DR. BURANS: It’s known that Bacilli are capable of mineralizing different types of elements including silicon, so as early as 1982 Bacilli species Bacilli species have been shown to localize silica within their spore coat.
QUESTION: Can I ask a follow-up?
DR. MAJIDI: It could have been within the growth media.
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE SCIENCE ANTHRAX PRESS BRIEFING, Monday, August 18, 2008 2:05 p.m.
This is what I believe. The purpose of silicon dioxide in the growth medium is to permit greater concentration with less sophisticated equipment by dampening vander waals forces. It was subject to a patent application filed March 14, 2001 at the DARPA-funded Center for Biodefense which had a contract with USAMRIID involving research with the Ames strain of anthrax. When the patent was issued, I believe it would have gone to Al-Timimi’s maildrop. He shared a fax with the co-inventors. He was 15 feet from the co-inventors. The co-inventors were the leading anthrax scientist and former Deputy Commander USAMRIID. Ali had a high security clearance for work for the Navy in 1999. It is a waste of breath to debate whether a process by which anthrax can be better concentrated is related to “weaponization.” The process has a dual purpose and was billed as “bio-friendly.” Similarly, it is a waste of breath to debate whether the method is sophisticated. Something that is “pure spores” (a trillion concentratiton in the case of anthrax) is more floatable.
“At the same time that the DOJ and FBI are moving toward making more documents available, it’s still an open investigation and we remain limited today what we can discuss, which will be emphasized, I’m sure, time and time again; and that for a number of reasons. And when that status changes, obviously, there’ll be more information available to you.
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The attribution process and identification of the specific perpetrator relies on the confluence of intelligence, investigations, and forensic information.”