Hmmm, what a convincing argument. I am so impressed.
Wasn't Van Zandt the guy who thought Chandra must have been the victim of a "random" serial killer?
As much as I resent the characterization of anyone as a "right wing hate group," (especially since I have never heard the media say "left wing hate group"), I think that if we learn that this is a domestic group, we should respond as fiercely as if they were foreign.
That said, I think this profiler is looking for his 15 minutes of fame.
Oh really?
Investigators have been zeroing in on members of several anti-government hate groups that they believe have obtained or attempted to get the deadly bacteria from several U.S.-based laboratories before it surfaced in Florida, Washington and New York this month.
Whose investigators? The government's, or just some sleazy reporter's hired help?
Several sources told The Post taht (sic)
Sources? Government sources, or just some people chatting at Starbucks'?
* Probers also see similarities between the anthrax letters and some of the so-called hoax letters that contained talcum powder and were initially brushed aside as not being linked to the bioterror scare.
Which 'probers?' Government ones, or just some guys down at Appleby's?
Some investigators believe the same person may have written both sets of letter.
Whose investigators?
"Our feeling is the anthrax does not point to an international terrorist group," a well-placed source said.
Oh, a 'well placed source.' Hmmm... placed where? A source in a chatroom? what exactly is a well-placed source? A Hillary staffer?
"The anthrax letter writer did not fall off a turnip truck after the World Trade Center destruction," another source said.
This one evidently is not so well-placed, whatever that means. Still, is he a government source or just some schmuck who writes his own news on the web?
"There are a number of strong leads and some people we've known of for some time who are being looked at," another highly placed source said.
Ooh! ANOTHER highly placed source, who is placed highly somewhere, though we don't know where. Maybe he's sitting in a high chair. This reporter has found a LOT of DIFFERENT sources... none of which say much. Usually 'highly placed sources' get fired. How many can there be, if they are not congressmen looking to spin?
From the start, FBI profilers cautioned about channeling investigative efforts toward Mideast terror groups because the anthrax-tainted letters to the New York Post, NBC-TV and Sen. Thomas Daschle contained the date "09-11-01," but were in envelopes postmarked Sept. 18.
Now this is the first one the author actually says is a federal source. But it only says profilers cosidered middle eastern terrorists. (Note the only government source so far in the article says nothing about 'right wing domestic groups.')
Sources said international terrorists would unlikely feel the need to spell out an obvious link to their earlier horrific handiwork.
Back to 'sources again. Sources from where? The Psychic Friends network?
"That's real overkill," agreed Clint Van Zandt, a former top FBI profiler. "It is someone other than a bin Laden trying too hard to link up to Sept. 11. It is a gratuitous reference."
Note that even Zandt doesn't make a reference to home grow stuff- he just makes a jab at what it isn't.
"Daschle represents the government, and the government is what the right-wing groups hate," a source said. "By contrast, the media is something they use to get publicity and spread fear."
Back to 'a source,' when the author wants to claim domestic right-wing. Note, not a government source, and not the 'former profiler.' Just a 'source.' Who? Bill Clinton? George Stephanopolous? Some homeless guy?
The sources declined to name the hate groups being eyed in the investigation or the laboratories where the anthrax may have been obtained or milled.
More 'sources.' Maybe they didn't name or at least get more specific about them because they don't know what they are talking about, or don't know their comments have been cut into bites and reassembled to means omething wholly different from what they actually said.
"Daschle represents the government, and the government is what the right-wing groups hate," a source said. "By contrast, the media is something they use to get publicity and spread fear."This whole article is BS, and this is the quote that gives it away.
This anonymous quote shows a bias and an agenda on the part of whoever the source is.
The anarchists who trashed Seattle and rioted in Philly and just recently protested (but behaved) in DC are far-left, not far right.
Marxists hate our government, and are looking for a vanguard to spur the people to overthrow our government.
I will bet anyone a six-pack of brew that IF it turns out to be a domestic group being responsible, it will turn out to be a far-left group.
Any takers?
Fox and Friends call-in question this morning, "Anthrax--Home grown or Bin Laden?"
What would be the reason a home grown terrorist group/person would do this? What advantage does blaming the right-wing give to anyone's political agenda? These are more important questions IMHO.
WTF..... Why is it always called right wing ? Democrats rip this country and constitution to peices and yet right wingers get the blame for everything.
Are hate groups like the kkk and the neonazis right wingers? .....I dont think so.... Heres an idea if it did come from within HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THE GUY WHO IS SENDING IT ISNT A TERRORIST FROM PAKISTAN WORKING IN AN AMERICAN LAB CREATING IT TO TRY AND KILL AMERICANS FROM WITHIN ?
By the way i think the neonazis and the kkk should be veiwed as terrorists too
It sure seems that some people in government are absolutely going out of their way to deflect blame away from Iraq. It smells like a CIA disinformation campaign...
Questions:
Why do it? Do they fear war with Iraq, or do they want to keep it on the back burner until they are ready to strike?
Is their a concerted effort to discredit and attack the far right? Perhaps to tie them in with the terrorists so that extra-constitutional tools can be used against them?
Has there been any real evidence of cooperation with right wing-groups and islamic terrorists?
Your thoughts....
Mike
"a well placed source?"
More like "Our well placed source- the greeter at Walmart who knows everything."
Gimme a break.
The post has some great reporting that most in the media don't have the cajones to print, but I'm not buying this as far as I can throw a house.
Although, does certainly remind me of the strategy misinformation tactics we brilliantly accomplished in WWII where we had Hitler thinking Patton was planning an invasion from the south, and a methodical effort using the U.S. Press in bits and pieces created at least an inkling of confusion in the enemy.
At best this is what this might be. Otherwise, why on earth would Bush be saying each time he's asked if this is linked to terrorism, "yes there are links, it is evil, it is an attack on the homeland.. etc.", but never really coming right out and saying it was Iraq or whack case Osama.
This nation has one of the most successful track records of throwing off the enemy as to strategy.
I mean hell, we bluffed our way through years and years in the cold war of not letting the Soviets know we knew they had more nukes than we did for a number of years, and then we pulled off not letting them know that we had more nukes.
Reagan pulled off the most incredible bluff in history- Gorbachev thought we might already have a Missile Defense system ready to be put on line, and the Soviet leaders came to the conclusion- and this was unbelievable that they bought it hook line and sinker- that they could not compete with such technology- the USSR literally collapsed from within based on a bluff.
In times of war, we just know how to do the bluff better than anybody, and the pyschological edge you gain from that can be tangible results.
If Sadam or Al Queda thinks for a second that the U.S. believes the anthrax is domestic, we are already screwing with their heads- they would think we are incomptetent- and that means they can base their strategy on that possibility-something that gives us an edge.
Few Americans actually realize how sophisticated our ability is in this regard.