Second Senate Anthrax Letter Found; Addressed to Leahy

CBS News | 11/16/01 | Dan Rather

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Yep, just when Leahy's getting some overdue publicity for stalling on President Bush's much-needed judicial and administrative appointees' confirmations. Just another darn coincidence, indeed. {^:

[Dog Gone]

You belong at DU then. The fact that we're at war and have had several devastating attacks against our nation in rapid succession makes you swallow the Liberal lies, go figure.

Don't question my conservative credentials. I'm looking at the facts.

It was an American strain of anthrax. The use of the language in the letters was not the way an Arab would typically phrase things. The targets were people that conservatives despise. Leahy isn't exactly someone on the terrorists radar scope.

Now you tell me why there can't be some rightwing nut in this country. Tell me why that's impossible.

[Twodees]

[support our leaders]

Ahem...this isn't Russia. We Americans don't elect "leaders" we elect servants. Senators aren't our leaders, they're our employees. None of them are good employees either. I wouldn't stand anywhere near any member of the Senate, especially not behind any of them. They could all hang tomorrow and I would just start looking for two honest men to replace the ones who pretend to represent my state at the present time.

Politicians at their very best are worthless. In times of crisis, they become a menace. There isn't a man or woman in the US Senate whose life is more important than that of any other citizen.

[copyfight]

not funny - he is a US Senator. Period. Lets grow up around here and show some respect. I know you're joking, but that constant mindless sniping creates a less intelligent atmosphere around here.

[Darheel]

What credentials? Zero credibility imho. The fact that they're seaching with hazmat gear in a Paki-nationals house in Philly isn't a wee-bit suspicious? Where've ya been?

[Dog Gone]

Your failure to answer the question is noted.

[schmelvin]

You're assuming the person who sent these letters is perfectly sane. I don't think that assumption is justified. I'm sticking with my rightwing nut theory until something comes up to add to the facts we know.

True, insanity leaves a lot of open doors. As for those who believe that domestic terrorists are taking advantage of the 9-11 attacks to mail anthrax, the fact that anthrax mail was sent on 9-9 refutes this. I think 9-11 and the anthrax attacks are connected. Different terrorist cells, but the same organization.

[Dog Gone]

But the letters were sent on 10/9.

[Darheel]

What question? It's like a lawyer asking 'So, when did you stop beating your wife'. Of course there are bad people, but to ASSUME it's a Righty with no proof in a time of war is a bit much. You don't have to get snippy about it...lol

[Ditter]

Did they media have much to say about the putrid viles of bacteria that were sent to clinton? I didn't hear about it anyplace other than FR. Do you suppose clinton sent it to himself so he would feel relevant? "I AM TOO RELEVANT" LOL

[Rebelbase]

The anthrax letters are not *the* attack. Instead the letters are simply noitification that a bio-retaliation is in the offing should the US threats against Iraq come to fruitition, IMHO.

[Dog Gone]

I'm not assuming anything! I don't know who sent the letters. Whoever did deserves the death penalty, that's for sure.

I happen to think that the discovery of the letter to Leahy makes it more likely that it was a domestic terrorist than it was previously. It still might have been an arab or some other foreign terrorist. I don't know.

My question was simple. How can you rule out a rightwing nut as a domestic terrorist? If you can't rule one out, then the Leahy letter is more evidence pointing in that direction.

I'm not afraid of the political repercussions if this was the work of a rightwing nut. The discovery of the Unabomber didn't destroy liberals. There are people who are wackos who use politics as a motivating force. They are no reflection on those who hold genuine political beliefs and are strongly motivated. None.

I think there's an equally strong argument to be made that this is a leftwing nut trying to blame the right wing. But either way, this looks more like someone playing deadly politics than part of the 9/11 attacks to me.

I could be wrong. It's too early to know for sure. But if we deal in facts instead of personal attacks we're more likely to reach a rational conclusion.

[schmelvin]

I thought for sure I'd heard that the letter(s) sent to American Media in Florida were mailed before 9-11. I, also, heard somewhere that before Stevens was properly diagnosed with anthrax, someone else in another state had tested positive and was treated with Cipro, and that Stevens died unneccesarily because the prior incident was kept hush hush to avoid public panic.

I am not certain, though. I could be wrong and don't remember my sources.

[Dog Gone]

I don't believe they ever found the source of the Florida anthrax. There were lots of false leads but I don't think the actual source was found. Just a little contamination in the mailroom and on the computer keyboard of the guy who died.

Maybe someone who remembers the facts better can correct that.

In any event, the October 9 letter attack was quite different. It was a much more serious attack using more refined anthrax. It may have been a copycat crime to the Florida attack and from an entirely different person.

[G-Rated]

"*dupe* *doh!*"

???

[schmelvin]

The different grades of anthrax used in the various attacks have been a curious and confusing development.

[lancer]

"Excellent choice of targets!"

Right on!

[livius]

I'm not sure it's that focused. But I think that, in any case, the individual addressees were not the targets. What secretary or mailroom person is going to pass on what is obviously a nutcase letter to the Senator/editor/newscaster for whom they work? The letter is only going to spread its contagion among low-level staffers - and the public.

The intention was to spread panic and paralyze the postal service.

I have no idea how such a diverse group of targets came to the attention of the people behind this - remember, the NY Post received a letter, and the Post is something that makes liberals shriek in horror and dissolve. And the National Enquirer is so far out in outer space that normal political standards don't apply. (Btw, it is thought that the first letter did have spores that could produce inhalation anthrax - therefore, not unsophisticated at all.)

I don't think you can line it up on left/right grounds. To me, it seems like this would be the action of somebody who has been here for a long time, and knows a lot about the country - but maybe doesn't quite get it. However, knowing about somebody as obscure as Leahy might indicate some sort of geographical connection or, depending on what committees he had worked on or bills he had supported, some sort of issues-related connection that might give a clue to the identity of the terrorist.