[EMAIL PROTECTED] (Major Variola ret) writes: > http://www.nj.com/mercer/times/index.ssf?/mercer/times/02-19-IZAR1IUB.html > > [Ed note: now taking bets on how long after apprehension the suspect > hangs himself fnord in jail] > > Expert: Anthrax suspect ID'd > > 02/19/02 > > By JOSEPH DEE Staff Writer > > PRINCETON BOROUGH -- An advocate for the control of biological weapons > who has been gathering information about last autumn's anthrax attacks > said yesterday the Federal Bureau of Investigation has a strong hunch > about who mailed the deadly letters. > > But the FBI might be "dragging its feet" in pressing charges because > the suspect is a former government scientist familiar with "secret > activities that the government would not like to see disclosed," > said Barbara Hatch Rosenberg, director of the Federation of American > Scientists' Chemical and Biological Weapons Program. > > Rosenberg, who spoke to about 65 students, faculty members and others > at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at > Princeton University, said the FBI has known of the suspect since > October and, according to her "government insider" sources, has > interrogated him more than once. > > The investigation into five anthrax-laced letters and several other > hoax letters -- all mailed last fall, including several processed by > Trenton Main Post Office in Hamilton -- was the focus of Rosenberg's > talk. She also gave her thoughts about what the government should do > to control biological weapons. > > "There are a number of insiders -- government insiders -- who know > people in the anthrax field who have a common suspect," Rosenberg > said. "The FBI has questioned that person more than once, . . . so it > looks as though the FBI is taking that person very seriously." > > She said it is quite possible the suspect is a scientist who formerly > worked at the U.S. government's military laboratory at Fort Detrick, > Md. > > Rosenberg said she has been gathering information from press reports, > congressional hearings, Bush administration news conferences and > government insiders she would not name. > > During a brief question-and-answer session after her talk, one man > wondered whether biological agents truly pose significant dangers to > the public, given the limited number of deaths and illnesses caused by > five anthrax-laced letters. > > Without mentioning other biological agents that are far more deadly > and contagious than anthrax, Rosenberg said the potential for a > biological attack is "catastrophic." > > Another man wondered if the FBI and other investigators might be > focusing too narrowly on one scientist, saying, "New Jersey is the > epicenter of the international pharmaceutical industry," and many > people in those labs presumably have the skills to handle and refine > anthrax. > > "I think your argument would have been a good one earlier on, but > I think that the results of the analyses (of the letters and the > anthrax in them) show that access to classified information was > essential," Rosenberg said. "And that rules out most of the people in > the pharmaceutical industry. . . . It's possible, but they would have > had to have access to the information," Rosenberg said. > > Picking up the conversational thread, another man said, "People know a > lot, and it's a question of what they choose to focus their knowledge > on. Things are invented in parallel," he said. > > -- -- -- > > She said the evidence points to a person who has experience handling > anthrax; who has been vaccinated and has received annual booster > shots; and who had access to classified government information about > how to chemically treat the bacterial spores to keep them from > clumping together, which allows them to remain airborne. > > "We can draw a likely portrait of the perpetrator as a former > Fort Detrick scientist who is now working for a contractor in the > Washington, D.C., area," Rosenberg said. "He had reason for travel > to Florida, New Jersey and the United Kingdom. . . . There is also > the likelihood the perpetrator made the anthrax himself. He grew it, > probably on a solid medium and weaponized it at a private location > where he had accumulated the equipment and the material. > > "We know that the FBI is looking at this person, and it's likely that > he participated in the past in secret activities that the government > would not like to see disclosed," Rosenberg said. "And this raises the > question of whether the FBI may be dragging its feet somewhat and may > not be so anxious to bring to public light the person who did this. > > "I know that there are insiders, working for the government, who know > this person and who are worried that it could happen that some kind of > quiet deal is made that he just disappears from view," Rosenberg said. > > "This, I think, would be a really serious outcome that would send a > message to other potential terrorists, that (they) would think they > could get away with it. > > "So I hope that doesn't happen, and that is my motivation to continue > to follow this and to try to encourage press coverage and pressure on > the FBI to follow up and publicly prosecute the perpetrator." > > -- -- -- > > She expressed disappointment that the U.S. government last July > decided against signing an international biological weapons treaty > that would ban nations from developing such weapons. > > "It became clear from congressional testimony that the reason for this > rejection was the need to protect our secret projects," Rosenberg > said. > > During the question-and-answer period, one woman said, "I'm not sure > that I understood you completely, but it seems to me that the United > States government has a double-standard," of wanting other nations > to comply with a weapons ban but wanting freedom to pursue its own > program. > > "I'm totally shocked by this information," she said, sending a wave of > laughter through the lecture hall. > > "They make no bones about it," Rosenberg replied. "On many occasions > they've argued that rules should be for the bad guys, not the good > guys." > > Rosenberg said she worries about an "enormous increase" in money in > the Bush budget for research into bioterrorism agents. "There is > already a rush for this funding," she said. > > The number of researchers and labs ought to be tightly controlled, > she said. Under the current budget proposal, however, she says the > government will be spreading money around to "a lot more people and a > lot more laboratories around the country from which bioterrorists can > emerge, as one just did. > > "By spreading around this access and this knowledge, we're asking for > trouble.'
