Before the Senate Offices, Ricin-Laced Letter Was Also Sent to White House

ABCNEWS ^ | Feb 3 2004 | NA

[Dog]

Before the Senate Offices, Ricin-Laced Letter Was Also Sent to White House

Feb. 3 — As federal investigators try to trace the origin of suspected ricin found Monday in the office of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, ABCNEWS has learned of an earlier, undisclosed incident in which a ricin-laced letter was intercepted on its way to the White House.

In November, a letter postmarked Chattanooga, Tenn., and addressed to the White House was intercepted at an off-site mail sorting facility in the Washington area, sources told ABCNEWS.

The powdery substance in the letter tested positive for ricin. However, the tests indicated that the poison was in a low-potency, granular form that posed no health risk, the sources said.

Late on Monday, authorities discovered a suspicious powder in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

A number of tests have identified the substance as ricin, although final confirmation is still under way. Government health officials hope to have those results Wednesday.

Federal officials are also investigating an October 2003 incident in which a package containing ricin was left at a post office in Greenville, S.C. An accompanying letter, signed "Fallen Angel," complained about new federal trucking regulations requiring more rest for drivers. The letter described the author as "a fleet owner of a tanker company." The package contained a small metal vial packed with ricin, a potentially deadly poison derived from castor beans.

Continued 1

[Beck_isright]

I wish Hillary would lose the address to the White House. Sigh.

[gershwingirl]

That's interesting - this should be bigger news.

Bumpity-bump.

[Dog]

It wasn't potent....so it wasn't reported.....hmmmmm!

[Azzurri]

Obviously this is a left-wing radical terrorist group (ELF?) mailing these letters, since a Republican Senator and President were the target. < /sarcasm>

Not really, but remember how the left reacted when Senator Daschle and news media were the target of the anthrax attack, blaming right-wingers.

[anniegetyourgun]

I'm having a hard time getting my mind around such a threat to the Whitehouse not being reported at all - until now. As an American citizen, an attack on the Whitehouse (or Congress) is an attack on me. I want to know these things.

[cyncooper]

Just heard Patty Ann Brown report this on Fox.

[Dog]

I know annie..

[passionfruit]

I do remember that the lefties blamed republicans for the anthrax letters. Where are those lefties now? These risen attacks are all aimed at Republicans. I heard a single report this morning that in the northeast, Connecticut, I think, a letter containing a "suspicious substance" was found, and it was addressed to the RNC.

[EllaMinnow]

Did ya'll notice Daschle at the press conference?

He just had to present himself as a victim of this.

[Quilla]

I suspect the White House is on the receiving end of numerous threats of varying degrees of seriousness. I'm thinking that those who make the decision of what is released don't want to cry wolf at every occurance and didn't release the November ricin story.

I just returned from a wonderfully relaxing massage yet I spent the entire time thinking of this ricin business. They must have wrapped me in tinfoil, as my theory is way out there. Look at it this way - if we conducted a man on the street interview - I doubt if 2% of the population could name the Senate Majority Leader. The ricin letters were addressed to Sen. Frist and the RNC. Also, I'm thinking someone is very bitter with Kerry's recent climb toward the democratic nomination. At the same time, Kerry's singing the Republicians are overstating the terror threat song. Who would be motivated to target prominent Republican entities (from a political junkies' perspective) and at the same time, discredit and slow Kerry's climb? Who is that off the wall?

[gershwingirl]

those who make the decision of what is released don't want to cry wolf at every occurance

Good point.

Somehow, this latest "attack" doesn't seem AQ or foreign to me, although I think the first one (anthrax) probably was, although possibly perpetrated by American citizens (perhaps some of the large numbers of Black Muslims working at the Post Office).

If this really turns out to be ricin, and if it's directed at Republicans, I'd say it could be anything: what you have suggested; a sort of publicity stunt (knowing that none of these things is actually going to reach the intended recipeients); or even an attack by some of the "hate Bush/hate GOP" crowd on the right. I believe that the wierdo anti-gov couple that was arrested a couple of weeks ago had information on making ricin, and possibly even modest stocks of it.

Or it could be a random nut looking for thrills.

[Shermy]

Conn. Post Office Awaits Powder Results

[Quilla]

Well just between you and me, I'm leaning towards a deaniac. ;-)

[Lucy Lake]

"Who would be motivated to target prominent Republican entities (from a political junkies' perspective) and at the same time, discredit and slow Kerry's climb? Who is that off the wall?"

It always goes back to her, doesn't it? Just this morning I was trying to imagine the world without those two.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Interesting comment and good questions.

While not having the luxury of a massage this afternoon, I also thought a lot about this matter. It doesn't have the chilling effect on our population or those around the world that a "normal" terrorist attack has. The USS Cole, The African Embassy bombings, and 911 were global events that received massive news coverage. Just the thing radical islamic terrorists crave. This doesn't fit the bill.

I think its roots are in domestic politics. It's some goofy off-the-wall radical element of either the left or right wing. So far off the political spectrum that their single political issue remains far from the mainstream of today's political dialogue. Could be bizarre remnants of the "Save the Whales" crowd or even oddballs like "Heavens Gate" (although I don't remember their "cause").

At any rate, this isn't al-Qaida or Saddam leftovers, IMO. These are homegrown cowards making a point. I suspect law enforcement knows a lot more than what's in this brief ABC News article about the November WH attacks. They likely know their political "cause" and have a person or persons under investigation. Again, just my SWAG.

[Quilla]

National Enquirer!? Give it to Free Republic, word will get around like wildfire.

[weegee]

I do remember that the lefties blamed republicans for the anthrax letters. Where are those lefties now?

They are blaming republicans (including the Bush administration itself) saying that this is all meant as a distraction.

[Lucy Lake]

On the Fox news webpage you can find the email addresses of different reporters. Would that be a place to start? You have important news. Someone ought to be paying attention.