“It Was Ivins, With a Flask, 200 Miles from the Site of the Crime”

[suffragette]

emptywheel is on a roll over at firedoglake in analyzing the FBI's presentation of their evidence.

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/08/06/it-was-ivins-with-a-flask-200-miles-from-the-site-of-the-crime/

Small excerpt:
I just finished watching the DOJ/FBI press conference on the anthrax investigation, and our crack DOJ wants us to believe that, by providing a lot of circumstantial evidence that places Bruce Ivins in the same room as a flask full of anthrax used in the attack, they've proven not only that Ivins was involved in the crime, but that he was the only one involved in the crime.

In other words, they haven't solved this crime, but they want us to all go away and pretend they have.

Specifically, the only evidence that Ivins actually drove to Princeton to mail the anthrax is that he could have. And that he had a latent obsession for sorority girls from sorority that had an office--but not girls--in the vicinity of the mailbox in question. And that he had a porn-related post office box in an area where it was possible to buy the envelopes used in the crime (though you could probably say that about 300,000 other people had ready access to post offices that also had the same envelopes available). Oh, and by the way, there's no reason to tie Ivins with the handwriting that appeared on those envelopes that so many other people could have gotten, either.

~snip~

But don't worry, the FBI says. We've got Ivins 200 miles away and no real motive and no real evidence tying him to the emptying the flask, but since we used some really cool science to place Ivins with the flask, that should be good enough for you.


I share her skepticism.

[defendandprotect]

1. Who would believe this garbage . . . ?

Supposedly this guy was around for 7 years and they didn't notice him?

What BS ---

Leahy and Mukasey had some words at the hearing last week which probably

prompted a push -- and Ivins was the fall guy.

[suffragette]

15. Yep, designated fall guy and they thought they had it all lined up

Friday news dump, compliant media lined up to take dictation of their assertions , emphatic announcement of case will be closed. I think they thought they'd have the door closed on this by Monday at latest.

But they were wrong. People kept asking pesky questions about it all. So they had to leak out info and selectively did that. When that didn't work either, they had to throw this mess together. Still selective presentation of the info full of holes and unsubstantiated claims and still not convincing.

[tridim]

2. The writers of "Die Hard" were apparently right about the FBI.

I didn't believe it at the time, but I do now.

Assuming the FBI isn't lying for the BFEE (which is a leap, I know), there's no other explaination, they are complete flunky idiots.

[Muttocracy]

3. beautiful summary of the mystery science theater. nt

[magellan]

4. Ivins had to die

...because the government had NOTHING. Their case would have never held up in a fair trial. This was the only way they could put the matter to rest and add another checkmark to Bush**'s "success" column.

Another mission accomplished moment.

Another mockery of justice to prop up the hollow shell of our former democracy.

[suffragette]

7. An absolute mockery of justice

and of the American people.

[Supersedeas]

18. the timing is also curious--Hatfill payoff--Duley complaint--Ivins death--Case closed

[truedelphi]

5. Now if only one of the sorority girls could

Find his passport, covered in anthrax (Or similar white powder) under her bed, we'd have a closed case.

[ColbertWatcher]

6. k+r. n/t

[robertpaulsen]

8. Great analogy. The FBI has been treating this investigation like a friggin game of Clue.

This paragraph stood out for me:

And, as I've said twice already, if they take their "motive" seriously: a desire to make sure anthrax vaccines were continued, a desire to pass the PATRIOT Act, and a reason to dislike Daschle and Leahy, Scooter Libby (who also lived in an area where he could have gotten those envelopes) and Dick Cheney had much stronger motives for sending the anthrax.


Interesting to learn that about Scooter Libby. We know that Cheney was in the vicinity on the evening of 9/11, thanks to DUer Virginian:


15. This really got my attention.
White House Mail Machine Has Anthrax
By Sandra Sobieraj
Associated Press Writer
Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2001; 8:11 p.m. EDT

snip

At least some White House personnel were given Cipro six weeks ago. White House officials won't discuss who might be receiving the anthrax-treating antibiotic now.

On the night of the Sept. 11 attacks, the White House Medical Office dispensed Cipro to staff accompanying Vice President Dick Cheney as he was secreted off to the safety of Camp David, and told them it was "a precaution," according to one person directly involved. (Emphasis added)



Camp David is only about 15 miles from Ft. Detrick, Maryland! On Route 15, you pass by Ft Detrick (Frederick, MD) to get to Camp David (Thurmont, MD). They both show up on Google Earth.

I had heard about the Cipro, but I didn't know that Cheney's undisclosed location was Camp David. I thought it was on Maryland's Eastern Shore, near Wye Island.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3715949#3719082

[suffragette]

9. That paragraph stood out for me as well

Thought I'd copied and pasted it too, so I'm glad you added it here.

Didn't know about Cheney's location. Very interesting!

[Jazzgirl]

19. I always thought it was so bizarre to hear about Cheney

being spirited off to an undisclosed location so often. *shrub wasn't ever spirited off, just Cheney. It was like he deserved more protection than the president. I always thought that was extremely weird.

On edit: I always thought he was the one really running things and *shrub was the puppet on stage.

[many a good man]

10. After all these years, this is the best they can do?

This regime earns a place in the wannabee dictatorship hall of shame!

[underpants]

11. OF COURSE he had a porn mailbox

I mean-would the story be complete without it????

[bicentennial_baby]

12. It goes well with the sorority obsession

:crazy:

[underpants]

13. and he drove 4 hours (each way) to fulfill it

Who DOESN'T have 8 hours (straight turnaround) that they can't account for with their wife???

[bicentennial_baby]

14. Exactly...That DOJ is s-m-r-t

:rofl:

[EFerrari]

17. It makes you wonder if these FBI mfers ever bothered to look

for the same batch of envelopes in New Jersey. Maybe that would be expecting too much.

[mhatrw]

16. I'm sorry, but the FBI's case against Dr. Bruce Ivins is airtight.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3747181

[tjwash]

20. WTF?? Are FBI agents playing CLUE now?

:banghead:

[mainer]

21. Does anyone else think Duley will be "suicided" next?

She's helping the FBI make their case. Now she's in an undisclosed location. What do you want to bet she'll end up "killing herself" because of the stress of the case?

It would keep her from admitting that she was forced into making up this stuff.