2001 Anthrax attack still without suspect

[GarfieldtheCat]

Link

So 7 years after a terrorist biological attack on the US, no one knows who did it, and no one apparently cares. The FBI still doesn't have real evidence that Bruce Ivins did it, and he was driven to suicide by the hounding from the FBI. And now scientists from USAMRIID admit that Ivins couldn't have made the Anthrax, and can't be behind the attacks.

The first suspect, Dr Steven Hatfield, was publicly harassed by the FBI, so much that he won a $5 million lawsuit against the government for their harassment.


His comments on how the FBI leaked to the press fake and made up information:

“It’s like death by a thousand cuts,” Hatfill, who is now 56, says today. “There’s a sheer feeling of hopelessness. You can’t fight back. You have to just sit there and take it, day after day, the constant drip-drip-drip of innuendo, a punching bag for the government and the press. And the thing was, I couldn’t understand why it was happening to me. I mean, I was one of the good guys.”

His comment on the government and media:

The same, Hatfill believes, cannot be said about American civil liberties. “I was a guy who trusted the government,” he says. “Now, I don’t trust a damn thing they do.” He trusts reporters even less, dismissing them as little more than lapdogs for law enforcement.

So now, 7 years later, why isn't anyone trying to find this out? I guess no one cares since this is apparently a case of domestic-sponsored terrorism, so there aren't any Muslims that can be blamed and killed.

Several members of Congress, and others, want a real inquiry into this, to find out what really happened, but Obama is blocking it on the grounds that it would undermine the confidence in the FBI. (Note: I hesitate to put this last paragraph in, because it will draw the Obama trolls in with useless posts. This happened in 2001, so both Bush could and should have brought this to a conclusion in the 7 years, and Obama should be trying since Bush did not.)

 

[SandEagle]

gee i wonder. only one person caught trying to gain unauthorized access to it and tried to frame an Arab for it. Why did Dr. Philip Zack disappear off the radar?

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2002/01/26/assaad/index.html

 

[Brainonska511]

Well, to be fair to the authorities, real crime solving doesn't work like it does on TV.

 

[boomerang]

OJ is still looking for the killers. Patience, patience.

 

[Lemon law]

If after 7 years, a suspect has not been Identified and tried, I doubt it is likely much progress will be made.

And to add the press and public hearings into the mess is likely to be counterproductive
and almost certain to attract copy cats.

My guess would be a lone wolf Ted Kadzinski type as the purp, and certainly the perp knew enough of the biology and mechanics of anthrax to grow it and to weaponize it.
As long as the perp does not shoot his mouth off or try to profit off it, it may remain only a proof of concept type attack. And if the perp has concluded it got them no where in terms if desired result, the perp may have totally soured on the attacks and thus be unwilling to continue them.

But I doubt the FBI has given up on the hunt for the perp, and the less they tell the general public, the better the FBI can be in continuing the hunt.

 

[Thump553]

I thought a guy committed suicide when the feds were closing in on him.

Ah, wikipedia is your friend. This was the guy:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Edwards_Ivins

 

[GarfieldtheCat]

If after 7 years, a suspect has not been Identified and tried, I doubt it is likely much progress will be made.

And to add the press and public hearings into the mess is likely to be counterproductive
and almost certain to attract copy cats.

My guess would be a lone wolf Ted Kadzinski type as the purp, and certainly the perp knew enough of the biology and mechanics of anthrax to grow it and to weaponize it.
As long as the perp does not shoot his mouth off or try to profit off it, it may remain only a proof of concept type attack. And if the perp has concluded it got them no where in terms if desired result, the perp may have totally soured on the attacks and thus be unwilling to continue them.

But I doubt the FBI has given up on the hunt for the perp, and the less they tell the general public, the better the FBI can be in continuing the hunt.

Well, whoever did it has proved that he/she/they can, and since they haven't been caught, they could make more, which isn't a good thing.

And given that the FBI said Hatfield did it, then publicly hounded him while not having any real evidence, and then said Ivins did it, and drove him to suicide, doesn't lead me to trust that they know what they are doing.

The fact they are quiet most likely means they have not a clue, and just want to bury it since they have looked so incompetent for ruining two innocent peoples lives.

 

[MotF Bane]

I thought a guy committed suicide when the feds were closing in on him.

Ah, wikipedia is your friend. This was the guy:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Edwards_Ivins

The FBI still doesn't have real evidence that Bruce Ivins did it, and he was driven to suicide by the hounding from the FBI.

Reading the OP is your friend.

 

[Moonbeam]

Crimes that can't be solved are likely done by the folk charged with solving crime or their superiors.

 

[Thump553]

Reading the OP is your friend.

Read the FBI file cited in the wikipedia article I linked. Claiming this case is unsolved is like claiming man never landed on the moon, the Russians killed the Polish President, etc. It's solved, the suspect saw the noose slipping around his neck and did the taxpayers a favor by offing himself. Claiming the FBI hounded him to death, come on now, that's nonsense.

 

[GarfieldtheCat]

Read the FBI file cited in the wikipedia article I linked. Claiming this case is unsolved is like claiming man never landed on the moon, the Russians killed the Polish President, etc. It's solved, the suspect saw the noose slipping around his neck and did the taxpayers a favor by offing himself. Claiming the FBI hounded him to death, come on now, that's nonsense.

I guess you missed the whole first article I posted huh? To much to read?

Ivin's colleges in USAMRIID have publicly stated that Ivins was not capable of creating the Anthrax. As in physically impossible.

What part of that don't you understand?

And did you remember in 2002/3, when the FBI "knew" the Hatfield did it, and leaked all sorts of lies saying he was guilty? Did you read the second article about him, and how the gov had to pay $5mil because of their lies.

The FBI "knew" Hatfield did it, and was completely wrong. Now you blindly believe they are right this time, with no evidence? I mean really.

 

[ModerateRepZero]

I guess you missed the whole first article I posted huh? To much to read?

Ivin's colleges in USAMRIID have publicly stated that Ivins was not capable of creating the Anthrax. As in physically impossible.

What part of that don't you understand?

And did you remember in 2002/3, when the FBI "knew" the Hatfield did it, and leaked all sorts of lies saying he was guilty? Did you read the second article about him, and how the gov had to pay $5mil because of their lies.

The FBI "knew" Hatfield did it, and was completely wrong. Now you blindly believe they are right this time, with no evidence? I mean really.

And just because the FBI screwed up once doesn't necessarily mean they'll screw up a second straight time.

The FBI figured out that there was a mole besides Aldrich Ames feeding info to the Soviets, and they erroneously picked a suspect. They even went as far as to have a guy impersonate a Russian agent, go to his house, and warn him that his cover was blown. The guy who was innocent of course reported the encounter. Then after luck and some negotiation, they had evidence that the mole was Robert Hansen.

 

[GarfieldtheCat]

And just because the FBI screwed up once doesn't necessarily mean they'll screw up a second straight time.

The FBI figured out that there was a mole besides Aldrich Ames feeding info to the Soviets, and they erroneously picked a suspect. They even went as far as to have a guy impersonate a Russian agent, go to his house, and warn him that his cover was blown. The guy who was innocent of course reported the encounter. Then after luck and some negotiation, they had evidence that the mole was Robert Hansen.

And your point is what? There is no real evidence on either person still.

They were wrong about Hatfield, and were proven to have no evidence.

They accuse Ivins, and no one can provide any proof about him either.

USAMRIID, the experts in this, say Ivins couldn't have done it. so who do you believe? The FBI, who was wrong once, and still has no evidence? Or USAMRIID, whose scientists actually know what they are talking about?

 

[woolfe9999]

I am confused as to what you want here GtC. Do you want this crime solved, or the FBI taken to task for fingering the wrong person twice? If it's the former, I'm not sure where this is going. Law enforcement clearly tried to find the perp. They haven't found him/her yet, and after all this time, they likely won't. I don't understand where your "no one cares" remarks come from, or what evidence you have to support that assertion. The crime simply has not been solved, and it wouldn't be the first time a crime went unsolved. Now,if what you really want is payback to the FBI for fingering the wrong people, then that is another issue, of course. You seem to be intertwining the two issues here so it's not clear what you want to happen here.

- wolf

 

[GarfieldtheCat]

I am confused as to what you want here GtC. Do you want this crime solved, or the FBI taken to task for fingering the wrong person twice? If it's the former, I'm not sure where this is going. Law enforcement clearly tried to find the perp. They haven't found him/her yet, and after all this time, they likely won't. I don't understand where your "no one cares" remarks come from, or what evidence you have to support that assertion. The crime simply has not been solved, and it wouldn't be the first time a crime went unsolved. Now,if what you really want is payback to the FBI for fingering the wrong people, then that is another issue, of course. You seem to be intertwining the two issues here so it's not clear what you want to happen here.

- wolf

Both. First off, the people need to be found. And I am amazed, that no one really cares that someone can create weaponized (or whatever you want to call it) anthrax, and targeted at least one member of Congress.

I suspect that it has a lot to do with the fact that is seems it was originated by US citizen(s), and thus it makes it too uncomfortable for people to be outraged. If there was even the slightest hint that some foreign country/group was behind it, I bet this would not have been swept under the rug.

Second, the FBI pretty much intentionally ruined two men's lives, witout any evidence. That is no way to run an investigation. It is one thing to not have evidence about who did it, crimes do go unsolved (or can take a long time). It is a total different thing to ruin peoples lives, which is what they did, possibly for political reasons (political pressure to offer someone up as guilty to look good).

Now these two things are not mutually exclusive.