ABC Radio News Reporting That Anthrax Spore Coating Used by Iraq

ABC Radio News ^ | 10/26/01 | ABC

[randita]

ABC Radio News just reported that the coating on anthrax spores found in Sen. Daschle's office was the coating used by Iraq. Nothing further.

[nunya bidness]

No big deal. It's just kitty litter.

[jwalsh07]

Good job, sorry my memory of where the meeting took place was faulty. Atta's cell was in Germany.

[Amerigomag]

Relax...bentonite is commonly used in oil drilling as a filler material to "wash" the hole. Iraq probably obtained it as a cheap source of silicate since so much of it was lying around their country.

[F-117A]

This is getting confusing. Several sources stated the Anthrax was a type produced in the US not anywhere else.

It is my understanding that that strain is from the Iowa States labs in Ames, but that it has been given/sold to several others for research.
Supposedly Iraq aquired some for reserch against Antrax in cattle. How that strain is modified or coated could put the finger on who did it.

[Clinton's a rapist]

LOL! Your sarcasm is appreciated.

[Cachelot]

The Washington Post (a few days ago) reported that it had the US signature on it. What to believe??

If it was the Ames strain, it seems that the strain is an American one. Which has since been distributed to labs all over the world. If the coating is uniquely Iraqi, that's where the refined product came from.

[gumbo]

I heard only Iraq uses silicons from clay(or something) for the coating...

Right, the WABC radio 7:30 EDT update used the word "bentonite."

[randita]

ABC News update--7:30 EDT.

Letter sent to Sen. Dasche's office contained traces of bentonite. ABC News saying that doesn't necessarily mean that it came from Iraq, although Iraq is known to use bentonite to coat anthrax spores to improve dispersal quality.

[Yankee]

BTW--it was Patrick J. Buchanan, hero to many of the anti-Bush crowd, all over the tube last night, castigating Sean Hannity and others for wanting to go after Iraq and other terrorist sponsoring regimes.

He was saying that it will wind up being Israel and the U.S. alone against the Muslim world.

Who's looking to back off here?

[nunya bidness]

Relax. The substance mentioned was bentonite.

It's used in the oil industry. I'm sure there's no connection.

[gumbo]

a lab assistant at Slippery Rock State college

Has Matthews really been saying that? If so, did he just pull Slippery Rock out of his fat head, or did he cite some source?

[gatex]

Bentonite is a clay found in Wyoming, Mississippi, Texas, Canada, Italy and USSR.

Uses--oil-well drilling fluids, cosmetics, decoloring agent, paper coatings, polishes and abrasives, food additive, catalyst support, etc
[ The Condensed Chemical Dictionary , ]

[aruanan]

The Washington Post (a few days ago) reported that it had the US signature on it. What to believe??

From what I remember, they weren't talking about the coating, but the strain of bacteria.

[John Valentine]

Now I hear that the press is reporting Bentonite. This is very strange and mysterious. One material that I can't imagine having any possible use as an aerosol dispersant is Bentonite. It is close to insanity to suggest such a thing.

Silica fume I could believe, but Bentonite is about as easy to believe for me as a report that they used Welch's Grape Jelly.

[Pharmboy]

Thanks for the clarification. Saddam better start hiding behind those women and children again...

[randita]

I figure he was awaiting the right time.   Now... to figure out why this is the right time !!!

If the info came from the Bush administration, then I'd say it was because some of our allies, notably Pakistan, may be starting to have cold feet. Or maybe it's time to start the coalition building that will be needed for a strike on Iraq and proof of Iraq's involvement in this terrorism will help a lot toward that aim.

But it may not have come from Bush. It could have come from people affiliated with Daschle or Daschle himself. I'm sure he's being kept up to date on all the developments and it would be awfully hard to keep this one quiet.

[cgbg]

OK. Pretend you are W. The Washington Post has been dumping on you during the campaign and for months since the elction.

Now you have some disinformation you want to dump to confound and confuse the enemy. What newspaper would you pick?

[randita]

Does Bentonite have anti-clumping properties?