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Tonight, in the
shadow of 9/11,
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a new kind of terror strikes
at the heart of America.
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This is the first death by
Anthrax in the United States
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in more than 25 years.
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This silent
killer is out there.
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You could just simply
open up your mailbox,
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and that could just kill you.
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Every day, it seems as
if more and more people
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are getting sick.
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Panic spreads around the
country as the poisoned letters
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keep coming.
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This can spread very rapidly
and it's very dangerous.
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You could be looking at
thousands of victims.
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Random people seem to
be getting sick and dying.
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Fear and terror is
really at a high.
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The killer has access to
military bioweapons labs.
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Perhaps something has gone on
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that the government
doesn't want us to know.
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Now, we investigate
the top theories
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surrounding the deadly
act of bioterrorism
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that shocked the nation.
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Just who was responsible for
the anthrax attacks of 2001?
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October 2nd,
2001, just a few weeks
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after the 9/11 attacks,
63-year-old Robert Stevens,
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a photo editor for the
"National Enquirer" tabloid,
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stumbles into the ER
with flu-like symptoms.
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Robert Stevens
is showing symptoms
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including high fever,
vomiting, and disorientation.
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And the hospital admits
him with a diagnosis
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of bacterial
meningitis, which is
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swelling of the tissue
around the brain.
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After he's admitted,
within five hours,
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he starts having seizures
and he slips into a coma.
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Very quickly, multiple
organs start failing
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inside of his body,
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and they recognize that
they're in a race against time
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to determine what's
making this man ill.
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When they take a spinal tap
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and subject it to
microscopic analysis,
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they have a a real shock.
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They're surprised to discover
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that it's not
bacterial meningitis.
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This man has been
infected with anthrax.
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Anthrax disease caused by the
bacteria Bacillus anthracis
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and it's usually
transferred cutaneously,
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so through the skin.
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Another type of way to get
it is through ingestion
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or the type of anthrax that
Stevens has, inhalation.
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And with inhalatial anthrax,
about a hundred percent chance
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that you're gonna die
without treatment.
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You don't get
symptoms right away.
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So it takes a while for
those symptoms to show up
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and by that time, sometimes
people don't even respond
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to antibiotics.
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Then, your body just starts
to really fail very quickly.
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Stevens fails to
respond to antibiotics
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and the infection continues
to ravage his body,
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causing sepsis, and
ultimately organ failure.
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Stevens dies on October 5th,
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four days after checking
into the hospital.
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The first anthrax fatality in
the US in more than 25 years.
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When Stevens dies from
his anthrax infection,
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basically a panic ensues,
because they're not certain
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where he could have possibly
come into contact with anthrax.
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This can spread very rapidly
and it's very dangerous.
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And if you have a massive
outbreak, its self-propagates.
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You could be looking at
thousands of victims.
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This is 2001, and
it's less than a month
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after the 9/11 attacks, so
people are a bit on edge.
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The Center for Disease Control,
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even the FBI has gotten involved
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'cause anthrax is a very, very
scary and virulent condition.
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What's also
tricky with anthrax
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is that it can take
up to seven days
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for anybody to exhibit symptoms.
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Investigators go
everywhere Stevens had been
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in the last week, including
his offices at American Media,
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which owns the
"National Enquirer".
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They start doing a
pretty intensive search
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for the anthrax bacteria.
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One place that pops up is
on Robert Steven's keyboard.
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They also find it in
a mail room employee.
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He's showing some symptoms.
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So, they have those two cases.
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And after that, they shut
down the AMI offices.
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If you're going into
a space that has random spores
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of anthrax just
in the atmosphere,
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that means hazmat suits,
that means ventilators,
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that means people
in big masks in.
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It looks like a
science fiction movie.
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It's very, very scary.
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And now, you can't keep
this under wraps anymore.
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You've got additional
people infected.
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It's clearly not
an isolated event.
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For the authorities,
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there's only one
logical explanation.
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This has to be an
act of bioterrorism.
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After World War I,
there was a recognition
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that chemical warfare
was unacceptable,
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but they did not necessarily
extend to biological weapons.
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In the post-World War II
era, both the United States
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and the Soviet Union produce
substantial stockpiles
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of bioweapons to include
weaponized anthrax.
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Anthrax, for a long
time, has been thought of
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as a potentially potent
biological weapon.
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It's indestructible, and
that can be made into forms
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that are very hard to
detect and very small.
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Ostensibly, biological
weapons are outlawed
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by the Biological
Weapons Convention,
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but they are allowed
to produce stockpiles
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for the purpose of research
and the production of things
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like vaccines, inoculations,
and treatments.
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The FBI tries to head off
growing panic by insisting
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that they're treating
this as an isolated case.
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But behind the scenes, there's
definitely growing concern
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that this might be part
of a much broader attack.
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On October 12th,
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just four days later, the
FBI's fears are realized.
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An employee from "NBC
News" in New York
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has also been
exposed to anthrax.
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Casey Chamberlain, who
works for Tom Brokaw,
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opens his mail.
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She'd received a letter,
and it was very upsetting.
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It had a childish hand scrawl,
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and it said "Death
to America.
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Death to Israel.
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Allah is great," in it.
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And in addition, it seemed
to have this strange,
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powdery, sandy-like
substance in the envelope.
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She starts having
flu-like symptoms.
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It doesn't take long for
it to become apparent,
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she too has come
down with anthrax.
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The news raced
across the city's ticker tape.
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The mayor tried to
reassure the population
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this was just an isolated case.
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It is likely that this issue
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all began way back
on September 25th.
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So, one piece of good news
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is that if anyone else
was gonna be infected,
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it would've happened by now.
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Over the next few days,
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seven additional anthrax
cases are reported
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at news organizations
around New York,
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including at NBC, ABC, CBS,
and the New York Post.
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And less than a
month after 9/11,
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everybody in New
York is on edge.
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We've been hearing
since September 11th,
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the enemy of America, who has
shown a spectacular ability
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to attack America, is Al-Qaeda.
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So when a biological
attack begins
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so soon after September
11th, makes sense
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that Al-Qaeda would be the
first place you'd look.
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On October 15th,
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fears of a coordinated
terrorist attack
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are seemingly
confirmed when anthrax
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reaches the heart of
the federal government.
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Grant Leslie, an intern
for Senator Tom Daschle,
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opens up his mail,
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and she sees an envelope
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that's addressed to
Senator Tom Daschle.
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The return address is 4th
Grade, Greendale School.
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So she thinks by
the block lettering
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that this is a nice letter
from some school children.
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She opens it up
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and a white powder comes
out of the envelope.
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The letter that is
received is hand scrawled.
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It's almost childish
in the way it looks
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and the message is similar too,
but it's longer this time.
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It reads, "9-11-01.
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You can't stop us.
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We have this anthrax.
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You die now.
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Are you afraid?
Death to America.
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Death to Israel.
Allah is great."
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Investigators come, they
quarantine the office
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and they find another letter.
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This letter was addressed
to Senator Patrick Leahy.
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That letter also
contained anthrax.
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So, they close
down the Capitol.
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They treat all of the staffers
there with antibiotics
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and they find about
another 30 infections
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due to inhalation anthrax.
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People are terrified,
because they can't see anthrax.
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They have no mechanism to
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protect themselves
against anthrax
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and now, you have
three discreet attacks
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that are very obviously
an ongoing campaign
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and it's got the
public in a panic.
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The vast majority
of the population
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has leapt to the expectation
that this is Al-Qaeda
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carrying out the next
stage in a terror campaign.
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The narrative was
already in place
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that this was more
likely another Al-Qaeda
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terrorist attack on
the United States
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and so, people tried to start
putting pieces together.
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The ringleader of the
9/11 attacks, Mohamed Atta,
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had been in South Florida,
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not far from that AMI office,
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learning to fly aircraft
near an airfield,
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where they had a crop duster
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and he was asking a lot of
questions about the crop duster.
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It seems to some people
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like there was certainly a lot
of smoke there, if not fire.
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That, of course,
heightens the fear,
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because the crop
duster with anthrax
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could put millions of
spores across a large city
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and kill millions of people.
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Despite this public concern,
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investigators can't find
a clear link to Al-Qaeda.
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The question is, who
else is a suspect?
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So the one unifying factor
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between the attacks at the
Capitol, the attacks on media
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is that these are all
being sent through the mail
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at a large facility that
actually sorts the mail
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for the Capitol, two postal
workers end up dying.
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More people are infected.
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Lots of people
have been exposed.
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So, the FBI immediately
goes to the postal facilities
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and starts backtracking
where the mail was sent from
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and they start
checking the cameras.
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They do multiple searches
across dozens of sites
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and nothing to show for it.
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And so, the FBI really doesn't
have a clue who's behind it.
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By late October,
2001, nearly 20 people
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have contracted
anthrax infections
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and three have died, with
hundreds more being treated
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for exposure.
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Still, investigators
have no idea
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who's been sending the deadly
spores through the mail.
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As this investigation
continues to expand,
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the United States government
sets up an anthrax task force
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and they're going to pull
in multiple agencies,
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all of whom have
overlapping responsibilities
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to try to bring all of
the resources together
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to stop these attacks.
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The first wave of letters
sent to the news agencies
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in New York all have a Trenton,
New Jersey postmark address
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and were all sent
on the same date.
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September 18th, 2001.
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The letter to Tom Brokaw
has no return address.
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It's just addressed to
Tom Brokaw, NBC News.
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The letter to Tom Daschle
does have a return address.
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Return address is
the Greendale School
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in Franklin, New Jersey.
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There is no Greendale School
in Franklin, New Jersey.
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It's a fake return address.
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It becomes apparent
that all of these letters
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have been photocopied
on a photocopy machine,
249
00:11:31,816 --> 00:11:33,817
and then cut to
slightly different sizes
250
00:11:33,818 --> 00:11:35,028
before they're sent.
251
00:11:36,237 --> 00:11:38,322
The other commonality between
the two sets of letters
252
00:11:38,323 --> 00:11:41,241
is they can't find any
fingerprints, no DNA.
253
00:11:41,242 --> 00:11:43,410
Whoever is doing these letters
254
00:11:43,411 --> 00:11:46,914
actually understands
how not to get caught.
255
00:11:46,915 --> 00:11:48,457
What's most concerning
256
00:11:48,458 --> 00:11:50,751
has to do with the
anthrax spores themselves.
257
00:11:50,752 --> 00:11:53,420
The airborne anthrax
spores sent to the Senate,
258
00:11:53,421 --> 00:11:56,757
which sickened many and
killed two postal workers,
259
00:11:56,758 --> 00:11:59,760
is found to be even
more refined and potent
260
00:11:59,761 --> 00:12:02,387
than the spores sent to
the news organizations.
261
00:12:02,388 --> 00:12:04,640
As they dig
deeper, they determine
262
00:12:04,641 --> 00:12:06,808
that this is
weapons-grade anthrax,
263
00:12:06,809 --> 00:12:09,269
which means by definition,
it almost certainly
264
00:12:09,270 --> 00:12:11,396
came from a bioweapons lab,
265
00:12:11,397 --> 00:12:13,899
possessed by a
major nation state,
266
00:12:13,900 --> 00:12:16,819
but the one we're more
focused on is Iraq.
267
00:12:21,241 --> 00:12:24,117
Starting around
1985, Saddam Hussein begins
268
00:12:24,118 --> 00:12:27,037
to develop massive
biological weapons,
269
00:12:27,038 --> 00:12:28,830
including anthrax.
270
00:12:28,831 --> 00:12:32,334
During the Iran-Iraq
war of the 1980s,
271
00:12:32,335 --> 00:12:36,463
Iraq had deliberately
subjected Iranian POWs
272
00:12:36,464 --> 00:12:38,465
to chemical and
biological weapons.
273
00:12:38,466 --> 00:12:41,385
One story is that prisoners
of war were tied to beds
274
00:12:41,386 --> 00:12:43,470
inside of a room
that was sealed up,
275
00:12:43,471 --> 00:12:45,639
and then they released
anthrax into this room.
276
00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:47,474
And through an
observation window,
277
00:12:47,475 --> 00:12:50,352
scientists and
military personnel
278
00:12:50,353 --> 00:12:53,146
observed their horrific deaths.
279
00:12:53,147 --> 00:12:55,941
After 1991, the
Iraqis were expected
280
00:12:55,942 --> 00:12:58,694
by the armistice negotiations
281
00:12:58,695 --> 00:13:00,988
to destroy all of
their stockpiles
282
00:13:00,989 --> 00:13:02,990
of biological and
chemical weapons,
283
00:13:02,991 --> 00:13:06,868
as well as end any
nuclear weapons ambitions.
284
00:13:06,869 --> 00:13:09,204
But the Iraqis played
a lot of games.
285
00:13:09,205 --> 00:13:11,957
They tried to hide at least
some of their materials
286
00:13:11,958 --> 00:13:13,667
from weapons inspectors.
287
00:13:13,668 --> 00:13:15,294
While the Iraqis
publicly claimed
288
00:13:15,295 --> 00:13:18,297
that they had destroyed
the stockpiles, privately,
289
00:13:18,298 --> 00:13:20,590
it's clear that they
were holding things back.
290
00:13:20,591 --> 00:13:23,468
Saddam Hussein has
also been threatening revenge
291
00:13:23,469 --> 00:13:27,514
against the US after his
defeat in the First Gulf War.
292
00:13:27,515 --> 00:13:29,725
In the immediate
aftermath of 9/11,
293
00:13:29,726 --> 00:13:31,518
the US starts to point to Iraq
294
00:13:31,519 --> 00:13:35,564
as a possible partner with
Al-Qaeda in the 9/11 attacks
295
00:13:35,565 --> 00:13:38,192
and any ensuing terror
attacks against the country.
296
00:13:39,235 --> 00:13:41,361
When scientists
test the anthrax used
297
00:13:41,362 --> 00:13:44,614
on Capitol Hill, some say
they uncover the proof
298
00:13:44,615 --> 00:13:46,117
of an Iraqi connection.
299
00:13:47,452 --> 00:13:49,703
And in late October, we
get this bombshell report
300
00:13:49,704 --> 00:13:53,415
from "ABC News,"
that the anthrax
301
00:13:53,416 --> 00:13:56,793
contained another
material called bentonite
302
00:13:56,794 --> 00:13:59,004
and it was made to
weaponize anthrax
303
00:13:59,005 --> 00:14:01,506
and make it easier to
disperse and more lethal.
304
00:14:01,507 --> 00:14:04,926
The intelligence
said that bentonite
305
00:14:04,927 --> 00:14:08,096
was only used for the
production of anthrax
306
00:14:08,097 --> 00:14:09,890
by one country in the world,
307
00:14:09,891 --> 00:14:11,517
and that country was Iraq.
308
00:14:12,727 --> 00:14:14,227
On October 31st,
309
00:14:14,228 --> 00:14:16,021
two days after the news report
310
00:14:16,022 --> 00:14:19,107
tying the anthrax
attacks to Iraq,
311
00:14:19,108 --> 00:14:21,818
there's another fatality.
312
00:14:21,819 --> 00:14:23,987
So far, all of these
have been targeted attacks,
313
00:14:23,988 --> 00:14:26,573
the media, the
financial institutions,
314
00:14:26,574 --> 00:14:29,910
but then we have a 61-year-old
stock clerk in the Bronx
315
00:14:29,911 --> 00:14:32,829
who comes down with
anthrax and she dies.
316
00:14:32,830 --> 00:14:35,207
61-year-old
Kathy Nguyen of the Bronx
317
00:14:35,208 --> 00:14:37,459
died of the inhaled
form of anthrax.
318
00:14:37,460 --> 00:14:39,711
So far, officials have
not been able to trace
319
00:14:39,712 --> 00:14:41,338
how she got it.
320
00:14:41,339 --> 00:14:44,966
She hasn't been to the
offices of NBC News, recently.
321
00:14:44,967 --> 00:14:47,344
She hasn't been to the offices
of the "New York Post."
322
00:14:47,345 --> 00:14:50,013
She hasn't been sorting mail.
323
00:14:50,014 --> 00:14:52,557
So, how did she get this?
324
00:14:52,558 --> 00:14:56,144
It raises this
possibility that anthrax
325
00:14:56,145 --> 00:14:59,648
is being dispersed in
a way that could infect
326
00:14:59,649 --> 00:15:03,527
anybody, anywhere,
which is very scary.
327
00:15:03,528 --> 00:15:04,903
A couple of weeks
later,
328
00:15:04,904 --> 00:15:07,739
94-year-old Ottilie
Lundgren from Connecticut
329
00:15:07,740 --> 00:15:10,575
also contracts inhalation
anthrax and dies.
330
00:15:10,576 --> 00:15:13,745
Now, this is a person that
was basically home bound.
331
00:15:13,746 --> 00:15:15,288
She did not leave
her home very often.
332
00:15:15,289 --> 00:15:16,832
She did not work for the media,
333
00:15:16,833 --> 00:15:18,416
did not work for the government.
334
00:15:18,417 --> 00:15:21,711
This is another innocent
person that has no connection
335
00:15:21,712 --> 00:15:25,507
to be a typical target for
this attack, but another death.
336
00:15:25,508 --> 00:15:28,677
Again, just showing how
this killer is out there
337
00:15:28,678 --> 00:15:31,138
and that you could just
simply open up your mailbox
338
00:15:31,139 --> 00:15:32,557
and that will just kill you.
339
00:15:34,058 --> 00:15:37,102
This is a stark
reminder that this is a spore
340
00:15:37,103 --> 00:15:38,687
that has been upgraded
341
00:15:38,688 --> 00:15:41,773
from its naturally occurring,
very dangerous state
342
00:15:41,774 --> 00:15:44,067
to make it possible
for it to propagate
343
00:15:44,068 --> 00:15:45,986
as widely as possible.
344
00:15:45,987 --> 00:15:48,446
It's essentially an
uncontrollable weapon.
345
00:15:48,447 --> 00:15:52,159
Once you release it on the
public, it could go anywhere
346
00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:54,452
and this absolutely
terrifies people.
347
00:15:54,453 --> 00:15:57,664
And if there's a connection
to an external actor,
348
00:15:57,665 --> 00:16:00,292
like Iraq, that
might be supporting
349
00:16:00,293 --> 00:16:03,712
the world's largest and
deadliest terror organization,
350
00:16:03,713 --> 00:16:06,006
panic is about to ensue.
351
00:16:06,007 --> 00:16:07,757
Reports then emerge
352
00:16:07,758 --> 00:16:11,469
of a top secret Al-Qaeda and
Iraqi intelligence meeting
353
00:16:11,470 --> 00:16:16,434
in Prague, which if true would
have explosive consequences.
354
00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:19,060
There's one
intelligence report
355
00:16:19,061 --> 00:16:22,522
that the ringleader of the
9/11 attacks, Mohamed Atta,
356
00:16:22,523 --> 00:16:25,859
met with a member of
the Iraqi intelligence
357
00:16:25,860 --> 00:16:27,652
in a meeting in Prague.
358
00:16:27,653 --> 00:16:30,655
The report backs up
a growing suspicion of a link
359
00:16:30,656 --> 00:16:33,325
between Al-Qaeda
and Saddam Hussein.
360
00:16:33,326 --> 00:16:35,452
So when the anthrax
attacks happen,
361
00:16:35,453 --> 00:16:37,871
it's not a stretch to think
that we're in the midst
362
00:16:37,872 --> 00:16:41,208
of another targeted,
coordinated attack,
363
00:16:41,209 --> 00:16:44,544
with Al-Qaeda and
Iraq working together.
364
00:16:44,545 --> 00:16:47,589
Vice President Dick
Cheney publicly confirms
365
00:16:47,590 --> 00:16:50,800
that Mohamed Atta had
met with an Iraqi agent
366
00:16:50,801 --> 00:16:53,095
during a national
media appearance.
367
00:16:54,388 --> 00:16:55,722
Despite Cheney's
suspicions,
368
00:16:55,723 --> 00:16:59,517
no Iraqi link to
Al-Qaeda is ever proven.
369
00:16:59,518 --> 00:17:02,103
Scientists also begin
to back off their claim
370
00:17:02,104 --> 00:17:05,774
that there was bentonite, an
Iraqi bioweapons signature,
371
00:17:05,775 --> 00:17:08,777
found in any of the
anthrax letters.
372
00:17:08,778 --> 00:17:10,945
Despite the fact that
it seems
373
00:17:10,946 --> 00:17:12,614
like these two
things are connected,
374
00:17:12,615 --> 00:17:14,406
no link ever really emerges.
375
00:17:14,407 --> 00:17:17,661
There's never proof that
Al-Qaeda is working with Iraq
376
00:17:17,662 --> 00:17:19,246
or with Saddam Hussein.
377
00:17:19,247 --> 00:17:22,749
So ultimately, we're back to
square one, not really knowing
378
00:17:22,750 --> 00:17:25,836
where the attacks are coming
from or who is targeting us.
379
00:17:31,842 --> 00:17:33,343
In late October,
2001,
380
00:17:33,344 --> 00:17:36,304
the anthrax investigation
turns in a new direction.
381
00:17:36,305 --> 00:17:39,933
The FBI reveals that the
spores used in the attacks
382
00:17:39,934 --> 00:17:41,560
came from a strain of bacteria
383
00:17:41,561 --> 00:17:44,479
developed in US military labs.
384
00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:47,608
It's known as the Ames strain.
385
00:17:48,818 --> 00:17:51,027
The Ames strain was
originally isolated
386
00:17:51,028 --> 00:17:53,863
from an infected cow
back in the 1980s
387
00:17:53,864 --> 00:17:56,241
and it was taken and
used by the military
388
00:17:56,242 --> 00:17:58,911
to try and develop
an anthrax vaccine.
389
00:18:00,454 --> 00:18:02,038
Even after identifying the strain,
390
00:18:02,039 --> 00:18:03,999
investigators are no closer
391
00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:06,252
to finding out who's
been sending it.
392
00:18:07,336 --> 00:18:10,005
There's not really
a way to narrow down
393
00:18:10,006 --> 00:18:12,090
exactly where the
source must have been,
394
00:18:12,091 --> 00:18:14,801
because it is still distributed
into multiple facilities.
395
00:18:14,802 --> 00:18:17,887
And so, the next attack
could be around the corner
396
00:18:17,888 --> 00:18:19,514
and you're still not sure
397
00:18:19,515 --> 00:18:21,433
where the original
source material was
398
00:18:21,434 --> 00:18:24,269
or how much of it was
available to the attacker.
399
00:18:24,270 --> 00:18:28,732
The strain was kept
and used for research purposes
400
00:18:28,733 --> 00:18:30,859
in 15 labs across
the United States
401
00:18:30,860 --> 00:18:32,736
and three labs internationally.
402
00:18:32,737 --> 00:18:34,696
So, that was the initial focus
403
00:18:34,697 --> 00:18:37,407
was to try to determine
who in those labs
404
00:18:37,408 --> 00:18:40,243
might have had the the
means and the motive
405
00:18:40,244 --> 00:18:43,748
to weaponize the spores
for the anthrax attacks.
406
00:18:45,291 --> 00:18:47,167
Meanwhile, Americans
continue to brace
407
00:18:47,168 --> 00:18:50,503
for another possible
attack from Osama bin Laden
408
00:18:50,504 --> 00:18:51,504
and Al-Qaeda.
409
00:18:51,505 --> 00:18:53,340
With the public already on edge
410
00:18:53,341 --> 00:18:55,884
about an external
terrorism attack,
411
00:18:55,885 --> 00:19:00,388
the FBI is wary of making
the public even more jittery
412
00:19:00,389 --> 00:19:03,058
about potential
homegrown terrorism,
413
00:19:03,059 --> 00:19:05,185
so they continue
their investigation
414
00:19:05,186 --> 00:19:06,646
in complete secrecy.
415
00:19:07,938 --> 00:19:10,273
As the weeks pass
with no news,
416
00:19:10,274 --> 00:19:12,067
frustration grows,
417
00:19:12,068 --> 00:19:14,694
especially within the
scientific community.
418
00:19:14,695 --> 00:19:16,738
For the scientists,
they're horrified
419
00:19:16,739 --> 00:19:20,033
that something they might
have had a hand in producing
420
00:19:20,034 --> 00:19:22,786
is being used to target
and kill Americans,
421
00:19:22,787 --> 00:19:26,289
but the FBI seems to be
becoming more suspicious
422
00:19:26,290 --> 00:19:28,458
and even adversarial
towards them
423
00:19:28,459 --> 00:19:31,294
as they the leadership
of the investigation
424
00:19:31,295 --> 00:19:32,671
becomes more convinced
425
00:19:32,672 --> 00:19:34,839
that this was probably
a domestic attack.
426
00:19:40,888 --> 00:19:44,140
In February, 2002,
Barbara Hatch Rosenberg,
427
00:19:44,141 --> 00:19:45,600
who is the chairwoman
428
00:19:45,601 --> 00:19:48,061
of the Federation of
American Scientists
429
00:19:48,062 --> 00:19:50,105
and somebody who's
been a staunch
430
00:19:50,106 --> 00:19:52,399
anti-bioweapons crusader,
431
00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:54,192
she publishes a blog post called
432
00:19:54,193 --> 00:19:56,528
"Is the FBI
'dragging its feet.'"
433
00:19:56,529 --> 00:19:58,905
And she says that based
on her conversations
434
00:19:58,906 --> 00:20:01,282
with scientists, she
believes that the attacks
435
00:20:01,283 --> 00:20:05,662
are the result of a
military-led bioweapons project
436
00:20:05,663 --> 00:20:07,038
that's gone awry.
437
00:20:07,039 --> 00:20:09,624
She claims that for
months, the FBI has known
438
00:20:09,625 --> 00:20:11,835
that the perpetrator
of the anthrax attacks
439
00:20:11,836 --> 00:20:13,420
is actually an American.
440
00:20:13,421 --> 00:20:16,005
For the scientists
investigating
441
00:20:16,006 --> 00:20:18,299
this outbreak or
attack on Americans,
442
00:20:18,300 --> 00:20:21,177
they went from assisting
with the investigation
443
00:20:21,178 --> 00:20:25,640
to potentially being suspects
of the investigation.
444
00:20:25,641 --> 00:20:28,143
Then, you had no idea that
all of this information
445
00:20:28,144 --> 00:20:30,729
that you were being given
by these various scientists,
446
00:20:30,730 --> 00:20:32,397
if one of them was the culprit,
447
00:20:32,398 --> 00:20:35,066
you may have gotten
inaccurate information.
448
00:20:35,067 --> 00:20:37,026
So, it completely
changes the whole dynamic
449
00:20:37,027 --> 00:20:39,612
of the investigation
all of a sudden.
450
00:20:39,613 --> 00:20:40,947
Rosenberg suggests
451
00:20:40,948 --> 00:20:43,199
that the person
who has done this,
452
00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:45,535
the person who is
behind these attacks
453
00:20:45,536 --> 00:20:49,831
was probably preparing the
anthrax in the summer of 2001.
454
00:20:49,832 --> 00:20:51,750
Then 9/11 happens in September
455
00:20:51,751 --> 00:20:53,835
and offers the perfect cover.
456
00:20:53,836 --> 00:20:56,713
That instead of Al-Qaeda
being behind this,
457
00:20:56,714 --> 00:20:59,841
the killer is actually
blaming Al-Qaeda
458
00:20:59,842 --> 00:21:03,052
to hide their own
nefarious activity.
459
00:21:03,053 --> 00:21:06,014
There are certainly
some that argue that handwritten
460
00:21:06,015 --> 00:21:08,224
notes with basic
grammatical errors
461
00:21:08,225 --> 00:21:10,894
are not the hallmark of
an Al-Qaeda communication,
462
00:21:10,895 --> 00:21:15,315
but in the American mindset it
played towards a stereotype.
463
00:21:15,316 --> 00:21:17,650
If these attacks were
carried out by an American,
464
00:21:17,651 --> 00:21:20,445
that individual was
using the anthrax letters
465
00:21:20,446 --> 00:21:22,447
to throw off suspicion.
466
00:21:22,448 --> 00:21:24,407
Rosenberg isn't
alone in feeling
467
00:21:24,408 --> 00:21:27,660
that something is amiss here
in the FBI's investigation.
468
00:21:27,661 --> 00:21:30,663
Other scientists claim
that for one thing,
469
00:21:30,664 --> 00:21:34,626
a single lone rogue worker
wouldn't be able to create
470
00:21:34,627 --> 00:21:37,420
the kind of spores that
we see in the attacks.
471
00:21:37,421 --> 00:21:39,088
She also suggests that the FBI
472
00:21:39,089 --> 00:21:41,674
must know that the
killer has access
473
00:21:41,675 --> 00:21:44,344
to military bioweapons labs
474
00:21:44,345 --> 00:21:46,721
and in these bioweapons labs,
475
00:21:46,722 --> 00:21:48,681
perhaps something has gone
on that the government
476
00:21:48,682 --> 00:21:50,767
doesn't want us to know.
477
00:21:50,768 --> 00:21:52,143
The assertion is
tied
478
00:21:52,144 --> 00:21:54,437
to an international
bioweapons ban
479
00:21:54,438 --> 00:21:57,316
that the US signed in 1972.
480
00:21:58,901 --> 00:22:00,486
There are suspicions
that despite signing this
481
00:22:00,694 --> 00:22:04,072
treaty, the United States never
actually dismantled this program
482
00:22:04,073 --> 00:22:05,323
and that they've continued
483
00:22:05,324 --> 00:22:07,492
to develop military
grade bioweapons,
484
00:22:07,493 --> 00:22:09,786
including anthrax for years.
485
00:22:09,787 --> 00:22:11,454
If the US was
caught in violation
486
00:22:11,455 --> 00:22:13,832
of something like the
Biological Weapons Convention,
487
00:22:13,833 --> 00:22:16,584
certainly the US would lose
some of its moral authority
488
00:22:16,585 --> 00:22:18,044
in the international sphere.
489
00:22:18,045 --> 00:22:21,047
It would certainly make
us look like hypocrites.
490
00:22:21,048 --> 00:22:23,007
Rosenberg's most
shocking claim
491
00:22:23,008 --> 00:22:25,677
is that the government
is afraid to arrest
492
00:22:25,678 --> 00:22:28,888
the person involved,
because it will show
493
00:22:28,889 --> 00:22:32,100
that the problem is
linked to bioweapons labs,
494
00:22:32,101 --> 00:22:34,185
potentially to activity
that the government
495
00:22:34,186 --> 00:22:35,186
isn't supposed to be doing
496
00:22:35,187 --> 00:22:36,855
and that they're
doing in secret,
497
00:22:36,856 --> 00:22:40,441
and that as a result, they're
looking the other way.
498
00:22:40,442 --> 00:22:42,026
There's an enormous
amount of political
499
00:22:42,027 --> 00:22:45,530
and public pressure on
the FBI to get results.
500
00:22:45,531 --> 00:22:46,948
The public is starting to wonder
501
00:22:46,949 --> 00:22:49,993
if maybe the FBI is
the wrong organization
502
00:22:49,994 --> 00:22:52,370
for this type of investigation.
503
00:22:52,371 --> 00:22:54,956
The FBI vehemently
denies dragging its feet
504
00:22:54,957 --> 00:22:57,500
in order to prevent a
national security scandal.
505
00:22:57,501 --> 00:23:00,169
The FBI now turns
its investigation
506
00:23:00,170 --> 00:23:01,963
to homegrown terrorists.
507
00:23:01,964 --> 00:23:05,091
They start focusing on suspects
with scientific backgrounds
508
00:23:05,092 --> 00:23:07,844
and access to the
deadly pathogen
509
00:23:07,845 --> 00:23:12,016
with ties to military
infectious disease labs.
510
00:23:16,478 --> 00:23:17,354
More than nine
months
511
00:23:17,646 --> 00:23:19,522
since the anthrax
terror attacks began,
512
00:23:19,523 --> 00:23:22,525
there's seemingly little
progress in the case
513
00:23:22,526 --> 00:23:25,778
and the FBI is under
enormous pressure
514
00:23:25,779 --> 00:23:27,906
to catch the perpetrator.
515
00:23:27,907 --> 00:23:31,242
The FBI interviews
hundreds of scientists
516
00:23:31,243 --> 00:23:33,995
working in the field,
pulls together their list
517
00:23:33,996 --> 00:23:37,540
of potential suspects,
and in June of 2002,
518
00:23:37,541 --> 00:23:39,001
they close in on their man.
519
00:23:41,045 --> 00:23:43,504
Steven Hatfill has a
lot of the credentials.
520
00:23:43,505 --> 00:23:46,424
He is somebody who
works in microbiology.
521
00:23:46,425 --> 00:23:49,135
He is a scientist
and has connections
522
00:23:49,136 --> 00:23:51,763
to an army research lab
on infectious diseases
523
00:23:51,764 --> 00:23:54,432
at Fort Detrick in Maryland
524
00:23:54,433 --> 00:23:55,642
Under FBI
questioning,
525
00:23:55,643 --> 00:23:57,936
Hatfill denies having
any involvement
526
00:23:57,937 --> 00:24:00,104
or knowledge in
the anthrax attacks
527
00:24:00,105 --> 00:24:01,648
and even agrees to
take a polygraph,
528
00:24:01,649 --> 00:24:04,067
which he reportedly passes.
529
00:24:04,068 --> 00:24:06,194
The FBI knows full
well that polygraphs
530
00:24:06,195 --> 00:24:09,656
are not legally admissible
and they're not infallible
531
00:24:09,657 --> 00:24:12,867
and so they continue to dig
deeper into Hatfill's life.
532
00:24:12,868 --> 00:24:14,702
So that they can go
into Hatfill's home
533
00:24:14,703 --> 00:24:18,373
and look for any evidence
of any anthrax spores
534
00:24:18,374 --> 00:24:20,583
or anything else that might
implicate him in the attacks.
535
00:24:20,584 --> 00:24:23,920
However, the FBI or at
least someone within it
536
00:24:23,921 --> 00:24:27,006
tipped off the press as
to what they were doing.
537
00:24:27,007 --> 00:24:28,841
An enormous media
circus follows.
538
00:24:28,842 --> 00:24:32,345
Hatfill's home is under
constant observation by media
539
00:24:32,346 --> 00:24:34,389
and Hatfill himself
cannot set foot
540
00:24:34,390 --> 00:24:36,766
outside without being
constantly harassed.
541
00:24:36,767 --> 00:24:39,310
As more information
comes out about his background
542
00:24:39,311 --> 00:24:42,313
in bioweapons, the public
also becomes convinced
543
00:24:42,314 --> 00:24:43,398
that he's guilty.
544
00:24:43,399 --> 00:24:44,691
This is long before any trial.
545
00:24:44,692 --> 00:24:46,150
He is not even
been arrested yet,
546
00:24:46,151 --> 00:24:48,778
but there's this sense that
he must be the right guy.
547
00:24:53,701 --> 00:24:56,995
The bureau seems to be
developing almost tunnel vision.
548
00:24:56,996 --> 00:24:59,038
They think they found
the right person
549
00:24:59,039 --> 00:25:00,707
and they're going
to follow it up
550
00:25:00,708 --> 00:25:04,002
until they prove that he's
the responsible actor.
551
00:25:04,003 --> 00:25:05,211
As agents
552
00:25:05,212 --> 00:25:07,046
comb through
Hatfill's background,
553
00:25:07,047 --> 00:25:11,217
they uncover even more troubling
connections to the case.
554
00:25:11,218 --> 00:25:13,136
There's another
weird coincidence
555
00:25:13,137 --> 00:25:14,345
with Stephen Hatfill.
556
00:25:14,346 --> 00:25:16,806
The return addresses
to the Tom Daschle
557
00:25:16,807 --> 00:25:19,058
and Patrick Leahy
letters were from a place
558
00:25:19,059 --> 00:25:22,186
called the Greendale School
in Franklin, New Jersey.
559
00:25:22,187 --> 00:25:23,771
Well, it turns out
where Steven Hatfill
560
00:25:23,772 --> 00:25:26,149
went to medical
school in Zimbabwe,
561
00:25:26,150 --> 00:25:30,863
there was a town right next to
that place called Greendale.
562
00:25:32,031 --> 00:25:33,698
In the late '90s,
Hatfill gets a job
563
00:25:33,699 --> 00:25:38,704
working for a large defense
contractor with ties to the CIA,
564
00:25:39,038 --> 00:25:42,123
but when he applies for a
high level security clearance,
565
00:25:42,124 --> 00:25:44,625
he reportedly fails
his polygraph test.
566
00:25:44,626 --> 00:25:46,919
This all happened in
the summer of 2001,
567
00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:49,630
about a month before the
first of the Anthrax letters
568
00:25:49,631 --> 00:25:50,590
is mailed.
569
00:25:50,591 --> 00:25:52,258
A few years earlier,
570
00:25:52,259 --> 00:25:56,012
Hatfill had been working on
a contract about biodefense
571
00:25:56,013 --> 00:25:57,722
and he commissions a study.
572
00:25:57,723 --> 00:26:01,517
And this study was what
would we do in the situation
573
00:26:01,518 --> 00:26:06,355
where the US was being attacked
by Anthrax through the mail.
574
00:26:06,356 --> 00:26:08,900
He even figures out
exactly how much anthrax
575
00:26:08,901 --> 00:26:11,486
would have to be in each
letter to be lethal.
576
00:26:11,487 --> 00:26:13,112
Investigators believe
577
00:26:13,113 --> 00:26:18,160
this could have served as a
dry run for the 2001 attacks.
578
00:26:19,286 --> 00:26:21,080
They soon find even more
suspicious material.
579
00:26:22,247 --> 00:26:24,457
On Dr. Hatfill's
computer in his home,
580
00:26:24,458 --> 00:26:27,335
when they execute the
warrant, they find a novel
581
00:26:27,336 --> 00:26:31,005
that he had written three years
before the Anthrax letters
582
00:26:31,006 --> 00:26:33,674
and it's about a rogue scientist
583
00:26:33,675 --> 00:26:38,429
that unleashes a biological
attack on Washington, D.C.
584
00:26:38,430 --> 00:26:41,015
Another piece of
interesting circumstantial
585
00:26:41,016 --> 00:26:43,935
evidence is that Hatfill had
actually been taking Cipro,
586
00:26:43,936 --> 00:26:45,895
the very antibiotic that's used
587
00:26:45,896 --> 00:26:49,524
to treat anthrax infections
a couple of weeks prior
588
00:26:49,525 --> 00:26:51,359
to the first launch
of the attacks.
589
00:26:51,360 --> 00:26:52,985
Although the case
590
00:26:52,986 --> 00:26:54,779
against Hatfill seems solid,
591
00:26:54,780 --> 00:26:58,491
he continues to
insist he's innocent.
592
00:26:58,492 --> 00:27:01,036
I am not the anthrax killer.
593
00:27:02,162 --> 00:27:05,123
I know nothing about
the anthrax attacks.
594
00:27:05,124 --> 00:27:08,709
I had absolutely nothing to
do with this terrible crime.
595
00:27:08,710 --> 00:27:10,253
Investigators connecting these dots.
596
00:27:10,254 --> 00:27:11,546
He wrote this book.
597
00:27:11,547 --> 00:27:14,215
He wrote the blueprint
to the anthrax letter.
598
00:27:14,216 --> 00:27:17,343
He's taking Cipro, the actual
drug that you would take
599
00:27:17,344 --> 00:27:19,512
if you came in
contact with anthrax.
600
00:27:19,513 --> 00:27:23,307
It's not hard for
them to believe that.
601
00:27:23,308 --> 00:27:25,184
I mean, this has gotta
be the guy, right?
602
00:27:25,185 --> 00:27:28,062
Despite all the
circumstantial evidence against
603
00:27:28,063 --> 00:27:30,481
Hatfill, there's still not
enough to arrest him,
604
00:27:30,482 --> 00:27:32,817
but that doesn't stop
FBI investigators
605
00:27:32,818 --> 00:27:36,529
from continuing to look into
him and surveil his home.
606
00:27:36,530 --> 00:27:38,072
There are people
following him everywhere he
607
00:27:38,073 --> 00:27:41,117
goes, following him so
closely that in fact,
608
00:27:41,118 --> 00:27:45,371
in one instance, they run
over his foot in a car.
609
00:27:45,372 --> 00:27:48,040
Try as they might to connect
the dots, they can't.
610
00:27:48,041 --> 00:27:50,209
There just isn't any direct line
611
00:27:50,210 --> 00:27:53,880
between the events of the
anthrax attack and Hatfill.
612
00:27:53,881 --> 00:27:55,215
They can't make it stick.
613
00:27:56,383 --> 00:27:57,800
So the investigation
against Hatfill
614
00:27:57,801 --> 00:27:59,468
basically goes nowhere.
615
00:27:59,469 --> 00:28:03,806
In 2003, Hatfill sues
the federal government,
616
00:28:03,807 --> 00:28:05,267
"The New York Times,"
617
00:28:05,392 --> 00:28:08,603
and he eventually wins the
lawsuit against the government
618
00:28:08,604 --> 00:28:11,814
and they settle with him
for about $6 million.
619
00:28:11,815 --> 00:28:14,442
By the mid 2000s,
this investigation,
620
00:28:14,443 --> 00:28:16,569
they've had 9,000 interviews.
621
00:28:16,570 --> 00:28:18,487
They've had 6,000 subpoenas.
622
00:28:18,488 --> 00:28:20,615
They've done 67 searches,
623
00:28:20,616 --> 00:28:22,576
and they have come
up with nothing.
624
00:28:28,457 --> 00:28:29,916
Five years after
the anthrax attack,
625
00:28:29,917 --> 00:28:32,209
the FBI regroups.
626
00:28:32,210 --> 00:28:34,545
The new agent heading
the investigation
627
00:28:34,546 --> 00:28:36,505
orders task force members
628
00:28:36,506 --> 00:28:40,676
to review the case files
for overlooked leads.
629
00:28:40,677 --> 00:28:43,054
The FBI never gives
up on the investigation
630
00:28:43,055 --> 00:28:44,972
and they are still following up
631
00:28:44,973 --> 00:28:46,515
at the various bioweapons labs.
632
00:28:46,516 --> 00:28:49,143
In particular, they're
looking at Fort Detrick,
633
00:28:49,144 --> 00:28:51,729
partially because its
geographic location
634
00:28:51,730 --> 00:28:53,481
puts it relatively close
635
00:28:53,482 --> 00:28:55,733
to where the letters
have been mailed.
636
00:28:55,734 --> 00:28:56,984
One of the first
things they do
637
00:28:56,985 --> 00:28:59,528
is seize additional samples.
638
00:28:59,529 --> 00:29:02,740
They wind up seizing a flask
639
00:29:02,741 --> 00:29:07,495
of very synthesized,
purified anthrax
640
00:29:07,496 --> 00:29:09,789
labeled RMR 1029.
641
00:29:09,790 --> 00:29:13,209
That's happens to be
in the sole possession
642
00:29:13,210 --> 00:29:14,961
of Dr. Bruce Ivins.
643
00:29:14,962 --> 00:29:17,254
Bruce Ivins had been
working with the FBI
644
00:29:17,255 --> 00:29:18,839
all throughout
the investigation.
645
00:29:18,840 --> 00:29:21,384
He had supplied
them with samples.
646
00:29:21,385 --> 00:29:24,595
He trained them to
recognize anthrax spores.
647
00:29:24,596 --> 00:29:27,556
At the same time,
he too had access
648
00:29:27,557 --> 00:29:30,226
to the kinds of materials
that you would need,
649
00:29:30,227 --> 00:29:32,728
access to labs, and
for the first time,
650
00:29:32,729 --> 00:29:37,733
the FBI starts to zero in and
question his own motivations.
651
00:29:41,905 --> 00:29:44,407
Bruce Ivins is a
senior microbiologist,
652
00:29:44,408 --> 00:29:47,118
who has worked at Fort
Detrick for 27 years.
653
00:29:47,119 --> 00:29:50,329
20 of those years
working with anthrax.
654
00:29:50,330 --> 00:29:52,790
He is Dr. Anthrax.
655
00:29:52,791 --> 00:29:54,834
He's one of the
leading anthrax researchers
656
00:29:54,835 --> 00:29:57,003
in the United States
and after 9/11,
657
00:29:57,004 --> 00:29:59,255
he's put under enormous pressure
658
00:29:59,256 --> 00:30:01,716
to develop an anthrax
vaccine for troops.
659
00:30:01,717 --> 00:30:03,884
Just after the anthrax
letters are postmarked,
660
00:30:03,885 --> 00:30:06,137
he sends a letter to a friend
661
00:30:06,138 --> 00:30:10,433
saying that bin Laden
definitely has access to anthrax
662
00:30:10,434 --> 00:30:13,854
and that he just decreed death
to all Jews and Americans.
663
00:30:15,188 --> 00:30:17,732
Many believe that he's
really trying to draw attention
664
00:30:17,733 --> 00:30:19,150
to the potential danger
665
00:30:19,151 --> 00:30:21,944
associated with a widespread
biological attack.
666
00:30:21,945 --> 00:30:24,613
The argument is
that he did this
667
00:30:24,614 --> 00:30:27,491
to justify his own
continued research.
668
00:30:27,492 --> 00:30:32,288
That there had not been any
anthrax attacks prior to this,
669
00:30:32,289 --> 00:30:34,457
and so 9/11 gives him
the perfect backdrop
670
00:30:34,458 --> 00:30:37,376
to demonstrate the
need for a vaccine
671
00:30:37,377 --> 00:30:40,713
and the continued funding
to continue to research
672
00:30:40,714 --> 00:30:42,465
a viable vaccine.
673
00:30:42,466 --> 00:30:45,843
And that according to the
FBI is what prompted him
674
00:30:45,844 --> 00:30:47,720
to carry out these attacks.
675
00:30:47,721 --> 00:30:49,180
If Ivins is responsible
676
00:30:49,181 --> 00:30:50,848
for carrying out
these anthrax attacks,
677
00:30:50,849 --> 00:30:53,809
he did a pretty good job
of covering his tracks.
678
00:30:53,810 --> 00:30:56,854
The FBI doesn't have
hard evidence linking him
679
00:30:56,855 --> 00:30:59,231
to the attacks yet and
really doesn't have a clue
680
00:30:59,232 --> 00:31:00,858
who's behind it.
681
00:31:00,859 --> 00:31:04,028
Then a major
scientific discovery
682
00:31:04,029 --> 00:31:06,698
leads to a potential
break in the case.
683
00:31:07,866 --> 00:31:10,868
In 2007,
breakthroughs in genetic testing
684
00:31:10,869 --> 00:31:14,497
allow them to
reanalyze the spores.
685
00:31:14,498 --> 00:31:17,500
And this means they
can trace the anthrax
686
00:31:17,501 --> 00:31:20,419
back to its original batch.
687
00:31:20,420 --> 00:31:21,754
They start analyzing
688
00:31:21,755 --> 00:31:24,215
a thousand or more
different samples
689
00:31:24,216 --> 00:31:26,592
of the Ames strain from
all the different places
690
00:31:26,593 --> 00:31:28,511
that it's held and they discover
691
00:31:28,512 --> 00:31:32,264
that there are unique markers
in the specific spores
692
00:31:32,265 --> 00:31:33,641
that were used in the attacks.
693
00:31:33,642 --> 00:31:35,226
They're actually
able to backtrack it
694
00:31:35,227 --> 00:31:38,479
to one very specific
batch of anthrax
695
00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:42,358
that had been cultured and
stockpiled at Fort Detrick.
696
00:31:42,359 --> 00:31:43,651
For the FBI,
697
00:31:43,652 --> 00:31:46,195
the discovery is a game changer.
698
00:31:46,196 --> 00:31:48,781
What had once been the
subject of a global hunt
699
00:31:48,782 --> 00:31:52,993
now sits inside one
flask on a lab desk.
700
00:31:52,994 --> 00:31:54,620
There are around
a hundred scientists
701
00:31:54,621 --> 00:31:59,375
with access to the flask of
anthrax that's labeled RMR 1029,
702
00:31:59,376 --> 00:32:02,461
but the FBI turns its attention
to the man at the top,
703
00:32:02,462 --> 00:32:06,173
the sole person who has had
sole possession of the flask
704
00:32:06,174 --> 00:32:07,508
since the very beginning
705
00:32:07,509 --> 00:32:10,428
and that's none other
than Dr. Bruce Ivins.
706
00:32:11,930 --> 00:32:14,849
There was numerous
reasons to suspect Dr. Bruce
707
00:32:14,850 --> 00:32:19,603
Ivins besides the fact that the
Ames strain was his repository.
708
00:32:19,604 --> 00:32:22,106
For example, right
before the time
709
00:32:22,107 --> 00:32:24,525
when the two batches of
letters would've gone out,
710
00:32:24,526 --> 00:32:26,861
he had late nights
and weekends of work
711
00:32:26,862 --> 00:32:29,947
that were unexplained, which
was absolutely atypical
712
00:32:29,948 --> 00:32:31,782
of anything he's ever
done in the past.
713
00:32:31,783 --> 00:32:33,826
He also tested
his own laboratory
714
00:32:33,827 --> 00:32:35,203
without authorization,
715
00:32:35,328 --> 00:32:37,371
and then sterilized everything
without telling people
716
00:32:37,372 --> 00:32:38,873
what he was doing.
717
00:32:38,874 --> 00:32:40,749
There was a lot of suspicious
behavior on his part
718
00:32:40,750 --> 00:32:42,668
that he himself couldn't explain
719
00:32:42,669 --> 00:32:45,880
that suggested that he
was a likely perpetrator.
720
00:32:45,881 --> 00:32:47,423
When the FBI questioned
him
721
00:32:47,424 --> 00:32:49,633
about his changed
behavioral patterns,
722
00:32:49,634 --> 00:32:52,469
Ivins claimed that he was
having marital troubles at home
723
00:32:52,470 --> 00:32:55,472
and he was essentially
throwing himself into his work,
724
00:32:55,473 --> 00:32:58,642
but the FBI wasn't
buying that story.
725
00:32:58,643 --> 00:33:02,479
On November 1st, 2007, they
executed a search warrant
726
00:33:02,480 --> 00:33:04,356
for Bruce Ivins' home.
727
00:33:04,357 --> 00:33:06,192
When they got inside,
they discovered
728
00:33:06,193 --> 00:33:08,944
that there was evidence
of a lot of the materials
729
00:33:08,945 --> 00:33:10,446
that would've been associated
730
00:33:10,447 --> 00:33:13,115
with carrying out
these types of attacks.
731
00:33:13,116 --> 00:33:14,783
It's also found out
that Ivins
732
00:33:14,784 --> 00:33:17,995
had a history of mental
health challenges,
733
00:33:17,996 --> 00:33:21,165
but what's most damning for
him is an email he sends
734
00:33:21,166 --> 00:33:23,209
to his friends and colleagues.
735
00:33:23,210 --> 00:33:26,503
In his emails, he seems to
be suffering from delusions
736
00:33:26,504 --> 00:33:29,298
and in addition, he
states that he's afraid,
737
00:33:29,299 --> 00:33:32,052
he will not be able to
control his own behavior.
738
00:33:33,261 --> 00:33:34,511
But Ivins
739
00:33:34,512 --> 00:33:37,306
continues to stay a
step ahead of the FBI
740
00:33:37,307 --> 00:33:41,268
until he's tripped up by
an old act of deception.
741
00:33:41,269 --> 00:33:43,020
In the original
investigation,
742
00:33:43,021 --> 00:33:46,148
the FBI asked for samples
from all of the different labs
743
00:33:46,149 --> 00:33:49,026
that had military grade anthrax.
744
00:33:49,027 --> 00:33:51,779
And the sample that
Bruce Ivins had sent in
745
00:33:51,780 --> 00:33:53,155
had been declared clear
746
00:33:53,156 --> 00:33:55,449
from the strain they
were looking for.
747
00:33:55,450 --> 00:33:58,744
Around the same time,
Bruce had sent core samples
748
00:33:58,745 --> 00:34:00,913
to colleagues for safekeeping.
749
00:34:00,914 --> 00:34:03,624
Now upon going back,
the FBI would discover
750
00:34:03,625 --> 00:34:05,459
these samples did test positive
751
00:34:05,460 --> 00:34:08,128
for the strains that
were used in the attacks.
752
00:34:08,129 --> 00:34:11,840
The FBI contended that
he had submitted false samples.
753
00:34:11,841 --> 00:34:15,970
So in July of 2008,
he's informed by the FBI
754
00:34:15,971 --> 00:34:18,305
that he is about to be indicted
755
00:34:18,306 --> 00:34:21,267
by a federal grand jury on
multiple counts of murder.
756
00:34:21,268 --> 00:34:22,725
He goes home.
757
00:34:22,726 --> 00:34:26,480
He takes a fatal dose of
acetaminophen with codeine
758
00:34:26,481 --> 00:34:28,315
and three days later, dies.
759
00:34:29,818 --> 00:34:31,318
After seven years
760
00:34:31,319 --> 00:34:34,321
with more than 600
investigators on the job
761
00:34:34,322 --> 00:34:37,366
at a cost of nearly
$100 million,
762
00:34:37,367 --> 00:34:41,329
the FBI believes the
case is finally solved.
763
00:34:42,789 --> 00:34:46,375
On August 6th, 2008 in
the aftermath of Ivins' suicide,
764
00:34:46,376 --> 00:34:48,459
the Department of
Justice announces
765
00:34:48,460 --> 00:34:51,254
that they hold him
singularly responsible
766
00:34:51,255 --> 00:34:54,216
for the anthrax terror
attacks of 2001.
767
00:34:54,217 --> 00:34:55,676
As far as the
Department of Justice
768
00:34:55,677 --> 00:34:58,637
and the FBI are concerned,
the case has been closed
769
00:34:58,638 --> 00:35:00,389
and because Ivins is dead,
770
00:35:00,390 --> 00:35:02,559
there's no further
requirement for action.
771
00:35:04,060 --> 00:35:05,561
Despite the government's insistence
772
00:35:05,562 --> 00:35:07,564
many remain unconvinced.
773
00:35:09,566 --> 00:35:12,276
There are some critics
of the investigation,
774
00:35:12,277 --> 00:35:14,653
including some
scientists who contend
775
00:35:14,654 --> 00:35:19,074
that if the FBI fingered the
wrong man in Steven Hatfill,
776
00:35:19,075 --> 00:35:21,785
they also fingered the
wrong man in Bruce Ivins.
777
00:35:21,786 --> 00:35:26,750
That Ivins was incapable of
carrying out these crimes.
778
00:35:27,584 --> 00:35:28,792
It does leave open the door
779
00:35:28,793 --> 00:35:30,878
in the minds of
some people anyway
780
00:35:30,879 --> 00:35:34,257
that the real killer may never
have been brought to justice.
781
00:35:39,179 --> 00:35:40,471
Despite the FBI's
certainty
782
00:35:40,472 --> 00:35:43,432
that Bruce Ivins is guilty
of the anthrax attacks,
783
00:35:43,433 --> 00:35:46,019
many believe the case
remains unsolved.
784
00:35:47,354 --> 00:35:50,356
The FBI is convinced and
they close the investigation.
785
00:35:50,357 --> 00:35:54,151
But in the months and years
that follow, more gaps and holes
786
00:35:54,152 --> 00:35:56,320
and questions remain.
787
00:35:56,321 --> 00:36:00,157
One of the problems is exactly
how you get the anthrax
788
00:36:00,158 --> 00:36:02,034
to the very refined spores
789
00:36:02,035 --> 00:36:04,119
that were sent in the
anthrax attack letters.
790
00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:05,871
Other scientists believe
791
00:36:05,872 --> 00:36:08,415
that he didn't have
the equipment necessary
792
00:36:08,416 --> 00:36:10,918
to actually make
that process happen,
793
00:36:10,919 --> 00:36:13,212
at least not in the quantities
794
00:36:13,213 --> 00:36:14,963
and certainly not
in the refinement
795
00:36:14,964 --> 00:36:18,217
that we see in the spores
that were used in the attacks.
796
00:36:18,218 --> 00:36:21,804
According to the former
deputy director at Fort Detrick,
797
00:36:21,805 --> 00:36:24,223
the spores that were used
in the anthrax attacks
798
00:36:24,224 --> 00:36:25,974
were actually
substantially smaller
799
00:36:25,975 --> 00:36:28,143
than anything that
had ever been produced
800
00:36:28,144 --> 00:36:31,522
in a US or Russian
bioweapons program.
801
00:36:31,523 --> 00:36:33,399
What's even
stranger is the FBI
802
00:36:33,400 --> 00:36:37,444
was never able to find any
trace of spores on the equipment
803
00:36:37,445 --> 00:36:40,739
Ivins was accused of using
to develop the bioweapon.
804
00:36:40,740 --> 00:36:43,450
Really, the most
incriminating piece of evidence
805
00:36:43,451 --> 00:36:45,661
the FBI was able to
use against Ivins
806
00:36:45,662 --> 00:36:47,663
was that he was in the
vicinity of the flask
807
00:36:47,664 --> 00:36:49,331
and that he had access to it,
808
00:36:49,332 --> 00:36:52,501
but of course we already knew
that other people had access.
809
00:36:52,502 --> 00:36:54,503
There will always be debate
810
00:36:54,504 --> 00:36:56,463
about the efficacy
of the science
811
00:36:56,464 --> 00:36:58,757
that was associated
with this investigation
812
00:36:58,758 --> 00:37:00,801
and it does leave the door open
813
00:37:00,802 --> 00:37:05,556
as to whether the real
killer was ever caught.
814
00:37:10,311 --> 00:37:12,020
There is no direct
physical evidence
815
00:37:12,021 --> 00:37:13,897
to convict Bruce
Ivins in this case.
816
00:37:13,898 --> 00:37:15,399
Everything is circumstantial
817
00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:17,776
and traditional
forensics on this
818
00:37:17,777 --> 00:37:19,236
come up with a big fat zero.
819
00:37:19,237 --> 00:37:20,946
So no fingerprints, no DNA.
820
00:37:20,947 --> 00:37:23,782
They do handwriting
analysis of the envelopes
821
00:37:23,783 --> 00:37:26,076
to known exemplars
from his own writing
822
00:37:26,077 --> 00:37:27,077
and they're not a match there.
823
00:37:27,078 --> 00:37:28,871
There's no conclusive evidence
824
00:37:28,872 --> 00:37:30,873
saying that he
wrote these letters.
825
00:37:30,874 --> 00:37:33,083
Handwriting analysis
is not perfect
826
00:37:33,084 --> 00:37:36,003
and so for the FBI, it's
not really a surprise
827
00:37:36,004 --> 00:37:38,255
that the handwriting
on the letters
828
00:37:38,256 --> 00:37:40,174
that accompanied
the anthrax attacks
829
00:37:40,175 --> 00:37:42,676
could never be perfectly
tied to Bruce Ivins.
830
00:37:42,677 --> 00:37:44,678
But for people looking to
poke holes in the case,
831
00:37:44,679 --> 00:37:46,346
that's yet another example
832
00:37:46,347 --> 00:37:49,308
of this not being the
perfect investigation.
833
00:37:49,309 --> 00:37:51,560
Of course, the FBI
was under enormous pressure.
834
00:37:51,561 --> 00:37:53,645
A lot of time had gone by,
835
00:37:53,646 --> 00:37:57,232
and there was a real
desire to close the case.
836
00:37:57,233 --> 00:37:58,609
That might mean pressure
837
00:37:58,610 --> 00:38:01,571
to sweep inconsistencies
under the rug.
838
00:38:02,614 --> 00:38:04,615
Friends and
colleagues to Dr. Ivins
839
00:38:04,616 --> 00:38:07,493
state that it's the
pressure from the FBI
840
00:38:07,494 --> 00:38:10,120
that caused him
to commit suicide,
841
00:38:10,121 --> 00:38:12,122
not the guilt of
committing this act.
842
00:38:12,123 --> 00:38:14,500
And in just like
Dr. Steven Hatfill,
843
00:38:14,501 --> 00:38:16,585
many believe that if
this went to court,
844
00:38:16,586 --> 00:38:19,922
Dr. Ivins also would
be exonerated of this.
845
00:38:19,923 --> 00:38:20,964
Through the years,
846
00:38:20,965 --> 00:38:22,758
several notable organizations
847
00:38:22,759 --> 00:38:26,428
have also challenged
the FBI's conclusions.
848
00:38:26,429 --> 00:38:29,014
In 2011, the
National Academy of Sciences
849
00:38:29,015 --> 00:38:31,266
determines that the
scientific evidence alone
850
00:38:31,267 --> 00:38:35,062
was not enough to link
the flask from Ivins' lab
851
00:38:35,063 --> 00:38:37,689
to the anthrax used
in the attacks.
852
00:38:37,690 --> 00:38:40,901
The FBI's entire
physical case around Bruce Ivins
853
00:38:40,902 --> 00:38:42,611
revolves around the idea
854
00:38:42,612 --> 00:38:46,156
that a single flask of anthrax
spores was the murder weapon.
855
00:38:46,157 --> 00:38:48,534
If for some reason
that was an error,
856
00:38:48,535 --> 00:38:50,369
then the entire
case falls apart.
857
00:38:50,370 --> 00:38:54,039
In 2014, a government
body that was nonpartisan
858
00:38:54,040 --> 00:38:57,626
also releases its report
saying that the actual science
859
00:38:57,627 --> 00:39:00,671
performed by the
FBI was insufficient
860
00:39:00,672 --> 00:39:03,173
and in fact, that
genetic signature
861
00:39:03,174 --> 00:39:05,384
might not have been that unique.
862
00:39:05,385 --> 00:39:07,010
Perhaps most
suspicious of all,
863
00:39:07,011 --> 00:39:09,388
there's no way to go
back into the evidence
864
00:39:09,389 --> 00:39:11,849
with new eyes and
new technology,
865
00:39:11,850 --> 00:39:14,017
because the FBI
destroyed everything,
866
00:39:14,018 --> 00:39:15,561
including the spores,
867
00:39:15,562 --> 00:39:18,689
when they officially closed
the case back in 2010.
868
00:39:18,690 --> 00:39:20,816
This is an
investigation that's covered so
869
00:39:20,817 --> 00:39:22,192
much ground.
870
00:39:22,193 --> 00:39:24,111
It's been one of the most
expensive investigations
871
00:39:24,112 --> 00:39:25,946
in the history of the FBI.
872
00:39:25,947 --> 00:39:27,823
They've interviewed
10,000 people.
873
00:39:27,824 --> 00:39:30,742
They've issued 6,000
grand jury subpoenas.
874
00:39:30,743 --> 00:39:32,160
And at the end, it
has this conclusion
875
00:39:32,161 --> 00:39:35,622
that to most people
isn't very satisfying.
876
00:39:35,623 --> 00:39:37,040
It's not just that
there's some questions.
877
00:39:37,041 --> 00:39:38,917
There are a lot of questions.
878
00:39:38,918 --> 00:39:40,627
The constant
speculation
879
00:39:40,628 --> 00:39:43,463
and second guessing of
the FBI investigation
880
00:39:43,464 --> 00:39:46,925
definitely provides no comfort
to the victim's families.
881
00:39:46,926 --> 00:39:48,844
The idea that someone
might have died
882
00:39:48,845 --> 00:39:51,722
just for opening their mail
is a terrifying concept
883
00:39:51,723 --> 00:39:55,142
and we want to believe that
our law enforcement agencies
884
00:39:55,143 --> 00:39:57,561
are capable of solving
this type of case.
885
00:39:57,562 --> 00:39:59,813
And so to have somebody
constantly questioning it
886
00:39:59,814 --> 00:40:01,440
on the basis of a belief
887
00:40:01,441 --> 00:40:03,525
that the FBI is not
good at their job
888
00:40:03,526 --> 00:40:06,695
can be very frustrating to a
lot of those victims' families.
889
00:40:06,696 --> 00:40:08,363
For many people,
there's a great desire
890
00:40:08,364 --> 00:40:10,449
to accept the FBI's conclusions.
891
00:40:10,450 --> 00:40:13,160
For one thing, it means
that they got their man
892
00:40:13,161 --> 00:40:16,830
and we can stop worrying
about any future attacks.
893
00:40:16,831 --> 00:40:19,750
It's comforting, but it
might not be the truth.
894
00:40:19,751 --> 00:40:22,002
And if you don't accept
those conclusions,
895
00:40:22,003 --> 00:40:24,922
it means that it's possible
that the anthrax killer
896
00:40:24,923 --> 00:40:26,298
is still at large.
897
00:40:28,927 --> 00:40:32,054
We may never definitively
know if Bruce Ivins
898
00:40:32,055 --> 00:40:35,933
was the man responsible for
making weaponized anthrax
899
00:40:35,934 --> 00:40:38,310
and sending the lethal letters.
900
00:40:38,311 --> 00:40:40,646
His case was never
brought to trial.
901
00:40:40,647 --> 00:40:42,731
And while some have
called on the FBI
902
00:40:42,732 --> 00:40:47,361
to reopen the investigation,
for now it remains closed,
903
00:40:47,362 --> 00:40:50,280
leaving one of the deadliest
bio-terrorism events
904
00:40:50,281 --> 00:40:53,784
on US soil forever
cloaked in mystery.
905
00:40:53,785 --> 00:40:55,661
I'm Laurence Fishburne.
906
00:40:55,662 --> 00:40:56,371
Thank you for watching
"History's Greatest Mysteries."