* DXer: Here is an A-Z directory and sample reporting from some of the dozens of excellent reporters who have covered Amerithrax and related issues.

from DXer … Here is an A-Z directory and sample reporting from some of the dozens of excellent reporters who have covered Amerithrax and related issues.

A

ANDERSON, CURT

“FBI Checking Crop-Dusting Planes, Pilots,” Associated Press, April 22, 2004
http://www.policeone.com/terrorism/articles/85144-FBI-Checking-Crop-Dusting-Planes-and-Pilots-Still-Worried-About-Possible-Terror-Use/

ARGETSINGER, AMY

“GMU Bioterrorism Center Unites Former Foes,” Washingon Post, February 14, 2002
http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/bioter/GMUformerfoes.html

AUGENSTEIN, NEAL

WTOP.com – Feb. 10, 2009 – “Lawyer: Evidence against Bruce Ivins ‘Undercut'”
http://www.wtop.com/25/1597836/Lawyer-Evidence-against-Bruce-Ivins-undercut

B

BARRETT, JENNIFER

“Newsweek Poll: Bin Laden to Blame For Anthrax,” MSNBC.com

BARTHOLET, JEFFREY

Jeffrey Bartholet, “Terrorist Sleeper Cells: A U.S.-Based Al Qaeda ‘Sleeper Cell’ Was Poised to Launch a Post-Sept. 11 Attack on a Major Washington Target; Would-Be Terrorists Went Underground or Fled U.S. Evidence Indicates Al Qaeda Had Russian Help Developing Anthrax; Al-Zawahiri Believed Involved in Bin Laden’s Biological Weapons Program.” Newsweek, December 9, 2001.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/a-us-based-al-qaeda-sleeper-cell-was-poised-to-launch-a-post-sept-11-attack-on-a-major-washington-target-would-be-terrorists-went-underground-or-fled-us-74535997.html

BHATTACHARJEE, YUDHIJIT

Science Magazine – Oct. 11, 2011 – “New Challenge to FBI’s Anthrax Investigation Lends an Ear to Tin”
http://news.sciencemag.org/2011/10/new-challenge-fbis-anthrax-investigation-lends-ear-tin

BERNSTEIN, RICHARD

The New York Times – Feb. 24, 2010 (opinion) – “Haste Leaves Anthrax Case Unconcluded”
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/us/25iht-letter.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

BORGER, JULIAN

“Cropdusters grounded in poison alert: Toxic threat Pesticide planes could be used to spray cities,” Guardian, September 24, 2001
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/sep/24/afghanistan.terrorism9

BRENNAN, PHIL   [Phil was a friend of Robert Stevens and had a very notable 6-part series in Newsmax as I recall]

“Alibek Doubts FBI Claims on Hatfill,” Newsmax, October 3, 2002.

BROAD, WILLIAM (with Scott Shane)

The New York Times – Oct. 9, 2011 – “Scientists’ Analysis Disputes F.B.I. Closing of Anthrax Case”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/10/science/10anthrax.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

BROWN, PETER J.

Asia Times – Feb. 25, 2010 – “Doubts cloud closing of anthrax case”
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/LB25Aa01.html

C

CADWALLADER, BRUCE (with Catherine Candisky)

“Anthrax Probe Story Is Baloney, FBI Says,” Columbus Dispatch, December 21, 2001  [Ed Lake’s theory was first to be debunked; but he persisted for 7 years, denying Hatfill was a suspect and reasoning the FBI suspected this POI]

http://s3.amazonaws.com/911timeline/2001/columbusdispatch122101.html

CELIZIC, MIKE

MSNBC – Apr. 16, 2010 – “Exonerated anthrax suspect: FBI harassed me”
www.today.com/id/36565308

CONNOLLY, CECI (with Steve Fainaru)

Experts Debate Theory Hijacker Was Exposed
http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/bioter/memoroilsanthraxprobe.html

CORN, DAVID

Does an Al Qaeda “Anthrax Operative” Own New York Pharmacies?

A detainee assessment released by WikiLeaks identifies a Pakistani pharmacist suspected of ties to terrorism.
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/04/al-qaeda-anthrax-operative-new-york-pharmacies

COSCARELLI, JOE

Village Voice (blog) – July 19, 2011 – “Bruce Ivins Maybe Didn’t Send Anthrax, Government Admits in Court Papers”
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2011/07/bruce_ivins_anthrax_fbi_pbs_documentary.php

COUTTS, SHARONA

“Warrantless Wiretapping Used In Terrorist Trial,” ProPublica.org, December 8, 2008
http://www.propublica.org/article/warrentless-wiretapping-used-in-terrorist-trial-128

CRATTY, CAROL

CNN – Feb. 15, 2011 – “Scientific review reaches no conclusion on source of anthrax”
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/02/15/anthrax.source/

CULLISON, ALAN (with Andrew Higgins)  [what Mr. Cullison and WSJ colleagues did was some amazing Pulitzer-deserving sh**]

“Computer in Kabul holds chilling memos,” Wall Street Journal, December 31, 2001.
http://www.culteducation.com/reference/alqaeda/alqaeda36.html

D

DAKSS, BRIAN

“Al Qaeda-Anthrax Link?,” CBS News, March 23, 2002
http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-224_162-504460.html

DALEY, PAUL

“Report Says UBL-Linked Groups Possess ‘Deadly’ Anthrax and Plague Viruses,” Melbourne Age (Internet version), June 4, 2000

DANCE, AMBER

“Silicon highlights remaining questions over anthrax investigation,”Nature, Sept. 29, 2008
http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080929/full/news.2008.1137.html

DUFFY, ERIN

The Times of Trenton – Feb. 26, 2010 – “Holt: Last word not in on anthrax case”
http://www.nj.com/news/times/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-19/126716676555360.xml&coll=5

E

ECKSTEIN, MEGAN  (Adam Behsudi and the other FNP reporters also did good work but I didn’t have time to grab AB articles)

Frederick News-Post – Feb. 23, 2010 – “FBI report fails to end questions about Ivins’ guilt”
http://m.fredericknewspost.com/archive/article_43e2ef3b-ad51-5567-9c22-db1b002889c1.html?mode=jqm

Frederick News-Post – July 19, 2011 – “Justice Department filings poke holes in Ivins’ case”
http://www.wtop.com/209/2461171/Justice-Department-Filings-Poke-Holes-In-Ivins-Case

The Frederick News-Post – Dec. 10, 2010 – “Amerithrax review delayed after FBI releases more docs”
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/archive/article_b7513b51-f526-5a50-8f8d-bf1fe1b35fe8.html

ENGELBERG, STEPHEN   (if you need to be told too often of incredible work done by ProPublica, McClatchy and Frontline, you just aren’t paying attention)
Their work is all the more impressive because they invested the resources to make documents and transcripts and raw interviews available.  Donate to public interest journalism today.

Stephen Engelberg et al., The Macon Telegraph – Oct. 11, 2011 – “Was FBI’s science good enough to ID anthrax killer?”
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/10/11/126584/was-fbis-science-good-enough-to.html

F

FLAM, FAYE

“For Decades, Mailing Germs Was Routine,” Philadelphia Inquirer, October 2, 2002
http://articles.philly.com/2002-10-02/news/25350883_1_germ-warfare-biological-weapons-anthrax-bacteria

FRANTZ, DOUGLAS (with David Rohde)

“2 Pakistanis Linked to Papers on Anthrax Weapons,” New York Times, November 28, 2001
A NATION CHALLENGED: BIOLOGICAL TERROR; 2 Pakistanis Linked to Papers on Anthrax Weapons

FREED. DAVID

The Atlantic – Apr. 16, 2010 – “The Wrong Man”
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/05/the-wrong-man/308019/

G

GANNON, KATHY     [Her book “I is for Infidel” should be put on your list of books to read; she has deep experience in that part of the world; she was there at the Taliban vaccine lab with the photographer taking pictures of the brown slurry harvested June 2001 that Yazid wouldn’t identify for me.]

“Taliban Showed Interest In Anthrax Research Lab. Scientists Say An Official Paid Frequent Visits” in The Boston Globe, November 22, 2001

GARRETT, LAURIE   (at book sales, when I’m in the relevant section people more than once have commented that her past books were very good).  She worked at Newsday previously.

Council on Foreign Relations – Oct. 12, 2011 – “The Anthrax Letters”
http://www.cfr.org/terrorist-attacks/anthrax-letters/p26175

NPR (Laurie Garrett interview) – Aug. 26, 2011 – “A look back at 9/11 in ‘I Heard the Sirens Scream'”
http://www.npr.org/2011/08/26/139972661/a-look-back-at-9-11-in-i-heard-the-sirens-scream

GETMAN, ROSS

Zawahiri’s Plan To Obtain the Ames Anthrax Strain
http://www.globalpolitician.com/print.asp?id=612

I switched from words to pictures because people are too busy to read.  A federal undercover did the graphics; I don’t even know photoshop.
http://www.amerithrax.wordpress.com

GILLIAN, AUDREY

“Biological weapons link to al-Qaida,” Guardian Unlimited, October 16, 2001
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/oct/16/september11.anthrax

GILMORE, JIM (with Gordon, Engelberg and Wiser)

The Miami Herald – Oct. 12, 2011 – “Newly released files cloud FBI’s anthrax finding”
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/10/11/126585/newly-released-files-cloud-fbis.html

GORDON, GREG (with Engleberg)

ProPublica.com – Oct. 24, 2011 – “Secret Reports: With Security Spotty, Many Had Access to Anthrax”
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/10/24/128012/secret-reports-suggest-ivins-and.html

GORDON, MICHAEL R.

“U.S. Says It Found Qaeda Lab Being Built to Produce Anthrax,” New York Times, March 23, 2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/23/world/nation-challenged-weapons-us-says-it-found-qaeda-lab-being-built-produce-anthrax.html

GREENWALD, GLENN

Salon.com (Glenn Greenwald) – Apr. 21, 2010 – “Unlearned lessons from the Steven Hatfill case”
http://www.salon.com/2010/04/21/hatfill/

The Sacramento Bee – July 20, 2011 – “Justice Dept backtracks on anthrax claims”
http://www.salon.com/2011/07/19/anthrax_25/

GUGLIOTTA, GUY (with Gary Matsumoto)

“FBI’s Theory On Anthrax Is Doubted, Attacks Not Likely Work Of 1 Person, Experts Say,” Washington Post, October 28, 2002.

H

HEERBRANDT, KATHERINE

The Gazette – Oct. 12, 2011 – “Questions remain 10 years after anthrax mailings”
http://www.gazette.net/article/20111012/NEWS/710129418/1009/questions-remain-10-years-after-anthrax-mailings&template=gazette

HERRIDGE, CATHERINE           (The Terror Pixie may find that she ends back with anthrax by pursuing her Awlaki-Al-TImimi-Wade Ammerman leads).

“FBI Focusing on ‘About Four’ Suspects in 2001 Anthrax Attacks,” FoxNews, March 28, 2008
http://www.foxnews.com/story/2008/03/28/fbi-focusing-on-about-four-suspects-in-2001-anthrax-attacks/

FoxNews.com – Mar. 7, 2009 – “FBI’s Evidence in Anthrax Case Leaves Puzzling Scientific Questions”
http://www.foxnews.com/story/2009/03/09/fbi-evidence-in-anthrax-attacks-case-leaves-puzzling-scientific-questions/

HESS, PAMELA

“Anthrax, ricin detected in Afghan labs,” United Press International, March 25, 2002
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2002/03/25/Anthrax-ricin-detected-in-Afghan-labs/UPI-11631017095729/

HOSENBALL, MARK  (like Isikoff, a heavy hitter on intel matters)

“A Germ Warfare Guru Goes Free”
Why did Malaysia release Al Qaeda’s bioweapons expert?
December 16, 2008

“Interrogation: Al Qaeda and Anthrax,” Newsweek, April 12, 2004
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/NEWSWEEK+PERISCOPE%3A+INTERROGATION+-+Al+Qaeda+and+Anthrax.-a0114903244

J

JADRNAK, JACKIE    (why on earth did Bruce send to UNM long before their BL-3 was up and running)?

“UNM Anthrax May Be Twin To Strain in Attacks,” Albuquerque Journal, December 19, 2001
http://www.abqjournal.com/terror/anniversary/542878news12-19-01.htm

JOHNSON, CARRIE

“Hair Samples in Anthrax Case Don’t Match,” The Washington Post, August 14, 2008
http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2008-08-14/news/36826106_1_bruce-e-ivins-ivins-s-paul-f-kemp

The Washington Post – Aug. 1, 2009 – “Lawmaker ‘Skeptical’ of Anthrax Results”
http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2009-08-01/politics/36855996_1_bruce-e-ivins-anthrax-attacks-fbi-s-washington-field-office

JOHNSTEN, LAUREN

“Is Al Qaeda Making Anthrax?” CBS News, October 9, 2003
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-577395.html

K

KELLY, JACK

“Their Faraway eyes”, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 14, 2002

L

LENGEL, ALLAN

TickleTheWire.com – May 26, 2011 – “Rep. Nadler Criticizes the FBI in Letter to Director Mueller Over Anthrax Probe”
http://www.ticklethewire.com/2011/05/26/rep-nadler-criticizes-fbi-in-letter-to-director-mueller-over-anthrax-probe/

LITTWIN, MIKE

“Anthrax trail on wrong path?” Rocky Mountain News, September 5, 2002

LLOYD, ANTHONY (with Daniel McGrory)

“Poison trail that started in al-Qaeda safe house,” TimesOnline, January 8, 2003
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/article1984825.ece

Commission: Al-Qaida made surprising advances on biological weapon

LUMPKIN, JOHN J.
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
Published, April 1, 2005
http://www.ocala.com/article/20050401/NEWS/204010349

M

MACASKILL, MARK (with Nicholas Rufford)    what does cleric al-Bakri say about the Fall 2001 anthrax mailings?

“Muslim Calls for Bio-Weapon Holy War,” Sunday Times, September 5, 1999
http://www.mail-archive.com/ctrl@listserv.aol.com/msg23183.html

MACKENZIE, DEBORA   (a heavy hitter on science issues)

New Scientist – Feb. 16, 2011 – “Scientists critical of FBI’s anthrax conclusions”
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2011/02/who-was-the-anthrax-attacker-s.html

MARKON, JERRY   (a heavy hitter on intel matters)

Jerry Markon, “Government Secrecy May Lead to New Trial In Va. Terrorism Case,” Washington Post, November 21, 2007; Page A08
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/20/AR2007112001913.html

MECKLER, LAURA

“Federal advisers say U.S. unprepared for biological attack,” Associated Press, August 27, 2002.

MILLER, JUDITH
“Lab Suggests Qaeda Planned to Build Arms, Officials Say,” New York Times, September 14, 2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/14/international/asia/14LAB.html

MULLER, RICHARD  (a physics PhD as I recall)

“Al Qaeda’s Anthrax: Osama bin Laden behind the mail attacks?” Technology Review, April 16, 2002
http://muller.lbl.gov/TRessays/03_Al_Qaeda_Anthrax.htm

O

OUAGRHAM-GORMLEY, SONIA BEN

Ouagrham-Gormley, Sonia Ben
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists – Nov. 1, 2011 – “Amerithrax review: Lessons for future investigations”
http://thebulletin.org/amerithrax-review-lessons-future-investigations

OZMENT, KATHERINE

“Who’s Afraid of Aafia Siddiqui?” Boston Magazine, October 2004

P

PARASCANDOLA, ROCCO   (a true crime guy; a still fascinating lead over a decade later)

“Guilty Plea in Fraud Case But Feds Fear Pakistani’s Purpose for buying Food Mixer,” Newsday , July 15, 2002.

R

RAUCH, JONATHAN

“Does Al Qaeda Have Anthrax? Better Assume So,” National Journal, June 1, 2002.

RAZAK, AIDILA   (the reporter I most would like to have over for dinner; the series she and her colleagues did was Yazid Sufaat was amazing journalism; I don’t have a link to the one explaining Sufaat was a member of a since abandoned Malaysian biological weapons program.  But IMO it is the single most important article that has been done.  A subscription is required for the articles)

Yazid hails 9/11 attackers as ‘marketers of Islam’   (Yazid is actually a very nice guy; he should just be a truth-teller and let Allah sort out his secular concerns).
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/192681

ROBERTSON, NIC

“Disturbing scenes of death show capability with chemical gas,” CNN, dated August 19, 2002.
http://edition.cnn.com/2002/US/08/19/terror.tape.chemical/

S

SCHACTMAN, NOAH        (this was an important and influential article)

Wired Magazine – Mar. 24, 2011 – “Anthrax Redux: Did the Feds Nab the Wrong Guy?”
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/03/ff_anthrax_fbi/

SCHUSTER, HENRY

“Walker Lindh: Al Qaeda planned more attacks,” CNN, October 3, 2002

SCROGGINS, DEBORAH          (the world’s expert on and author of a  book on Aafia Siddiqui, she is an experienced journalist)

“The Most Wanted Woman in the World,” Vanity Fair, March 2005

SHARAF-AL-DIN, KHALID       (if you don’t understand the reports of the defendants in the trial relating to the Albanian Returnees, then you weren’t going to be informed in profiling the Fall 2001 anthrax mailings).

“Bin-Laden Men Reportedly Possess Biological Weapons,” Al-Sharaq al-Awsat, March 6, 1999 (FBIS/FTS 19990306000273)
http://www.fas.org/irp/news/1999/03/990306-bin-ladin-bw.htm

SHANE, SCOTT   (influential throughout the course of the investigation; previously at Baltimore Sun; informed and insightful over the range of issues; overworked)

“Hijacker’s lesion deepens mystery,” Baltimore Sun, March 24, 2002
http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/bioter/hijackerslesionmystery.html

“New methods trace anthrax source by water,” Baltimore Sun, March 12, 2003
http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/bioter/newmethanthraxwater.html

“Scientist says he’s anthrax ‘fall guy’,” Baltimore Sun, August 12, 2002
http://www.baltimoresun.com/bal-te.hatfill12aug12,0,326233.story

SHANNON, ELAINE   (the mass spec on the toner is more important than the tracks)

“The Kinko’s Connection,” TIME, December 17, 2001
http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1001477,00.html

SHERIDAN, MARY BETH    (Wade Ammerman is the FBI Agent who could explain a lot if allowed to speak to GAO)

“Hardball Tactics in an Era of Threats,” Washington Post September 3, 2006
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/02/AR2006090201096.html

STEIN, JEFF   (AUSA Lieber’s treatment of the polygraph issue illustrates overzealous prosecutorial approach that substitutes rationalization for evidence)

The Washington Post – Feb. 15, 2011 – “Ivins case’s inconvenient issue: his polygraph”
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/spy-talk/2011/02/ivins_cases_inconvenient_quest.html

T

TAVERNISE, SABRINA

“U.S. Letter Tries To Establish a Doctor’s Links to Terrorists,” New York Times, dated November 6, 2004
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9500E2DE123CF935A35752C1A9629C8B63

TELL, DAVID       (David wrote extremely influential early pieces)

Remember Anthrax?
Despite the evidence, the FBI won’t let go of its “lone American” theory.
APR 29, 2002, VOL. 7, NO. 32
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/001/147vnjgh.asp

“Who is Syed Athar Abbas,” Weekly Standard, July 17, 2002.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/001/470lfsdb.asphttp://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/001/470lfsdb.asp

The Hunting of Steven J. Hatfill
Why are so many people eager to believe that this man is the anthrax killer?
SEP 16, 2002, VOL. 8, NO. 01
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/001/623rbipi.asp

U

UNKNOWN, OFFHAND (what can I say, some of the very most important articles were written by unknown;  I was short of “U’s” and am short of time)

“Taliban spokesman caught ‘with anthrax’: Afghan governor,” Nation (Pakistan) January 17, 2007
http://www.aaj.tv/2007/01/taliban-spokesman-caught-with-anthrax-afghan-governor/

“Bio-terror strike ‘is inevitable’,” BBC News, November 21, 2005
The world must face the inevitability of a bio-terror attack by al-Qaeda, the head of Interpol has warned.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4457514.stm

“Suspect in Pearl’s killing dies after interrogation; report,” AFP via Yahoo! News, November 11, 2007 (” Memon was helping al-Qaeda develop anthrax strains, the newspaper said.”)
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/-suspect-in-pearl-killing-died-after-interrogation-/238499/

“F.B.I. to question suspect in Malaysia,” New York Times, September 18, 2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/18/world/threats-and-responses-fbi-to-question-suspect-in-malaysia.html

“Al Qaeda anthrax lab tech says he had been part of Malaysian Armed Forces biological weapons program”
https://caseclosedbylewweinstein.wordpress.com/2012/03/23/al-qaeda-anthrax-lab-tech-says-he-had-been-part-of-malaysian-armed-forces-biological-weapons-program/

“Sketches of anthrax bomb found in Pakistani scientist’s office,” Rediff.com, November 28, 2001
http://www.rediff.com/us/2001/nov/28ny5.htm

“Evidence of Anthrax Labs Near Kandahar,” March 25, 2002, ABCNews
http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=80052

“Bin Laden group ‘has bio-weapons,” BBC News, October 9, 2001
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1589104.stm

“US says al-Qaeda weapons lab found,” BBC News, March 22, 2002
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1890484.stm

“No Threat to Canton, Mayor Says Egyptian Man Who Researched City Water System, Parasitic Diseases at Library ‘Just Had Conversations,” Akron Beacon Journal, October 6, 2001

“Terrorist Investigation Heads To Local Library,” Clickondetroit, October 5, 2001

“Al Qaeda: Anthrax Found in Al-Qaeda [Zawahiri’s] Home,” Global Security Newswire, December 10, 2001

“Pakistan: Scientists Questioned About Anthrax Plans,” Global Security News, November 28, 2001

“Word for Word/Jihad Lit: Beware of Hidden Enemies And Their Wolves and Foxes,” New York Times, December 9, 2001

V

VERGANO, DAN

USA Today – Oct. 2, 2011 – “Al Qaeda lab lingers in anthrax story”
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/science/columnist/vergano/story/2011-10-02/anthrax-terror-lab/50633496/1

USA Today – Aug. 3, 2009 – “Anthrax case not closed: Panel reviews Bruce Ivins, mail probe”
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/science/2009-08-03-anthrax-ivins_N.htm

W

WARRICK, JOBY     ( a personal favorite of mine for his environmental investigative work in an earlier life; we’ll have to forgive him for his article with the CSI pose of the FBI’s lab people).

Suspect and A Setback In Al-Qaeda Anthrax Case
October 31, 2006
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/30/AR2006103001250.html

“Report Sounds Alarm Over Bioterror: Bipartisan Study Finds Insufficient Laboratory Safeguards, Loose Regulations,” Washington Post, November 30, 2008
http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2008-11-30/news/36831924_1_anthrax-attacks-biodefense-nuclear-terrorism

WHITE, MARK

(Chertoff interview) “Bio Terror ‘Next Threat’ For US,” SkyNews, October 31, 2008
http://news.sky.com/story/644706/bio-terror-next-threat-for-us

WILLIAMS, LANCE (with Erin McCormick)              great early reporting

“Did Bin Laden buy bioterror: trial testimony says he did,” San Francisco Chronicle, October 21, 2001.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Did-bin-Laden-buy-bioterror-1999-testimony-2866900.php

WILLIAMS, PETER

MSNBC – July 19, 2011 – “Government lawyers backtrack on anthrax case”
http://www.today.com/id/43814463/ns/us_news-security/

WILLMAN, DAVID            Great access to the investigators looking to spin Ivin as a creepy guy who must be guilty.

“U.S. attorney’s office accused of anthrax case leaks,” Los Angeles Times, January 12, 2007
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jan/12/nation/na-anthrax12

WISER, MIKE  (and Gordon and Engelberg)    (It would take a long time just to gather up all the important work done by this team; I cite only a few of their articles)

The Kansas City Star – Sept. 2, 2011 – “Sen. Grassley asks Justice Department to explain contradictory acts on anthrax”
http://www.wvgazette.com/ap/ApPolitics/201109021523

Y

YAMKOVENKO, STEPHANIE

“Broken Justice,” Frederick Gorilla, January 2012
http://www.frederickgorilla.com

Z

ZAKELB, GWYNETH

Nature – Feb. 15, 2011 – “Science falls short in anthrax investigation”
http://blogs.nature.com/news/2011/02/science_falls_short_in_anthrax.html

ZURAWIK, DAVID

The Baltimore Sun – Oct. 9, 2011 – “Frontline’s ‘Anthrax Files’ takes hard look at FBI role in suicide of Ft. Detrick scientist”
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-10-11/news/bal-frontline-anthrax-files–fbi-suicide-fort-detrick-scientist-20111009_1_detrick-scientist-bruce-ivins-fbi-role

* The hunt for America’s anthrax killer … a 3 part series analyzing the FBI’s Amerithrax investigation of the 2001 anthrax attacks … raising serious questions as to whether Dr. Bruce Ivins was the man responsible

******

IT WASN'T IVINS ... and the FBI must by now know that they drove the wrong man to suicide

******

The hunt for America’s anthrax killer …

a 3 part series by Stephen Engelberg, Greg Gordon and Jim Gilmore And Mike Wiser, Vancouver Sun

******

1. Was this man the anthrax killer?

Ten years after five people were killed by deadly powder in envelopes delivered by mail, new questions are emerging about whether Bruce Ivins was really responsible for the mayhem.

• Months after the anthrax mailings that terrorized the nation in 2001 – and long before he became the prime suspect – U.S. army biologist Bruce Ivins sent his superiors an email offering to help scientists trace the killer.

read the entire article at … http://www.vancouversun.com/news/this+anthrax+killer/5591796/story.html

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2. Federal agents took years to finger Army scientist Bruce Ivins as the man behind the attacks

• In early 2002, federal agents who were hunting the anthrax killer were trying to winnow a suspect list that numbered in the hundreds. They knew only that they were looking for someone with access to the rare Ames strain of anthrax used in research labs around the world. Profilers said the perpetrator probably was an American with “an agenda.”
• Rachel Lieber, the lead prosecutor in a case that will never go to trial, thinks that Ivins manipulated his sample to cover his tracks. “If you send something that is supposed to be from the murder weapon, but you send something that doesn’t match, that’s the ultimate act of deception. That’s why it’s so important,” Lieber said.
• However, a re-examination of the anthrax investigation by Frontline, McClatchy Newspapers and ProPublica turned up new evidence that challenges the FBI’s narrative of Ivins as a man with a guilty conscience who was desperately trying to avoid being discovered.
• Records released under the Freedom of Information Act show that Ivins made available a total of four sets of samples from 2002 to 2004, double the number the FBI has disclosed. And in subsequent FBI tests, three of the four sets ultimately tested positive for the morphs.
• Paul Kemp, Ivins’ lawyer, said the existence of Ivins’ additional submissions was significant because it discredits an important aspect of the FBI’s case against his client. “I wish I’d known that at the time,” he said.

read the entire article at … http://www.vancouversun.com/news/hunt+America+anthrax+killer/5596021/story.html#ixzz1bgme4bD6

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* Congressman Jerrold Nadler complains to FBI Director Robert Mueller that questions he first asked in September 2008 regarding silicon content in the anthrax in several of the 2001 attack letters were answered incorrectly … previous posts on this blog assert that the correct information may be very relevant to determining who the real perpetrator(s) of those attacks were

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UPDATE 5/27 … Greg Gordon writes …

• The FBI said the bureau had received the letter and would respond directly to Nadler.

LMW: let’s hope it doesn’t take 7 months to answer this time

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UPDATE 5/27 … Jim White writes on firedoglake …

FBI Ignored, Hid Data Potentially Excluding Bruce Ivins as Anthrax Killer

• The FBI ignored as potentially erroneous a measurement of silicon in one anthrax sample and then hid this information from Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY).
• Even more importantly, the high silicon measurements in at least two samples also were coupled with high tin measurements, opening up the possibility that silicon was added to the attack material in a form that is not mentioned in any of the FBI documents.
• Significantly, it is virtually impossible that Bruce Ivins, whom the FBI has concluded acted on his own to carry out the attacks, would have been able to perform the necessary chemical manipulations involved in this treatment of the spores.
• Ivins likely also would not have had access to the necessary laboratory equipment to perform this treatment.

http://my.firedoglake.com/jimwhite/2011/05/20/fbi-ignored-hid-data-potentially-excluding-bruce-ivins-as-anthrax-killer/

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Congressman Nadler & FBI Director Mueller

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 Congressman Jerrold Nadler writes to FBI Director Mueller (5/25/11) …

Nadler specifically asked Mueller why the FBI appears to have provided incorrect information on the case to Nadler and the Judiciary Committee subsequent to a September 16, 2008 oversight hearing on the FBI.

excerpts from Nadler’s letter are shown below …

see the entire letter at … 

http://nadler.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1665&Itemid=132

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see also …

* Greg Gordon (McClatchy): the apparent failure of the FBI to pursue this avenue of investigation raises the ominous possibility that the killer is still on the loose … Stuart Jacobsen: it is “outrageous” that the scientific issues haven’t been addressed.

* RMR-1029 was registered as #7737 in Building 1412 ; what were particulars of #7736? Was it from same seed stock? Did it have a silicon signature?

* Did the anthrax grown in soil reported at the June 2001 anthrax conference by Dr. Ezzell and his colleagues contain a Silicon Signature?

* Silicon Signature – what were samples 040030-2 and 040255-1 that showed Silicon Signature? If one was Flask 1030, what was the other? Dugway?

* the GAO review of the FBI’s anthrax investigation has begun … a report is expected to be issued by September 20, 2011 … *** UPDATE: a series of fascinating comments to this post suggest many pertinent questions that GAO might want to consider

… among many other posts and comments on this blog dealing with the silicon signature

and its often ignored significance in identifying the perpetrator(s) of  the anthrax attacks

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excerpts from Congressman Nadler’s letter

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• On September 16, 2008 …  I asked you the following:  “[W]hat was the percentage of weight of the silicon in the powders that your experts examined?”

LMW NOTE: it took 7 months for Director Mueller to respond

to what was a very simple factual question !!!

• On April 17, 2009, (the FBI) responded with the following answer:
• FBI Laboratory results indicated that the spore powder on the Leahy letter contained 14,470 ppm of silicon (1.4%).
• The spore powder on the New York Post letter was found to have silicon present in the sample; however, due to the limited amount of material, a reliable quantitative measurement was not possible.
• Insufficient quantifies of spore powder on both the Daschle and Brokaw letters precluded analysis of those samples.

• A February 15, 2011 report by the National Academy of Sciences (“NAS report”) … raises three questions about this DOJ/FBI response to me.

• First, with respect to the anthrax on the letter sent to Senator Leahy, the NAS report shows on pages 66 and 67 (Table 4.4) that the silicon content found by the FBI was 1.4% in one sample and 1.8% in a second sample.

Nadler: Why were both figures not provided to me

in response to my questions?

• Second, the NAS report shows on pages 66 and 67 (Table 4.4) that the FBI found the silicon content in the New York Post letter anthrax to be 10% when the bulk material was measured by mass and 1-2% when individual spore coats were measured by mass per spore.

Nadler: Why was neither piece of data provided to me

in response to my questions?

• Third and finally, the NAS report raises questions about the appropriateness of the measurements taken of the anthrax on the letter to the New York Post.

• (the NAS said) … additional samples should have been analyzed to determine representativeness.  
• If such data exist, they were not provided to the committee. 
• Lacking this information, one cannot rule out the intentional addition of a silicon-based substance to the New York Post letter, in a failed attempt to enhance dispersion.  
• The committee notes that powders with dispersion characteristics similar to the letter material could be produced without the addition of a dispersant.

Nadler: Were additional samples tested to determine the extent

to which the ones examined were representative

of the New York Post letter material? 

If not, why not? 

• If the FBI did do these additional tests, please provide the resulting data to me and NAS.

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LMW COMMENT …

It seems clear from Congressman Nadler’s letter that FBI Director Mueller has been less than forthcoming to the House Judiciary Committee on crucial issues regarding the investigation of the 2001 anthrax attacks.

The Congress and the American people need to know the truth and also why Director Mueller has avoided fully stating that truth.

The FBI’s publicly presented case against Dr. Ivins is clearly bogus:

… no evidence, 

…. no witnesses, 

…. an impossible timeline, 

…. science that proves innocence instead of guilt. 

So what really happened? And why doesn’t the FBI offer America a credible story?

As regular readers of this blog well know,

I can imagine only 3 possible “actual” scenarios …

1. The FBI has more evidence against Dr. Ivins but is, for some undisclosed reason, withholding that evidence … POSSIBLE BUT NOT SO LIKELY
2. The FBI, despite the most expensive and extensive investigation in its history, has not solved the case and has no idea who prepared and mailed the anthrax letters that killed 5 Americans in 2001 … EVEN LESS LIKELY
3. The FBI knows who did it (not Dr. Ivins) but is covering up the actual perpetrators, for undisclosed reasons …THE MOST LIKELY SCENARIO

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* Greg Gordon (McClatchy): the apparent failure of the FBI to pursue this avenue of investigation raises the ominous possibility that the killer is still on the loose … Stuart Jacobsen: it is “outrageous” that the scientific issues haven’t been addressed.

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the FBI has produced NO EVIDENCE that Dr. Bruce Ivins prepared the anthrax or mailed this letter

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 Greg Gordon writes for McClatchy Newspapers (5/19/11) …

• Buried in FBI laboratory reports about the anthrax mail attacks that killed five people in 2001 is data suggesting that a chemical may have been added to try to heighten the powder’s potency, a move that some experts say exceeded the expertise of the presumed killer.
• The lab data shows unusual levels of silicon and tin in anthrax powder from two of the five letters.
• Those elements are found in compounds that could be used to weaponize the anthrax, enabling the lethal spores to float easily so they could be readily inhaled by the intended victims, scientists say.
• The existence of the silicon-tin chemical signature offered investigators the possibility of tracing purchases of the more than 100 such chemical products available before the attacks, which might have produced hard evidence against Ivins or led the agency to the real culprit.
• But the FBI lab reports released in late February give no hint that bureau agents tried to find the buyers of additives such as tin-catalyzed silicone polymers.
• The apparent failure of the FBI to pursue this avenue of investigation raises the ominous possibility that the killer is still on the loose.
• A McClatchy analysis of the records also shows that other key scientific questions were left unresolved and conflicting data wasn’t sorted out when the FBI declared Ivins the killer shortly after his July 29, 2008, suicide.
• Several scientists and former colleagues of Ivins argue that he was a career biologist who probably lacked the chemistry knowledge and skills to concoct a silicon-based additive.
• “There’s no way that an individual scientist can invent a new way of making anthrax using silicon and tin,” said Stuart Jacobsen, a Texas-based analytical chemist for an electronics company who’s closely studied the FBI lab results. “It requires an institutional effort to do this, such as at a military lab.”
• Martin Hugh-Jones, a world-renowned anthrax expert who teaches veterinary medicine at Louisiana State University, called it “just bizarre” that the labs found both tin and silicon.
• “You have two elements at abnormally high levels,” Hugh-Jones said. “That reduces your probability to a very small number that it’s an accident.”
• FBI officials say it’s all a moot point, because they’re positive they got the right man in Ivins.
• However, the FBI never found hard evidence that Ivins produced the anthrax or that he scrawled threatening letters seemingly meant to resemble those of Islamic terrorists. Or that he secretly took late-night drives to Princeton, N.J., to mail them.
• Jacobsen, the Texas chemist, suspects that the silica pockets represented excess material that went through a chemical reaction and hardened before it could penetrate the spores.
• Tufts University chemistry professor David Walt, who led the panel’s analysis of the silicon issue, said in a phone interview that “there was not enough silicon in the spores that could account for the total silicon content of the bulk analysis.”
• Jacobsen called it “outrageous” that the scientific issues haven’t been addressed … the FBI have every resource available to them,” he said.

“And yet they have no compelling explanation

for not properly analyzing the biggest forensic clue

in the most important investigation

the FBI labs had ever gotten in their history.”

• As a result of Ivins’ death and the unanswered scientific issues, Congress’ investigative arm, the Government Accountability Office, is investigating the FBI’s handling of the anthrax inquiry.
• In a chapter in a recently updated book, “Microbial Forensics,” Velsko wrote that the anthrax “must have indeed been produced under an unusual set of conditions” to create such high silicon counts. That scenario, he cautioned, might not be “consistent with the prosecution narrative in this case.”
• Peter Weber, Velsko’s co-researcher, said the academy panel’s focus on the conflicting data “raises a big question,” and “it’d be really helpful for closure of this case if that was resolved.” He suggested that further “micro-analysis” with a highly sophisticated electron microscope could “pop the question marks really quickly.”

read the entire article at … http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/05/19/114467/fbi-lab-reports-on-anthrax-attacks.html#ixzz1MpvbxjeN

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see also …

* the GAO review of the FBI’s anthrax investigation has begun … a report is expected to be issued by September 20, 2011 … *** UPDATE: a series of fascinating comments to this post suggest many pertinent questions that GAO might want to consider

* a recent article by Greg Gordon raises the potentially critical importance of b. subtilis contaminant found in the Brokaw and New York Post anthrax letters … not connected to Dr. Ivins … and substantially ignored by the FBI

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LMW COMMENT … 

Over two years ago, I proposed three possible scenarios to explain the FBI’s failure to make a compelling case against Dr. Bruce Ivins. Since then, nothing has changed. There are still these three scenarios …

1. The FBI has more evidence against Dr. Ivins but is, for some undisclosed reason, withholding that evidence … POSSIBLE BUT NOT SO LIKELY
2. The FBI, despite the most expensive and extensive investigation in its history, has not solved the case and has no idea who prepared and mailed the anthrax letters that killed 5 Americans in 2001 … EVEN LESS LIKELY
3. The FBI knows who did it (not Dr. Ivins) but is covering up the actual perpetrators, for undisclosed reasons …THE MOST LIKELY SCENARIO

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* McClatchy should nominate Greg Gordon’s Amerithrax -subtilis piece for a Pulitzer

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http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/04/20/112520/was-fbi-too-quick-to-judge-anthrax.html

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