WASHINGTON, Oct 15: US President George W. Bush said on Monday that preliminary tests found anthrax in a letter sent to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, adding aides who handled the missive were being treated.

The South Dakota Democrat’s “office received a letter and it had anthrax in it. The letter was field tested and the staffers that have been exposed are being treated,” Bush said after an Oval Office meeting with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Asked whether Osama bin Laden was linked to the current spate of anthrax-laden letters, the president replied: “I wouldn’t put it past him, but we don’t have hard evidence yet.

“There may be some possible link. We have no hard data yet, but it’s clear that Mister (Osama) bin Laden is a man who is an evil man. He and his spokesman are openly bragging about how they hope to inflict more pain on our country,” he said.

“We’re watching every piece of evidence. We’re making sure that we’re connecting any dots that we have to find out who’s doing this,” the president said.

“I spoke to the leader. He is obviously concerned, as am I,” said the president of a conversation with Daschle.

“There’s more tests being conducted as we speak. The leader believes it is anthrax but we’ll find out more as time goes on.”

Mr Bush also urged the US public to take special precautions with their mail and turn suspicious letters or packages over to law enforcement officials. “Be cautious about letters that come from somebody you may not know, unmarked letters, letters that look suspicious, and give those letters and packages to local law authorities,” the president said.

Bush said the letter received by Daschle “had been wrapped a lot” and that a staffer who opened it found “powder” inside.—AFP