Ustwo, what is special about 1998 is Operation Desert Fox.
Most accounts say we destroyed 95% or greater of all wmd's in Iraq. Plus we destroyed all the programs.
So there was no means to safely handle or create any new anthrax spores.
Anthrax spores survive for decades? What I have seen say they only survive for a couple of years at best in a laboratory environment.
They can survive for 60 years or more, but only when left in the environment. In a lab, or controlled setting, they have a short shelf life.
Try this link Endymon, for CCHF
Deployment Health