To those of you who claim the Bush administration did not push the fabricated link between Iraq and the anthrax attacks -

Have we all forgotten Colin Powell arguing for an invasion of Iraq by waving a tube of white powder at the United Nations Security Council and saying "Less than a teaspoon full of dry anthrax in an envelope shutdown the United States Senate in the fall of 2001."

November 1, 2001

A NATION CHALLENGED: DIPLOMACY; Bush Team Rejects U.N. Plan To Condemn Anthrax Attacks

By ELAINE SCIOLINO

The Bush administration has rejected a proposal by France to win Security Council condemnation of the anthrax attacks in the United States, senior administration and European officials said today.

The administration told the French government that a United Nations condemnation would be appropriate only if there was clear proof that the origin of the anthrax or the plot behind the outbreak was foreign, a senior administration official who opposed the move said.

''Let's assume this was the work of a bunch of right-wing nuts or a Unabomber kind of thing,'' the official said. ''That would make it a domestic criminal matter. The Security Council just has no legitimate role in this.''

The rejection came after a debate inside the State Department, with officials disagreeing on whether the anthrax attacks violate the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention, administration officials said.

''The French told us this was a clear violation of the convention, but I don't know how it would be if it's a domestic nut case,'' said the official opposing the initiative.

But another senior administration official said, ''I'm not going to deny that there were two schools of thought on this.''

The Biological Weapons Convention, which 143 nations, including the United States, have ratified, prohibits the development, production and possession of biological weapons. But when that treaty was negotiated, it had no provision for verification, a major drawback since most of the nations suspected of making biological weapons have signed the accord.

The Bush administration has rejected a draft agreement supported by its European allies and a host of other countries that would have created new measures to monitor the ban. The administration argued that the agreement would have granted foreign inspectors too much access to American installations and companies, and that a nation determined to cheat would find a way to do so.

Much to the dismay of America's allies, the United States is now trying to introduce alternate ways of implementing the convention.

European officials called the administration's rejection of the French proposal condemning the anthrax outbreak shortsighted and a missed opportunity.

''This was the first time that a biological agent was used against a civilian population, and we felt that it was important at the very least that the international community say something about it,'' said one senior European official. ''The goal was to reaffirm the value of the convention and assure solidarity. But the answer clearly was 'No.' ''

The resolution would have noted that the use of biological weapons under the Biological Weapons Convention was prohibited, and that the United States had the unilateral right of military self-defense against a biological weapons attack under the United Nations charter.

Experts have said that the United States, the former Soviet Union and Iraq are the only countries known to have made the dangerous, high-grade anthrax powder that was found in the office of the Senate majority leader, Tom Daschle. But the techniques used in those programs are believed to be common enough that a well-trained scientist in a well-equipped private laboratory could have produced similar results.

If Obama becomes President and orders his justice department to investigate the Anthrax letters vigorously, there's little doubt that the investigation will end up at the door steps of one Richard B. Cheney.

“About the White House not "pushing" the Iraq-anthrax connection: they didn't have to (publicly). The press was doing a great job for them on that front via the Brian Ross pathway.”

My understanding is that Ross’s pathway was government source(s), so if the WH tipped Ross off, I can’t buy your theory. That would also put Jane Mayer’s theory in doubt about Cheney being so surprised and scared.

You have your conspiracy theories and I guess I have mine. You're parsing your words to cover your larger message.

911 was more consequential because it was more devastating physically and mentaly and in any other manufactured ways you can conjure up. To suggest the antrax attacks were more consequential is just another tact to diminish what happened on 911. You've clearly proven with your writings that that is one of your agendas.

Your crap may be brilliant to the sheep here but in the real world it's just crap.

Glenn: Someone needs to make the connection to Ivins' role in the poisoned anthrax vaccines given to US troops, containing squalene, a scandal that has yet to really surface and yet another reason why the US Govt would want Ivins to disappear quietly. This guy is connected to some nasty government business. Read this:

http://www.vaccine-a.com/excerpt.html

This is complex stuff, far too much for the MSM to look into. Please dig into this.

How come we never hear about Christian terrorism? Tim McVeigh? Eric Rudolph? This anthrax wack job??

If this thread turns into a 9-11 truth debate, I'm leaving and never coming back. I've seen the rest of Salon, and that was scary enough.

That's a good question, Jim. Have you received any replies/hints/clues?

That the suspect is dead. I would be shocked, shocked I tell you, to find out that the CIA asked this 'patriot' to assist his country by providing anthrax to an agent for 'analysis'. This government is our enemy. Obama can't change that and McCain doesn't want to. Look for my new book 'Living Large in a Facist Country'. It explains how to capitalize on corporate control of government. Trust me, you'll need to know.

Glenn,

I would like to contact ABC and ask them to come clean about this. If you have a chance could you please update your piece with an appropriate contact for ABC?

Your work is just great - I'm a grateful fan.