I’d love for somebody to explain this one to me. I know he was working on the anthrax vaccine, but who nominated Ivins for this award? This item has not been picked up by the press like it should have. C&L’s Mark Groubert tells me via email:
On March 14th, 2003 Bruce Ivins, the alleged anthrax killer and anthrax vaccine inventor, was awarded the highest civilian honor of the Pentagon by Army Secretary Thomas White. Exceptional Civilian Service Award
At a Pentagon ceremony on March 14, 2003, Ivins and two colleagues from USAMRIID were bestowed the Decoration of Exceptional Civilian Service, the highest honor given to nonmilitary employees of the Defense Department. “Awards are nice,” Ivins said in accepting the honor. “But the real satisfaction is knowing the vaccine is back on line.
Bruce E. Ivins, the government biodefense scientist linked to the deadly anthrax mailings of 2001, stood to gain financially from massive federal spending in the fear-filled aftermath of those killings, the Los Angeles Times has learned.
Ivins is listed as a co-inventor on two patents for a genetically engineered anthrax vaccine, federal records show. Separately, Ivins also is listed as a co-inventor on an application to patent an additive for various biodefense vaccines...read on
On April 26th, 2003, almost a month after White gave Ivins the award, the Army Secretary was fired by Donald Rumsfeld supposedly for this:
Last year, White locked horns with Rumsfeld over the Pentagon’s decision to cancel one of the Army’s pet projects, the $11 billion Crusader artillery system.
The defense secretary was said to be furious about an Army lobbying campaign that attempted to save the Crusader by circulating a memo of “talking points” on Capitol Hill, arguing that killing the program would “put soldiers at risk.” As secretary of the Army, White’s job was mainly to make sure the Army is properly equipped and ready to respond during a war. He oversees the Army’s chief of staff, Gen. Eric Shinseki.
Obviously this is a weird coincidence to me, but still interesting. I would think that winning this award would help deflect scrutiny away from Ivins.
From my earlier post calling for an investigation of the FBI, the idea that the killer anthrax came out of Fort Detrick was common knowledge and not some “universe” the FBI claimed they had to investigate. The NY Times and Kristof were sued by Hatfill over op-eds like this back in May 24, 2002—-Connecting Deadly Dots:
One of the first steps we can take to reduce our vulnerability is to light a fire under the F.B.I. in its investigation of the anthrax case. Experts in the bioterror field are already buzzing about a handful of individuals who had the ability, access and motive to send the anthrax.
These experts point, for example, to one middle-aged American who has worked for the United States military bio-defense program and had access to the labs at Fort Detrick, Md. His anthrax vaccinations are up to date, he unquestionably had the ability to make first-rate anthrax, and he was upset at the United States government in the period preceding the anthrax attack.
I say all this to prod the authorities, for although the F.B.I. has known about this handful of people since October, it has been painstakingly slow in its investigation. Let’s hope it will pick up the pace, for solving the case would reduce our vulnerability to another attack.
Bruce Ivins, seen in this photograph taken during an award ceremony at a Pentagon ceremony March 14, 2003 where Ivins was awarded the Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service, which is equivalent to the Distinguished Service Medal for military service, took an overdose of painkillers and died on July 29, 2008 in an apparent suicide.
I’ve covered a few aspects only of this insane case. Glenn is also looking at ABC’s behavior and examining the evidence as well.
Filed Under: Scandals
Tags: anthrax, Bruce Ivins, fbi, Scandals
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can you say: “setup?” — “coverup?” — “MAJOR FRIGGIN’ BULLLLLSHIT!?!?!??!?!?!”
they’ve got to get the case closed and files sealed in csae they lose power….wouldn’t want the cheney war machine’s false-flag drive into iraq exposed.
Dead guy, he’s guilty.
Just like Lee Harvey Oswald.
Dead. Guilty. No questions. Let’s move forward.
Oh Lord, there is just never a shortage of irony. This must have been before the press did there in-depth reporting on him being a drunk, porn addict and obsessed with a sorority. One would think they would have at least checked published articles about the guy, but no.
BFFWAAAAAHHHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That’s rich!!
ashton @ 3:
He was a drunk. A porn addict. Was obsessed with a sorority.
Does this make him a criminal?
Gotta cover the Bush/Cheney tracks before 2009.
Oops, how are they going to explain this?
Poppie Bush, may one be reminded, was former CIA Chief. He STILL has juice there, and lots of it…
The CIA has a black budget: nobody knows its exact size or distribution.
Did the Busheviks, closing in on retirement–or at least an hiatus, til they can rehab Jeb–decide to remove a possible irritant? It’s almost like the regime was saying, Okay, we’re not gonna give you Bin Laden–he’s dead and we still need him. But we CAN give you the anthrax killer. You fucking people have given us no end to the raion of shit about this. Well, here he is, now shut the fuck up and leave us alone. We still gottalotta stuff to steal…
If ever there were an organization capable of this kind of ‘real-politik’ solution, other than the KGB’s poison pellets, wouldn’t it be these guys?
VietVet8666 @ 5:
<blockquoteHe was a drunk. A porn addict. Was obsessed with a sorority.
Does this make him a criminal?
Sounds like it makes him a Republican…
I know I sound totally jaded, but I don’t know who is more worthless, the FBI or CIA. Just read Legacy of Ashes, The story of the CIA. They are pretty good at throwing money at problems, hiring thugs and such, but when it comes to overall results since post WWII, nothing to write home about. Looks like the FBI wants to close the case, but if Posner is to be believed he talked with six specialists and they all said there is no way this guy could have made the anthrax in the form it was sent from liquid form.
The bush administration wants to tidy the place up before they leave. The got a conviction of Osama’s driver and now they can also check off the mystery of the anthrax killer. Not much else to do except get Iraq’s oil and they’re good to go.
woody, tokin librul @ 8:
We still gotta lotta stuff to steal! Yeah that’s “my” government!
Stay with this one John, it is the iceberg that is about to surface.
Hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!
Are you kidding?
Hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!
Highest honor today, suicided tomorrow!
The bull shit produced by our government is piled so high there is not enough earth moving equipment in the galaxy to remove it all.
Bismarck @ 10:
Consider what we know about the Department of Justice. You think the FBI and CIA haven’t been getting loaded up with rats? You can bet that the qualified, dedicated, self-respecting members of either of these agencies have been exiting in droves for the past 4 to 8 years.
Didn’t Rumsfield sit on the board of the pharmaceutical co that supposedly has a cure for anthrax? And wouldn’t that co have powered anthrax to use in tests as that is the way it would be distributed in a mass attack? Did the FBI/CIA ever check out that co? Let me guess, no?
Just another fairy tale created by the U.S. government. Dumbass low iq cons love these stories.
John Amato, thanks a million for staying with this story. This is going to be the smoking gun that proves this administration manufactures its own terrorists to stay in power. I’m sure that a memo or something is going to surface that links at least Cheney to all this. Keep looking!
I don’t know what to say anymore. If I say what I think I get “edited” so um…wow. It’s a good thing the Government is here to protect us huh?
I don’t buy the government’s story about this one, but then again, I’ve stopped buying ANY of their stories. Honestly, I wouldn’t trust the government for a weather report right now.
Glenn Greenwald has been asking some very good questions about this case for some time, and I don’t think it should just go away now that Ivins is dead. I won’t presume guilt merely from hearing an accusation.
Why did ABC continue to report the bentonite angle of the anthrax story, which was untrue from the very beginning? And why is ABC continuing to cover up these lying “sources” who gave them the false information?
We need an independent investigation on this, because to anyone with more than one brain cell, it’s pretty apparent that this was an inside job…
you have to give the administration and the media propaganda props for using the picture of ivins leaning over, wearing some kind of farmer overalls and looking like a homeless person, rather than the one above, a studio photo, where he’s wearing a suit and tie.
frances @ 16:
Yes. He also helped push Aspartame (poison) through the FDA…
frances @ 16:
I believe you’re thinking of the avian flu.
Surging Blue Lensman @ 15:
When the dept. changed hands, I remember a lot of news about the experienced agents walking out and many had to be replaced. There was a big shake up at the time because the new director was pissing a lot of the best people off and they were walking.
frances @ 16:
You are obviously not qualified to work as an investigator in a neocon government;]
karen marie @ 20:
In the pic you are talking about, he was volunteering for a Red Cross event. According to what I heard on tv he was active in volunteer organizations. Sounds so like a serial killer doesn’t it?
Has Hatfill thrown in his 2 cents or was he paid to keep quiet? Did he know Ivin?
Follow the money, John:
Rumsfeld, Chairman of Board of Directors of Gilead. Stood to make ooodles from vacines like Tamiful (Remeber the Avian Flu “epidemic”?) and Bush-connected Bayer-Cipro (Anthrax).
No surprises here…
My question is, could Ivins have had any evidence that could have tied Gulf War Syndrome to the Anthrax vaccination?
Could be the cover-up we’re looking for.
Check this out
Vaccine-A
I call bullshit.
VietVet8666 @ 5:
Nope, it makes him a frat boy, more than likly a young republican, frat boy.
John,
All great points–but one glaring error.
The cancellation of the Crusader had nothing to do with this issue, and is a separate issue of Rumsfeld transforming the military from systems that were next-to-impossible to deploy to the theater and were left over ideas from fighting the large land army of the Soviet bloc.
I’d call it a coincidence and nothing more. It got the Sec of the Army fired, but he wasn’t the right guy anyway.
No linkage between the Crusader system and something like the Detrick labs program. None. It was a heavy vs light focus on equipping the Army.
Apologies for the long comment from here. There are a few nuggets of truth in this rant that need some ’splainin…
“You will remember Brown Brothers Harriman from the collaborators with Nazi Germany that are listed above. A Senior Partner in this investment-bank was Prescott Bush, father of George Herbert Walker Bush and grandfather of somebody’s President. After World War II Prescott Bush and Banker’s Trust helped I. G. Farben executives (see above) and other Nazis retain their assets. Worldwide cartels in aluminum (Alcoa one partner), oil and synthetic rubber (Standard Oil of New Jersey one partner), and pharmaceuticals were thus protected.
Now, October 2001, we learn that Bayer of Germany, an I. G. Farben subsidiary, somehow controls rights to the only vaccine for inhalation of anthrax spores that’s approved for sale in the
Bayer’s drug, Cipro, costs $690 for two months’ supply of it here. Generic equivalents from India would cost us $20 for the same supply.
We also know now that BioPort, a Michigan firm headed by former Admiral William J. Crowe, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Ronald Reagan, in 1998 somehow gained control of U.S. rights to the only vaccine against skin-contact with anthrax that’s approved for sale in the U.S. till 2003.
(Please also know that many Doctors believe varieties of readily available penicillin to be equally effective, much cheaper antidotes to anthrax.)
George W. Bush has ordered National Guard units to protect BioPort’s plant.
A major stockholder in BioPort is the Carlyle Group, a Washington, DC firm that manages more than $12 billion for investors (including $425 million from the California Public Employees’ Retirement fund). Former Secretary of State James Baker III is on the Carlyle Group’s staff. His former boss, George H.W. Bush, also visits heads of state on behalf of the Group, paid a fee of $80,000 to $100,000 per speech.
Oil is also big with the Carlyle Group. Baker III, the elder George Bush, and the current U.S. VIce-President, Dick Cheney, have all negotiated with Governments that surround the Caspian Sea about how Corporations can profit from oil there. Pipelines are their particular interest. The Group’s Chairman, Frank Carlucci, has a resume of multiple, related interests. He was Secretary of Defense under Ronald Reagan, Deputy Director of the CIA under Jimmy Carter, Undersecretary of HUD under Richard Nixon, and a classmate at Princeton with Donald Rumsfeld, the current Secretary of Defense and chief cheerleader for bombing Afghanistan.
Back to BioPort. Another major stockholder in this sole patent-holder for a vaccine against anthrax in the U.S. is — brace yourselves — the bin Laden family of Saudi Arabia.
In other news:
Fool me once! http://kagro-x.dailykos.com/
“Operation Northwoods” was a false flag plan, drafted by the Joint Chiefs Of Staff in the United States government in 1962 for CIA or other operatives to kill innocent people and commit acts of terrorism in U.S. cities to create public support for a war against Castro-led Cuba. Substitute Iraq for Cuba and this idea explains the facts of this case rather well.
Warren Street @ 31:
Am I the only one who finds the hudreds (possibly thousands) of little “coincidiences” rather suspiciouos? But what the hey! I’m just a peasant, what do I know…
Tylanol3… not the easiest thing to OD on…
Warren Street @ 31:
I didn’t say it was linked to Ivins, just interesting. it shows a pattern of changing administrations, I have more information coming. There is pretty good evidence to suggest Ivins is the guy, but how could they give him a medal? It reminds me of the Medal of Freedom winners.
Abby Hoffman also died after taking a large amount of pills. …… after winning a large and embarrassing case against the CIA.
The DC madam’s top whore… killed herself. Then, she killed herself. For what, being a hooker….? I think that she may have been already sobered up to the fact that she was a hooker.
Look at the small airplane crashes that killed progressives and democrats. I know C&L does not like talk that is borderline 9/11 truther… but, comon! It’s getting a little hard not to believe in this X file Shi…. (aggg! gaggg! huuuuuhhhhhh! Mmmmmmmph!)….
…… —– …… —- ….
……
pissed off patricia @ 25:
Didn’t Ted Bundy volunteer on a suicide hotline?
Ivins was the patsy, not the guy.
There is a separate track here–and I agree with what you’re saying–but getting rid of the Crusader and the Sec of the Army were probably beneficial in the long run.
The shuffling of the civilians in charge of bio weapons and procurement for the Detrick labs is one thing I was going to look for and see if there were any firings or replacements of people who questioned or thwarted the FBIs long investigation at Detrick. And what was the settlement with Hatfill really all about?
An admission of error or hush money? Has Hatfill actually spoken out or is he under a gag order?
I’ve posted this on other sites. Please read this article from the New York Times in 2002 about the possibility that the hijackers were involved in the anthrax attacks. How come we don’t hear anything more about this?
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/f.....A9649C8B63