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Thanks very much for the information -- I appreciate it.

So there were at least two different strains of anthrax (FL and DC) and possibly a third (NY). The fact that the genetic difference between FL and DC is very small suggests that they had the same original source (making it very unlikely that there were two entire separate anthrax attacks, by two different groups with two different strains). Keim's work of a few years ago demonstrates that genetic variation in anthrax occurs naturally only very slowly. So it seems to me that there are two high-probability possibilities:

Possibility 1. The preparer made a large batch (or multiple batches) of anthrax from the same original source. There would have to have been enough generations to yield, with high likelihood, the observed genetic variation.
Possibility 2. The preparer intentionally induced mutations or other variation in the strain.

It's clear that the NY and DC letters are part of the same attack, because of the similarity of the letters and the handwriting. Since the NY anthrax is known to be clumpier than the DC anthrax (and therefore different from the DC anthrax), and since the FL anthrax is also known to be different from the DC anthrax [by genetic analysis], it's most likely that the NY anthrax is the same as the FL anthrax (since 2 preparations would be more likely than 3).

Also notice the different phrasings in the letters that accompanied the anthrax in NY and in DC. The two NY (lower-quality anthrax) letters said: "This is next. Take penacilin [sic] now." In contrast, the Daschle letter (with higher-quality anthrax) said: "You can not stop us. We have this anthrax. You die now." [My emphasis on the word this.] This seems to imply that this anthrax is different and more potent.

I meant to address the previous post (#95) to keri and you both.

This seems to imply that this anthrax is different and more potent.

As someone who has a lot of experience
reading the English of Middle Easterners,
that is the immediate way I read the letter.

I wish I had pursued my study of Arabic,
I suspect there is some SINGLE Arabic word
which translates into English as
"such as this" .

(It would be "un tel" in French, for example)

So they used the single word THIS
to substitute for the more elaborate phrase "such as this".

(Any Arabists out there?)

since 2 preparations would be more likely than 3

Not necessarily.
The Donor may have wished
to experiment
with various types of anthrax
in a 'real-life' situation
just as the European countries
tested their weapons
supplying them to both sides
in the Spanish Civil war.