Were racist military researchers behind anthrax attacks in 2001?

[ck4829]

On October 2, 2001 (three days before the first fatality from anthrax in the 2001 domestic US terrorism attacks), FBI Agent Gregory Leylegian called and asked Ayaad Assaad, a microbiologist, to come in for questioning, which he did the next day. The FBI had received an anonymous letter, postmarked September 21, 2001, in which an alleged co-worker warned that Dr. Assaad might be planning a biological attack. The timing is noteworthy because anthrax-victim Robert Stevens was not admitted to a Florida hospital until October 2nd, and he was not diagnosed with anthrax until October 3rd. The first set of letters containing real anthrax were mailed on September 18th.

The 212-word letter sent to the FBI was unsigned and computer-typed. It stated, in part: "Dr. Assaad is a potential biological terrorist. <...> I have worked with Dr. Assaad and I heard him say that he has a vendetta against the U.S. government and that if anything happens to him, he told his sons to carry on." According to Assaad: "The letter-writer clearly knew my entire background, my training in both chemical and biological agents, my security clearance, what floor where I work now, that I have two sons, what train I take to work, and where I live."<5> Don Foster concluded it was sent by a female officer at Ft. Detrick.

The FBI cleared Dr. Assaad of these allegations, according to Chris Murray, an FBI spokesman (as reported in Salon): "We received an anonymous letter with certain allegations about Dr. Assaad. Our investigation has determined those allegations are unfounded. Our investigation is complete. Period."

In 1991, when working at USAMRIID, Dr. Assaad filed a formal complaint against co-workers including Philip Zack and Marion Rippy for racial harassment. The USAMRIID Commander, Col. Ronald Williams, investigated and ruled in Assaad's favor, singling out Zack and Rippy for leading the so-called "Camel Club" which had anonymously sent Assaad an eight-page insulting poem. According to Salon magazine: "The Army investigation documents further revealed that the two (Zack and Rippy), both married, were also having an affair." Col. Williams wrote to Assaad: "Based upon your complaint, I directed that an informal investigation be conducted. The investigation revealed that Lieutenant Colonel Zack and Dr. Rippy had participated in discriminatory behavior. On behalf of the United States of America, the Army, and this Institute, I wish to genuinely and humbly apologize for this behavior." Both Zack and Rippy were reprimanded. Zack left USAMRIID in December 1991, Rippy left in February 1992. Assaad stayed on until March 1997.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayaad_Assaad

Zach and Rippy found to be doing unauthorized research.

After Zack had been fired from Fort Detrick, a surveillance camera recorded him being let in at 8:40 p.m. on Jan. 23, 1992, apparently by Dr. Marian Rippy. Salon magazine ran a story by Laura Rozen on January 26, 2002, which reported that Zack was among those: "eager to continue working on projects USAMRIID said they should stop. What followed, the documents reveal, were scientists sneaking into the Army biowarfare lab to work on pet projects after-hours and on weekends, former workers like Zack, who left in 1991, still being let in to do lab work, pressure applied to technicians to help out, documents going missing, and deliberate mislabeling of specimens among other efforts to hide unsanctioned lab work."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Zack

[Burma Jones]

1. There's an active Klan presence in Frederick County, MD, home of Ft. Detrick

and a couple of John Birch Society billboards......This wouldn't surprise me at all.

[razors edge]

2. .

[Warpy]

3. Not a cat in hell's chance

although the administration would love to see somebody else fingered.

Consider the victims. Consider they were all people who threatened Junior in some way or another: journalists and top Democrats. Consider that the first death was in a man who had published an embarrassing photo of the shitfaced drunk twins. Consider that the attacks shut the GOP led House down but failed to shut the Senate down by ONE VOTE, thanks to Jeffords, who had tossed the leadership to the Democrats when he defected.

We came very close to a dictatorship as a result of those attacks.

Had this been a racist proposition, no attempt to fill those envelopes in a containment facility would have happened. In fact, the anthrax would have been delivered into any predominately black area by somebody throwing handfuls of it up into the air. Weaponized anthrax volatizes very quickly and is extremely difficult to contain outside a facility dedicated to it. The attack by a racist would have the kill rate in the target group as high as possible, not be precisely targeted toward one's own race.

This was an attempt on any opposition to the crime family in control of this country. Any other interpretation is bogus.

[yardwork]

5. I agree. The fact that the perpetrators are probably racist white males is incidental

to the fact that the perpetrators in chief are racist white males. I mean, inside the Klan or inside the White House, what's the difference with this crew in charge?

[Richard Steele]

7. Hateful misanthropes like Zack & Rippy make useful tools for folks with bigger plans.

Certainly, they weren't the MASTERMINDS; but what if they
were pawns who produced the stuff and handed it off?

If not, then why was she letting him back into the lab after
he'd been fired? They must have been doing SOMETHING in there.
Has anyone ever determined what?

[Scriptor Ignotus]

4. I assume the anthrax was sent by white, Christian pro-America

males - which is why nobody was ever prosecuted. I don't think the Feds wanted to bring in a "real American" for these crimes. It would undermine the War on Terror.

But who knows....?

[electropop]

6. Two words: Bill Frist

Anthrax was an effective tool to ram through the "Patriot" act.