The Inside Straight

Alarming Anthrax Incident in Mississippi

A student-working in a fairly safe biolab (BSL-3) was transferring an Anthrax culture to a flask when the flask broke.

Cleanup was carried out without incident, and the student was given precautionary treatment and released. The public does not appear to have been endangered at any time; however, it is expected the "usual hue and cry" will arise from those who wish the US to avoid any experimentation with possible bio-agents, while turning a blind eye to outright weaponization by other governments.

As usual, there will be a germ of truth (pun intended) in the opposition outcry: labs are only as safe as the least safe worker assigned to them. In Britain, for example,careless handling led to the "release" of Foot and Mouth virus : an outbreak of which had near-disastrous effects on British livestock just a few years ago.

For heaven's sake, let's be more careful out there !!!

"Loving the Troops to Death" (Anthrax Hoax at VA Hospital)

We often hear folks say they love and support the troops-but are opposed to war. A few of these people have odd ways of expressing their affection.

Yesterday, somebody decided to demonstrate their true feelings by sending an envelope marked "Anthrax" to the VA hospital in Miami.Florida : causing no small volume of alarums and excursions - as everybody but the Royal Northwest Mounted Police responded to the scene.

As it turned out,the white powder in the envelope was harmless : something the employee who opened the envelope in the mailroom (!!!!!!!) had no way of knowing.

Presumably, the envelope was meant to "celebrate" Memorial Day-and the sacrifices made by our Armed Forces over the years-but arrived too late to garner the media saturation desired.

By the way, if you are one of those who was involved in this nasty little "prank",you may soon discover the authorities take this sort of thing VERY seriously . We're talking hefty fines, major jail time,and an opportunity to learn more about alternative lifestyles than you ever wanted to know ... from "in-house mentors",who are not overly interested in your likes and dislikes.

While you are waiting for the fecal matter to hit the fan, you might want to amuse yourself by looking over your shoulder,checking your rear view mirrors for possible tails,listening for tell-tale clicks on your telephone,and being extra,super-duper discreet on the internet.(You know the drill.)

I'm  sure our hospitalized Veterans will appreciate the sacrifices you will be making.

More About Anthrax and Al-Qaeda From George Tenet

Quote furnished by atty/researcher Ross Getman.

George Tenet, in  At the Center of the Storm: My Years at the CIA, at 278-279 (April 30, 2007) "Another key Al-Qa'ida connection to biological weapons was Yazid Sufaat, the Jemaah Islamiya associate who hosted the first operational meeting of the 9/11 hijackers at his apartment in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in January 2000. In fact, Sufaat had provided commercial cover for Zacarias Moussaoui's trip to the United States. Sufaat was also the self-described "CEO" of al-Qai'da's anthrax program. U.S. educated and with a Malaysian military background, Sufaat had impeccable extremist credentials. In 2000 he had been introduced to Ayman al-Zawahiri personally, by Hambali, as the man who was capable of leading al-Qai'da's biological weapons program. Al-Qa'ida spared no effort in its attempt to obtain biological weapons. In 1999, al-Zawahiri had recruited another scientist, Pakistani national Rauf Ahmad, to set up a small lab in Khandahar, Afghanistan, to house the biological weapons effort. In December 2001, a sharp WMD analyst at CIA found the initial lead on which we would pull and, ultimately, unravel the al-Qa'ida anthrax networks. We were able to identify Rauf Ahmad from letters he had written to Ayman al-Zawahiri. Later, we uncovered Sufaat's central role in the program. We located Rauf Ahmad's lab in Afghanistan. We identified the building in Khandahar where Sufaat claimed he isolated anthrax. We mounted operations that resulted in the arrests and detentions of anthrax operatives in several countries. The most startling revelation from this intelligence success story was that the anthrax program had been developed in parallel to 9/11 planning. As best as we could determine, al-Zawahiri's project had been wrapped up in the summer of 2001, when the al-Qaida deputy, along with Hambali, were briefed over a week by Sufaat on the progress he had made to isolate anthrax. The entire operation had been managed at the top of al-Qai'da with strict compartmentalization. Having completed this phase of his work, Sufaat fled Afghanistan in December 2001 and was captured by authorities trying to sneak back into Malaysia. Rauf Ahmad was detained by Pakistani authorities in December 2001. Our hope was that these and our many other actions had neutralized the anthrax threat, at least temporarily."

George Tenet Quote - Courtesy Ross Getman

Attorney/Researcher Ross Getman has posted me a quote from George Tenet's recent book, which I'll reproduce here as a comment on his last post:

"Over time, we were able to link the top echelon of al-Qa'da's leadership to the group's highly compartmentalilzed chemical, biological, and nuclear networks.  This group included al-Qa'ida's operational chief Sayf al-Adl; the group's logistics chief, Hafs; Jemaah Islamiya chief Ruidin Isomuddin (Hambali); 9/11 planners Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Rambzi bin al-Shibh; Egyptian CBRN expert Abu Khabab al-Masri; self-described "CEO of anthrax," Yazid Sufaat; and explosives expert and "nuclear CEO," Abdel al-Aziz al-Masri. As we researched the information we were slowly gathering from myriad sources, we unlocked a disturbing secret:  the group's interest in WMD was not new.  They had been searching for these weapons long before we had been looking for them.  As far we know, al-Qa-ida's fascination with chemical weapons goes back to the sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway system in March 1995 by a group of religious fanatics called the Aum Shinrikyo.  Twelve people died in that attack, but had the dispersal devices worked as planned, the death toll would have been higher.  Al-Qai'da leaders were impressed and saw the attack as a model for achieving their own ambitions.  (In retrospect, the Tokyo attack also foreshadowed al-Qa'ida's  interest in subway and railway systems, which later manifested itself in attacks in Madrid on March 11, 2004; in London on July 7, 2005; an a planned attack against the New York City subway in fall 2003 that was called off by Ayman al-Zawahiri in the last stages of preparation -- "for something better.") George Tenet, At the Center of the Storm:  My Years at the CIA, at 260-261.

Two "Fake" Anthrax Attacks !

Willingboro, NJ : A teacher, opening mail in the office at Garfield East Elementary School in the quiet South Jersey community of Willingboro discovered white powder in an envelope. The powder irritated her hands. This triggered a Hazmat response, the "quarantining" of over 400 young pupils on school busses, and a visit to the Emergency Room by the teacher.

I'm happy to report testing showed no involvement of anthrax or other bio-agents ; and the surmise is the white powder ( probably laundry detergent,or some such ) was  sent as somebody's idea of a prank.Depending on the age of the perpetrator, that "prankster" could be looking at some serious jail time 

The Second Fake Anthrax Attack was made upon the United States : courtesy of Sherwood Ross - whose blog , "The Smirking Chimp" is well known to the moonbat segment of the Left.

The sum and substance of the Ross article is that "moonsuit wearing" Bio-warfare scientists were responsible for the Anthrax attacks of 2001. Mr. Ross - a gifted writer - draws upon the "expertise" of Francis A. Boyle : holder of two doctorates : one in Law, the other in Political Science.

Dr.Dr. Boyle has revealed these secrets in his new book : "Biowarfare and Terrorism".

He is also the author of : "Foundations of World Order" , "The Criminality of Nuclear Deterrence",and "Destroying World Order" , plus any number of "progressive" articles. He is also the chap who has shown great interest in establishing a separate Native Hawaiian Nation - complete with constitution, and, one supposes massive compensation to the natives thereof.

Checking Dr. Boyle's published biography , I somehow missed noticing any reference to expertise in Microbiology,Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, or other disciplines one might expect of an expert in Bioweapons . Oh, well: You can't know everything !

Sherwood Ross published his  ouvre in The Smirking Chimp. It has appeared in the Middle East Times, and is currently impressing Germans via "Journalismus Nachtrichten von Heute".

If you are partial to conspiracy theories that are totally lacking in foundation and that contain probable elements of deliberate disinformation , you'll probably enjoy the Sherwood Ross article.

If you are, on the other hand, at least halfway well-informed you'll recognize the article as a "fake anthrax attack" . You'll know , for example , that Marion "Spike" Bowman was NOT an "FBI official":He worked as a deputy general counsel in the National Security Law Unit,and was responsible for reviewing FISA warrant applications. You'll remember that the anthrax strain WAS identified as "Ames" , and you may even know that Ames strain was widely circulated for a number of years. (Even the Russians had samples.) What sort of coverup would identify a strain KNOWN to be of domestic origin ?

You may wonder-as I do - what motivates prople who publish such rubbish ?

US Hospitals in Good Shape for Bio-Emergency

A new report from CDC (Centers for Disease and Infection Control) makes it clear-while US hospitals are not completely up-to-snuff on bio-preparedness, they have come a long way since the "dark days" of 2001 !

The Anthrax Attacks of 2001, horrible as they were,persuaded Congress and the "medical establishment" it was time to start thinking about "the unthinkable": the United States was alarmingly vulnerable to a bio-attack.

Now, five years later, the picture looks much better, according to this survey of 874 major hospitals all across America.

" Of 874 hospitals included in the survey, 739 (84.6%) responded. The survey revealed that teaching hospitals were better trained for handling bioterrorism than other types of hospitals were. Hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations were well ahead of other hospitals in training the following employees about terrorism response: nurses, staff physicians, laboratory employees, nurse practitioners, physicians, and residents. However, only 9.5% of the hospitals in the survey were not accredited. Eighty-eight percent of the hospitals said their nurses had been trained in recognizing and treating patients exposed to at least one of seven diseases potentially associated with bioterrorism (smallpox, anthrax, plague, botulism, tularemia, viral encephalitis, and hemorrhagic fevers) or to chemical or radiological attacks. In hospitals that had 24-hour emergency departments or outpatient clinics, 86% of clinical staff members were trained to recognize and treat smallpox, and 82% were trained to recognize and treat anthrax infections. " There is still plenty of room for improvement: The survey showed that more than three quarters of hospitals had taught their key personnel how to implement a "Hospital Emergency Incident Command" system or similar program. But the authors voiced concern that a quarter of the nation's hospitals are unprepared for a "chaotic event." There are some who would emphasize the fact "a quarter of the nation's hospitals are unprepared for a "chaotic event" ( It's the sort of statement that looks scarey on the Evening News ) and there are others - whose values I wonder at - who express indignation every time the US tries to mount a defense against anything.Finally, there are those who feel the government "should not waste tax money on science fiction". It's heartening to know there are some people with clear heads !

The Anthrax Attacks-5 Years Later: Lots of Ideological Smoke-No Answers-No Surprise

Five years ago, Americans still reeling from the 9/11 attacks,became aware of a second strike: this one involving anthrax - sent by mail.

After the attacks, Americans were united - in a way that reminded some of us old folks of the World War II years ; but it didn't last - couldn't last in a nation as polarized as ours has become.

Faced with threats from without and within , we have , nonetheless become like positrons and electrons : clashing endlessly in a mad dance of mutual annihilation; bombarding our mutuality with streams of poisonously radioactive rhetoric ; seemingly determined to dissolve the bonds that hold us together.

For the past week, the media has been blitzed with angry articles suggesting we are unprepared for another biowarfare attack . Some of those complaining are the very same people who lashed out in 2003 and 2004 , arguing that the administration was spending too much money, and devoting too much effort to dealing with an "improbable" threat.

Some of the scientists complaining about our lack of progress are the same scientists who inveighed against any bio-defense research : certain members of the Federation of American Scientists , and members of crypto-activist groups like The Sunshine Project.

There are lawmakers , who criticize the FBI because it has not solved the "Amerithrax" case, and brought someone to justice. Some of these same lawmakers howl with indignation any time the FBI actually investigates - as if fearing some malefactor's right to harm us will be infringed upon.

There is the American Public to be considered as well. The whole idea of bio-warfare is so frightening (and repugnant) to us , we just don't want to hear about it. At the same time , there are some who seize upon this deeply-ingrained fear and try to use it as a psychological weapon against us : whispering darkly of CIA ( or Zionist ,or Bilderberg,or Military Industrial Complex - take your pick ) plots against "the Sheep-le" (That's us, in case you hadn't noticed !) that have been uncovered by these "True Patriots".

Some of these "patriots" just want to sell us grossly overpriced "survival supplies",or gold coins, or food supplements,or satellite radio and television hookups, or "marvelous investment opportunities" - (the Alex Jones crowd comes to mind) ; while others are primarily interested in de-stabilizing the United States-by any means that does not involve putting their own skins at risk.

The Media , eager for revenue-generating sensationalism ,has done its part : hawking a mix of pathetic mis-information, and deliberate dis-information : pausing only to posture and preen and prattle about how well it serves the Great Unwashed.

If I seem a wee bit cynical , consider this: five years from today - assuming we are still a functioning society , another cynic will probably "cut and paste" these very words to comment on the still-unsolved Anthrax attacks of 2001.

Rush Holt "Sends" FBI a Letter About Anthrax Investigation - But "Forgets" to Mail it

New Jersey's brainy Representative - Rush Holt (D) sent the FBI a letter on September 27,2006 - (sort of.)

What he seems to have done is issue a press statement-saying he was sending the Director of the FBI a letter, demanding a special,personal briefing.

The FBI's investigation, he added, should have taken days - not years.

The FBI responded the following day : "Yesterday the FBI received media inquiries relating to a letter from you to FBI Director Mueller,regarding the 2001 anthrax attacks.

Unfortunately, we were unable to respond to the media because we were unaware of,and had not received any such letter from you.After contacting your staff,we were able to receive a copy, and are now able to respond to your inquiries.We will also provide a copy of our response to the media."

Did Rush Holt "forget" to send the letter, or did he seize upon the approaching 5th anniversary of the Anthrax attacks of 2001 to do a little grandstanding : knowing full well he was setting up the Director of the FBI for a basic "ambush interview" ?

The media did carry the FBI's response , but skipped over the FBI's rather tart notation Mr. Holt had received briefings in 2002,2003,2004,and 2005...

Reading the Anthrax Warnings-Guest Contribution by Ross Getman, Esq.

Reading the Anthrax Mailiings as Warning From Al Qaeda

       Last month, approaching the Fifth Anniversary of the first death from the mailed anthrax letters,  I obtained a journal article from an FBI Lab scientist that explained that: "a widely circulated misconception is that the spores were produced using additives and sophisticated engineering supposedly akin to military weapon production. ... The persistent credence given to this impression fosters erroneous preconceptions, which may misguide research and preparedness efforts and generally detract from the magnitude of hazards posed by simple spore preparations."

        I passed the article on to journalists because it was important that the public understand that Ayman Zawahiri and his supporters had the means and know-how to make the anthrax mailed in the Fall of 2001.

        Al Qaeda in Iraq recently has called for biological warfare against troops stationed in Iraq. The spokesman, Ayyub al-Masri, pointed to the continued imprisonment of Egyptian cleric Omar Abdel Rahman, who was found guilty in 1995 of conspiracy to attack US targets including the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center in New York. Al-Masri, according to the US military, has a history of terrorism dating back to Anwar Sadat's assassination in 1981, after which he joined a group in Egypt led by Osama bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri.

       It is important that the public now also come to understand, contrary to other widely circulated misconceptions in the press, that the tactic of lethal letters such as sent in the Fall of 2001 is not only the modus operandi of the militant islamists inspired by Ayman Zawahiri, it is their signature. The islamists sent letter bombs in late December 1996 from Alexandria, Egypt to newspaper offices in New York City and Washington, D.C. and people in symbolic positions. Musical Christmas cards apparently postmarked in Alexandria, Egypt contained improvised explosive devices. The letters were sent in connection with the earlier bombing of the World Trade Center and the imprisonment of the blind sheik, Sheik Abdel Rahman. The former leader of the Egyptian Al-Gamaa al-Islamiya ("Islamic Group"), Abdel-Rahman was also a spiritual leader of Al Qaeda. The letter bombs were sent in connection with the treatment of the Egyptian islamists imprisoned for the earlier attack on the WTC and a related plot. The purpose of the letter bombs - which resulted in minimal casualty - was to send a message. There was no claim of responsibility. There was no explanation. Once one had been received, the next ten, mailed on two separate dates, were easily collected. Sound familiar? Two bombs were also sent to Leavenworth, where a key WTC 1993 defendant was imprisoned, addressed to "Parole Officer." (The position does not exist). The FBI suspected the Vanguards of Conquest, a mysterious group led by Egyptian Islamic Jihad head Ayman Zawahiri.  Zawahiri was head of Al Qaeda’s anthrax program codenamed “Zabadi” or “Curdled Milk.”

        In the anthrax mailings, Dr. Zawahiri appears to have accomplished the attack on the US "structure" he intended. With the planes,  Al Qaeda struck the US trade dominance (World Trade Center) and its military might (Pentagon). With the anthrax, some US-based supporter(s) of the goals of Zawahiri appear to have rounded out the field that they imagine provides support to Israel -- the legislative branch and media.

      Although the  genetic analysis of the anthrax strain could not pinpoint the exact origin of the Florida isolate, the study showed how whole-genome sequencing  technology and computational methods can be a powerful approach for analyzing anthrax and other bacterial outbreaks.   By analogy, while the anthrax perpetrator(s) may never be caught, the Amerithrax investigation no doubt has been conducted by FBI and Postal investigators who realize the next 9/11 may hinge on a correct reading of the anthrax mailings.

Ross E. Getman is an attorney in New York who maintains the website Al Qaeda, Anthrax and Ayman Zawahiri, http://www.anthraxandalqaeda.com

The Anthrax Investigation: A Muddy Matter Gets Murkier !

Five years after the coldly murderous Anthrax attacks of 2001, it appears no solution is in sight - and - what started out as a muddy matter has grown murkier with the passage of time.

There is now a direct conflict between what the experts at the US Armed Forces Institute of Pathology reported, and what FBI scientist Douglas J. Beecher has to report concerning the nature of the Anthrax preparation recovered from the Senate Office Building .

Dr. Beecher , in a peer-reviewed article , says there was no "additive" in the anthrax he examined - definitely no silica. The Institute says they examined the Anthrax preparation at the request of the FBI ,because the FBI scientists were unable to identify something in the preparation.

The Institute says,moreover, they definitely found silica in the preparation ; that they examined it spectroscopically,and found no Bentonite (Bentonite was,at one time, a signature component of Iraqi and Soviet-bloc bio-weapons.It is an Aluminum silicate, which occurs naturally. Spectroscopic examination showed no traces of Aluminum.)

I believe Dr. Beecher and the Institute were both reporting in good faith .

Frankly,after reading the conditions under which Dr. Beecher and the other assigned scientists were working (horrendous is the best description !) I'm not surprised there is a variation between his findings, and later,more leisurely examination at the Institute.

Unfortunately, the Anthrax murders have long been a pet topic for conspiracy buffs ( Yes, like me !) , and every variant nugget of information is mined for all it is worth.

Unfortunately again , most of what we have "discovered" is Fools' Gold.