FBI drops the ball AGAIN, on anthrax investigation
"Saturday Nov. 3, 2001; 8:07 p.m. EST
Congressman Blasts FBI's Decision Not
to Test Atta's Car, Apartment for
Anthrax
Congressman Robert Wexler (D-Fl), who represents
the Florida district where at least seven of the
19 suspected 9/11 hijackers lived last year, has
blasted the FBI's decision not to test hijacker
Mohamed Atta's rental car and apartment for the
presence of anthrax, calling the move "almost
unfathomable."
"This is the first I've learned of this," Wexler
told the Palm Beach Post Friday. "My first call
will be to ask (the FBI) what the reasoning is,
what's the justification," he said.
"I hate to second-guess law enforcement experts,
but it seems any logical analysis would require
that everything that was a part of the hijackers'
life, particularly their home, ought to be tested
for anthrax," the congressman complained. "It's
almost unfathomable."
The Florida Democrat's district includes Boca
Raton, where the U.S. anthrax attack first
surfaced on Oct 4 at the headquarters of American
Media Inc.
Wexler said he was so flabbergasted by the FBI's
failure to probe all possible links between the
hijackers and recent anthrax attacks that he was
considering spending his own money to commission
private tests. He said bureau's decision called
into question its entire 9/11 investigation.
"What else has the FBI not done in terms of its
investigation of the hijackers and their
relationship to South Florida?" he told the paper.
Twelve of the 19 kamikaze terrorists lived or
stayed in South Florida at some point last year.
The FBI did test for anthrax in two cars owned by
the hijackers. But investigators did not test a
rental car that Atta returned on Sept. 9 that was
later discovered to have white powder in its trunk
(See: Hijacker's 'White Powder' Car Still Not
Tested by FBI). Neither did 9/11 probers test any
of the hijackers' residences.
"Our investigation has been completed there," FBI
spokeswoman Judy Orihuela told the Post. "We
searched for evidence, but we did not test for
anthrax."
The Florida congressman said he was also concerned
about a Delray Beach pharmacist's apparent
encounter with hijacker Atta, who visited his
store this summer with irritated hands -- a
symptom some say could have indicated he had skin
anthrax.
Eric Croddy, senior research associate at the
private Monterey Institute of International
Studies, said the decision not to test the
hijackers' apartments and rental cars for anthrax
"seemed odd," even if the chances finding anthrax
were slim.
"They could probably do a quick swab and come to a
conclusion pretty quickly," he told the Post. "It
would seem to be due diligence you would go ahead
and do it anyway."
At some of the places where the hijackers lived in
Broward and Palm Beach counties, building managers
said they had not received, been alerted to, or
asked for anthrax tests.
At the Homing Inn, where three of the hijackers
stayed for a month, owner Kirit Shah told the
paper no one tested the rooms, which were rented
out to others as soon as they cleared out on July
26.
A spokesman for Florida Sen. Bob Graham said that
the FBI's decision not to fully probe all possible
links between the 9/11 hijackers and the anthrax
attacks will likely be reviewed in intelligence
committee oversight hearings." |
