Bruce Ivins Suicide and Anthrax

[sterlingice]

Not a thread about it, so I figured I'd throw it out there. I dunno- something just feels off about it for me, but I can't wrap my head around it. So I'll go through what I know and what I can perceive and maybe I'm just off my rocker, but, again, something just doesn't feel right.

Back in 2001, everyone is running around panicky after 9/11. However, what really magnified the panic was the quickly subsequent anthrax attacks via mail. It practically became "there's a terrorist (formerly "red/commie") around every corner" overnight.

There's a suspect, Steven Hatfill, who is thought of to be the anthrax guy for years, but it's not even widely publicized. But, he gets a settlement and exoneration in early 2008.

So, there's no real suspect that the public knows about until a couple of days ago when he kills himself. I realize we shouldn't be privy to investigations of these sorts, but a lot of this stuff leaks out, especially on something as high profile as this.

We have a doctor coming out talking about he's unstable as soon as the news broke about his suicide. Sounds like this would be normal except it also looks and feels like something out of a political smear. We've seen this exact playbook before, to the letter.

Now, out of the woodwork, there are all sorts of people talking about how they were told to start carrying around cipro prior to 9/11.

Again, something just doesn't smell right here but I can't at all put my finger on it. Maybe I need to put the tin foil hat away, but, man, it just doesn't seem right.

SI

[jeff061]

After Hatfill it's kind of hard to take anything at face value.

I thought that was very widely publicized. He kept going to the press to complain about the feds hounding him and the feds never were able to make their move. Presumably because despite their character assassination attempts and blatant invasions of privacy, he was innocent.

I certainly don't think it was any kind of a conspiracy though.

[kcchief19]

I don't think it's a conspiracy either but it simply amazes me that every once in a while the FBI simply utterly, totally and completely drops the ball. I don't know if it's simply a case of people failing to connect dots or people just not able to keep their mouths shut in regard to leaks, but the anthrax investigation has been even worse than the Olympic bombing investigation was.

The case does beg many questions, chiefly how someone who so many witnesses are now claiming was unbalanced was allowed authorization to work with one of the more powerful poisons in the world and sneak it out of the lab.

[Maple Leafs]

Glenn Greenwald has had some great stuff this week about how the media, particularly ABC News, covered the anthrax story.

Journalists, their lying sources, and the anthrax investigation - Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

Glenn Greenwald has had some great stuff this week about how the media, particularly ABC News, covered the anthrax story.

Journalists, their lying sources, and the anthrax investigation - Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com

It's a really simple yet interesting idea and one that deserves some thought: "If you're a source and you lie, you're not going to be protected". The whole idea is that the media can't divulge information from their sources because they don't want to put themselves at risk and so there is no chilling effect. However, if there is a deliberate lie taking advantage of this system, it should be cast into the light of day.

SI

[stevew]

Agreed with kc about the whole Olympic park thing.

It does seem Arkansidey to a certain extent.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Now, out of the woodwork, there are all sorts of people talking about how they were told to start carrying around cipro prior to 9/11.

They are? Links?

[MJ4H]

duh just search prisonplanet!

[QuikSand]

That only sounds like *one* sort of people, to me.

[QuikSand]

By the way, an amusing paraphrase from a recent NPR radio report on this subject:

Just like they say, the FBI always gets their man. Yes, he may already be dead, and it may be seven years too late, and they may have had the wrong guy for six years and had to pay him millions in a lawsuit... but they got their man.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

They are? Links?

I guess it's not a recent thing- I just didn't hear about it. That link for Salon.com from ML mentions how a lot of government people got it. But I'm trying to find where I had run across a couple of reporters being told to get it prior to the anthrax incidents.

SI

[QuikSand]

I don't tend to separate out what was local coverage from the Md/DC area as opposed to national coverage on the subject generally, and it's likely that we got a bit more coverage in this area than in other places. But I definitely don't feel that any part of the story was hushed up or underreported.