* In the 5 February 2002 Response to subpoena produced today, USRMIID notes dry simulants of anthrax were produced and stored in room 212 of building 1412 (which was where FBI’s scientist was located and not building 1425 where Ivins was located)
Posted by DXer on May 22, 2014
CASE CLOSED ... what really happened in the 2001 anthrax attacks? 
DXer said
It was the FBI’s scientist who made dried powder at USAMRIID — not Bruce Ivins.
The heavily fictionalized “Hot Zone: Anthrax” has totally botched the timeline on subpoenas. The more dramatic point about the production of samples was the FBI’s delay in issuing them, the fact that their own scientist collecting the samples did not submit one even though a flask was in the refrigerator (and had been used to make a dried powder), and that the FBI through out Ivins sample! Even though the slant used met the specs of the subpoena and others using equivalent slants were not thrown out. The issue of submission of samples in no way implicates Ivins. Instead, the FBI’s lame mischaracterizations on the issue evidences serious misconduct and even spoliation of evidence.
DXer said
So the February 5, 2002 response concerned an earlier subpoena where questions were asked.
By the time the FBI received Ivins’ late February 2002 submisssion to the FBIR — when FBI Agent Decker and FBI Agent Stanley the submission was to be rejected, they provably KNEW that a member of their own unit had made a dried powder out of the genetically identical Ames from Flask 1029. By this time, Abshire, who had helped John make the powder, was looking for the 4 morphs in FBIR submissions. It was outrageous that Decker and Stanley oversaw the rejection and discarding of the sample — given that it revealed that Ivins’ Ames used to make the powder had the 4 morphs found in the mailed anthrax. Even if rejected, under standard laboratory and evidence-collecting protocols, it should not have been discarded.
Complying with protocols — and preserving the sample — would have had allowed a focus on the labs where the genetically matching dried powder made by the scientist helping Decker and Stanley was distributed. As it turns out, example, attention might have turned to the fellow sharing a suite with the lead DARPA-funded Russian bioweaponeer and former USAMRIID Commander and Ames researcher.
There needs to be a Congressional probe of the powder made from the Ames from Flask 1029 — and Mueller’s investigation’s concealment of that fact from the public for all these years.
Anthrax, Al Qaeda and Ayman Zawahiri: The Infiltration of US Biodefense
http://www.amerithrax.wordpress.com
DXer said
Ivins never made a dried powder out of Ames from Flask 1029. But the scientist working since 1999 with R. Scott Decker and Scott Stanley in the FBI’s federal hazardous materials had. Decker and Stanley then oversaw the rejection of that February 2002 submission that Terry Abshire observed to have 4 morphs. In addition to throwing out Ivins’ sample, which could be observed to have 4 morphs, the sample from Flask 1029 (stored in Ezzell’s unlocked refrigerator in Building 1412) was not submitted to the FBI’s repository.
Now John, Terry and the FBI Agents are above reproach — and not reasonably suspected of any involvement in the Fall 2001 anthrax mailings.
But the concealment that the scientist working closely with the FBI had made a dried powder out Ames from Flask 1029 is outrageous. Was it thought to have been irradiated? Yes. But we’ve seen (and Ezzell himself told me) that there was no validated science establishing what it took to successfully irradiate anthrax. We didn’t learn from history only to have irradiated Ames thought to be dead sent all around the world in recent years.
For the FBI scientists who have concealed this for years to then turn around and use the throwing out of the sample implicates Ivins — rather than to call into question the Ames distributed by its own scientist is obscene. Officials Hassell and Majidi, then working for the Army, truncated review of the debacle sending irradiates Ames all over the world to post-2002.
We can keep enaging in concealment motivated by CYA right up to a mass attack by Ayman Zawahiri of Washington DC and NYC. Or we can say — no more. Comply with FOIA.
Terry Abshire in a document produced this week under FOIA explains that the genetically matching sample she had in her lab was not submitted in the initial set ; instead, wasn’t her lab provided genetically matching material in August 2000 for DARPA research in which Dr. Ezzell made a dried powder out of the Ames and gave it to the DARPA researchers?
Posted by Lew Weinstein on October 6, 2011
https://caseclosedbylewweinstein.wordpress.com/2011/10/06/terry-abshire-in-a-document-produced-this-week-under-foia-explains-that-the-genetically-matching-sample-she-had-in-her-lab-was-not-submitted-in-the-initial-set-instead-wasnt-her-lab-provided-ge/
Did USAMRIID’s John Ezzell and Terry Abshire, through no fault of their own, turn out to have a massive conflict of interest?
Posted on November 14, 2015
https://caseclosedbylewweinstein.wordpress.com/2015/11/14/did-usamriids-john-ezzell-and-terry-abshire-through-no-fault-of-their-own-turn-out-to-have-a-massive-conflict-of-interest/
FBI scientist John Ezzell has explained that dried Ames and Sterne spores went to studies for DARPA at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Labs in Columbia, MD
Posted by Lew Weinstein on October 28, 2015
https://caseclosedbylewweinstein.wordpress.com/2015/10/28/fbi-scientist-john-ezzell-has-explained-that-dried-ames-and-sterne-spores-went-to-studies-for-darpa-at-johns-hopkins-applied-physics-labs-in-columbia-md/
In addition to the 340 ml. of virulent Ames shipped to USAMRIID on June 27, 2001, Dugway shipped 175 ml. of Ames anthrax strain in late August 2000. That was when Dr. Ezzell, the FBI’s scientist at USAMRIID, made a dried powder out of Ames anthrax strain from Ivins’ Flask 1029 for the DARPA JHU-APL mass spec. project.
Posted by Lew Weinstein on October 28, 2015
https://caseclosedbylewweinstein.wordpress.com/2015/10/28/in-addition-to-the-340-ml-of-virulent-ames-shipped-to-usamriid-on-june-27-2001-dugway-shipped-175-ml-of-ames-anthrax-strain-in-late-august-2000-that-was-when-dr-ezzell-the-fbis-scient/
DXer said
It occurs to me that while USAMRIID (per JAG) denied my request for the enclosure “Anthrax Shipments”, I should ask for “Anthrax Inventory” as someone has raised in an email to me.
USAMRIID gave me a massive inventory prepared by Bruce Ivins that named all the individual strains but this is an inventory that dates to 2002 and covers the facility. Moreover, it perhaps is limited only to Ames — and in any event a FOIA request could be limited to Ames.
DXer said
With respect to the key card access records that were provided to the FBI by USAMRIID, they relate to both 1412 and 1425 because that is where work was done involving virulent Ames.
As Ivins’ assistant Friend explained, they did a lot of hot work in Building 1412.
Dr. Friedlander explained:
Q. Now, bacteriology division itself was
actually in two places, both in building 1425 and building 1412, correct?
A. Yes.
Q. And was there a distinction as to what particular tasks were done in one building, as opposed to another?
A. Yes. I was trying to remember. There were
a few individuals in bacteriology division who worked in — worked and still work in building 1412, and some of them were working on anthrax,
***
And aerosol exposures, for experiments that required them, were performed in building 1412. Even if they involved investigators in building 1425.
Q. So would that necessitate some of the folks that were based in 1425 to go over to 1412 to complete their tasks?
A. Yes.
The pattern of overtime Dr. Ivins worked in Building 1412 demolishes the FBI’s contrived analysis of hours in Building 1425.
By Fall 2001, Dr. Ivins had come to have a preference to work with animal experiments in Building 1425 because a parenteral challenge required fewer rooms and personnel.
—–Original Message—– From: (b) (6)
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2001 4:16 PM
To: Subject:
(b) (6)
FW: Rabbit space
Is there a chance we can get some hot side space for Dr. Ivins’ animals soon?
(these are parenteral challenge experiments, so they don’t have to be done in 1412)? >
Thanks. “
Dr. Welkos in her deposition what was involved in an aerosol challenge in Building 1412:
“Q When you say aerosol challenges, can you describe those, what that means?
A Well, there is a dedicated hood line, a
hood being an enclosed chamber where the air remains internal and it’s — you know, would be negative to the outside so it reduces risk. It’s set up mainly for
safety reasons, of course, and the animals are placed in that chamber and they’re exposed to a certain set volume of aerosolized material, and then they are cleaned and taken out and returned to their cages,…”
DXer said
Note the Enclosure “keycard data” (also Entrance Logs).
Doesn’t the key card data for Bruce Ivins for Building 1412 demolish the argument based on hours?
The head of Bacteriology, Dr. Andrews, for example, explained that Dr. Ivins had comparable late hours elsewhere (i.e., in Building 1412) during other periods.
Didn’t the FBI’s manipulation in the presentation hinge on focusing only on Building 1425 and not Building 1412?
Wasn’t the FBI’s presentation misleading due to selective use of the data and withholding of the hours relating to Dr. Ivins use of the B3 in Building 1412?
Dr. Ivins has passed away and so his hours have always been obtainable under FOIA without redaction of his name.
Dr. Ivins explained that he came to have a preference to conducting parenteral rather than aerosol challenges because fewer personnel and fewer rooms were required.
DXer said
“Dr. Ivins explained that he came to have a preference to conducting parenteral rather than aerosol challenges because fewer personnel and fewer rooms were required.”
That is to say, at the time of the mailings, he expressed a preference to a parenteral challenge (by injection), rather than an aerosol challenge, because it could be done in Building 1425 rather than 1412 (with fewer rooms and people). Then a 2-person rule was implemented in January 2002 that stopped all the late night and weekend checks by an individual scientist. Those checks, according to the FBI interviews, would take a couple of hours. The US Attorney and prosecutors and investigators overlooked the fact of the newly implemented 2-person rule as the reason the pattern of hours continuing in November and December 2001 stopped in January 2002.
Moreover, they overlooked the previous late hours in Building 1412 in concocting a pattern that fit their hypothesis.
DXer said
Obtaining the enclosures was not as easy as pulling an attachment from an email. I am advised that they needed to find the hard copy.
RIID has located what they think might be what I am asking for (the enclosures on “Simulants” and “Anthrax Shipments” but Staff Judge Advocate (“SJA”) is reviewing.
As always, I am very appreciative of RIID’s and USAMRMC’s continued good faith efforts and transparency.
It’s hard to get people on the same page when some people are trying to keep the book closed.
When that happens, one choice is to try to throw the book at them.
http://www.amerithrax.wordpress.com
DXer said
I’ve asked the highly efficient USAMRMC FOIA officer for a copy of the first attachment titled “Simulants Project.” I was remiss in not also asking for the second attachment “Anthrax Shipments.”
On balance, I am definitely avoiding asking for the attachments so as to avoid the time-consuming process of redacting personal names. (USMRMC in another context has agreed to leave unredacted the names of facilities (as distinguished from the names of individuals) And so a request for “Anthrax Shipments” might be very fruitful in expanding the list of facilities known to have virulent Ames.
DXer said
I’ve revised my request now to also ask for “Anthrax Shipments.” It’s amazing what a cup of coffee will do in terms of motivation.
DXer said
Note the “Simulants Project” which neither USAMRIID nor FBI has produced — not to the public nor the NAS. Did the FBI at least confirm to the GAO whether Rm. 212 in Building 1412 was swabbed for the genetically distinctive subtilis?
DXer said
That was the lab of the FBI’s scientist at USAMRIID. Stupid question: Was the FBI’s expert’s lab at Building 1412 swabbed for the genetically matching subtilis?
Bruce Ivins thought it was an “incredible coverup” that he was not allowed to swab the Diagnostic Services Division at the same time he swabbed his lab and offices. Bruce was really mad.
Posted by Lew Weinstein on January 10, 2012
https://caseclosedbylewweinstein.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/bruce-ivins-thought-it-was-an-incredible-coverup-that-he-was-not-allowed-to-swab-the-diagnostic-services-division-at-the-same-time-he-swabbed-his-lab-and-offices-2/