Iraqi Anthrax? -- Getting Closer

New York Times ^ | October 26, 2001 | William J. Broad with Judith Miller

[Thud]

Experts disagree on whether Iraq produced the Daschle-grade anthrax, but some evidence may have appeared of at least a technology transfer from Iraq to Al Qaeda/Osama bin Laden. It might have been produced by some other source, but there seems to be verifiable evidence that at least an Iraqi-developed technique was used to create the powder used against Senator Daschle's office.

In my opinion it is more likely that, if an Iraqi production technique was used, the actual anthrax powder production was done in Iraq with the powder provided by the Iraqi government to agents of Al Qaeda/Osama bin Laden with the knowledge that it would be used on somebody, most likely the United States.

Iraq may be making war on us whether or not our government admits it.

(10 of 29 paragraphs excerpted, comments interspersed):

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/26/national/26GERM.html a

"October 26, 2001

Officials, Expanding Search, Warn Against Drawing Conclusions on Anthrax Source

By WILLIAM J. BROAD with JUDITH MILLER
...
Experts and officials remained reluctant yesterday to discuss details of the anthrax investigation. But several said that a main step in making an advanced anthrax powder that could easily infect many people was reducing its static charge so the particles float more freely, spread more widely and potentially infect more people. That process, they said, is straightforward enough to be within reach of many individuals or groups.

In interviews yesterday, two former germ scientists - one from the United States and one from the former Soviet Union - said a static-free powder might have been made at thousands of sites around the globe, including the world's dozen or so clandestine germ-weapon programs, government laboratories, pharmaceutical companies and universities."

Those two were the former chief scientist for the US anthrax research program, Dr. William C. Patrick III, who holds several secret patents concerning the U.S. version of fully weaponized, military-grade, anthrax powder, and Dr. Ken Alibek, who was chief of the Soviet Union's anthrax weapons program. These two are major, major figures in anthrax weapons research.

" ...
Whether it is easy or hard to make static-free powder is important because experts say the arcane technique helps explain why the anthrax sent in a letter to Senator Daschle floated up into the air to contaminate at least 28 people. V But not even all the experts agree. Dr. Alan P. Zelicoff, a physician and expert on biological arms at the Sandia National Laboratory in Albuquerque, characterized the antistatic process as harder than the two former makers of germ weapons did.

"It takes lots of money, facilities, and lots of physics and engineering," Dr. Zelicoff said in an interview yesterday. "It takes money, money, money, and that translates into state, state, state," or nations with budgets large enough and sufficient technical personnel to do many experiments.

Dr. Zelicoff said Iraq was a major suspect, since United Nations inspectors had discovered that it made anthrax weapons - though using the germ in a wet form rather than a dry form."

I place much more weight on the opinions of Patrick and Alibeck than on Zelicoff's.

"Dr. Richard Spertzel, a microbiologist and former head of biological inspection teams in Iraq for the United Nations, said Iraq had used commercial spray dryers and a clay material to develop an apparently unique process that could in theory have been used to make dry, static- free anthrax.

"They solved the problem," Dr. Spertzel said. He added that the United Nations inspectors had been able to destroy one of two industrial dryers that Baghdad used in its static- free experiments. But the other, he said, "is still there as far as we know.""

Spertzel is the expert I trust the most.

"In his book, `Saddam's Secrets: The Hunt for Iraq's Hidden Weapons,' (HarperCollins, 1999) Tim Trevan, a former United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq, wrote that Baghdad had "perfected the technique of one-step drying of bacterial culture to produce dried spores." The process Iraqi scientists relied on, Mr. Trevan disclosed, used a substance called bentonite, which resulted in particle sizes that were "ideal for biological weapons."

One expert familiar with the investigation of the Senate anthrax said that a microscopic examination of the spores showed that they were surrounded by a tiny brown ring. This, he said, would be consistent with the use of bentonite. ..."

Bingo.

[Publius]

Experts disagree on whether Iraq produced the Daschle-grade anthrax...

To think that this is what Daschle will be remembered for in the history books. A grade of anthrax. How fitting.

[Clinton's a rapist]

Iraq may be making war on us whether or not our government admits it.

Am I right, or am I right?

[aristeides]

You are right.

Thanks, Thud.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Maybe Atta was given a sealed envelope of anthrax powder (and some cipro).

A little bit of it to spread around. "Hey, let's see if this stuff really works."

[TomGuy]

One thing I haven't heard discussed is the "local transfer"
of the anthrax into the envelopes, themselves.

The earlier envelopes apparently were not "militarized"
to cause them to float in the air. However,
the one(s) to W, DC., apparently were "militarized"
to allow them to explode and float into the air.

The perpetrator either loaded the envelope(s) in a save
environment--not many of those are open to the public--
or he/she is also contaminated, possibly dead.

The equipment to create a safe environment is probably
not off-the-shelf-Kmart-blue-light-special and would
have been acquired somewhat recently. Seems checking
manufacturers for recent sales would be in order.
The envelopes could have been prepared overseas; however,
and transported into the country. If that
were the case, wouldn't there be many more in the mail?

[samtheman]

You are right.

[Eva]

You have to remember that studying anthrax is perfectly natural in the Mid-East. Anthrax originates in that part of the world. If you remember, the last outbreak in this country, involved wool from Pakistan. They used to call anthrax, wool handlers' disease. It was an occupational hazard. It probably came from camels' hair or some other natural fiber that was mixed with the wool.

[aristeides]

Sounds a lot like the way the CIA and other U.S. government agencies had in effect been helping bin Laden and his organization, the Taliban, and Islamofascists in general, right up to Sept. 11th. In that way, Sept. 11th was a lot like Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait, causing a sudden change in U.S. government policies which had looked increasingly irrational in preceding years.

Question. In both cases, were the irrational policies just a matter of bureaucratic inertia and CYA? Or was there something more sinister at work, i.e., a desire to see the predictable horrible event happen, and then to take advantage of it?

[Willing To Listen]

Iraqi Anthrax? -- Getting Closer

For the last two days all we have heard is that there are only three countries that could have created the Anthrax.

Then today from the Whitehouse Press Secretary we heard that all you need is a person with a Doctorate Degree in Microbiology and a "small lab" and that person could have created the latest and greatest.

Getting closer? I don't think so.

[Vinomori]

bump

[Thud]

Knowing that something is possible, knowing precisely how to do it, and being able to do it are three different things.

Knowing in general that Iraq can produce Daschle-grade anthrax doesn't mean that someone knows precisely how to do it even given exactly the right equipment and materials plus adequately skilled personnel. The production techniques can be tricky. Occam's Razor says the Iraqis made the anthrax powder used on Daschle's office.

There are other considerations. You might know that making babies is possible, and how to create them but, if you are male, I defy you to personally give birth to a baby.

[Registered]

[bvw]

Hey, your mail is still being delivered, I see. We got a lot today. After not much in the past few days. Two bulk dropped at Trenton, then trucked over to New Brunswick, where it was mailed to us. I washed my hands after opening them.

My wife's West Trenton office hasn't gotten mail all week.

But hey, parody is parody, right? So what if it encourages someone to make light of a deadly danger, and ignore some precautions, and get the disease. Doesn't effect Registered, in the slightest, I guess.

Throwing any chickenpox parties? Understand smallpox parties are the next thing for bold boys such as Registered.

[Willing To Listen]

"Knowing in general that Iraq can produce Daschle-grade anthrax doesn't mean that someone knows precisely how to do it even given exactly the right equipment and materials plus adequately skilled personnel. The production techniques can be tricky. Occam's Razor says the Iraqis made the anthrax powder used on Daschle's office."

I couldn't agree with you more!

Don't you think there might be a reason why the Whitehouse Press Secretary said that all you need is a Doctorate in Microbiology and a "small lab" to produce it.

[rebdov]

You are guilty of racial profiling and ethnic intimidation. And all this time I was looking for those ant tracks.

[Nogbad]

Don't you think there might be a reason why the Whitehouse Press Secretary said that all you need is a Doctorate in Microbiology and a "small lab" to produce it.

I agree. It couldn't have been made in Iraq. No way! It was made in Slippery Rock State College.