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Friday, August 1, 2008 12:00 AM

Vital unresolved anthrax questions and ABC News

A top U.S. government scientist, suspected of the anthrax attacks, commits suicide. ABC News knows who is responsible for false reports blaming those attacks on Iraq, but refuses to say.

The letters thread is now closed.

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Friday, August 1, 2008 03:04 PM

According to the AP

"Anthrax-laced letters that killed five people and severely rattled the post-9/11 nation may have been part of an Army scientist's warped plan to test his cure for the deadly toxin, officials said Friday." [My emphasis.]

The story is linked to my sig. This is, I believe, an update to the AP's original story. (It's dated "3 minutes ago.") Not that improtant, I suppose, but interesting nonetheless.

Friday, August 1, 2008 03:16 PM

@ Kitt

Thanks for the value-add comment - the length of the URLs I footnoted is undoubtedly of utmost important.

Friday, August 1, 2008 03:18 PM

@ Kitt Part II

... Or "importance" rather than "important" - you decide!

Friday, August 1, 2008 03:18 PM

"Quiet Research"

Anthrax Suspect Known for Quiet Research, Odd Behavior."

So was I, but my Mom caught me and put a stop to it.

Friday, August 1, 2008 03:19 PM

It's Senate Judiciary

The key here, I think, will be to try to devise the right strategy to induce the right Congressional Committee to hold hearings on the false ABC News stories and the anthrax issue generally.

The focus should be Senate Judiciary, which has jurisdiction and whose chair was a victim of this scam. I recall Pat Leahy's expression of outrage over the attempt to kill him. As I recall, he was asking the previous Attorney General when he would get around to solving the crime.

Of course nothing is solved, as Glenn points out. But it should take no more than a stream of emails expressing vicarious outrage to convince Senator Leahy that the subject calls for hearings for reasons that transcend his personal interest in the matter.

Friday, August 1, 2008 03:21 PM

A story begging to be turned into a book - a Glenn Greenwald book

Glenn, I know true crime isn't your forte, but is there any chance of you pursuing this case in book format? I can't think of anyone else with your investigative skills, bottomless energy, contagious passion and grasp of the significant underlying issues informing what, regardless of the truth, is a dark and deeply disturbing tale encapsulating so much that is surreally nightmarish about the last seven years.

I know the result could be a classic, a Bush-era version of In Cold Blood or Executioner's Song. I suspect, too, that a NYT best-seller might be needed to finally secure MSM and MSV (mainstream voter) attention.

Friday, August 1, 2008 03:23 PM

sensen

@ Kitt

Thanks for the value-add comment - the length of the URLs I footnoted is undoubtedly of utmost important.

-- Sensen No Sen

You're being overly sensitive. My suggestion was not an insult to you or anything to do with the "value" of your comment. It was a suggestion about easier ways to navigate this internet thing that we're all constantly learning about. I always appreciate it when someone tells me about something I wasn't aware of. In fact that is how I learned about tinyurl. Someone on this comment board told me or someone about it. I've been pleased to have learned about it and have made good use of it ever since.

Friday, August 1, 2008 03:29 PM

@Kitt

Kitt, I for one very MUCH appreciated your link to tinyurl.com because I had no idea what it meant, but had been seeing it for a long time. It will make it much easier for me to send links to my friends now, not that they ever really follow them. heh.

Friday, August 1, 2008 03:39 PM

Nice and neat wrap up

Welp, according to the CBS evening news, this case is C_L_O_S_E_D. They wrapped it all up nicely, blamed Ivins for everything, showed pics of the 5 victims, and said this case will be closed.

Now I'm having to sit through 5 minutes of Obama bashing.

God I wish we could fire them all. Pathetic.

Friday, August 1, 2008 03:42 PM

Re: curious letter

End of 'dialogue'

Originally published August 24, 2006

Rabbi Morris Kosman is entirely correct in summarily rejecting the demands of the Frederick Imam for a "dialogue."

By blood and faith, Jews are God's chosen, and have no need for "dialogue" with any gentile. End of "dialogue."

Very curious because that dialogue did begin.

http://www.imamyahyahendi.com/Hajj-Hanukkah.htm

(or click on signature)

Quote:

"The get-together was the result of months of talks among members of the three congregations and others. Imam Hendi and members of the Islamic Society of Frederick have been eager to engage Christian and Jewish congregations, and have held a number of joint celebrations, dinners, and holiday observances, both at their masjid, or mosque, on Key Parkway and at churches and meeting halls.

Imam Hendi has been on a public mission to educate Americans about Islam, and he repeatedly stresses the ties of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, the world's major monotheistic religions that each trace their roots to Abraham.

Thursday's celebration was especially poignant because it not only brought together Jews and Muslims in celebration, but also established stronger ties between Frederick's two Jewish congregations, Mr. Sikowitz said. Beth Sholom is Frederick's oldest congregation, led for nearly a half-century by Rabbi Morris Kosman, a scholar and teacher of enormous influence in Frederick's Jewish community. Beth Sholom is nonaffiliated and has a diverse congregation.

Congregation Kol Ami is a much newer, Reform Jewish congregation, led by Mr. Sikowitz, who looks forward to his ordination in New York next May.

Members of both congregations have had contact with members of the Islamic Society of Frederick, and participants from all congregations stressed that the beginning of a dialogue at the Frederick County level is different from the political dialogue in the Middle East. "

Friday, August 1, 2008 03:42 PM

Cheney and Anthrax

I recently purchased Jane Mayer's new book, and have read the passages regarding Cheney's changed personality and his belief that he was infected with anthrax. I would find the book much more convincing if footnotes were used. How exactly does Mayer know this?

This story points readers away from the fact that only Democratic politicians were the recipients of the anthrax letters. Surely, there must be some significance in that.

As an aside, another poster has already speculated that John Bolton may have been involved in the anthrax attacks. As far as I know, there is no evidence to support such a claim. I have always wondered why, though, he made public comments about the possibility of Cuba's involvement with anthrax. A diverson on his part, to be sure--but why Cuba?

Friday, August 1, 2008 03:42 PM

Now this is a beauty

All it takes is one good prosecutor. ABC has no leg to stand on to protect its sources. However, it's all so damn sinister. Lies on top of lies. I've always thought this anthrax thing was as bizarre as it gets. Now it turns into a blockbuster movie. High-level intimidation from the heart of the U.S. government, and the top witness dead. However, i have to confess to missing the whole bituminate thing at the time. I mean if it was proven Iraqi anthrax, seems there would've been more of a stink.

You know, FISA is a relic of the war on terror and the crazy war powers Bush had. Putting a bunch of media executives in jail is a joke. The Bush government are the criminals.

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