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Sunday, August 10, 2008 12:00 AM

What's the answer to this?

The latest evidence depicted by the media as incriminating of Ivins is actually an alibi.

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  • Sunday, August 10, 2008 08:56 AM

    "Are there any scientists anywhere who find the FBI's claims impressive or convincing?"

    I work at the NIH, and of everyone I've talked to, the answer is an emphatic no. It's the same response I saw to the Powell UN presentation: "where is your data"?

    It should also be noted that, even if the scientific data were all out on the table and seemingly above level, they would be unlikely to get a successful prosecution simply because they would probably never be able to fully demonstrate chain of custody of the evidence. From what has been said so far, the FBI was in collaboration with a number of external labs, working confidentially and passing samples back and forth. There's ample chance there for tampering or simple clerical errors ("oops, meant to write sample A rather than B").

    And, of course, there is these astonishingly poorly-chosen words from one agent on the case: "We were practically inventing the science as we went along." Yeah, THAT instills confidence, for sure.

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