Anthrax investigation should be investigated, congressmen say(Grassley and Holt)

[maddezmom]

Source: LATimes

Anthrax investigation should be investigated, congressmen say
Sen. Charles Grassley and Rep. Rush Holt want hearings into the Justice Department and FBI's handling of the case.
By Josh Meyer, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 8, 2008
WASHINGTON -- After seven long years, the FBI and the Justice Department say they are closing the books on the anthrax investigation.

But the investigation into the investigation is only beginning, and it will focus on what Congress members described Thursday as apparent missteps by authorities that dramatically prolonged the probe, unfairly maligned an innocent government scientist, and raised questions about whether federal agents had conclusively ruled out other suspects besides microbiologist Bruce E. Ivins.


Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) and Rep. Rush D. Holt (D-N.J.), frequent critics of the FBI, demanded a far more detailed release of documents by the bureau and the Justice Department to support the government's case, as well as congressional hearings into the investigation.

Grassley sent a three-page letter Thursday evening to Atty. Gen. Michael B. Mukasey and FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III, giving them two weeks to respond to 18 questions that raised concerns about virtually every aspect of the probe.


Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-anthrax8-2008aug08,0,369268.story

[UpInArms]

1. blaming it on Ivins is way too convenient

and I'm glad that there are some questions being raised.

[electropop]

6. I would bet big money that Ivins got suicided

because he had learned something that leads right back to the White House.

[liberalmike27]

19. Agreed

That Posner guy that keeps going on KO's show actually wrote a book "debunking" the JFK conspiracy theories. And even he doesn't buy this, and thinks it smells to high heaven.

Wouldn't it be amazing if the guy they accused first did it, and they paid him off with money supposedly from the harm done to his career, and then they set this guy up to take the fall.

Posner who has already bought a book on this subject, doesn't buy it at all. And once again, the convenience of it happening a month ofter 9/11, the letters being sent to democrats, the Patriot Act up and coming, are all very hard to take, without thinking of a conspiracy, put forward by some elements deep in the Bush administration. Add to that, Bush/Cheney tried to get the CIA to blame it on Saddam and Iraq, and it really smells like two-week old shrimp garbage.

[factcheckr]

28. But they're the wrong questions

Bear in mind that this was high-tech weaponized anthrax, designed to disburse in air as soon as the envelope was opened. Filling the envelopes in the first place would require a quanantined environment, specialzed clothing, respirator, etc, to avoid kiling yourself in the process. Where did he do it? After hours at the lab, in a facility presumably full of video cameras?

Also, can we safely assume that none of this strain of anthrax was at any time diverted to another location, say a more secretive facility funded by the government's massive black ops budget, perhaps under the pretense of being destroyed?

Plus, what kind of inventory system do they have where an employee can just walk off with weaponized anthrax? And what about the other people who had access? I'd expect them to be very, very quiet from now on.

[AntiFascist]

30. The debate about whether the Senate-mailed anthrax was really weaponized...

has been going on for a long time, but look at who was behind starting the debate:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3748226&mesg_id=3750689

[AntiFascist]

34. More background info here...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3761064

[MadrasT]

2. Not holding my breath

waiting for Mukasey & Mueller to answer those 18 questions...

[factcheckr]

29. Here are their answers

Mukasey: "National Security!"
Mueller: "Terrorists!"
Democratic Leadership's reaction: Never mind--sorry we bothered you.

[frylock]

3. i wonder if grassley and holt will receive envelopes?

[Doctor_J]

4. Grassley's broken with the RW a couple times lately

Methinks that IA's turning blue.

[fascisthunter]

5. I Just Heard a bunch of heads popping over at unfree-republikkk

[AllyCat]

7. Yes, it should be investigated. The problem is

if Congress gets around to do doing it, they don't do anything ABOUT it. Same with every other gov't organization in BushWorld. No one is accountable, murder goes unpunished, looters are rewarded. Crime pays.

[AndyTiedye]

10. Anthrax is the Reason WHY Congress Doesn't Do Anything About Anything

They don't want to die.

[barbtries]

8. they got ivins dead

and they're closing the books on it? oh, right, just make it go away. i feel my blood pressure rising i'm so pissed.

[paparush]

9. Yay! Someone named Rush doing something good!

My first name is Rush and for the last 15 years its been "oh, like Rush Limbaugh?" <<<--insert awkward silence here.

[Imalittleteapot]

11. Ivins family should be given the courtesy

of an investigation into the FBI's investigation and a trial. Maybe he did it. Maybe he didn't. The case should be brought to court and the FBI must PROVE the case beyond a reasonable doubt.

[ooglymoogly]

12. Our government has lost the respect of its people

On that note how can anyone with any kind of functioning brain believe anything G0vt. says especially when the corporate media has become an arm of that G0vt and shares the no confidence. Isn't that called fascism or something.

[EFerrari]

13. Ivins Attorney: Government's Case Is 'Speculation'

Source: NPR

Morning Edition, August 8, 2008 · The government is getting ready to officially close its case against Bruce Ivins, the man officials say killed five people with deadly anthrax. But actual closure may be a long way off. In an exclusive interview with NPR, Ivins' attorney, Paul Kemp, said the FBI got the wrong man.

Kemp said there was nothing more frustrating than watching the government unveil its case against his client at a news conference. All he wanted to do was object.

"It is nothing but speculation, the government's case," he said.

Kemp represented Ivins for the past year until Ivins committed suicide last week. Now Kemp will never get a chance to test the government's evidence in court and, he believes, clear Ivins' name.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93408946&ft=1&f=1001

[defendandprotect]

24. Takes a lot of courage for a lawyer like Kemp to try to keep speaking out . . .

I'm sure family members feel threatened ---

There is strength in the fact that we can all see how few believe this BS ---

which is why I'm sure they're on fire to shut down the internet.

The folks who have been responsible for the terrorism in America and elsewhere

are in the White House --- America's neo-cons/theo-cons.

[DeepModem Mom]

14. K&R

[truedelphi]

15. A Wall Street Journal reporter was brought in to C Span

To tidy up the story and make it look like the FBI and DOJ had all their ducks in a nice tight row.

But the nasty American public, always hell bent on their bloody conspiracy theories, wasn't buying it. Any of it.

The Ivins case was compared by one strident caller to the Richard Jewell (supposed Atlanta bomber) case. Others called in equally obsessed with the notion that neither the Department of Justice or the FBI had proven anything, other than that they enjoyed hanging their hat on whatever hook was closest to them.

One caller pointed out that any one of a hundred people could have gotten to the materials that law enforcement states only Ivins could have procured.

At times the WSJ reporter looked pompous and assured, and a few times he looked guilty. He was adept at spinning whatever point the caller made into some line of reasoning much detached from the caller's critique.

Millions have been spent on this case - I am hearing anything from 15 to 40 millions. But even so, the public will require them spending additional time and additional monies.

[EFerrari]

16. None of those callers was me.

:rofl:

[truedelphi]

18. Hmmm, I dewn't knew abit EET.

Me thinks you protest too much.

I need an affidavit from at least two cats saying you were nowhere near a phone yesterday, nor were you in any disguises, nor did you use any accents, or how should we explain, no foreign mannerisms in your speech.

[EFerrari]

21. A couple of days ago, posters to the WaHo pounded the editors

for their headline which read something like "How evidence led to Ivins" -- I don't remember the phrase. But it was so bad, their next article was began, "Government Asserts . . .". I'm surprised at how many people are paying attention. It's mostly the coasts but there is enough interest to be graphed on Google. Especially in New Jersey, for some reason. Maybe because there are a lot of biotech types there.

[defendandprotect]

25. Ah, C-span . . .

There was a time when it was quite an asset --- pre-Newt Gingrich --

now there's a very destructive Republican!

I don't know what Brian Lamb has had to say about this recently, but

it looks to me like they are still under very heavy attack.

And, Brian is keeping his head way low ---

Btw, has anyone seen Susan Swain on C-span recently . . . ?

Is she still with them?

[truedelphi]

27. Ya know something - the moderater was not Brian Lamb

A new young guy I had not seen before.

But he could have been someone chosen by our buddy Newt.

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

17. k_n_r

:kick:

[sattahipdeep]

20. 18 questions?

Where's Ivins body?

Do we know if he has all the vital organs
to determine cause of death?

Did he have a brain tumor?

[Demeter]

22. Make a Federal Case Out of It!

Throw them all in the slammer and let the inmates sort them out. I am beyond disgusted, and patience has run out.

[TrogL]

23. Ok, this is getting recursive

Next we're gonna have an investigation of the investigation of the investigation.

[suffragette]

26. Time to investigate the investigation

I hope they follow through on this.

[HooptieWagon]

31. More questions for Grassley and Holt to ask.

In the early 90s, an Egyptian-American bioweapons scientitistworking at Ft Detrick Lab, Dr Assad, filed a racial harassment suit naming Dr Zack and Dr Rippy (also scientists at the lab) as "leaders" of a clique known as the "Camel Club" that repeatedly harassed him (Dr Assad) and two other Arab-American scientists. Zack shortly after resigned, Rippy a little while later. During the interim, video shows Rippy allowing Zack into the lab during off hours.

Simultaniously with the anthrax attacks (but before they became known), a letter was forwarded to the FBI naming Dr Assad as a bio-terrorist who was planning an attack on the US. The FBI called Assad in for questioning, and determined the letter was a "hoax", and never seriously pursued the source of the letter. The FBI recieved the letter the same day the first anthrax victim was hospitalized, but before he was diagnosed as having anthrax. Unless it was a huge coincidence, the letter writers probably had advance notice of the anthrax attacks, probably wanted to steer the investigation away from themselves and toward a muslim, and possibly wanted revenge on Dr Assad for "causing" their no longer being employed at Ft Detrick.

OK, so some interesting questions for Sen Grassley and Rep Holt to ask:

1) Who were the other members of the "Camel Club"? Besides hatred of arabs/muslims, what other "causes" or views did they have, as a group or individually?

2) Have the members of the "Camel Club" maintained contact? Have emails/faxes between members been looked at? Did the group meet on any occasion during 2001?

3) What were the political and religious connections of the members of the "Camel Club"? (Zack and Rippy are reportedly Jewish) Do any of the "Camel Club" members have any current or prior connections to any foreign governments or organizations?

4) Did any of the "Camel Club" members still work at Dt Detrick in the fall of 2001? If so, could they have allowed access to "Camel club" members who no longer worked at Ft Detrick?

5) Did any of the "Camel Club" members have the ability, access, or equipment
needed to manufacture anthrax?

6) Have any of the "Camel Club" members been questioned by the FBI, taken a polygraph, or accounted for their actions and whereabouts during the fall of 2001?

7) What was the route of the letter naming Dr Assad a bio-terrorist? Was it mailed from Princeton,NJ, per chance? Were any of the "Camel Club" members in the area where the letter was mailed that day?

8) were any of the "Camel Club" members in or around Princeton during the days the anthrax letters were mailed?

[EFerrari]

32. I tried to research Zack this morning but 2/3s of the links

are to anti-Semitic nutcase sites that I will not go to.

I still don't know what happened around him or where he is.

[truedelphi]

35. All good questions, those.

And here is a NYT article about the colleagues of Ivins, who are not convinced of his blame in the anthrax case.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3431738

[sattahipdeep]

33. Burial will be private

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m., Aug. 9, at the church. Burial will be private.

:shrug:

[EFerrari]

36. (AP) Ivins remembered for intelligence, compassion:

By BRIAN WITTE,Associated Press Writer AP - Sunday, August 10

FREDERICK, Md. - The Army scientist suspected in the anthrax attacks was remembered for his humor, intelligence and compassion at a memorial service Saturday.
ADVERTISEMENT

Bruce Ivins, 62, died of an apparent suicide late last month after being informed by the FBI that charges likely were being brought against him in connection with the 2001 attacks.

Some mourners wept when speakers at the service talked about Ivins' many hobbies, including juggling, target shooting, practical jokes, cartoons and the weather. Colleagues recalled a talented scientist with a probing mind who loved to debate a wide variety of subjects.

"Bruce was many a thing," said one of his brothers, Charles Ivins, who added that he took some solace in knowing that Bruce's "torment" had ended.

Bruce Ivins also was remembered as a devoted musician at St. John's the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, where he played piano for 28 years and was known to volunteer to clean up after services.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/ap/20080810/twl-anthrax-ivins-memorial-1be00ca.html