There could be “thousands” of potential suspects in the FBI “Amerithrax” investigation into last fall’s anthrax attacks, many more than previously believed, a senior law enforcement official said yesterday (see GSN, April 8).

A recent government analysis of the anthrax spores found in a letter mailed to Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) indicates that the spores were more sophisticated than any samples previously seen.  The analysis has led investigators to examine the laboratories capable of producing such spores, of which there could be hundreds, according to the FBI.

The investigation into who is responsible for last fall’s anthrax attacks is still centered within the United States, although investigators have not ruled out the involvement of foreign scientists or laboratories, said federal authorities.  They added that they do not expect the investigation to be completed anytime soon (Kevin Johnson, USA Today, April 9).

The FBI, so far, has few leads and little evidence to work with, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Less than a gram of spores was recovered from the Leahy letter.  FBI agents have used a list of 80 questions in their conversations with 5,000 “persons of interest,” including 600 people with specific scientific knowledge, according to U.S. News.  The FBI also has doubled the reward offered in the case to $2.5 million in an attempt to generate more tips (Chitra Ragavan, U.S. News & World Report, April 15).

About Newswire  |  Contact National Journal  |  Re-Use Guidelines

HOME  |  CONTACT US  |  GET INVOLVED  |  SITE MAP

Back to top