Anthrax report casts doubt on scientific evidence in FBI case against Bruce Ivins

[RufusTFirefly]

Source: Washington Post

A panel of prominent scientists is casting new doubt on scientific evidence that was a key part of the FBI's case against Bruce E. Ivins, the deceased Army scientist accused of carrying out the deadly 2001 anthrax attacks.

The National Research Council, in a report issued Tuesday, questioned the link between a flask of anthrax bacteria in Ivins's lab at Fort Detrick, Md., and the anthrax-infested letters that killed five people and sickened 17 others.

The Justice Department has said genetic testing conclusively linked the letters to spores in the flask - labeled RMR-1029 - found at the laboratory, where Ivins was a longtime researcher before committing suicide in 2008. The government closed the case last year after concluding that Ivins had single-handedly prepared and mailed the deadly anthrax spores, an incident that terrorized a nation still reeling from the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

"The scientific link between the letter material and flask number RMR-1029 is not as conclusive as stated in the DOJ Investigative Summary,'' said the $1.1 million report by the council, which was commissioned by the FBI. The report, while praising the FBI's energetic pursuit of emerging science in the investigation, offered another possible explanation for the apparent link between the letters and the Ivins flask and said it "was not rigorously explored.''

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/15/AR2011021502251.html?hpid=topnews

[grahamhgreen]

1. We need a real 9-11 investigation. Who profited the most from the attacks?

[Bandit]

10. Off hand I would say Haliburton/Dick Cheney

But the entire Republican Cabal did quite well thank you......

[EFerrari]

15. The really creepy part for me is, I expect FBI with its history of political activity

to screw us. But, what's the deal with Pat Leahy?

[jtrockville]

2. Whoever was behind the anthrax attacks must be very powerful.

"after concluding that Ivins had single-handedly prepared and mailed the deadly anthrax spores"
Really? That's their story?
Ivins did this single-handedly?
And they're sticking to it?

Didn't the first person they tried to pin this on sue them and win?

[RufusTFirefly]

3. Some anthrax attack facts

Anthrax attack facts

Date of attacks: Beginning one week after Sept. 11 attacks.

Target of attacks: Two prominent Democratic Senators, including the Majority Leader, plus five media outlets

Initially blamed for the attacks: Both Al Qaeda and Iran

"White House officials repeatedly pressured FBI Director Robert Mueller to prove that they were a second-wave assault by Al Qaeda following the September 11 attacks."

"...John McCain suggested...the anthrax may have come from Iraq...the next week ABC News did a series of reports stating that three or four ...sources had identified bentonite as an ingredient in the anthrax preparations, implicating Iraq."

Senate vote on precursor to USA PATRIOT ACT (Uniting and Strengthening America Act): Oct. 11, 2001. Introduced on Oct. 4, 2001, by Sen. Tom Daschle, one of the targets of the anthrax attacks.

House vote on precursor to USA PATRIOT ACT (Uniting and Strengthening America Act): Oct. 12, 2001

USA PATRIOT ACT introduced in the House: Oct. 23, 2001

USA PATRIOT ACT signed into law: October 26, 2001, a little over a month after the beginning of the anthrax attacks

[Kingofalldems]

4. Neocons blamed Iraq soon after attacks

[northoftheborder]

5. this WP article did not shed any light on other lines of research

[EFerrari]

13. Mueller told Leahy in an open session that the science would be conclusive.

He was testifying to a list of FBI issues, in 2008 iirc.

[RufusTFirefly]

6. Strategy of Tension

Strategy of Tension

The strategy of tension (Italian: strategia della tensione) is a theory that describes how world powers divide, manipulate, and control public opinion using fear, propaganda, disinformation, psychological warfare, agents provocateurs, and false flag terrorist actions.

Link: Wikipedia

[on point]

7. RW attack conspiracy to drive war and the patriot act

Let me see, highly controlled and guarded US military anthrax used to attack liberal media and politicians plus a few others for good measure. Resulting hysteria used to justify attack on Iraq and impose patriot act on America.

Sounds like a rethug conspiracy to me. I am not convinced at all by the FBI look at individuals. This smacks of official right wing dirty tricks conspiracy.

[Marblehead]

9. smack is not the word for it

treason

[JohnyCanuck]

16. The messages accompanying the anthrax letters....

were also made to look as if they came from radical Muslim terrorists as they contained statements like "Death to America, Death to Israel, Allah is Great" etc.

[blackspade]

8. Sure, pin it on the dead guy.

The whole anthrax investigation was a sham from the beginning.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[EFerrari]

12. Mueller knew he was lying when he told Pat Leahy the science would prove the case

because his own rock star scientist has said publicly the science can't do that. And she is right.

What a big fat fail.

[raccoon]

14. I doubt we'll ever hear the truth about that. nt

[virtus_contagiosa]

18. We may never hear it but I think we know it. nt

[EFerrari]

17. Lead scientist on FBI Ivins case: "I never felt that science alone would solve this investigation."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=3976465

Claire Fraser Liggett said that in 2008, BEFORE Mueller told the Senate the science would prove his case.

[Kingofalldems]

19. Special Prosecutor needed in this case

[Festivito]

20. Funny, NPR seems to leave the opposite sense of that headline.

Since NPR is most people's left point of view, most of the nation's listeners will be sure that that's it.

NPR said this report will bring out CoNSpiRacy THeoRies! (You know, those people). IOW, you need not listen to any contrary reports.

NPR had two people discussing it together, a man and a woman. Yup, that gives two points of view.

Nothing more to see here.
Move along now.

Whew, the big dudes at NPR get to keep those salaries and second jobs is what I'm thinking.

[EFerrari]

21. This is Dr. Meryl Nass's blog post. I guess NPR didn't get to her yet, lol.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011
NAS Report and press conference pull rug out from under FBI's "case closed"
There is no getting away from the NAS report conclusions, as reported worldwide: the science does not support FBI's claims that Ivins was the anthrax perpetrator.

See articles from the AFP, NPR, AP, Science, and a later WP article.

The FBI responded that their case was based on a totality of the evidence, not just the science. But when the rest of the FBI's evidence is examined, one finds only smoke. There has been no physical evidence tying Ivins to the case. The totality of the FBI case against Ivins rests on colorful and sometimes exaggerated personal quirks and odd habits. The FBI has presented no convincing evidence that Ivins had the means, a motive, or the oppportunity to commit the letters crime. (See my Nov. 29, 2010 talk on this subject here.)

http://anthraxvaccine.blogspot.com/2011/02/nas-report-and-press-conference-pull.html

(Hot links at link.)

[newspeak]

23. It's also ironic that this investigation

was apparently closed right before Little Boots steps down. The anthrax attack and the put options on the airlines, both, seem suspicious. Looks to me, like a group of dangerous psychopaths playing games with us. One thing about the anthrax attack that stood out to me was the "gossip rag" writer who was targeted (and died). I remember that the * girls were on the front cover and an article about them partying. I'm sure AQ was bothered by that article. :sarcasm:

I personally believe it was a "hit" job within to keep everyone in line, including the media.

[Mnemosyne]

22. K&R for more visibility. n/t