[Mb-civic] Little Progress In FBI Probe of Anthrax Attacks - Washington Post

[William Swiggard]

Little Progress In FBI Probe of Anthrax Attacks
Internal Report Compiled As Agents Hope for a Break

By Allan Lengel
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, September 16, 2005; Page A01

Four years after the deadly 2001 anthrax attacks, one of the most 
exhaustive investigations in FBI history has yielded no arrests and is 
showing signs of growing cold as officials have sharply reduced the 
number of agents on the case.

FBI agents and postal inspectors have pursued leads on four continents, 
conducted more than 8,000 interviews and carried out dozens of searches 
of houses, laboratories and other locations. They traveled to 
Afghanistan twice in the past 16 months to follow up on tips that proved 
fruitless, said law enforcement sources, who spoke on the condition of 
anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the issue.

Within law enforcement circles, some say the investigation, which is 
referred to as the Amerithrax probe, is in urgent need of a big break.

In the past year, the number of FBI agents on the case has dropped from 
31 to 21, authorities said. During the same time, the number of postal 
inspectors has fallen from 13 to nine. The reward remains the same: $2.5 
million for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

FBI officials said yesterday that investigators are still working 
diligently to find whoever was responsible for the 
anthrax-bacteria-laced mailings, which killed five people, sickened 17 
others and led to the temporary shutdown of the House, Senate and 
Supreme Court buildings and numerous postal facilities. They said they 
are getting assistance from forensics experts and scientific researchers 
from law enforcement agencies, the intelligence community, university 
laboratories and private corporations.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/15/AR2005091502456.html?referrer=email
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