Posted on 11/23/2001 12:45:27 AM PST by kattracks
Edited on 05/26/2004 5:02:23 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
Very scary. I have scared myself!
1. If the Daschle anthrax was so potent and the sample so large, then why aren't Daschle staffers sick? To my knowledge, none developed skin or inhalation anthrax. The nasal swabs tested positive for 29 or so, but that's the last we heard.
All of Daschle's staffers were immediately treated with Cipro, unlike the postal workers.
2. If the Daschle and Leahy envelopes were sealed with tape to prevent the 'powder' from spilling, then it seems very strange to me that enough powder could have leaked onto the mail machines to make those workers so sick.
One of the networks did a demonstration with some kind of powder. They placed a small amount in an envelope, taped it shut and sent it through a machine at the post office. It was scary how much powder leaked through the miniscule holes in the envelope.
3. The one mail worker worked on the docks unloading mail - so we are to believe the powder came out of the envelope, into the bag (closed) and into the AIR on the dock and then inhaled in large enough quantity to kill someone?
I don't know, it's possible that he did come into the facility for bathroom breaks, etc. and became infected inside the building.
4. Why is there no evidence of mail CARRIERS developing anthrax? They, after all, handle the mail twice. Getting it out of the box, and unloading it into the post office.
I know that the theory is that whoever mailed the anthrax went directly to the post office with it. I know that the FBI was checking the blue boxes but I haven't seen any follow up to that.
5. The lady in CT appears to have no family but then niece. Since the niece is her heir and will inherit soon anyway (the doctor said the old lady's health was rapidly failing), I can't see that she would be stupid enough to draw attention to herself in this way. Additionally, how did she get anthrax to do the deed? If it is available on the farm, she would have to know where to get it, how much to get, how to get her aunt to inhale it, and then hope that the health officials would miss the fact that her anthrax was different from the D.C. anthrax. That seems to be a stretch.
I agree.
6. Why did the letter writers go to all the trouble to look up the zip codes of Daschle, Brokaw, the Post, etc, and then make a mistake with Leahy's zip code, causing that piece of mail to be re-routed to the State Department?
I'm going to do a search for Leahy's address. (I have to find the picture of the envelope first so I know what zip code to look for). Somebody posted here, (on one of Alamo-girl's threads), that the envelopes were addressed exactly how they were listed on the internet. Example, the word building spelled out and on a second line. Is it possible that some internet site has a bad zip code for Leahy and they copied it down as it was listed? I'll look.
7. I wonder if the FBI is checking on sales of Cipro BEFORE September 11? Of course, it's possible they brought Cipro with them to the US, but still, I haven't heard anyone address this issue.
The closest I have read about this are two items. One is the pharmacist in Florida near the AMI building who believes that two of the highjackers came in to his drugstore. One had a rash on his hands and the other had a bad cough and was asking for something to treat it. The pharmacist gave the guy with the rash some ointment and the other guy some over the counter cough syrup and told him he'd have to see a doctor and get a prescription if he wanted antibiotics. The other was the recent article where the FBI went into a home in I think it was Pennsylvania? Some of them had hazmat suits on and they removed several bags of something from the house. The man was a local elected official and his wife was on Cipro. She said it was for a pelvic inflamation.
8. Why attack the Enquirer in FL first? Of all the targets available, why choose a relatively benign little tabloid? Why not People magazine?
A test? The anthrax that was delivered to AMI was not as finely milled as the Daschle, & Leahy anthrax. Atta lived very near AMI and tried to rent a crop dusting plane near there too. Bob Stevens' editor's wife rented the apartment to Atta.
9. If it is right-wing 'terrists', then why target the Enquirer? I could probably understand Daschle, but Leahy is a stretch. Only real news junkies would know the significance of Leahy and the Judicial Committee.
The only thing I can think of, (and this might help with the connection to the Connecticut woman who just died), is that the person mailing the anthrax is from CT, or recently lived there. Leahy is a senator from CT so the name would be familiar to him/her.
Many other thoughts, but will save them for later.
Good questions, they made me think! Please Ping me if you have the answers to any of the questions I raised. Thanks!
Yes, I've also wondered whether anthrax has been around for awhile but, as you said, no one tested. Case reported in Chile this week too, might have been an agricultural worker exposed to animal anthrax spores.
The FBI has offically lost their freaking mind...
How much longer before they'll be phoning into the Art Bell Show asking for ideas and any leads his guests might be able to provide...
Two women, with no real reason to be overly concerned, just like any other two women, or any other two people. To me that sounds more like a terror element than sending it to someone who probably gets a couple hundred pieces of hate mail a day.
I think the FBI should be grasping at straws if that is what you want to call it, I'll call it doing anything and everything to find the murderer(s) and applaud them.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.