History | work =Oregon Historical County Records Guide | date = | url =http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/county/cpwascohome.html | accessdate = 2007-11-22}}
* {{cite news | last =Oregon State Archives| title =Oregon History: Chronology – 1952 to 2002 | work =Oregon Blue Book | year =2007 | url =http://bluebook.state.or.us/cultural/history/chron04.htm | accessdate = 2007-11-22}}
* {{cite web | last =Oregon State Department of Human Services | authorlink =
 | title =Bioterrorism questions and answers | work =OREGON.gov | date = | url =http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/acd/bioterrorism/btfaq.shtml | accessdate = 2007-11-18}}
* {{cite news | last =[[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement]]| title =Leadership, Director, Office of Policy and Planning, Joseph R. Greene | work = | publisher =[[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement|ICE]] | date =September 25, 2006 | url =http://www.ice.gov/about/leadership/ot_bio/joe_greene.htm | accessdate = 2007-11-22 }}
* {{cite news | last =[[WBUR]] | title =Bioterrorism in History – 1984: Rajneesh Cult Attacks Local Salad Bar | work =[[NPR]] | date = | url =http://www.wbur.org/special/specialcoverage/feature_bio.asp | accessdate =2007-11-18 }}

{{Osho movement}}
{{Bioterrorism}}
{{Oregon Modern History}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:1984 Rajneeshee Bioterror Attack}}
[[Category:Religiously motivated violence in the United States]]
[[Category:Bioterrorism]]
[[Category:1984 in the United States]]
[[Category:Scandals in Oregon]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in 1984]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in the United States]]
[[Category:1984 crimes in the United States]]
[[Category:Rajneesh movement]]

[[fr:Attaque bioterroriste de The Dalles]]
[[Category:2Fix]]