Watch Frontline’s “The Anthrax Files”/ PBS

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1. The anthrax attack on the Capitol Hill complex was an attack on the core of American democracy. The investigation is not finished until

   1) the silicon tin signature can be replicated in conditions approximating those of whoever sent it

   2) the entire lineage of every flask of Ames anthrax DNA in the world is traced back to the cow or as closely as possible.

2. Interesting timing for yesterday's FBI Dog and Pony Show.

3. If Ivins had spent months growing anthrax in plates in trash bags or other odd places, then he would have tracked the spores to his car and home. But the FBI found none.

   This is particularly true if Ivins handled them outside the BSL3 and did not shower after handling them.

4. Old Atlantic Lighthouse wrote: "If Ivins had spent months growing anthrax in plates in trash bags or other odd places, then he would have tracked the spores to his car and home. But the FBI found none.

   "This is particularly true if Ivins handled them outside the BSL3 and did not shower after handling them."

   Ivins grew the spores in the autoclave bags in his BSL-3 lab, refined them there, and prepared the letters there. And, he showed after handling them.

   So, you seem to agree that Ivins had the capability.

   It's known that Ivins allowed full autoclave bags to accumulate in his lab for weeks. No one would know if Ivins removed the anthrax from the plates and put empty plates back into the bags.

   Besides, Ivins was accustomed to handling plates with anthrax in them. He did it every day. The only time there was a risk of spores going all over the place would be when he scraped the DRY spores out of the drying dish and into the letters. And, he would have done that task inside of a biosafety cabinet in his BSL-3 lab.

   He was careful, but he still tracked spores into his office and into the locker room and elsewhere. He TWICE did unauthorized cleanups to get rid of the evidence. Remember?

   He wouldn't have tracked the spores home because he showered and disposed of his lab clothes after loading the letters with anthrax. And, since he didn't want fingerprints on the letters, he probably carried them around in a Ziplock bag, and wiped down the outside of the bag with bleach.

   AFTER the attacks, Ivins handled the Daschle letter in his BSL-3 lab in his biosafety cabinet. So, no one would be able to tell if the spores were there from when he prepared the letters prior to mailing them or from when he handled the Daschle letter to test the spore concentration.

   Ed

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