Something very remarkable about that message. It has a single entry under "replies". If you click it, you see a reply consisting of the original message quoted with carets, and no new text.
I kept this up for a dozen or so replies -- each a different poster, with "mustafa's" original message quoted, but no new content.
I then found one that had the same message "mustafa" entered, but this time not quoted (no carets, it appeared to be original content), and signed by "Bharathi Kumar". (BTW almost all the names seemed to be middle-eastern types.)
The next message -- a reply to "Bharathi Kumar" -- (this one by a poster named "bluess") quoted the original message, again attributing it to "mustafa".
The next message after that one again had the text in quoted format, but attributed it to ">ASHISH BHARDWAJ" -- which happens to be the same name shown as the author of the post, although the Author: field showed it in lowercase.
The reply to that message had "mustafa's" message, but this time once again formatted as caretless original text, and, missing the linebreaks that the previous messages had. It was signed by "Venkat", and the Author: field showed VENKAT in uppercase.
Each of the author names that I checked (they are underlined hotlinks) had a mailto: with what look like valid email addresses.
I stopped clicking at that point, something like 15 or so plies into the thread. I have no idea how much longer it goes, but I'm flabbergasted. I've never seen anything like it.
Conjecture, anyone?
I'll toss in the first possible scenario or two to get the ball rolling. :)
1. It could be a series of coded messages, with the "message" part being the email address, or the author name, or perhaps there's some subtle changes in the body of the text (an extra space here or there, etc.)
2. It could be a "recruiting station", with volunteers directed to post a followup message to that thread, so that they could be contacted via email. Why do something like that? So that the "recruiter" could see who "applies" without disclosing his own identity. I've heard that "no footprint" communications like that happen on Usenet; in fact I think there's a newsgroup dedicated to such comms. There is no way for an observer to know who the recipient is, because the message is readable to the entire world, even though only the intended recipient will know how to decipher it.
FWIW, the forum software logs the posters' IP address, and appears to do reverse DNS when possible. Here are a few examples I grabbed at random from that thread:
Author Host/IP: bay-67.pppmad.vsnl.net.in / 203.197.133.162
Author Host/IP: NoHost / 61.11.238.229
Author Host/IP: proxy.sjc.netsetter.com / 216.34.56.12
Author Host/IP: cf1-adapter1.isu.net.sa / 212.26.19.155
I did not do any analysis of the addresses, but it did seem like some of the same B blocks kept showing up.
All in all, it's strange, very strange.
Great work as usual!
I hope Atta wasn't handling plutonium, though...
I agree. I also speculate that just prior to the 9/11 attacks, the organization became aware that Atta had developed a strong grudge against someone associated with the Florida tabloid due to some precieved personal affront which was becoming an obsession for Atta. The affront may have had to do with a precieved slight on the part of a woman. I further speculate that, wishing to calm down Atta and/or to cement his resolve for the coming mission, the organization tossed Atta a sop by sending the letter to the American Media Corporation. Atta may have been present while the letter was prepared, or Atta may have posted the letter himself. Because this letter was not a priority to the organization, they did not use their best Anthrax for this letter. I don't think the FBI has released the text of the letter that went to the Florida tabloid, if it's even survived, but I'd bet the text and tone of that letter was different than the other letters.
BTTT :)
(how did I miss this one, way back when? or did I... I haven't scanned the whole thread yet.)
EXCELLENT work.
Note the red stars right up I-95 on the map in post #1.
bumping due to the Ivins questions.
Updated thread with disclaimer:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/572763/posts?page=1
Freeper Research on Anthrax Perps - Updated 9/17/01