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Why do you suppose there have not been any cases of inhalation anthrax in New York?? I wonder if they have the same coating as Dascholes anthrax.

I can't understand why the anthrax in DC is so much more prolific than the stuff sent to New York. Its gnawing at me.

Strange, because there has been inhalation anthrax in Florida. By the way, any word about that intern with the Basque name that checked into the hospital for anthrax testing. Last I heard, he had checked into the hospital for anthrax testing, and had pneumonia symptoms. Sure sounds like pulmonary anthrax. But, since then, for the past couple of weeks, I've heard nothing about him. Has his story been embargoed?

Maybe Atta was given two vials. One was a known quantity, well tested, but didn't readily aerosolize. The other was newer, experimental, the result of a refined, but largely untested, aerosolization coating. Atta was told to use the known quantity on the media types, to be sure the word got out and panic would spread readily. The experimental strain, he was given license to 'have some fun' with, so he sent it to government figures.

Just my theory, worth as much as it took to type it. We may never know the full truth about these attacks. Those who carried them out may well be dead now. Or, they will take the truth to their graves even if caught.

You ask a very good question, for which I sure don't have the answer. My instincts are that the spread of this stuff has a lot to do with how the mail is physically handled, how much is it squeezed or blown or sucked by automated sorting machinery, how is it opened, what kind of ventilation is in the building, how much if any was the mail exposed to weather?? I just don't know if there are multiple sources of this stuff or if handling, distance, weather and ventilation account for the dispirite impact. As in so many cases, I wish we had "journalists" with a little native curiosity and instinct for the five dubbyas who would ask some of these questions, but we don't; most of them are TV airheads, woodsteins or disguised editorial writers.

I can't understand why the anthrax in DC is so much more prolific than the stuff sent to New York. Its gnawing at me.

I think they sent the two different grades as a message (and bravado). They want us to know they have the expertise to create and refine WMD and that the anthrax was not just a matter of being stolen material. IMO

Could be Atta received several different types of anthrax. One purchased from a black market source...say five years ago. And one more recently supplied by Iraq? Anthrax then given to several different cells in US.

I can't understand why the anthrax in DC is so much more prolific than the stuff sent to New York. Its gnawing at me.

Just a thought, but...

Sunlight is supposed to kill the spores. Also, we don't know what the chemical (or possibly electric charge) is that keeps these spores from clumping. While the spores themselves are not killed by heat, it could be that the additive is destroyed by heat.If the anthrax is actually placed in the envelopes and delivery orginates from close to DC, then the letters would be exposed to the summer heat for a much shorter time in transit to DC than they would be for Florida or NY.

IOW, the letters may all have contained the same deadly aerosalized spores, but something related to transit time or conditions broke down the additive, making those that had to travel longer distances degrade along the way.

I can't understand why the anthrax in DC is so much more prolific than the stuff sent to New York. Its gnawing at me

Could it be that the stuff sent to Daschle is an attack on our government directly. As has been the attacks on the postal service in D.C., the CIA, the Supreme Court. I feel this attack is meant to show what they really have and to let Washington know that if it can be sent through the mail, it can also be released in any number of ways all over the country if the perp wants it done. This is a message. A terrorist message that "I" (the terrorist) am in control over your destiny. Of course this is the dream of Saddam.

We don't have any choice but to fight. To not fight will only give them the victory so that they can move in as they choose. To fight means they don't get us without a battle and they also will get hurt in their effort.