An Unsatisfying End to the Anthrax Attacks Mystery
The FBI reportedly was ready to charge an Army scientist, but he apparently committed suicide this week
Nearly seven years after a series of anthrax attacks unnerved a nation still jittery from September 11, there finally appears to be some resolution to the question of who was behind the mysterious, deadly envelopes.
Bruce Ivins, a leading U.S. military anthrax researcher, apparently committed suicide this week as federal investigators were reportedly preparing to indict him on charges of staging the attacks on several Capitol Hill offices and news organizations.
The ending might be unsatisfying to those who wanted to see the mastermind hauled into court and hear his motivations explained. But it also could help close the book on a puzzling, for a time terrifying, incident that threatened to paralyze a vulnerable nation in a state of fear.
After tainted envelopes were discovered on Capitol Hill and in several newsrooms in October 2001, the sight of hazmat teams clad in puffy space suits and gas masks became a common spectacle on the evening news. Several Senate offices were closed for months, along with a Washington postal sorting facility where two employees died from contamination.
The appearance of white powder (whether from anthrax or the powdered sugar from a doughnut) routinely triggered evacuations and quarantines. In mailrooms across the country, workers began wearing gloves and masks. And the federal government started irradiating all incoming mail, delaying delivery and turning letters into yellowed, crispy wafers. Some even worried that the entire U.S. Postal Service might have to shut down.
At the time, U.S. News quoted magazine editor Geoff Van Dyke, who watched as New York police and the National Guard sealed off his street, as saying, "What is this world coming to? Will this ever end?"
Many, unsurprisingly, were quick to blame al Qaeda, which a month earlier had managed to destroy the World Trade Center. And Osama bin Laden has remained a top suspect in the minds of many.
But there was never any proof of al Qaeda's involvement, and the FBI, which some have accused of botching the case, has long focused most of its attention on government scientists. For a while, the bureau named Steven Hatfill as a "person of interest." Hatfill, a former colleague of Ivins at the Fort Detrick biodefense laboratory, was later awarded $5.82 million after he sued the U.S. government for falsely accusing him of staging the attacks.
More recently, it appears that FBI investigators had turned their attention to other scientists, including Ivins. No formal indictment has been released, although reports say that prosecutors were planning to seek the death penalty. It remains unclear whether any other scientists were believed to be involved.
The FBI reportedly has had Ivins under intense scrutiny for more than a year. His lawyer told the Associated Press that the scientist had cooperated with investigators. "We are saddened by his death and disappointed that we will not have the opportunity to defend his good name and reputation in a court of law," attorney Paul F. Kemp said. "We assert his innocence in these killings and would have established that at trial."
Given the high profile of the case—and the unexpected twist of Ivins's death—the Justice Department will likely need to make its evidence public in some manner and respond to doubters that it had finally found the right suspect.
Still, Ivins's death may mean that questions about how and why the attack was staged will never be fully answered.
Reader Comments
"Weapons grade anthrax" mystery still unsolved
The gaping hole is whether Mr. Ivins had co-conspirators. The smoking gun is the second batch of anthrax spores (weapons grade) that were mailed to Senators Tom Daschle and Patrick Leahy.
Apparently, the spores were coated with a polyglass which tightly bound hydrophilic silica to each particle. In addition they had been imparted with an electrostatic charge ("The Russian Recipe"). The FBI has not released evidence that Mr. Ivins had access to such equipment, nor the expertise to perform this process.
Another crock
Dr. Philip Zack: dozens of lethal doses of anthrax disappeared on his watch. He was even videotaped entering the building late in the evening after it was closed. He was never investigated by the FBI. Zack was a known bigot against his Arab co-workers. Anthrax letters contained messages like "death to America", "death to Israel", "Allah is great". Zack lost his job at Ft. Detrick because of his racist comments. Dr. Zack is Jewish.
Jerome Hauer: Advised White House officials to begin taking Cipro on 9/11/01. Judicial Watch later sues to find out why only the White House and it's staffers, not congressional members, were put on Cipro. And how did they know the Anthrax was coming. Hauer is also Jewish.
Bush Admin: immediately blamed the anthrax attack on al-qaeda in order to push the patriot act on congress without allowing them the time to read it in its entirety. Media was also encouraged to blame al-qaeda when no evidence was available to implicate al-qaeda.
John O'Neill: World's leading expert on Osama bin Laden and terrorist organizations including al-qaeda. Told Jerome Hauer the night before 9/11 that something very very bad was probably going to happen in Afghanistan. Hauer had recently convinced O'Neill to take a security position at the WTC complex, being told he must start the first week of September. O'Neill never survived to give us his expert opinion on what really happened.
Jerome Hauer: Good friend of Rudolph Giuliani. Convinced Giuliani to place his office of emergency management right next to the twin towers. The public, including members of emergency response, were outraged as they believed it was too close to two buildings that were obvious terrorist targets. On 9/11 Giuliani had to set up emergency management elsewhere as his own office of emergency management in World Trade Center 7 was being evacuated because it was so close to the two towers. World Trade Center 7 was taken down on 9/11 by controlled demolition according to its owner Larry Silverstein.
The Dancing Israeli's: Five Israeli intelligence officials set up cameras towards the two towers on 9/11. When they started screaming, dancing and celebrating, neighbors reported them. FBI later located them and were suspicious because their van contained boxcutters, maps of the city, thousands of dollars. When bomb sniffing dogs were brought in the dogs reacted as if they smelled explosives. One detained member told an officer; "We are Israelis. We are not your problem. Your problems are our problems. The Palestinians are your problem". Another detainee stated "Now America knows what we go through". The officers were confused as to why these statements were made. Several days later the dancing israelis were released.
Connect the dots.
Condolences and Questions
My condolences to the Ivins family. They need time to grieve, but a number of questions need to be answered in the coming months.
Was he innocent, uncharged, and driven to suicide as his lawyer states? His name can be cleared or the apparent charges can be substantiated.
To further clear his name:
-Was Dr. Ivin's DNA on the stamps or the envelopes sent to Capitol Hill?
-Does handwriting analysis confirm a match?
-Based on travel records, was it possible for Dr. Ivin's to mail the deadly letters?
If guilty:
-Did he act alone?
-Was this a case of a mad scientist seeking financial gain like the stereotypes in the movies?
-How were victims picked?
-Did Dr. Ivins spend any time in South Africa?
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