DOJ Stalls Anthrax Investigation [UPDATED]

[babylonsister]

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/4/26/17724/7643

DOJ Stalls Anthrax Investigation
by cal in cali
Thu Apr 26, 2007 at 02:07:24 PM PDT

Democratic Representative Rush Holt (NJ-12) has been stonewalled in his efforts to get answers from the DOJ and the FBI about the status of investigations into the 2001 anthrax attacks on the federal government. The anthrax letters originated from his district.

On December 11, 2006, Holt and a bipartisan group of Congressmen requested that Attorney General Gonzales “direct the FBI to provide Congress with a comprehensive briefing on the status of the five year-old anthrax investigation.” The DOJ refused.

snip//

I was surprised and intrigued by a comment from DKos member 'joanneleon' that the anthrax attacks came around the time of the Patriot Act was passed. Was this true?

I did a quick little research and - surprise - it is true.

The anthrax letter sent to Democrat Tom Daschle was opened by an aide on October 15, 2001. Nine days later the House passed the Patriot Act. Apparently, some of them didn't read it -- or at least, didn't read it during the reauthorization in 2006, as we know from the revelation about the US Attorney clause that was slipped in by the DOJ.

more...

[gratuitous]

1. In regard to the timing of all of these things

For some reason, it hasn't been a subject of much discussion in the popular media that the USA PATRIOT Act was all ready to go about six weeks after the September 11 attacks. Even had a catchy abbreviation and everything for this naked rights grab by our unitary executive. Of course, such speculation, no matter how well grounded, is merely the stuff of conspiracy theories, and needn't be discussed seriously by any of the "just the facts, ma'am" bulldogs of the Fourth Estate.

[youngdem]

2. The Anthrax attacks were done by agents of our own government to create the atmosphere

that would allow the Patriot Act to pass and the Iraq War drum to be beaten. We needed another attack to show a pattern, so people would surrender their freedoms for security.

The investigation died when the DNA work on the strain showed it was a HIGHLY weaponized form called the Ames strain, and is from the military weapons lab in Ames, Iowa. As soon as that information hit the wire, they tried to pin it on the scientist warning such an attack was possible (in true Rovian style), and the investigation died.

Once the Patriot Act was passed, the government quit talking about it. Just like they stopped terrorizing us with terror alerts after Bush 'won' reelection.

Our government uses terror to control us.

[AndyTiedye]

8. It Also Made It Impossible for Us to Write Our Congresspeople During That Critical Time

Writing to ones Congressperson is the most traditional way to express one's opinion to one's representatives.
It was not possible to do that effectively during that time, since all mail to Congress was sequestered and
held for anthrax screening.

[lutefisk]

9. And all the mainstream media played along and let the story die

Why would they do that?

[valerief]

3. Investigations into the anthrax attacks? What investigations?

Weren't they part of the coup that included 9-11 and election theft?

[Old and In the Way]

4. What do they have to hide?

Sounds like we need to have Congress put this on the front burner and get some serious investigations going. I have no doubts that this may be much more damaging to this administration then we realize. Real people died because of this attack and no accountability 5 years later. 2 questions I want answered:

Who attacked us with Anthrax?
Why was the WH taking Cipro before the first Anthrax attack occurred? Cipro is not a preventitive remedy.

[RufusTFirefly]

5. Move along folks. Nothing to see here.

(Covering ears) "La la la la la."

[me b zola]

6. What is the DOJ hiding?

[RufusTFirefly]

7. Several possibilities

Here's a slightly less tinfoily scenario:

A disgruntled government employee gets access to some anthrax.
This is an embarrassment, not only because it reveals less than stellar security in government labs, but also because it could mean that the U.S. is in violation of a biological weapons treaty it signed.
Rather than opening that particular can of worms, BushCo just hopes that everyone will forget about the whole thing.

There are other more nefarious scenarios. Use your imagination.

[frylock]

10. the fact the WH was throwing down cipro like flintstone chewables..

before the first letter was ever sent leads me to believe something more nefarious is afoot.

[RufusTFirefly]

11. Maybe so. Maybe not

Maybe they were thinking, "Aw geez, that whacko at the lab that everyone knew about but no one had the guts to fire has gone and done it. He's swiped some stuff he shouldn't have. Heaven knows who he will use it on. We'd better play it safe."