Scientist pulls media into suit over anthrax probe

[dray178355]

I looked and looked but didn't see this posted. If it's a dupe please delete. Thanks.

Los Angeles Times
Published December 19, 2004

WASHINGTON -- A former Army scientist investigated in the 3-year-old anthrax attacks subpoenaed several news organizations Friday seeking information about the government sources they used to write stories linking him to the probe.

The subpoenas, directed at The Washington Post, The Associated Press and National Public Radio, among others, are part of a lawsuit that former scientist Steven Hatfill has filed against the Justice Department and the FBI.

The suit alleges that U.S. officials, including Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft, smeared Hatfill's reputation through a series of public statements and private leaks that implicated him in the probe of the anthrax-laced letters that killed five people in late 2001.

The mystery of who sent the deadly letters remains unsolved. No charges have been brought in the case. Hatfill--once described by Ashcroft as a "person of interest" in the case--has strongly denied any involvement.

more.....at link

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-press18dec18,1,2459601.story?coll=la-headlines-nation

[dray178355]

1. Friday dump

Looks like the MSM dumped this on Friday. I'm no Hatfill fan but I think this guy got screwed. I used to think it was him but he's been adamant about clearing his name. I just checked yahoo and it looks like the story was released Thursday.

I used to think that the culprit was someone like him. I'm beginning to think it really was "someone of interest" but they have closer ties to "people of importance" and they are trying to make this story go away. My God, this was an attack on some of the most prominent people in the country. Why the hell hasn't this case been given priority? John Ashcrogt's DOJ in action and they've scared the hell out of the MSM so this case will never have prominence or be resolved.

Here's part of the AP's article at yahoo. Please rate it so we can get it in the most popular or a link on the front page. The subpoenas were issued Thursday and I haven't seen anything on this all weekend.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041218/ap_on_re_us/anthrax_hatfill_lawsuit_2

Hatfill Subpoenas News Organizations

Fri Dec 17, 7:48 PM ET

U.S. National - AP

By SAM HANANEL, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The scientist described by government officials as a "person of interest" in the 2001 anthrax attacks wants reporters to identify sources who provided them information about the Justice Department (news - web sites)'s investigation.

Dr. Steven Hatfill sent subpoenas to The Associated Press and other news organizations that produced stories about him based on government leaks.

The AP received its subpoena late Thursday. It asks for all documents relating to Hatfill that the AP received from any federal employee. It also seeks to depose an AP representative in February.

AP will oppose the subpoena, said assistant general counsel Dave Tomlin. Reporters long have argued that the Constitution's guarantee of a free press shields them from being forced to disclose what they have learned in confidence.

"News organizations are supposed to gather news, as opposed to spending their time performing research and testifying in court on behalf of various parties with axes to grind," Tomlin said.

[Robbien]

5. News organizations are supposed to gather news, as opposed

spending their time performing research?

If that is what they believe, no wonder they are getting sued. I hope this guy sues the pants of the so called liberal media and perhaps then they will reconsider that "performing research" part of their duties.

[zann725]

7. I forgot about the Amthrax scare targeting several MSM anchors.

No doubt that contributed to their 'falling in line' behind the Company message...as it continues to do today.

No doubt the origin of this story leads straight back to you-know-where, just like the Valerie Plame leak. Only the MSM media will never cover it...for fear of their lives...literally.

These people are scarey.

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Is Hatfill a Republican or a Democrat?

I'm wondering, because, if he is top in his field and if he's a Democrat, I'm inclined to believe that they went after the one man who could help us? Is that too tinged in tin foil?

[Old and In the Way]

3. I never heard why this administration took Cipro right before the

Anthrax attacks started. Cipro is not a recommended preventitive antidote. So why take it?

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. Why indeed. Possibly for the same reason that Aschcroft

stopped flying commercial planes.

[reprobate]

9. You may also recall that the entire white house staff took cipro,

On Sept. 11, 2001, in the afternoon IIRC. I always wondered if they got their dates confused between the scheduled attack on WTC and the scheduled attacks on the media with anthrax.

Let's be honest, if we had a MSM that cared at all about their real function, which is to inform the people, and their gov't assigned function, which is to support the administration, we wouldn't be in this downward spiral.

[bin.dare]

6. remember all those dead scientists in Oct/Nov 2003 ?

recap from dejavu:

http://www.winterboy.com/dejavu23.html

Here’s a short timeline of the microbiologists' deaths during the anthrax scare:

* October 3, 2001: The first anthrax case is officially diagnosed in Florida.
* October 4, 2001: A commercial jetliner (not a charter as initially reported), Air Sibir #1812, traveling from Israel to Novosibirsk, Siberia is shot down over the Black Sea by an ‘errant’ Ukrainian surface-to-air missile. The missile is over 100 miles off-course. All on board are killed.
According to press reports, the plane had as many as five microbiologists- involved in classified research- on board. Both Israel and Novosibirsk are homes for cutting-edge microbiological research. Novosibirsk is known as the scientific capital of Siberia, home to over 50 research facilities and 13 accredited universities- among a population of only 2.5 million people.
The Israeli intelligence agency Mossad rushes to the site; the names of the dead scientists are blocked from release.

* November 12, 2001: Microbiologist Dr. Benito Que is engaged in DNA sequencing that would provide “a genetic marker based on genetic profiling;” the research could play an important role in developing weaponized pathogens that identify and attack selected groups of humans by race. Que hurriedly leaves his laboratory in the Miami Medical School after receiving a telephone call. Shortly afterward he is found comatose in the school parking lot. He dies without regaining consciousness.
Police initially report the attack a mugging by four men armed with a baseball bat, but later say Que suffered a heart attack. His family also at first insists that four men attacked the scientist; the inquest returns a verdict of death by natural causes.
Dr. Que had shared research with Dr. Don Wiley and MoD’s Dr. David Kelly (both also on this list).

* November 12: DynCorp, a major US government contractor for data processing, covert military operations and intelligence work (for pipeline protection and the War on Drugs in Columbia and elsewhere), is awarded a $322 million contract to develop, produce and store vaccines for the Department of Defense (DoD) along with another defense contractor, Hadron Advanced Biosystems. Hadron had discreetly headhunted Britain’s Dr. David Kelly in the months before his death, and is heavily involved in classified government research programs on communicable diseases.

* November 16: Four days after the death of Dr. Que, molecular biologist Dr. Don C. Wiley, one of the US’s foremost infectious disease researchers, is declared missing. One of the most prominent microbiologists in the world, Wiley had won many of the field's most prestigious awards, including the 1995 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award- for work that could make anti-viral vaccines a reality. He was involved in research on DNA sequencing at Harvard University.
Dr. Wiley was an expert on how the human immune system fights off infections and had recently investigated such dangerous viruses as AIDS, Ebola, herpes and influenza. Like Dr. Que, Wiley had been in recent contact with British MoD’s David Kelly. Dr. Kelly, himself an expert on DNA sequencing when he was head of microbiology at Porton Down (Britain’s chem-bio warfare defense center), had been following the work of both men.

* November 23: Dr. Vladimir Pasechnik, a former microbiologist for Biopreparat- the Soviet biological-weapons production facility- is found dead ten days after he and Dr. Wiley met in Boston to discuss the latest developments in DNA sequencing,

(more, lots more)

[PATRICK]

10. Let me take a wild guess

KGB. Mossad(despite Wolfowitz's naive publicly stated enthusiasm for DNA targeting viruses which could as easily be used to attack Jews as any other group or family). The fact that these people are connected and open and not your private scientist conspiracy to screw up the NWO. IF there is a hand in this I would guess it is a threatened party not the US which seems to be hosting the R&D.

Then again the coverup reflex does lend a lot more shadows than light.

As usual even if anyone makes a lucky guess the people of the respective countries will be the very last to know- if ever.

The DNA time bomb is going off. These cloak and dagger fun and games are doing nothing about the larger issue which will bite fading homo sapiens in its collective obsolete ass one way or another. An evolutionary force released by the natural progression of applied intelligence is inevitable evolution. Or we simply go poof. I think our handling of nuclear knowledge shows how reliable faith in human wisdom and progress is. No guarantee of survival, but the path is inescapable. Paranoid pols and idiotic nation state gambits will not make the way safe or smooth.

[frustrated_lefty]

8. The sad thing is

this man has had a hell of a time finding a job. The hint of a rumor killed his career.