* Der Spiegel … new leads in the anthrax case

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• Three American medical experts express their doubt that the FBI has caught the  person responsible for the Anthrax mailings in the USA.
• Shortly after the terrorist attack of Sept.11th, Anthrax laced letters were mailed by an unidentified person. 22 people were infected of which 5 people died.
• Leader of the investigation, Martin Hugh-Jones and his colleagues have worked through more than 9000 pages of FBI documents related to the case.
• According to the FBI their investigators detected the presence of tin and silicium (silicon) with the anthrax spores which leads the epidemiologists to conclude that the perpetrator covered the spores in these chemicals to make them more resistant to destruction.
• This treatment requires high skills and a special technique. According to the scientists paper in the latest issue of the “Journal of Bioterrorism and Defense” , Bruce Irvins, accused by the FBI as the sender of the letters, hadn’t access to these techniques.
• The scientists conclude that the suspect either had support from accomplices or in fact was completely innocent.
• Irvins, a microbiologist working for the US army, suffered from psychological problems and committed suicide in 2008, only days after
• learning that the FBI suspected him of sending the letters.
• There never was a court trial.
• There was always doubt that Irvins was the perpetrator.
• In February the National Academy of Sciences reviewed the 2001 investigation and came to the conclusion that the FBI has overrated the evidence pointing to Irvins.
• Whether the recent evaluation of the findings can clear Irvins is questionable. Critics of the latest paper claim that the chemicals detected are impurities that are sometimes found with Anthrax spores.
• The FBI gave a statement that they don’t see reason to reopen the case.

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