[pttttt]

Passed along FYI. I have some questions about this item, which is coming out from several sources at once this morning. This seems to be more along the lines of the unsubstantiated "Hatfill did it" or the "homegrown domestic terrorists did it - no foreign actor could possibly be involved" theory that the FBI has insisted on sticking to.

It's also odd for it to be coming out now. There were ABC News items about the FBI looking in ponds for anthrax evidence in December 2002. The theory is not brand-new.

Hopefully it'll yield some leads, in a troubling case where there's been no progress.

[Normal4me]

Interesting. Something had to point to Hatfill at one time as a possible suspect. They claim they have found a clear box and vials wrapped in plastic in the pond. I guess we'll have to wait to see where the case leads after they drain the pond.

[B Knotts]

FBI to drain pond in anthrax probe

Whoa...just a minute, there.

Do they have the proper permits from the Army Corps of Engineers?

I mean, we can't have them destroying any "wetlands," can we?!? :-)

[Thane_Banquo]

The EPA his going to have a hissy fit.

[eno_]

Of course the simpler explanation is that terrorists who were confident they would be dead soon for other reasons don't need to worry about anthrax exposure. In fact, it would strengthen their resolve in the hijackings to know they are "already dead."

[VaBthang4]

You know...I havent followed this subject at all because it seems to me that the 9/11 highjackers were the sources of the original anthrax letters [mailed before 9/11] and that any subsequent letters were copycat mailings that killed "0".

Am I off?

[freeperfromnj]

FYI

[George W. Bush]

Yeah, but when they drain the pond, they shouldn't be surprised when some Frogs jump out!

[Allan]

More stuff

[The Great Satan]

Hatfill's attorney, Thomas Connolly, called the water theory "far-fetched" and said Hatfill had nothing to do with the anthrax crimes.

A heads up on Hatfill's attornee, Thomas Connolly:

Before joining the firm, Mr. Connolly was a federal prosecutor spending ten years in public service as an Assistant United States Attorney in both the Eastern District of Virginia and the District of Columbia. During his tenure as a prosecutor, Mr. Connolly was lead trial counsel in more than 50 jury trials in matters involving espionage, RICO, public corruption, bank fraud, government procurement fraud, export control matters, and immigration fraud. In 1998, Mr. Connolly was awarded both the John Marshall Award, the Department of Justice’s highest honor, and the Intelligence Medallion, the CIA’s highest civilian honor, for his work in the prosecution of James Nicholson, the highest-ranking CIA official ever convicted for espionage. Mr. Connolly also successfully prosecuted David Sheldon Boone, an NSA crypto analyst, for spying on behalf of the Russian Federation.

Source: Harris, Wiltshire and Grannis, LLP

[The Great Satan]

Two sources familiar with the items recovered from the pond described a clear box, with holes that could accommodate gloves to protect the user as he worked. Also recovered were vials wrapped in plastic.

Oooh, the FBI went looking for anthrax evidence in a pond back of Hatfill's house, motivated by a description in Hatfill's bioterrorism book, and they dredged this up back in January. Sounds pretty incriminating, if you ask me. So, I guess they will be empaneling a grand jury of randomly-selected members of the general public to put Hatfill and his cronies in the hot seat really soon now. I'm sure this isn't just another bogus story to get us past the awkward "Why did Saddam Hussein get off the hook?" moment some of us might be experiencing. It's for real this time. In fact, it's a toss up which will happen first: empanelling of the grand jury to interrogate Hatfill, or recovery of Saddam Hussein's body from the bunker he was "earprinted" entering on March 20.

[The Great Satan]

It's also odd for it to be coming out now.

Not really, when you think about it.

[The Great Satan]

Remember...

WMD mean never having to say you're sorry.

[FairOpinion]

Did they find ANY anthrax residue on this equipment they are touting? I haven't heard. If they didn't find any anthrax on it, how do they know it is even remotely connected to it?

[FairOpinion]

I just heard on FoxNews, that someone suggested that this may have been equipment used in drug labs, and that there was NO anthrax found on any of it, there is no evience whatsoever to connect this to the anthrax case. FBI just came up with this theory that it is connected.
What IS the matter with the FBI?!

[Calpernia]

I haven't seen any updates on the Pakistani leads though.

>>>
http://www.cnn.com/2001/HEALTH/conditions/11/02/anthrax/

FBI agents, many wearing oversized, white hazardous-materials suits, on Friday raided an apartment in Trenton, New Jersey, where four Pakistani men lived. Agents removed several bags of materials from the apartment. None of the apartment's residents were home at the time of the raid, the building manager said, but witnesses said one man who lived there came home during the search and was taken away in a police car.

AND

Pakistan's science minister said Friday that tests have confirmed that two people at separate locations have been exposed to anthrax, and at least one of four suspect letters received at three locations in the country contained anthrax. Neither of the two people exposed has exhibited symptoms of the disease, said Science and Technology Minister Atta-ur-Rahman.
>>>
What happened with these leads?

[Young Rhino]

After the government's finest drain the pond, maybe they can figure out how Dr. Evil attaches lasers to the heads of sharks.

[nonliberal]

I think the FBI is pulling theories out their @$$.