Positive Anthrax Test Closes World Bank Building in D.C.

self | Monday, May 20, 2002 | Kristinn

[freeperfromnj]

Not the only recent DC-area closing, including this one at a related federal office building.

That was over two weeks ago and we haven't heard the outcome of those results yet.

[kristinn]

From another source: the first test was positive, the second negative and they are waiting on the third test results.

[freeperfromnj]

They also evacuated a building at the Presidio of Monterey last week because of a suspicious envelope found by a solidier at Taylor Hall. The article said it was leaking white power. They sent it out for anthrax tests. Did you hear anything on this?

[archy]

Any word about the BATF anthrax report a couple days ago ?

See post #14.

-archy-/-

[rmlew]

The building is on the campus of George Washington U. I used to pass it every day when I lived there for a summer.
I'm torn about the attack. I oppse such terrorism, but there is a silver lining. The World Bank can't mortgage the future of 3rd world nations for ineffecient socialist projects that lione the pockets of dictators.

[Raymond Hendrix]

btt

[Lady Jag]

For months now, there has been a massive lack of any public reporting of real news. Even here at FR, fewer hard news stories are showing up. "They" don't want some of us to panic and they don't want the rest of us to get pissed off. I'm pissed off because there isn't any real news.

[archy]

Is Building J the headquarters building on 18th Street?

I believe it is. My friend said Building J was on 18th Street, NW.

701 18th Street, NW, at the cross streets of 18th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. Perhaps the map will make it clearer why such a location, about halfway between GWU and the White House, might be receiving regular inspections. I believe the bank was also the target of several of the demonstrations against the World Bank a few months back.

-archy-/-

[archy]

The building is on the campus of George Washington U. I used to pass it every day when I lived there for a summer.

That's H Building, the auditorium, at 600 19th Street, N.W., actually just off the GWU campus, I believe, but right on the edge of it.

-archy-/-

[demsux]

Wow, one block from the WH... Bump

[kristinn]

Local NBC affiliate WRC-4 reported that the 1200 workers in the building have been told to "work from home" for the next few days until the third test is completed.

The reporter said "the first batch of tests" on a bundle of mail came back positive at the building. A more sophisticated batch of tests was done off-site and the results were negative.

The third test is a "culture" and will be completed Wednesday or Thursday.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads ups! Hmmm...

[kristinn]

Link to Reuters story about this.

[kristinn]

World Bank Mail Tests Positive for Anthrax

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Some 1,200 World Bank employees were advised to stay home from work on Tuesday after inconclusive tests detected anthrax contamination on mail bound for their building, a World Bank spokeswoman said on Monday.

After routine anthrax testing of mail that was to be delivered to one of five World Bank buildings in Washington came back positive, it was put through a second more sophisticated test, which came back negative, World Bank spokeswoman Caroline Anstey said.

The sample in question was then sent to a facility in West Virginia for a determinative culture test, which will take as long as three days to complete, she said. In the meantime, employees who work in the building at Pennsylvania Avenue and 18th Street Northwest, which is not the World Bank's main building, have been asked to stay home from work and telecommute, if possible, Anstey said. The employees are assigned mostly to African regional issues.

"We're taking every precaution," Anstey added. Although the questionable batch of mail was never delivered to the building, it was tested next door. There is some concern that if it turns out to have been contaminated, anthrax spores could make their way into a ventilation system that serves the building, Anstey said.

Last fall, five people died and about a dozen others were treated as anthrax-tainted letters were sent to government officials and media outlets in Washington, Florida and New York.

Although no one has been charged in the attack, an FBI spokesman said an investigation is still underway. As part of that investigation ABC News "World News Tonight" reported on Monday that the government wants to administer lie detector tests to as many as 200 current and former employees at Fort Detrick, Maryland, about 40 miles northwest of Washington, and Dugway Proving Ground, which is about 85 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah.

In the absence of a prime suspect, the polygraphs, which the government will begin conducting in June, are expected to give investigators new leads, ABC said. ABC, citing unidentified sources and law enforcement officials, said the anthrax that was sent through the mail last fall is consistent with the Ames anthrax strain stored at Fort Detrick and then distributed to labs for research.

Investigators are interested in talking to employees who previously had access to the anthrax, as well as those who have access it now, ABC said.

An FBI spokesman declined to comment on the report.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[kristinn]

You're welcome !

This FR exclusive beat everyone by five hours. The Reuters story is now at the top of the Drudge Report.

[Seeking the truth]

An anything new to report bump.

[RaceBannon]

major bump