An official with the Department of Health and Human Services hung up when asked if the federal government’s purchase of 14 million doses of potassium iodide was linked to the Fukushima crisis.

As we reported earlier this week, the DHHS put out a solicitation asking for companies to supply 700,000 packages each containing 20 pills to be delivered before the beginning of next month.

Potassium Iodide helps block radioactive iodine from being absorbed by the thyroid gland and is used by victims of severe nuclear accidents or emergencies.

Questions immediately arose as to whether such a large purchase was routine or if it was linked to concerns about radiation from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant impacting the west coast of America.

When Anthony Gucciardi called the procurement office of the Department of Health and Human Services, he was told that the iodide pills were being supplied to pharmaceutical depots and that the 14 million dose figure was “not out of the ordinary” because iodide pills have a shelf life of seven years and that they were bought in bulk to save taxpayer money, adding that the department also bought “millions of doses of flu” in June.

After the DHHS representative denied that the government was stockpiling the potassium iodide for any particular reason, Gucciardi asked, “Do you have any concerns about Fukushima?”, to which he responded, “I have no idea about any of that….there’s no hidden agenda here.”

“So you don’t actually know why you’re buying it?” asked Gucciardi, a question which immediately prompted the official to say “goodbye” and hang up the phone.

The explanation that the pills were being bought in bulk to save taxpayer money was also given as a reason for the Department of Homeland Security’s stockpiling of ammunition, despite the fact that the hollow point bullets being purchased were more expensive than ordinary full metal jackets used for training purposes.

Is the government’s purchase of 14 million doses of anti-radiation pills merely a routine order, or are they stockpiling potassium iodide in preparation for a nuclear catastrophe which could emerge out of the Fukushima crisis? Either way, the DHHS doesn’t seem too keen on answering questions.

If the Fukushima saga has taught us anything, it’s that government officials routinely downplay and lie about risks in the name of preventing panic. However, this method of treating the general public as infants who should be shielded from the truth even at the cost of their own health has already backfired.

Last month it was revealed that 71 U.S. sailors who helped during the initial Fukushima relief efforts are suing the Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) after they returned with thyroid cancer, Leukemia, and brain tumors as a result of being exposed to radiation at 300 times the safe level.

With the Japanese government and TEPCO having repeatedly been caught lying about the true radiation levels both in the toxic water spilling into the Pacific Ocean and around the plant itself, mass wildlife die offs are already being recorded as radioactive debris hits the west coast.

Paul Joseph Watson is the editor and writer for Infowars.com and Prison Planet.com. He is the author of Order Out Of Chaos. Watson is also a host for Infowars Nightly News.