Zazzie
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posted on October 15, 2001 05:17:52 PM new
Do you think they are actual terrorists or are some of them coming from home-grown wackos??-
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gravid
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posted on October 15, 2001 05:30:07 PM new
I think it is the same ones or allies of them as did the WTC attack.
I honestly think the government will try to say they can't pin it on them as long as possible because the outcry for blood is going to be so bad you are not going to believe it.
This IS an attack with weapons of mass destruction and the call will be to respond in kind.
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Hepburn
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posted on October 15, 2001 05:31:09 PM new
The letters are from the terrorists still here. More will follow, Im sure. They probably have targeted each state.
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Linda_K
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posted on October 15, 2001 05:31:58 PM new
I would define anyone who does this cowardly act to be a terrorist....whether or not they're from our country or somewhere else.
As each letter is received we don't get a lot of information as they say it will hinder the investigation....but I hope they've got some very good clues as to who might be behind this.
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Microbes
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posted on October 15, 2001 05:42:17 PM new
I think it's al-Qaida. The targets are well defined (shut down our media, mail system, and microsoft). If you wonder what microsoft has to do with it, consider the last few nasty computer viruses. They where more server directed, only stopped by Microsoft releasing patches for their software. If they can shut down the mail, the newspapers, TV, and the internet, we have no communications.
Then the real fun starts. 
[ edited by Microbes on Oct 15, 2001 05:44 PM ]
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Hepburn
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posted on October 15, 2001 05:44:16 PM new
Methinks you are correct, microbes. Now all we have to do is make sure we turn them all back on again once they shut them down..or TRY to shut them down.
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pwolf
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posted on October 15, 2001 08:43:12 PM new
The targets are well defined (shut down our media, mail system, and microsoft).
And maybe our suppliers?
October 15, 2001
"Millington Distribution Center Update
Ingram Micro today encountered a suspicious parcel at our Millington, Tenn. facility. We are currently conducting an investigation, which includes contacting the local and federal authorities. As always, we are taking every precaution to ensure the safety of our associates, customers and vendor partners. As a result, at 12:30 p.m. CDT, we evacuated approximately 400 associates working in the facility and immediately suspended shipments. At 6:30 p.m. CDT, FEMA and local fire authorities determined the facility was safe and we resumed operation."
This one looks like a false alarm for now.
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shoshanah
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posted on October 15, 2001 08:54:50 PM new
I say Terrorist acts. I also would suggest that there is a possible chance that there are enough anarchists in this country, who are totally down on American Government, maybe even on America (and I am not talking choice between Dem or Rep) and who would love a chance to help out Bin Laden...So, why not go on his payroll; and do his dirty work RIGHT HERE...
JMHO and a shot in the dark, as it were.
Gosh Shosh
Moi
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tegan
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posted on October 15, 2001 09:03:51 PM new
I say terrorists but you know that a lot of copy cats are going to come from this.
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uaru
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posted on October 15, 2001 09:10:23 PM new
Terrorists are sending the letters. A tiny, tiny fraction actually contain the Anthrax bacteria. The rest are terrorists sending baking soda, talcum powder and such, and might feel they are exempt from true terrorists status if caught.
The government should make no distinction whether real Anthrax bacteria was sent or harmless powder was sent to create panic. Punishment should be swift and extreme for both offenses.
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Microbes
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posted on October 16, 2001 02:11:23 AM new
I say terrorists but you know that a lot of copy cats are going to come from this.
Some (not all) of the "talc powder" letters are probably copy cat, but the ones with anthrax... That's al-Qaida.
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pyth00n
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posted on October 16, 2001 09:12:31 AM new
My guess is that anything with anthrax spores is al-Quaida operatives. I'd guess that Iraq initially got lab strains "legitimately" a couple of decades ago and learned enough to produce spores, possibly "weaponized" into a usable particle-size substrate (talc or whatever) design. Then, that Iraq has passed some amount of that material on to bin Ladin.
One question, of course, is how much these vermin have in their hands. The more incidents there are of apparent copycats with no damage done, the more people may calm down and stop overreacting. The more stuff that shows up with even trace amounts of those spores, the more precautions will need to be taken.
I doubt home-grown loonies will have much access to any sort of spore or live bacterium to put even a trace into powders in packages or envelopes. What are they going to do, go into a goat-hide tanning factory and ask to buy some rejected wool from anthrax-infected animals?? Go out to random goat farms and scrape up pasture dirt??
The problem is, local non-Islamic loonie tunes will find it too easy to do copycat mailings of harmess powders and it's just too hard to trace or stop if they use any care at all to avoid leaving fingerprints and such. Do we want government censorship (don't I recall a ban on reporting airplane hijackings and/or bomb scares a couple decades ago?) to cut media coverage down to only confirmed cases so the copycats don't get their jollies?
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fred
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posted on October 16, 2001 09:21:16 AM new
"...So, why not go on his payroll; and do his dirty work RIGHT HERE... "
Shosh, Complete agreement with that statement. I'm sure most of them would do it with out pay. You are a very smart lady.
Hi! Linda-K
Fred
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luvmy2bears
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posted on October 16, 2001 09:23:12 AM new
I'm in Washington ~ home of Microsoft & Boeing. I just wanted to add that the other day Boeing received a (some?) letter(s) also.
And a good friend of mine did too. They are testing the letter, but we haven't gotten any word about the results yet. She is being treated with Cipro (the med of choice for Anthrax) though.
The scary part about this is my friend is just a regular civilian. Not a part of the media, mail, microsoft or boeing. The only thing she is a part of is the Navy. She works in an administrative area of our local naval base ~ but as a civilian.
Probably just some sick kids playing a sick joke, but who knows......
(I'll let you know when the results are in though.)
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kraftdinner
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posted on October 16, 2001 09:50:48 AM new
What about Timothy McVeigh? There are some home-grown nut-cases that would see the 9/11 events as a catalyst to their own dirty deeds. Getting antrax to distribute might be difficult, but not impossible. I think because very tiny amounts are used in these letters, there isn't much to begin with leading me to think these acts aren't related but belong to some sub-group of hate-mongers. What do you think Zazzie?
{{{{Multiple hugs for Shosh!}}}} 
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Zazzie
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posted on October 16, 2001 12:06:13 PM new
I think some of the letters (maybe even all of them) are from people with an axe to grind. There are some pretty bizarre organizations here in North America who would like nothing better then to disrupt.
Many copycats just like to see their deed in the news
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MAH645
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posted on October 16, 2001 08:52:14 PM new
I'd say terrorize within the US is sending some of them.Although we had a Sheriffs Dept. in one town in Kentucky sending out letters with powder in them,as a prank to scare people that got caught.
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MrsSantaClaus
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posted on October 16, 2001 11:31:33 PM new
I don't think Bin Laden's people sent the letters to the Planned Parenthood clinics. What would he gain there?
I think that is someone who is opposed to what Planned Parenthood does.
Of course, I could be wrong.
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kraftdinner
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posted on October 16, 2001 11:48:04 PM new
I didn't hear anything about Planned Parenthood. Were suspicious letters sent there MrsSanta?
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tegan
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posted on October 16, 2001 11:52:04 PM new
uaru:"The government should make no distinction whether real Anthrax bacteria was sent or harmless powder was sent to create panic."
I agree with that. They are doing even more harm by making everyone think just anyone could be a target.I believe the real terrorists are targeting the media and the government the rest of the stuff is just being done by looneys looking for a cheap thrill.
I would like to see real stiff penaltys for this kind of disruptive behavior.
I won't be eating any powdered sugar donuts while making out my bills just in case.
[ edited by tegan on Oct 17, 2001 12:01 AM ]
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Femme
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posted on October 17, 2001 09:52:13 AM new
According to the posted link, it could be just about anyone.
If a cop walks into your living room, looks on the mantelpiece, and sees an ashtray with a few joints in it, he can arrest you. If that same cop walks into your living room, looks on the mantelpiece, and sees a Petri dish growing anthrax spores, he can't arrest you. That's because possession of anthrax is not a crime unless it can be proved that it's "for use as a weapon."
http://slate.msn.com/Code/chatterbox/chatterbox.asp?Show=10/16/2001&idMessage=8438
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internationalgolf
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posted on October 17, 2001 10:31:42 AM new
It may not all be coming from letters.
It has been reported that some of the terrorists that lived in NJ ran or worked at a cleaning company. What better way to gain access to sites than to merge in with those unseen persons who have total access to any number of locations in the off hours?
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