FBI: Traces of Ricin Found on Letter

AP via My Way ^ | October 22, 2003 | Curt Anderson

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Traces of the deadly toxin ricin were found on a letter at a South Carolina postal facility, federal officials said Wednesday. The FBI was investigating but terrorism was not suspected.

The letter appeared to be connected to an extortion plot, government officials told The Associated Press.

"Based on the evidence obtained so far, we do not believe this is linked to terrorism but is related to threats criminal in nature," said Brian Roehrkasse, spokesman for the Homeland Security Department.

Officials also said that the ricin did not pose a health threat to workers or the public.

The ricin on the outside of the letter was identified by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday night. It was discovered on a sealed envelope found last week in a postal facility in Greenville, S.C., said three government officials, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The envelope also included a small, sealed container containing an unidentified substance that is currently being tested, the officials said. A letter also found inside indicated some sort of extortion plot.

Officials would not say why the envelope was singled out for inspection.

[Eroteme]

Excerpts from update on AP

FBI Probes Ricin Traces on Letter in S.C.

By CURT ANDERSON, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - A vial containing the deadly poison ricin was found inside an envelope at a South Carolina postal facility, federal officials said Wednesday. The FBI (news - web sites) was investigating but terrorism was not suspected. A letter inside the envelope referenced legislation in Congress involving truckers and included an extortion threat against the government, according to a federal law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Postal Service spokesman Gerry McKiernan said the suspicious envelope was discovered last Thursday by a worker processing mail at a facility in Greenville, S.C. The letter was sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (news - web sites), which determined the vial contained ricin.

Tests on the envelope and the outside of the vial showed that none of the toxin had escaped, McKiernan said, adding it's not believed any workers or the public were exposed.

Officials would not say to whom the envelope was addressed, where it was postmarked or why it was singled out for inspection. The federal law enforcement official did say the letter was not addressed to a government official.

The FBI repeatedly has warned local police about the possibility that terrorists might use ricin in an attempt to poison people through ventilation systems, through drinking supplies or in food.

British police earlier this year arrested seven members of an Algerian extremist group on charges of plotting use ricin to kill a small number of people and terrify the London population. Instructions for making ricin also were found in an al-Qaida safehouse in Kabul, Afghanistan (news - web sites), according to the FBI.

Ricin has also been used in crimes in the United States that have no connection to terrorism. Last summer a Washington state man was convicted of making and possessing about 3 grams of ricin, enough to kill 900 people.

[Gritty]

The FBI was investigating but terrorism was not suspected.

I just don't get it. Why don't they suspect terrorism? I thought it was good investigative technique not to rule out anything until all the evidence was in and you could make a definite conclusion.

But I do feel safer. After all, they early ruled out international anthrax, Egyptians gunning down people at El Al in LAX, and the Beltway Sniper as having any links to terrorism, not to mention many other various fires and explosions. Sure enough, nobody seemed to ultimately care. Best of all, the public didn't freak out and demand politicians actually do something about the domestic terrorist threats.

Official denial "works"! As Winston Churchill once said, "Don't believe anything is true until it has been officially denied!"

[Snowy]

Where does draining the pond fit in your list?

Well, it doesn't really matter as long as the first thing you do is declare that the act has nothing to do with terrorism. As long as this is done first, you can take your time with everything else.

[visualops]

Poisoned letter found at postal site in Greenville
Posted Wednesday, October 22, 2003 - 7:40 pm

By Jason Zacher
ENVIRONMENTAL WRITER
jzacher@greenvillenews.com

A letter with traces of the deadly poison Ricin was found in a Greenville postal facility, according to the Greenville County Sheriff's Office. Officials with the Centers for Disease Control verified Tuesday that the substance found early Oct. 15 in a vial in an envelope marked "caution - Ricin - poison," was indeed the poison. It was found in a postal service distribution facility on Brozzini Court off of Pelham Road.
Based on the evidence obtained so far, we do not believe this is linked to terrorism but is related to threats criminal in nature, Brian Roehrkasse, spokesman for the Homeland Security Department told the Associated Press. The substance was in a small field watertight metal container, according to the CDC, and there was none found on the outside of the container.

There was no indicaton that employees were exposed, according to Azeezaly Jaffer, vice president of public affairs and communications for the postal service.
But the Postal Service closed the faiclity, sent emploeyes home and started environmental testing, Jaffer said.

Ricin is made from the castor bean plant. It is relatively easy to make and can be deadly in very small doses. When inhaled or ingested, fever, cough, shortness of breath, chest tightness and low blood pressure can occur within eight hours. Death can come between 36 and 72 hours after exposure. There is no antidote.

[ladyinred]

"It's just another isolated incident!"

[lawdude]

"This letter was found in Greenville, SC.

The anthrax letter had a return address of Greendale School."

That proves it. Definitely Al Quaida. I am heading to the mountains. Call me when the air is clear.

{8^\

[terilyn]

LOL!

[Not gonna take it anymore]

Let me see, hmmm, how many isolated incidents is this now?

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Thanks.

[mykdsmom]

FBI was investigating but terrorism was not suspected

They shouldn't even bother printing this anymore when *STANDARD DISCLAIMER* would suffice.

I just finished reading the book Terrorist Hunter last night. After reading that I have even less faith in our FBI/CIA to investigate their naval lint let alone terrorist activity.

MKM

[muawiyah]

Frequently a bomber will put his or her name and address on the cover. The guy who almost nailed me was picked up in less than an hour.

I would imagine there's the same sort of circumstance here ~ a return address with the guilty party's name.

[browardchad]

From TheCarolinaChannel.com:

Greenville County Master Deputy Michael Hildebrand told WYFF-TV In Greenville that a package was found at a postal facility near Greenville between 2 and 3 a.m. on Oct. 15.

I would assume they mean it was processed between 2 and 3 a.m., and not that it arrived between 2 and 3 a.m.?

[muawiyah]

Arrival and processing times can vary all over the place, sometimes by days!.

What you have is a statement that I take to mean that the letter was "found" in the early morning.

Mail Processing Facilities generally have something going on 24/7. The time of discovery is not otherwise meaningful.

[visualops]

I found it very amusing the letter was labeled as such, like something out of a B movie.

[browardchad]

The time of discovery is not otherwise meaningful.

Thanks; that's what I thought.

[Madcelt]

Forget the tin foil. Mohammed Attah was "visiting" Both SC and NC. Him and his boys left a "warm" trail. They were also known to have visited a few "businesses" that were funnelling money to Hamas,Hezboallah, and Islamic Jihad. One business was dealing with black market cigarettes being smuggled to other countries(IE Canada). (IF I remember correctly.)

[terilyn]

Really! I wasn't aware of the SC visits. Ok, putting the foil away for now. And the fact that this appears to have been addressed to someone in government fits too. The anthrax letters that were sent to Daschle and Leahy fit.

[terilyn]

Ok, I see it wasn't addressed to someone in govt. but refers to the govt in an extortion attempt.

[Madcelt]

From what I recall..attah was all over the Rock hill Charlotte Raliegh triangle. Even further east(NC) into the Statesville area. It seems they were stopping off "refueling"(Money + hauling loot north to smuggle out.) along the way from Florida to NY-DC-Chicago areas.