FBI Does Some Heavy-Duty Digging in Md. Drained Pond Searched for Anthrax Clues

The Washington Post ^ | By Marilyn W. Thompson

[Princeton]

"The scene yesterday at a drained pond in Frederick was less reminiscent of the underwater adventures of Jacques Cousteau than it was of plodding Mike Mulligan, the outdated but determined steam shovel.

After three days spent diverting 1.45 million gallons of water from the one-acre pond -- a process made more taxing by occasional downpours -- yesterday's work was the more important step in the much-discussed anthrax hunt.

The operation is top secret, but law enforcement sources have said that the FBI hopes to find evidence that could have been left behind by the ingenious killer who mailed out a lethal agent in pre-stamped postal envelopes in the fall of 2001.

In a pit of red mud, a bright yellow earthmover chugged up scoop after scoop of rain-drenched dirt, moving it aside for analysis in the second phase of the FBI's search for evidence in the unsolved anthrax case. Along the perimeter, about a dozen men in hard hats and reflective vests worked on various dirty missions. Some gathered around a square container, apparently used as a sifting box. Action was slow but steady, and no one seemed to notice a helicopter full of press gawkers hovering at 400 feet.

After three days spent diverting 1.45 million gallons of water from the one-acre pond -- a process made more taxing by occasional downpours -- yesterday's work was the more important step in the much-discussed anthrax hunt."...............

It appeared that Hollywood's crime-fighting "Men in Black" had become rather grungy "Men in Hip Boots."

[harpseal]

Well they have drained the pond based upon a hypothetical discussion Seven hatfill had with an aquaitance. I have had hypothetical discussions with many people on what would be necessary to complete a terrorist act. The discussions are focused on stopping such an attack and have my personal knowledge base as a starting point. Hatfill had a personal knowledge base of biowarfare due to his empoyment in this field, he had a reason to be interested in the subject due to his employment in this field.

I further note there is no evidence taht the plastic box found in the pond was ever a glove box or had ever been used for any purpose in dealing with anthrax spores and letters. What it was used for is as of this date unknown. What lies on the bottoms of bodies of water is a strange melange of discraded items and lost items.

[Toskrin]

Probably another dead end. It's very difficult to catch a terrorist acting through the mail, unless the terrorist continues the actions over an extended period - and then it's still not easy.

It appeared that Hollywood's crime-fighting "Men in Black" had become rather grungy "Men in Hip Boots."

Can't a reporter just tell a story without being a smartaleck?

[Princeton]

Muckraking in its truest sense.

[not-an-ostrich]

It seems there was more than the discussion Hatfill had with someone. Don't forget the bloodhounds targeting this pond where they found a plastic box with holes large enough for hands to be inserted.

[harpseal]

Excuse me, according to the FBI this plastic box may have been a homemade glove box or it may not have been. The Bloodhounds when they targeted this pond were not necessarily targeting Hatfill or would you assert that a bloodhound can follow a trail several months old. if they had hot evidence from Bloddhounds that hatfill had been there shortly after or even before teh mailings why did they not do the searches then. The Antrax attacks were in 2001. It is now 2003. I do not know if Hatfill is guilty or innocent but before I speculate further on his guilt I would like some evidence presented not speculation about some far fetched theory wothout evidence. The biggest accuser of Hatfill was some left wing scienticic hack. Now regarding Hatfill there is no plausible motive except his supposed membership in some conspiracy based upon his purported anti-communist stand. he worked for a government facility that had anthrax spores. he had teh knowledge and he engaged in a hypothetical conversation. Hey he may have even walked by a pond six miles from his home. There is no link between him and the anthrax attacks that has yet been shown. To date from what they say the FBI had a better case against Richard Jewel for the Olympic bombing.

Could evidence be discovered that provides that link? yes but the FBI should not be naming a "person of interest," without it.

[blau993]

What I have not been able to figure out is why Mr. Anthrax would go to a public pond if he wanted to assemble the letter using a glove box under water. Why not just fill up the bathtub in his house or a kid's swimming pool in the garage? It would be a lot safer from the standpoint of possible discovery.

[aristeides]

The operation is top secret,

Is that a joke?

[norton]

When you are out on a limb it's real hard to reverse yourself and do something rational.

FBI & friends are out on a limb. They have so much credibility invested in this particular theory that something as logical as your statement is impossible.

The locale is OK, it's near where the biological action is.
But the fixation on Hatfill is all too similar to the original Atlanta bombing farce;
again, once they've invested in the story they won't let it go unless hit by lightning.

[harpseal]

It is just one of many jokes within this operation.

[The Great Satan]

As window-dressing PR stunts go, it's a whole lot cheaper than firing forty cruise missiles at an empty buiding.

 

 
"Be seeing you."

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[muawiyah]

It's probably not beyond belief that Dr. Hatfil had some sort of relationship with Sami Al-Arian. In fact, if Hatfil had some involvement with the anthrax attack, there's no doubt that such a relationship exists because the return address on the anthrax letters carry information that directly relates to Sami.

If you but do a www.google.com search for "Greensboro", "Greendale" and "School" you will get www.beachcomber.com as one of three results. This is a compendium of information about every port city on the East Coast.

AlQaida operatives had but to do a "google" search at a library computer to be taken to this site to get all the information they needed to do or get any of the things in which they were interested.

It hasn't been updated since August 15, 2001 although another site has picked up the "franchise", so to speak, and uses different techniques to filter through the Beachcomber site.

BTW, Greensboro is where Sami went to college, and he lived in a neighborhood with a Greendale School!

While in college, when he bowed down to pray he faced a town called New Hope. It's ZIP Code is the exact reverse of the ZIP Code given for Franklin New Jersey, the supposed home of the Greendale School!

The letters with the return addresses have what amounts to Sami Al-Arian's internet memnonics!

No doubt Hatfil was running in some strange circles to have taken up with Sami, eh?!

Let's hope the FBI catches up to them (just as soon as they finish digging up the bottom of that pond).

[Shermy]

lINK

"... One of the law enforcement sources says investigators sometimes wonder whether they focused on Hatfill too soon, and ignored someone who deserved more attention.

So much has gone into investigating Hatfill, the source says, that abandoning the focus on him "would be like starting all over."

[muawiyah]

Looks like I get the $2.5 million reward and the FBI doesn't eh?!

The reward is for "information" that identifies rather than for arrest or conviction.

I am absolutely amazed that the FBI is still working on this idea that if you find out who made the anthrax you will find out who did the attack. They are separate events!

[tracer]

Good thing that the "pro's" are on the case. Idiots all.....

[Shermy]

< cue music> Breaking up is hard to dooooo...

[Princeton]

"No doubt Hatfil was running in some strange circles to have taken up with Sami, eh?!"

According to the Dems, Sami was running in some stranger circles also:) [Search Engine: SpinTheBottle.com}