posted on October 8, 2001 08:35:17 PM
Sad isn't it? Now, hopefully, the FBI can find this 'intern'. On another thread on that same MSNBC site, (the same story but added statements):
Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., said CDC officials told him that "human intervention" was the likely cause of contamination.
"This is not the type of thing you would do by accident, or just inadvertently," he said.
Other experts said on Monday they could think of no natural explanation for men who worked in a newspaper office to become infected with the spores.
"It is unheard of that you would find spores in a building like this," said Theresa Koehler, an anthrax expert at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston.
Newsweek magazine reported on its Web site Monday that the office received a "weird love letter to Jennifer Lopez" a week before the Sept. 11 attacks. Inside was what was described as a "soapy, powdery substance" and a Star of David charm. The letter was handled by both Stevens and Blanco, according to unidentified workers cited by Newsweek.
Bennet Bolton, a senior reporter for The National Enquirer, told The Associated Press on Monday about a "cryptic" e-mail sent to the staff in late August or early September by an intern who worked in the newsroom this summer. "It intrigued us that he left such a cryptic farewell," Bolton said. "It was rather neutral and then he said, 'I left you a surprise for you to remember me by. Ha ha, just kidding.'"
I hope they find that low life. 500 people now being tested to see if they're infected with a fatal disease...real funny.
posted on October 8, 2001 08:39:29 PM
I'm too tired to try and find the URL from a site I read this morning. And I don't remember if it was from the same area or not....but it was about two people who had received a 'white powdery substance' in an envelope they received in their mail boxes. Both reported the incidents and they were being checked in to. Police in that area told residents (in the area) if they received any mail that was similar, not to open it but call them right away.
posted on October 9, 2001 02:53:31 AM
The terrorists already have the pathogens here in the U.S., that's why they were looking at the crop dusting planes. They must have a lot of it too if they were considering using crop dusters.
There should be no doubt that these groups will use any means necessary to kill Americans and destroy the United States.
Until the West declares total war on the populations, economies, and cultures that actively and passively support the terrorists, every man woman and child in the U.S. is marked for death.
The intention of Islamic fundementalists is clear. It is taught in fundementalist Mosqes in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Sudan, Libia, Egypt, Indonesia, and the U.S.; Americans are Devils that need to be exterminated.
If we wait, or don't do the job completely, it is just a matter of time before the terrorists unleash nuclear and/or effective bio attacks on the U.S..
The current U.S. strategy of going after the "evil" people will have 2 results. The drain on the economy for living in a high security state and military actions, both for a prolonged period of time, will bring real economic pain to the U.S. - thus far the budget surplus is history, and the Social Security "lock box" has been pried wide open. The second outcome will be the realization that after the terrorist support system in uncovered and it is seen how wide spread the terrorists support is, will the West have the political will to act decisivly against this support system ?
Americans are a good and compassionate people with a long fuse. But the fuse has been lit and gets shorter as more Americans are murdered.
A third possible case of Anthrax has been reported in Virginia.
posted on October 9, 2001 04:54:23 AM
I just really don't think the terrorists have any understanding of the mind set of the American culture and the English culture from which it springs, or they would never have tweaked the lion's beard so hard.
They think that because of our material comforts we are a weak willed people who will never risk our comfort. They don't understand that they have broken that comfort and there is no advantage in leaving them alone anymore. If they think such outward signs as TV culture and jeans mean weakness they should remember we are the cultural heirs of the British who grabbed three quarters of the globe away from the rest of humanity and casually ran the gutters in blood of any who opposed them while sitting in their lace and powdered wigs sipping tea. It was never worth the price before to run them down but they have foolishly made your average american housewife want her sons and husband to track these ugly suckers down and bring their huevos home in a jar so she knows her grandchildren are safe. It won't be pretty.
posted on October 9, 2001 05:17:05 AM
I don't think the Islamic fundementalists have wreaked enough carnage yet on Americans for the necessary killing to be done.
If they're smart, the terrorists will back off for a few years, wait for our complacency, and hit us with any weapons of mass destruction they can when the time is right. That's why the U.S. can't wait and must be thorough.
Terrorism is carried out by those who know they can't win, but can make the other side lose. In this strategy, the terrorist organization's own ultimate destruction is a given. But the terrorist tries by any means possible to see that the enemies price is as high as possible. There are nations supporting these terrorist groups covertly. They wait to reap the benefits if the U.S. should be destroyed or badly crippled.
Bin Laden, Hamas, and all the other fundementalist groups know they can never build an overt nation, for that would only give the U.S. an easy target to destroy.
They really don't care what happens over and above the destruction of the U.S..
posted on October 9, 2001 06:58:32 AM
That's right, and that's why the same old bombing program is both useless and dangerous to us. The world will tire of it quickly, and the support that is perceived now will disapear to be replaced by pressure to cease.
And it will cease with all manner of claims that the real mission was accomplished. The active portions of the terrorist groups will quiet and work behind the scenes to accomplish another stunning attack in the future. Does anyone really believe that Gadaffi is now docile? It should be obvious that Saddam is not. They may not be actively participating now, but they are seething still.
Yet now four UN workers have been killed by bombing and the UN is making demands for increased safety for civilians. There is unrest throughout the middle east, and there are protests world wide. It's only the third day and the US is warning that bombing may extend to other countries. It won't be long before our actions are perceived as excessive and unproductive by the very people we need to support the US in order to pull the actions off.
posted on October 9, 2001 07:07:45 AM
The Virginia case was a "false alarm" but the librarian at the same Florida tabloid has been confirmed as exposed according to the company manager.
posted on October 9, 2001 11:52:04 AM
krs- I don't believe the bombing is strategic, it is tactical. I hope the Air Force destroys every moving vehicle and usable piece of equipment in Afghanistan before ground troops go in.
posted on October 9, 2001 12:28:45 PM
I believe I heard on the radio this morning that the intern had been interviewed and has been cleared. The "surprise" he left for his co-workers was bagels and cream cheese.
posted on October 10, 2001 11:34:02 AM
CNN was just updating the FL Anthrax cases...
It would be absolutely horrible to be one of the employees who is awaiting the test results - I'm sure hours feel like days to them.
CNN reported that authorities are speculating this is a man-made strain from at least a decade ago that originated in Iowa. At least that is what I understood - sounds pretty far-fetched to me (but then again flying an airliner filled with passengers into the WTC sounded unlikely at one time).
