[The Great Satan]

I think on this story we are way past the rumor stage, it happened back on April 11, and we have statements by officials, and the ship IS quarantined up in Canada.

Perhaps, but it's a big old world and lots of funny, screwed-up things happen in it, including gross error on the part of coroners and pathologists. With the war in Iraq, it might have been easy to jump to conclusion about this fellow's death. I just think if this had been confirmed we'd be on high alert by now.

[oceanview]

unless they feel they "have it under control". they've been watching the ship for a long time, tracking it, the movement of people, etc. it just so happens this jerk opens a vile and take a snort of it, and the story get some publicity as a result, and here comes the denial phase by the US as soon as the story hits US media outlets.