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Monday, August 4, 2008 12:00 AM

Additional key facts re: the anthrax investigation

The media's key witness as to the psychological state of Bruce Ivins -- Jean Carol Duley -- has a lengthy history that undermines her credibility.

The letters thread is now closed.

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Monday, August 4, 2008 03:16 PM

@heru-ur

The Madrid fire can't be compared to WTC fires. The buildings are different structurally and therefore will behave differently under similar circumstances. Further, the circumstances in the Madrid fire were NOT the same. The fire was longer, but there was no impact damage. Finally, in support of what happened at WTC, the metal supports that weren't fire protected at Madrid DID fail and those parts of the building collapsed. For more info, look at

http://www.mace.manchester.ac.uk/project/research/structures/strucfire/CaseStudy/HistoricFires/BuildingFires/default.htm

All the comparison of the two fires shows is the poor design/fire resistance of the WTC. Yeah, our government is full of sh*t, so its certainly not necessary to create nonsensical equivalents.

best,

A

Monday, August 4, 2008 03:18 PM

Re: Update IV

I agree that they are taking the exact route they did with Hatfill. That suggests very strongly that this case is just as weak as Hatfill's. That also suggests to me that the last thing they can do is actually close the case, because then, if we had a real Congress, Mueller and Mukasey's butts would be brought to the witness table forthwith to provide a full accounting. Because that is still a formal possibility with our imitation Congress, DOJ will not close this case. As long as it is open, they can claim they are sure it was Ivins (through anonymous leaks, of course) but need more time to tie up the loose ends.

Monday, August 4, 2008 03:23 PM

Synchronicity

It's amazing how the day LWM decides to post again, Abe Lincoln and the Confederacy once again rears its head. And of course Ron Paul has to come up, comparing him to Nancy Pelosi on the ACLU Meter no less. Nancy Pelosi is pure fail and you're pure fail too if you vote for support her and her "Antiwar Enough" friends.

Surely it is nothing more than a coincindence that these things happen...

I wonder how many "last straws" it has left in its never-ending hay bail?

Monday, August 4, 2008 03:32 PM

Hatfil was such a delicious candidate ... being arrogant and having those "incrminating" resume items ...

but I suspect the FBI settled early on it being one of those PhD egghead types ....

I remain really troubled by the timeline of the sent letters. The great gap between the first single letter and second "bunch" ... irrc, it wasn't that so much that the letter got lost (although there were some days in which it was very uncertain who or what the target was ... which remains unclear actually, since the letter vanished).. however, there was massive contamination ... from which only "madman" might be deduced.

The second letters to the networks again had no rhyme or reason beyond maybe "publicity seeking" or "television news punishing" madman? The "death to America / death to Israel" seemed jive at the time.

Then the one, then belated delayed other to the Senate ...

exactly how was this ever NOT going to finger the "top level" bioweapons program personnel?

I still think it was someone much lower and much "quirkier," maybe another PhD egghead hater...

(the anthrax was carbon dated to have been produced within 3 years of delivery... so my favorite ancient souvenir theory is shot out of the water ... but a more recent "theft of opportunity" still might work)

I think the big-boys would have appreciated how potentially deadly that powder was ... and sealed it up better.

Monday, August 4, 2008 03:32 PM

Dr. Irwin I presume

Questions worth pursuing, now it's been firmly established Jean Duley is no Oliver Sacks:

What was Dr. Irwin's connection, to both Ivins and Duley?

What are Irwin's professional credentials and affiliations? Has he ever worked for or consulted with the FBI in any capacity?

Things we will hopefully learn soon (or should) that go beyond hearsay and character assassination:

Did Ivins really make threatening remarks in group therapy?

Did Ivins did in fact leave Duley threatening voicemails?

Do Ivins' emails reveal clear signs of disturbance and hostility?

Plus everything else in the FBI case files, of course.

Reading about this case, I find what I'd really like to know is:

Who was Bruce Ivins? Good friend and admired co-worker, greedy businessman, sorority stalker, Unibomber soul mate? He clearly was a complicated, troubled man, and plainly in a fragile mental state when he died. Innocent until proven guilty, absolutely, but certainly much more complex than a "nice guy" or "outstanding scientist" or "government patsy" meme would suggest.

Monday, August 4, 2008 03:36 PM

Sensible editorial from the Hartford Courant

http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-fbi.artaug04,0,3746296.story

or click on sig.

Monday, August 4, 2008 03:37 PM

@arbitraryname

The Madrid fire can't be compared to WTC fires. The buildings are different structurally and therefore will behave differently under similar circumstances. Further, the circumstances in the Madrid fire were NOT the same. The fire was longer, but there was no impact damage. Finally, in support of what happened at WTC, the metal supports that weren't fire protected at Madrid DID fail and those parts of the building collapsed. For more info, look at

http://www.mace.manchester.ac.uk/project/research/structures/strucfire/CaseStudy/HistoricFires/BuildingFires/default.htm

All the comparison of the two fires shows is the poor design/fire resistance of the WTC. Yeah, our government is full of sh*t, so its certainly not necessary to create nonsensical equivalents.

best,

A

-- arbitraryname

Sorry, but it can be compared. The Madrid fire burned much longer and much hotter.

But, since 9-11 is not really the topic today I'll just ask for your help and then stop on the subject for today. Except for that magic day when three steel framed skyscrapers all came down due to a small fire, has any other steel framed building collapsed due to fire?

Also, why did WTC 7 imploded when WTC 6 and WTC 5 were closer to the Twin Towers and more heavily damaged by falling debris, yet, their structures remain. They were "different" also? How so?

It is like being told you can never step in the same river twice; true that no two events can be identical. This logic seems to only be employed when it helps support a government conspiracy theory. (the official story is a conspiracy theory)

I was a kid when JFK got shot by a magic bullet; but I just never believed in the magic.

Monday, August 4, 2008 03:39 PM

Perhaps because we are the original land of the free

So, I'll just ask what other country of that time period needed a bloody war of brother against brother to end slavery? No historian has ever found one yet, perhaps they are also idiots.

And we just attract and encourage more nutbars like you, Sinnard and Ron Paul, than any other country.

:-)

By all means, if you don't have an argument -or an answer to my evidence that you are a mere apologist, a "useful idiot," for slavery and white supremacy - abuse the plaintiff.

Or just tell me what this means to you:

With our convictions and our strength, emancipation here is an impossibility to man, whether by persuasion, purchase or coercion. The Rock of Gibraltar does not stand so firm on its basis as our slave system.

James H. Hammond, U.S. Senator from South Carolina from a speech delivered at Barnwell Court House, Oct. 27, 1858

Sounds like fighting words to me.

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