Mystery of the 2001 anthrax attacks solved?

That is the main problem; the terrorist or psychopath that did it is still at large.

Most likely it's a group, that works directly in Washington, DC.
( MY speculation)

My opinion is that it was a lone or no more than two or three involved and was a one-shot deal which was dissapointing to the perpertrator(s). It did cost some lives and a lot of money spent to protect the postal system but the timing was curious only in that it poured salt in the wound of the Twin Towers tragedy. That most of the letters were sent to liberal politicians and news media personnel doesn't fall into Al Queda's plan of attack. I don't believe they will ever find the individual or individuals unless a wary friend or relative turns them in like what happened to the Unibomber.

The anthrax was in the end proven to stem from US military laboratories, right? To be of a kind/type/purity that "marked" it as being from there? I saw a (mainstream press) story on that just a month or two ago, was surprised it didnt get more coverage.

Well, nimh, that just was the reason for this question.

Although, I can't understand (well, actually I can :wink: ) that with these murdered Americans and all the media reports about it - now no-one really seems to learn the truth.

Well, obviously, US investigators and police are not so successful in finding the murderer(s) of the five killed persons until today.

[Lab tests of soil samples taken from a Frederick pond that the FBI drained in June have shown no traces of anthrax bacteria, law enforcement sources said.

The FBI spent about $250,000 and three weeks draining 1.45 million gallons of water from the pond in the Frederick Municipal Forest in a search for evidence, including clothing and soil samples, that might lead to the culprit who sent the deadly anthrax bacteria in the mail that killed five people and sickened 17 others in the fall of 2001. ]


However, the "main suspect" now comes back in the headlines:

Hmmm, if only Dr. David Kelly had been more willing to litigate.

I'm not aware of any link?

That's quoted from Walter's post with my "insert Dr. Kelly" note.

Both Doctor Kelly and Doctor Hatfill were publically identified to the detriment of their respective reputations, both were scientists who had worked for the government.

One wants to litigate, the other apparently killed himself in the woods. I wish that Dr. Kelly had considered a lawsuit rather than a knife.

Oh - I get it! That makes sense. I can see the parallel.

I was wondering what the suggested link between Kelly and the Anthrax case was supposed to be ... i.e., I was looking in the wrong corner.

Yeh - you'd wish he'd litigated, instead, indeed. Sad. <nods>.

i think hatfill was the guy, but he didnt want to kill anyone, result of a careless, stupid and crazy "help"he wanted to give

Here are the possibilities:

1) Lone nut, the anthrax version of the Unabomber.
The problem with this theory is that there is a very limited number of people who could cook the anthrax. It should be fairly easy to find such a culprit. With the success of the anthrax attack and all the disruption it caused, you'd think he'd be encouraged to strike again. Most serial killers don't stop until they're caught. Yet this one did stop. Why?

2) Al Qaeda, follow up to Sep 11 attack.
Al Qaeda likes to combine its attacks, so this would make sense. There is a group of nations that support terror groups that might be willing to supply Al Qaeda with poison. If the Sep 11 skyjackers did it, that explains why no more was sent.

3) Iraq. Independent attack.
If Iraq was the sponsor of the Sep 11 attack, then this could be a separate attack by Saddam to get his licks in, too. Such an attack done by professionals would explain the end of the attacks. They didn't have the emotional compulsion to continue. They were professionals.

Take your pick.

Tantor

Problem with that one (and probably with the Iraq one, too) is that, to the best of my knowledge, the anthrax was shown to hail from a US military lab.

Not true. It was based on the Ames virus which was widely distributed around the world as part of agricultural programs. The US military labs were only one of many who had the strain.

Tantor

anthrax 2001 case solved long ago
Boffo Numero Uno, et al:

You're playing the B-movie game: DESPERATELY SEEKING SUE-SAN (sue them dearly): a good mental exercise, sure; pays well; "the FBI always gets its mon'-ey"- but, it wasn't a secret terrorist-cell: The culprit you want is guiltless: less-guilty. Following? Look at the facts: -PLAIN AS DAY-

The anthrax letters were not a terrorist attack -that would have been an anthrax-firecracker at a baseball game-...-but to make the case, known:

Why? -you boffo-laws, ask-... because, like the letter said, "we [he, in literary tense] have this anthrax / You die now [label warning, in literary tense] / ... / Allah is Great [terrifying, in literary tense]"-- the poor guy (well, boffo-poor) believed he was possibly contaminated and the lives of the gentle people associated with him, were in grave danger; he knew it was a secret weapon, and he wasn't guilty of that treason; he wanted the solution made public; and was smart enough to know it was not, a simple pharmaceutical; and, he knew that whoever sent it first, had more....

So he tried to publicize it,- without flashing the public (ooh the hints roll), -medicating symptoms, dosing on inconclusive remedies;- moved from his long-time New Jersey residence, where investigation was hottest, to his Florida residence; -a likeable outspoken guy who could joke about retiring early in the sun;- had visited the world-renown tabloid there; realized the stuff was fast and deadlly, visited his old office, -"moving files,"- lettered top news media from there; a couple US Congressmen;... he was wanting the antidote divulged,- knew it was secret, and the way to break military silence, is to, squeeze civilians in charge of the military, -the big lawyers-... went to Zurich Switzerland where he might retire with immunity (reality puns) and clandestine treatments might be performed;... and sent a letter back to Florida, to let America know he was still wanting to return, home. (The letter was sent to no address in Florida, because like the New Jersey school address, it was a "return" address: only the USPO needed find it.)

So how did he get it? -PLAIN AS DAY-

He [was] a high class private investigator-photographer; knew the people at the Florida tabloid headquarters, (did work for them?); he pressed high profile class action lawsuits, himself; a smarty, tabloid-sort of guy; loved a good photo discovery: his life was photos -and [women] in the photos:- somebody [gave] him something to, explain (perhaps the tabloid passed it to him, asking what it was, where it came from: investigate). One of his letters dropped in New Jersey, advised, "Take penacilin now:" -he'd learnt it was bacterial; and while proper spelling of the medicine is, penicillin, his penacilin, is poena+cilia(n), college latin humor for, pena(lty)+lashes;- he likes to play with words: as was so evident when he later closed his office and "left only a mouse,"- in a cutely legal-toned multi-entendre latin pun equivalent "[culled]" (dead-giveaway FBI evidence). He felt as helpless as a child, so he return-addressed, a school....

That's how, and why, he, got it, and acted,... -PLAIN AS DAY-

So "we" advised the FBI as soon as we recognized what had happened-- gave them the name to investigate; it would have been convenient to believe he'd disappeared among the 9-11-event many;- but clues said, no.

DISCLAIMER: He, of course, doesn't want to be asked if he's the One ... he's guilt-less ... the line between well-intended and good-faith, is fraught with decisions that narrow judgment to too very few;... The Anthrax case was solved almost as soon as it occurred, but the FBI did not want to pay the reward to the guy who explained it from the other side of the US: The FBI wants evidence of crime, to work out the case for where the stuff was actually made. I have nothing to do with any of it, -I'd gotten to know the guy while searching the Internet for an actress-match,- but somebody did send local assassins last year ago;... the FBI doesn't know who gave it to the Florida tabloid, in the first place; organized crime fits into the "picture" (puns again) now; -probably lost one or more of their own to it first and buried covertly (pun?);... And, who gave it them, is more to investigate....

Thanks for your response, adult.basic.educator, and welcome to A2K!

I hope they do find whoever was involved. It was a terrorist act and should be prosecuted as such.

Takes a long time, though, but if it was't "just ordínary criminal" ....

probably it´s already time-barred ....