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But the common sense approach would be just to contact and Ken and confirm that I’m right that he no longer would dispute that the EDX correctly detected silica (and not merely silicon).

Your reasoning is just totally bizarre. Why would anyone CARE what Alibek believes about what AFIP said?

Is this some more of your thinking that if enough people believe in something, that somehow makes it true?

Everyone who viewed the Daschle anthrax under a SEM or who viewed SEM images of the powder has said it was "pure spores." They saw NO additives. The only person who saw any additives saw the "additives" HE himself had put into the anthrax.

Is that really so hard to understand? No one could see any additives, yet using an Energy Dispersive X-ray spectrometer (an instrument used to detect the presence of otherwise-unseen chemicals through characteristic wavelengths of X-ray light) the EDX found that there were elements in the spores that did not belong: The EDX detected the elements silicon and oxygen.

You can fantasize that the EDX operator at AFIP was able to tell without any doubt that the silicon and oxygen was in the form of silica, but the facts say otherwise.

Even though Gary Matsumoto was promoting a conspiracy theory in his article in Science Magazine, he did reveal that, in mid-2002, a laboratory analyzing the Senate anthrax spores for the FBI found "polymerized glass" in the attack anthrax. The article says,

The officials who received this briefing-- biowarfare specialists who work for the governments of two NATO countries-- said they had never heard of polymerized glass before.

So, why didn't the EDX operator at AFIP report on detecting polymerized glass in the Daschle anthrax? You seem to believe he knew exactly what form the silicon and oxygen was in. Can you be so certain that he didn't ASSUME that it was in the form of silica when it was actually in the form of polymerized glass? That's what the facts seem to indicate. And silica would be the natural assumption for everyone at that time.

"Polymerized glass" is just a way of saying manufactured glass, i.e., the trace elements of silicon and oxygen were found to have been combined into the molecular structure of manufactured glass, not silica.

In his article in Science magazine, Gary Matsumoto spun the finding to be some devious plot by the FBI to cover up the presence of silica:

By the fall of 2002, the awe-inspiring anthrax of the previous spring had morphed into something decidedly less fearsome. According to sources on Capitol Hill, FBI scientists now reported that there was "no additive" in the Senate anthrax at all. Alibek said he examined electron micrographs of the anthrax spores sent to Senator Daschle and saw no silica.

So, if the polymerized glass wasn't an additive and it wasn't visible, what what it? Answer: it was lab contamination.

Two scientific reports from 1980 showed that silicon had previously been detected in spores. At that time, no one bothered to figure out where it came from. They generally assumed it was some form of contamination from the glassware used to culture the bacteria or from some other equipment in the labs.

As a result of these findings, the whole new science of Microbial Forensics was formalized to examine sources of lab contamination and other factors to see what evidence could be provided in court. The FBI initiated the "working group" to formalize the science, and for the next TWO YEARS the Amerithrax investigation was pretty much on hold until the formalization could be completed. Then came more years as the science was used in labs around the world and facts and truths could be separated from non-facts and non-truths. A "database" of accumulated knowledge had to be built. The Supreme Court had stated that that was necessary before a new science could be used in court.

As part of that new science, books and papers were published which showed what spores coated with silica actually looked like. They looked nothing like what Matsumoto and Jacobsen fantasized in Matsumoto's article. The photos made it absolutely clear that the anthrax spores mailed in 2001 were NOT coated with silica. Whatever form the silicon and oxgyen was in, it was trace amounts absorbed into the natural surface of the spores, it was NOT a coating of any kind. And that's why no one could see any additives.

The facts are very clear here. Bringing up arguments about experiments or work done on simulants or test spores at this lab or that lab does not automatically mean that it has anything to do with the attack anthrax. If you want to understand what is going on, you have to FOCUS on the subject at hand and avoid going off into what people believe or what Joe Blow said to Sam Smith in Indonesia in 1974.

Ed at www.anthraxinvestigation.com

Let’s compare an Al Qaeda Theory with Ed’s bowler from Wisconsin theory.

In March 1999, Zawahiri confidantes announced he was planning to use anthrax against US targets.

The bowler from Wisconsin went to his usual bowling league night on Thursday.

In April/May, Ayman Zawahiri wrote emails to the AQ military commander about his plans for developing anthrax.

The bowler went to Home Depot and fixed some gutters on his house.

In 1999 and 2000, Pakistan scientist Rauf Ahmad attended conferences sponsored by Porton Down, the UK biodefense establishment, consulted with experts on tricks in processing anthrax, and arranged a week’s visit with 1000s of pathogens and a BL-3 lab, after a first visit to a different lab was not successful.

The bowler did well at the annual tournament.

In 1999, Ayman outlined his plan to use charities and universities as a cover.

The bowler considered telling his wife they were going to the pub while his team snuck out to the girly bar across the street but then decided against it.

In January 2001, the Vanguards of Conquest/military wing of the EIJ threatened to use mailed anthrax if an EIJ shura member, who had been manager of Bin Laden’s farm was not released.
Dugway prepared a simulant using silica and it immediately dispersed throughout the room upon being opened and leaked before opening.

In 2001, the bowler went to Niagara Falls on vacation.

In December 2001, Yazid Sufaat was captured and jailed.

In December 2001, Ed, hungry for something to write about, seized on a Brian Ross story that mistakenly reported the FBI suspected the bowler. In a confidential briefing, Director Mueller explained to Senators that the story was totally botched. They have never suspected the bowler. That file was opened and closed months earlier. Ed has no reasonable basis to suggest the FBI suspects the bowler. It was a simple local investigation by local police of a disturbance of the peace, because his mom was worried when he got in an argument with a neigbhor.

In March 2003, KSM’s assistant’s computer was seized at the home of a bacteriologist. It had spraydrying documents on it. The assistant had gone to UAE before 9/11 where he was providing logistical support for the hijackers.

In March 2003, the bowler’s wife reorganized her recipes in a new rolodex.

In Autumn 2003, they discovered highly concentrated anthrax in Kandahar, after Hambali’s interrogation. They also captured Sufaat’s two anthrax assistants, which permitted them to call off the surveillance on Dr. Steve Hatfill, which had been the hypothesis pursued by one of two squads. One squad was Hatfill and one was Al Qaeda.

In 2007, an Afghan governor announced they had seized powder in packets that was weaponized anthrax intended for mailing to government officials.

In 2007, the bowler’s daughter came home for Christmas with a new hairstyle.

In 2007, Ed’s argument had not advanced since he first seized upon Brian Ross’ story from December 2001. He contented himself with following the civil matter relating to a principal POI of one of the two Amerithrax squads. He has spent 5 years arguing that the FBI did not suspect Hatfill even though the reporters with senior DOJ sources say that they did.

Throughout the five years, Ed has never understood even the most basic elements of the theory the FBI has said it is pursuing relating to US-based supporters of Al Qaeda — specifically, that know-how was accessed by GMU microbiology student who had a high security clearance and worked alongside Ed’s main expert.

Ed never even knew that his main expert, the famed Ken Alibek, thought that Al Qaeda was responsible and knew that the FBI suspected Al-Timimi. Ed didn’t ask and Ken didn’t volunteer.

The Wisconsin bowler, who is a very nice guy, thinks Ed he lacks common sense. But in the interest of correcting Ed’s misunderstanding of the facts, is available to answer any questions Ed has, whether by telephone, email or visit at the local McDonalds. He didn’t even know that anthrax was a bacteria rather than a virus, and never had any connection or access to anthrax whatsoever.

The title of Ed’s page is a sham because it should be titled “The Wisconsin bowler” theory, not anthraxinvestigation.