Anthrax Case Solved?

[sdreid]

I see where Senator Charles Grassley has called for a congressional investigation of all this business.

[Patti]

I was amazed to see all the newspapers coming out with articles or editorials stating they didn't believe there was enough evidence (even after the evidence given today), that they were trying too hard to say he was guilty, and especially the articles about how the FBI hounded his children offering them money ($2.5million and new sports car?) to rat him out.

No one trusts or believes the FBI/CIA/NSA or anyone connected with our government anymore, and this is just one more example. Personally, I think he was in the general vicinity, they had already messed up accusing another scientist in the department, and this guy was the most unstable and easiest to rattle. If they had real evidence, they would have arrested him and not let him continue doing his high security job. It is a shame.

[sdreid]

They also followed Ivins' family on shopping trips like they had something to do with it and harangued his daughter while she was hospitalized; showing her pictures of anthrax victims and telling her, "This is what your father did!" All of this got them nothing.

[Celesta]

I see where Senator Charles Grassley has called for a congressional investigation of all this business.

Good! You're right about the tactics resembling police state tactics. These kinds of operations are worrying a lot of people. Some think we're too close to becoming a police state with this homeland security overkill. The officials don't want to be seen to fail in solving this case, because then that calls into question Bush's homeland security mandates. If they can't catch domestic terrorists how will they catch foreign ones is what some people would ask. Two suicides and the case seems to be closed and people will say they did solve the case. And people, ie the media, are saying that! Somehow, I don't think a lot of us believe it though.

I was out today and so didn't hear more on the sorority thing, but yeah, it looked to me last night like they were trying to make him a crazed sex-nut, too.

Don't mean to hijack the thread, Stan.

Best,

Cel

[sdreid]

Hi Celesta,

Well, the congressional investigation has been proposed but who knows if it will ever happen. I hope it does especially since the matter isn't going to be settled in court.

[Patti]

The papers today said that there were 16 labs with the same strain of the virus and 100 people in Ft. Detrick that had access to the vial it supposedly came from. They also said even though he was in the lab late at night, there were many, many others there at the same time and it would have been impossible to do this. His supervisor said that even he didn't know who to convert it to solid form, and there was some question if the equipment they had there was capable of doing it. They found nothing in his car to suggest he moved it elsewhere. A defense attorney would have torn this evidence to shreads.

[sdreid]

I wonder if they would have really arrested this guy if he was still alive or if they're just taking advantage of his death to tell us all, "we've solved it!"

[Celesta]

I wonder if they would have really arrested this guy if he was still alive or if they're just taking advantage of his death to tell us all, "we've solved it!"

Exactly. The prime suspects killed themselves....supposedly. Case solved.

[Patti]

Of course, some conspiracy theorists would say that the government itself created the problem to unify the country further after 9-11, put fear in the hearts of Americans and further set us up for the war to come.

My husband worked for the Army Corps of Engineers in the mail room at this time. I was freaked out, especially since the "infected" mail was processed through the same office that my husband's mail came from and the Corps didn't issue the guys in his office masks until 2-3 months later.

It was suggested that they buy the usual white masks that you get at the pharmacy -- lots of protection. Not only did this open him up to infection, but it would mean carrying it home to my daughter and me. I called his security office, and no one seemed the least bit upset, telling me not to worry.

Makes you wonder, doesn't it.

[sdreid]

Amazing how many of us were almost directly touched by this crime.

[sdreid]

I see that at least two others doctors, that have not been mentioned here, from Ft. Detrick were seriously looked at. One was foreign born and the other was seen entering the facility after he'd been fired. I don't know why they were given the pass. As yet, I see little to convince me that they could have even gotten an indictment against Ivins, let alone a conviction. If he's the guy, where are the details? There's no reason to hold anything back if he's really the guy.

[sdreid]

So far, I don't see anything on Dr. Irvin's other than he was acting strangely in the last year of his life - so what. According to reports, he passed a polygraph where he denied having anything to do with the crimes, not that this is absolution.

[Doug Irvine]

Are we painting Ivans with the same brush that the VP police painted Druitt. After all it's pretty easy to blame the dead guy, he can't fight back.

[sdreid]

That's what I was wondering Doug.

[sdreid]

There was a TV program on the other day which claimed that two different types of anthrax were used in the mailings. Since Ivins had access to the top grade, why would he have sometimes used something of lesser effect?