Global Information2001 anthrax attacks information
| 2001 anthrax attacks | |
|---|---|
 Laboratory technician holding an anthrax-laced letter sent to Senator Patrick Leahy | |
| Location |
|
| Date | September 18, 2001 – October 12, 2001 |
| Target | U.S. senators, media figures |
Attack type | Bioterrorism |
| Weapons | Anthrax bacteria |
| Deaths | 5 (Bob Stevens, Thomas Morris Jr., Joseph Curseen, Kathy Nguyen, and Ottilie Lundgren) |
| Injured | 17 |
| Motive | Unknown; possible Islamic extremism, mental illness or attempts to rejuvenate a failing anthrax vaccine program at Fort Meade[1] |
The 2001 anthrax attacks, also known as Amerithrax (a combination of "America" and "anthrax", from its FBI case name),[2] occurred in the United States over the course of several weeks beginning on September 18, 2001, one week after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Letters containing anthrax spores were mailed to several news media offices and to Senators Tom Daschle and Patrick Leahy, killing five people and infecting 17 others. Capitol Police Officers and staffers working for Senator Russ Feingold were exposed as well. According to the FBI, the ensuing investigation became "one of the largest and most complex in the history of law enforcement".[3]
A major focus in the early years of the investigation was bioweapons expert Steven Hatfill, who was eventually exonerated. Bruce Edwards Ivins, a scientist at the government's biodefense labs at Fort Detrick in Frederick, Maryland, became a focus around April 4, 2005. On April 11, 2007, Ivins was put under periodic surveillance and an FBI document stated that he was "an extremely sensitive suspect in the 2001 anthrax attacks".[4] On July 29, 2008, Ivins committed suicide with an overdose of acetaminophen (Tylenol/Panadol).[5]
Federal prosecutors declared Ivins the sole perpetrator on August 6, 2008, based on DNA evidence leading to an anthrax vial in his lab.[6] Two days later, Senator Chuck Grassley and Representative Rush D. Holt Jr. called for hearings into the Department of Justice and FBI's handling of the investigation.[7][8] The FBI formally closed its investigation on February 19, 2010.[9]
In 2008, the FBI requested a review of the scientific methods used in their investigation from the National Academy of Sciences, which released their findings in the 2011 report Review of the Scientific Approaches Used During the FBI's Investigation of the 2001 Anthrax Letters.[10] The report cast doubt on the government's conclusion that Ivins was the perpetrator, finding that the type of anthrax used in the letters was correctly identified as the Ames strain of the bacterium, but that there was insufficient scientific evidence for the FBI's assertion that it originated from Ivins' laboratory. The FBI responded by saying that the review panel asserted that it would not be possible to reach a definite conclusion based on science alone, and said that a combination of factors led the FBI to conclude that Ivins had been the perpetrator.[11] Some information is still sealed concerning the case and Ivins' mental health.[12]: 8 footnote [13] The government settled lawsuits that were filed by the widow of the first anthrax victim Bob Stevens for $2.5 million with no admission of liability. The settlement was reached solely for the purpose of "avoiding the expenses and risks of further litigations", according to a statement in the agreement.[14]
- ^ FBI, DoJ (February 19, 2010). "AMERITHRAX INVESTIGATIVE SUMMARY" (PDF). The United States Department of Justice. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 11, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
- ^ "AMERITHRAX INVESTIGATIVE SUMMARY" (PDF). Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
- ^ Amerithrax or Anthrax Investigation Archived November 27, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.
- ^ FBI Amerithrax Documents (PDF) (published December 9, 2008), April 1, 2005, p. 67, archived from the original (PDF) on October 31, 2011
- ^ "Ivins case reignites debate on anthrax". Los Angeles Times. August 3, 2008. Archived from the original on May 12, 2009. Retrieved April 5, 2009.
- ^ "U.S. officials declare researcher is anthrax killer". CNN. August 6, 2008. Archived from the original on August 8, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2008.
- ^ Meyer, Josh (August 8, 2008). "Anthrax investigation should be investigated, congressmen say". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. Archived from the original on August 12, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2008.
- ^ Cole, Leonard A. (2009). The Anthrax Letters: A Bioterrorism Expert Investigates the Attacks That Shocked America—Case Closed?. SkyhorsePublishing. ISBN 978-1-60239-715-6. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
- ^ Shane, Scott (February 19, 2010). "F.B.I., Laying Out Evidence, Closes Anthrax Letters Case". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 25, 2010. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
- ^ Review of the Scientific Approaches Used During the FBI's Investigation of the 2001 Anthrax Letters. National Academies Press. 2011. doi:10.17226/13098. ISBN 978-0-309-18719-0. PMID 24983068.
- ^ Sheridan, Kerry (February 15, 2011). "Science review casts doubt on 2001 anthrax case". Agence France-Presse. Archived from the original on April 23, 2011. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
- ^ "Amerithrax Summary Report" (PDF). justice.gov. Federal Bureau of Investigation, US Dept. of Justice. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 15, 2014.
- ^ Shane, Scott (February 16, 2011). "Expert Panel Is Critical of F.B.I. Work in Investigating Anthrax Letters". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 17, 2011. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
- ^ "Government Settles Anthrax Suit for $2.5 million". Frontline. pbs.org. November 29, 2011. Archived from the original on November 18, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2017.