No, it hasn't. Silica IS used in weaponizing anthrax. I've never said otherwise. I even describe how Alibek did it in my book. And I describe how silica was used in the milling process used in the 1950s. I've described in detail countless times how silica is used to help keep "weaponized" spores from absorbing moisture.
However, silica was NOT -- REPEAT NOT used to "weaponize" the anthrax sent through the mail in 2001. People who viewed the anthrax through Scanning Electron Microscopes saw no trace of silica. The only reason some people continue to believe that there was silica in the Daschle anthrax is because of FALSE ASSUMPTIONS made early in the investigation after AFIP detected the elements silicon and oxygen in the spores.
TrebelRebel believes that the anthrax spores were COATED with silica, even though NO ONE saw any coating on the spores, not even AFIP. It's just a mindless belief on TrebelRebel's part, which he sometimes tries to justify with a ridiculous claim that the "goop" Tom Geisbert saw oozing out of and dripping off of chemically-treated spores translates into "seeing a coating on the spores."
AFIP clearly stated ONE YEAR AFTER the attacks that silica was a key aerosol enabling component. They are a named source, and they were charged by the FBI to analyze the spores.
Your fantasies about a massive conspiracy amongst USAMRIID scientists and the Whitehouse to pretend there was silica present is typical of a conspiracy theorist. I suppose you also believe the moon landings were faked and that explosive charges brought down the twin towers.
Ed, you say that TrebleRebel’s argument about overcoming VanderWaals source is crock. Lawrence Livermore, with the inventor authoring papers on the subject with Dugway’s Lloyd, disagrees with you.
Even Alibek and Patrick disagree with you. As explained in the PhD thesis they supervised, silica serves to increase the concentration leading to greater concentration — which leads to it being more aerosolizable.
The weakness is TrebleRebel’s argument is that he doesn’t appreciate that the Dugway simulant in the Canadian experiment performed just as well as the Daschle product. And so the special processing tricks he thinks so important were not used and yet still performed like the Daschle product at 20 percent weight silica.
Ed, you quote Professor Meselson saying:
“Even impure apparently clumpy spore preparations can put large numbers of spores into the air under the conditions of the Canadian experiments.”
Now where was the simulant used in the Canadian study obtained? Dugway.
Did it contain silica? Yes.
What weight? 20 percent. (much more weight than used in the Daschle product)
Did it leak from the envelope before opening? Yes.
Did it immediately cross the room? Yes.
Why was it prepared? It was prepared in connection with a threat letter received relating to the detention of a Vanguards of Conquest shura member, Mahmoud Mahjoub.
Can silica be used and yet not appear on a SEMS? Yes, the GMU patent explains greater concentration can be achieved by removing the silica through repeated centifugation or an air chamber. Dr. Alibek explains that in small scale production, a trillion spore concentration can be achieved without expensive equipment.
Is there any reason to doubt Alibek? No.
Is there any reason to doubt that Alibek and Meselson did not see silica?
No.
Is there any reason to doubt that the AFIP’s EDX detected silica?
No. Ken didn’t even know they had detected silica until I told him. Now he accepts it. I have no idea why you have not adjusted your argument to take into account that Dr. A no longer disputes silica was detected.
Is there a patent relating to use of hydrophobic nanosilica powders in concentration agents such as anthrax?
Yes.
Who is the owner?
GMU.
Who had access to the know-how. The neo-Salafist lecturing on the end of times who was taught by Bin Laden’s sheik and was working with the sheik to hand deliver a letter to all members of Congress on the first anniversary of the letters to Daschle and Leahy. The one the WP says the FBI thinks accessed the know-how. The guy sentenced to life plus 70 years.
The guy who was concerned Mahmoud Mahjoub’s detention and speaking in Toronto in the Summer of 2001.
Join the investigation, guys. It’s never too late.