FBI's Theory On Anthrax Is Doubted (Evidence points to a state sponsor)

Washington Post ^ | October 28th, 2002 | Guy Gugliotta and Gary Matsumoto

[Sabertooth]

A significant number of scientists and biological warfare experts are expressing skepticism about the FBI's view that a single disgruntled American scientist prepared the spores and mailed the deadly anthrax letters that killed five people last year. These sources say that making a weaponized aerosol of such sophistication and virulence would require scientific knowledge, technical competence, access to expensive equipment and safety know-how that are probably beyond the capabilities of a lone individual.

< snip >

"In my opinion, there are maybe four or five people in the whole country who might be able to make this stuff, and I'm one of them," said Richard O. Spertzel, chief biological inspector for the U.N. Special Commission from 1994 to 1998. "And even with a good lab and staff to help run it, it might take me a year to come up with a product as good."

[Sabertooth]

Read the article, lots of details. Most likely scenario...

State Sponsor = Iraq.

Surprise.

[Sabertooth]

((((((growl)))))

[Bogey78O]

It must be Ethipia then. Surely they have the skills. It can't be Iraq. Iraq told us they wouldn't do that.

[sarasmom]

WP wants me to sign up.No.

A few more pertinant exerpts or para-phrasing would be appreciated.

[guitfiddlist]

"Yeah, but it's so much easier to find a scapegoat, blame it all on him and then shoot him on a raid or sumthin'. We really liked it when Reno was around..."

[Sabertooth]

WP wants me to sign up.No.

A few more pertinant exerpts or para-phrasing would be appreciated.

Way too much data. Try this work-around...

Google News Search

Then click on "FBI's Theory On Anthrax Is Doubted."

You should see the story without signing up.

[Thud]

I can't wait for the FBI to go after Spertzel the way they went after Hatfill.

"In my opinion, there are maybe four or five people in the whole country who might be able to make this stuff, and I'm one of them," said Richard O. Spertzel, chief biological inspector for the U.N. Special Commission from 1994 to 1998."

[Sabertooth]

Why was this taken out of Breaking News?

President Bush is in the midst of making the case for war with Iraq, and the Iraqi-anthrax connection is the shoe everyone's been waiting to drop. This is the most detailed and comprehensive examination I've read. See for yourself by following the links at #6... you don't even have to sign up.

There is not a single more important story in any of your sidebars right now. Can you please explain your news judgement?

[Cicero]

Well, someone would have to check out the science, but it sounds knowledgeable to me.

Now this is making me paranoid. It seems as if the intelligence services REALLY, REALLY don't want to confirm an Iraqi connection. We've seen how George Tenet has bent the evidence repeatedly, especially about the Prague meeting, in order to shoot down an Iraqi connection. And we've seen how the FBI continues to bend over backward to deny any foreign terrorist connection to the anthrax mailings.

I have been assuming a combination of incompetence and clintonoid malice. But what if Saddam is BLACKMAILING the higher-ups in the CIA and the FBI? How would he do that? Well, suppose what we have heard about the OKC bombing is true? Then the FBI would be up to its neck in the cover-up of Iraqi participation, and Saddam could prove it. And there is some evidence that the CIA was involved in OKC too, because it is known that a high-level German agent was at Elohim City at the time and is thought to have been involved.

Of course clinton could be blackmailing the agencies too. It's one of his favorite techniques for keeping control over his subordinates, and no doubt he and hillary took their blackmail files with them when they left the White House.

[sarasmom]

Thank you.

[Sidebar Moderator]

Why was this taken out of Breaking News?

This article has been posted twice before.

U.S. anthrax experts say FBI's wrong about letters Sophisticated team, not loner, indicated

Experts doubt anthrax attack was work of lone, rogue scientist

[NeoCaveman]

State Sponsor = Iraq.

I'm shocked. (/sarcasm)

Thanks Sabertooth

[tinamina]

Why does it seem that the FBI deliberately looks at all other possibilities besides terorists and terrorist sponsoring States? The INS deliberately lets in terrorists and the State Dept. deliberately tries to undermine the Bush agenda. Is it a plot by government employees? And if so, what do they gain?

[bobi]

Wasn't the strain of Anthrax from a US military strain?

Doesn't matter.

Just add it to the Top 10 Reasons (Excuses) why Iraq has to be invaded.

[bvw]

When your neighbor raises rabid dogs to drop them in your yard while your kids are out playing, once you take down the dogs, you without delay also take down that neighbor.

No excuses. It is what has to be done.

[bvw]

Doesn't matter if the mama bitch was a dog you sold him.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[Samwise]

That worked.

You know, I keep going back to Bush's speech at the U.N. He hung on the word "anthrax" while he was discussing Iraq. I don't think he buys the "lone-white-nut" theory either.

[browardchad]

Why does it seem that the FBI deliberately looks at all other possibilities besides terorists and terrorist sponsoring States?

It's easier that way -- especially when you have a payroll full of profilers eager to target their favorite "angry while male lone nut" (who sometimes drives a white van).

[PhilDragoo]

Scientists suggested the loner theory appeared flawed even in the opening days of the investigation. The profile was issued three weeks after U.S. Army scientists examined the Daschle spores and found them to be 1.5 to 3 microns in size and processed to a grade of 1 trillion spores per gram - 50 times finer than anything produced by the now-defunct U.S. bioweapons program and 10 times finer than the finest known grade of Soviet anthrax. A micron is a millionth of a meter.

Obviously the work of an angry white man in an angry white van.

The FBI that covers up the Middle Eastern connection to OKC--

The FBI that denied eighty eye witnesses to a missile hitting TWA Flight 800--

The FBI that gave Craig Livingstone a thousand files on Clinton's enemies--

The FBI that couldn't get Ted Kaczynski for seventeen years until his brother ratted him out--

The FBI that ruined Richard Jewel's life and still hasn't caught the Olympic Park Bomber--

The FBI that is now ruining Hatfill's life--but can't connect a single dot--

The FBI that persecuted O'Neil until he died in the WTC attack rather than heed his warning--

This haven for Robert Hanssen and general all-around joke is now telling us a bathtub meth lab produced this--

This most sophisticated of any known antrax weapon in the world--

We need a new FBI--

Stick a fork in this one--it is smoking a hookah with Allah.