FBI (Federal Bureau of Incompetence) at it again.

Newsmax, FoxNews | 10/28/2001 | Newsmax

[The Magical Mischief Tour]

FBI (Federal Bureau of Incompetence) at it again.

Where is Inspector Clouseau?

Sunday Oct. 28, 2001; 10:33 a.m. EST

FBI Testing Atta's Car, Residence, for Anthrax

In response to reports that the FBI had overlooked leads tying Twin Tower kamikaze hijacker Mohamed Atta to the recent wave of anthrax attacks on the U.S., the bureau now plans to test Atta's rental car and Florida residence for the presence of the deadly bacteria.

The decision to probe a possible Atta anthrax connection, first reported by Fox News Channel late Saturday, comes after a report last week that the FBI had specifically declined to sweep Atta's car and home for traces of the bioterror agent.

"In Florida, agents haven't tested cars or residences used by some of the hijackers, including those of Mohamed Atta," the Wall Street Journal revealed Thursday. "FBI officials said testing isn't a priority, because they assume that by now, the hijackers' cars and apartments would have been cleaned, removing any trace of anthrax."

"At this time, there are no plans to go back and check (Atta's car and apartment) for traces of anthrax," Special Agent Rene Salinas told the paper just four days ago.

The FBI has previously tested Atta's other personal effects, such as clothing he left behind, for anthrax traces.

Weeks before the Sept. 11 attacks, Atta and several of his fellow hijackers were spotted at Florida airfields inquiring about renting crop-dusting airplanes, a move investigators suspect may have been linked to bioterrorism.

Atta was also reportedly spotted in a Florida pharmacy with reddened hands; a symptom some say could have been caused by anthrax contamination.

[Diogenesis]

"..the bureau now plans to test Atta's rental car and Florida residence for the presence of the deadly bacteria."

This cant be true. How could they have waited?

[The Magical Mischief Tour]

I wonder how many folks have contanimated this area beyond usability as far as evidence gathering goes?

Didn't FoxNews go inside this place with a camera crew a couple of weeks ago and show us the inside?

With cops like this on the job, it's a wonder we have any unsolved crimes at all in this country. Geeesh!

[appeal2]

I thought FBI stood for Fumbling Bunch of Idiots. That's what the mob always said.

[sailor4321]

And yet another massive failure on the part of Government.

What amazes me is that we're in our 7th week following the attacks, yet the one security step which would have stopped them, arming pilots, has yet to be authorized let alone implemented.

It seems to Clinton years have sapped the will of Government to act quickly and decisively.

[lexington minuteman 1775]

We were told there was no evidence linking the hijackers to bioterrorism, and now we find they were not LOOKING for said evidence.Maybe one of the links that the FBI can do now is to check with folks who cleaned that apartment and whomever cleaned up those vehicles and see if they have any evidence of anthrax contamination. They can at least put that two plus two together perhaps? Then again. Maybe not. As Chester A. Riley said in the T.V. sitcom of the 1950's. "What a revolting development this is.!"

[OldFriend]

I for one am not going to react to news stories that change from moment to moment. At any given time you can change the channel and hear a story opposite to the one you just heard.

[The Magical Mischief Tour]

The number of major botched investigations of the past 6 to 8 years by the bureau of incompetence is an answer to itself...

[cynicom]

Tour....

Please do not give the FBI and "hints" as to where to look, they might stumble over a "clue" while looking and hurt themselves.

If one looks at their incompetence over the past nine years, it is no wonder that they are still zeroed in on American citizens whom they prefer to call rightwingers.

Some would say it is wrong to classify all FBI agents as incompetent, however that will not hold water. The very silence of those that would disagree with top eschelons only aids and abets those that have become politicians. They did not have the honesty to look within their own midst for a traitor and yet they have no qualms about letting fingers being pointed at Americans, while they conduct yet another shoddy "investigation". Even many of the nations police chiefs have had enough of their arrogance.

[Cicero]

It seems obvious from leaks to the Washington ComPost and other media sources that the clintonoids who still run the FBI don't WANT to find out who sent the anthrax. They'd rather blame it on right-to-lifers and other politically incorrect groups. Maybe Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson did it, they hint.

Lon Horiuchi is still working for the FBI, I assume, ready to be sent out on another sniper mission--as he was at Ruby Ridge and Waco--and so are all the others who abused their positions of trust with clinton's encouragement.

[AndyJackson]

now we find they were not LOOKING for said evidence

just because we have an Antrax scare right after 5,000 people were murdered does not mean there is any connection. You see this is the difference between you and the professionals. YOU are just leaping to conclusions. Professionals look at all the evidence. There was none. Since there was no evidence pointing to Atta for bioterrorism there was no reason to go look. SHEESSHH. Some of you guys will just never get it, will you? /sarcasm

[nicmarlo]

"FBI officials said testing isn't a priority, because they assume that by now, the hijackers' cars and apartments would have been cleaned, removing any trace of anthrax."

Let's see . . . they assume the apartments are clean and they assume some right wing hate group is spreading Anthrax. Isn't there something wrong with this picture?

[Lucky]

My first thoughts too, any sick cleaning ladies out there? I also, remember very well The Life of Riley.

[JayNorth]

This cant be true. How could they have waited?

The problem is LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY. If you or I (the little people) leave out a comma or don't dot an "I" or cross a "T" there is hell to pay. There is none of that when a member of the bureaucracy does things ten times worse by commission or by omission. (Can you tell I am a small business owner?)

[Reactionary]

Well, the FBI is at it again, and after making blanket statements concerning the likelyhood of the anthrax attacks being "home grown," they're now actually doing what they should have done within a day of the attack - they're looking for physical evidence.

Of course, this is all rather typical. After all, they've spent the better part of eight years making up explanations for events without the need for physical evidence, so one can easily understand why physical evidence is such a low priority now, eh?

Meanwhile, we're all supposed to be ignorant enough to believe that these events are unconnected, that while Atta may have lived within a mile of the American Media building, and rented a room from the wife of a poisoned man, it's all merely a huge coincidence. The real people behind the anthrax attacks, you know, are those pesky right-wingers, the ones who have created such a problem for the wonderful FBI.

So, the FBI is engaged in more incompetence and more assertions without the need for physical evidence. And the good news is supposed to be that, well, some physical evidence might come in handy if they're going to tell us who's really behind this anthrax business.

Personally, after eight years of Clintinoid explanations for everything from Oklahoma City to TWA 800 to the first WTC attack, I'm convinced that they wouldn't know physical evidence from a hole in the ground. That won't stop them, however, from proclaiming that they've done a heroic job of getting to the bottom of things.

[Highest Authority]

We all know the FBI's next move, they'll burn down the apartment complex and have Lon Whoreioochi kill the landlady.

[Eagle74]

Atta was also reportedly spotted in a Florida pharmacy with reddened hands; a symptom some say could have been caused by anthrax contamination.

This is more likely to have been caused, by harsh chemicals use in decontamination.

I have yet to see any heads roll for the intelligence failures of 911. And the obvious incompetence of the FBI, in every aspect of the Anthrax attack, demands some accountability. These Bozos, seem to think gathering evidence, and gaining more invasive powers, is more important, than protecting US citizens.

[Eagle74]

Meanwhile, we're all supposed to be ignorant enough to believe that these events are unconnected, that while Atta may have lived within a mile of the American Media building, and rented a room from the wife of a poisoned man, it's all merely a huge coincidence. The real people behind the anthrax attacks, you know, are those pesky right-wingers, the ones who have created such a problem for the wonderful FBI.

Can't you just see some Iraqi intelligence agent telling Atta to attack the american media. So, he goes to the phone book and looks for the american media, and surprise, surprise, there it is with an address and every thing.

[Eagle74]

Are you blithering idiots paying attention to what patriotic Americans think of you?

We are patriotic Americans. And it is our patriotic Duty, to point out when we think the government is making mistakes. The people in government are human afterall, and they do make mistakes. We patriots must be exceptionally vigilant, now that the nation is a war, and mistakes by those in government, result in lost lives.

[Eagle74]

Why doesn't Ashcroft get on their butts? Because he is too preoccupied in wiretapping anybody and everybodies phones and computers. Why weren't these held over people from Clintons years let go? The more I see of our gov. the more I feel we deserve what we get.

I agree with you. Seeing some bureaucratic heads roll, would galvanize the federal government.

[rebdov]

Tell me it ain't so.

[marajade]

You know with all the fourth amendment wackos posting here on FR lately you can't have it both ways. Maybe they didn't have any indicators that might have led them to believe there was antrax at first. I mean one could simply hide it in something as simple as a baby powder container and not think twice about it. I'm willing to give the FBI a break.

[rebdov]

I heard one official say that it probably is home-grown because it doesn't fit Al-Qeda's pattern. How in the world have they already figured out Al-Qeda's pattern? What pattern? I only know about 911. Did that make the pattern?

[marajade]

Again we still have those here at FR wanting Ashcroft to expend his energy going after Clinton and alleged campaign money from China.

Just how should Ashcroft expend his personnel resources?

[marajade]

"I heard one official say that it probably is home-grown because it doesn't fit Al-Qeda's pattern."

How do you suppose they solve any crime? Solving crimes is all about patterns.

[rebdov]

How in the world from ONE incident do you determine a pattern?!!!!

[marajade]

Last I counted there was plenty of incidents: ABC, CBS, NBC, The Inquirer.

[rebdov]

How did they determine that it must be homegrown terrorism because it does not fit AL-Qeda's pattern. WHAT PATTERN DOES AL-QEDA HAVE?

[marajade]

"How did they determine that it must be homegrown terrorism because it does not fit AL-Qeda's pattern."

How do we know they have?

[Yup!!]

How in the world from ONE incident do you determine a pattern?!!!!

Thats why they are the "professionals" and you, well, are not. LOL!

[monkeywrench]

Another one willing to give them a break. After how many years of breaks? When is enough?

[88keys]

You may call me the "cock-eyed optimist" (in the words of some old musical) but I think the "assumption" that the apartments/cars have been cleaned is valid (yes, check out the cleaners) while I don't think your second assumption necessarily is (re: the FBI assuming a right-wing local is responsible). The optimism comes in in that I'm pretty sure (or at least hopefull) that the FBI's getting a real close look from this administration...(with so much on their plate, don't expect really fast results, but I do think they'll get done what needs to get done, and expect a return to integrity...!)

[Young Werther]

In the Jon Benet case the police waited 14 or so months before they conducted a door to door to see whether the neighbors had seen anything suspicious on the night of the crime. Good police work, huh?

Haven't any of these crime stoppers watched an episode of Columbo?

[Looking4Truth]

The problem is LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY. If you or I (the little people) leave out a comma or don't dot an "I" or cross a "T" there is hell to pay. There is none of that when a member of the bureaucracy does things ten times worse by commission or by omission. (Can you tell I am a small business owner?)

Yeah, I sure can. I've worked in public and private sector and I have to agree with you 100%.

I've met a lot of people who don't want to start a business because of the government regulations and paperwork. They end up becoming 'contractors' and take cash jobs.

Once at a private company, I got chewed on unofficially by upper management because I hired a black woman I had gone to school with. They let it be known that they didn't want to be open to any lawsuits. Seem they had prior experience with a 'quota filler' type in the past.

Oh my, now I've gone and done it. I'm sure that the FBI is going to cease all current investigations and come after me for revealing that I've had conversations with people who work under the table and dealings with managers who didn't want to get burned in a bogus discrimination suit.

[nicmarlo]

I do think they'll get done what needs to get done, and expect a return to integrity...!

Integrity . . . now there's a word missing from the previous administration's vocabulary. If only the people who have been installed by the previous administration would take it out, dust it off, and remember what it means and how to use it. W. and his cabinet can't be the only ones with this important and necessary character trait to steer the ship back on course.

[freddy]

IMO...
We will NEVER see the pilots/crew be allowed to carry guns that shoot REAL bullets...

[marajade]

What would you suggest to them to help in their investigative effort to find who the perpretrator is?

[marajade]

You can't make that comparison. In Jon Benet's case the most serious crime that police force had ever investigated was a burglary; which is pretty simple when you usually have finger prints in most every case. That certainly isn't representative of the FBI.

[putupon]

Maybe I've been too hard on the gay crowd in the past, I mean it seems FBI hasn't been worth a squat since the drag queen was running it. Anybody in Vermont or San Fran. looking for a job?

[monkeywrench]

Did they all finish taking their lie detector tests? Have there been any firings/prosecution for the last 8 'misspent' years? No accountability leads me to conclude that nothing will help them in their "search". When you aren't accountable, you haven't really gotta worry, have you. freeh was allowed to resign, after all. I feel very sorry for the good ones that I know must be trying, however. Like the one who said he was ordered to commit illegal acts by his superiors. Has that ever come to trial?

[Alas]

I'm willing to give the FBI a break.

So were the children at Mount Carmel.

Take a moment to picture this.

Nukem

[gwmoore]

What I see here is a normal SNAFU op by the government. I also, unfortunately see the usual "crime scene mob riot" scenario that usually plays out, with the local LEO's, their forensic units, the local press, their friends, friends of friends, etc. Trampling the crime scene to death, destroying evidence, possibly spreading spores to previously untouched locations (Another Anthrax Infection..nothing follows).

The real problem here is the original ostrich maneuver by Tommy Thompson and his gang of useful idiots. When the first case was discovered, everyone tried to keep the darn thing looking like a "crime", a local occurrence, nothing to see here, move along. As time went on, and other cases began to appear, the FBI was, as is usual, playing catchup. The Feds are a reactive entity not a proactive one. Everyone was rightly searching the "watch lists" (which should have been "watched" before 9/11), making arrests to look good, and not doing anything about liasing with other organizations which would have done more good (The INS, for beginners). If we had performed a MASSIVE roto-rooting after 9/11 we might have done some good by rounding ALL visa holders up, and either deporting them instantly (Those with no obvious involvement) or incarcerating them for questioning (term loosely applied here) for those with suspected or known involvement. Nothing like this happened, and we are stuck with a possibly unsolvable crime. Who sent the stuff? There sure were a lot of "suspects" dancing on the rooftops of N Jersey on 9/11. Probably most of them were simply useful idiots, but who knows? This is going to go on, and probably get worse, while we fight over details of how long we can hold individuals, etc, etc.

Solution for all this:

DECLARE WAR CONSTITUTIONALLY

This would solve a number of perplexing problems. If war is declared, then we can impose "extraordinary war powers". OK, some will complain about possible loss of freedom, etc, but there is a silver lining. When the war is ended, all these extraordinary powers EVAPORATE poof! they disappear, with no legislation and laws which can hang around for the next X42 type Prez to use as his own personal gestapo. We cannot continue down this path we have unwittingly chosen. War cannot be carried out by nebulous paths, it has to be declared, and pursued forthrightly. Laws, of any kind have a nasty habit of hanging around forever, with no way to get rid of them, short of an obliging legislature and executive branch, and we very rarely have those two in harmony.

Just my .02 on this.

Keep the Faith for Freedom

MAY GOD BLESS AND PROTECT THIS HONORABLE REPUBLIC

Greg

[marajade]

Its been three weeks; if after four years time there is no public apparent progress I might tend to agree with you. Until then however; I still support Bush.

[IRtorqued]

oh I'm sure they are. with all of the power given to them by the 'patriot' act of 2001. 4th amendment the sheeple don't need no steenking 4th amendment.

[Eowyn-of-Rohan]

Arming pilots makes me a bit uneasy given the number of licensed, Muslim commercial pilots out there. I know Muslims are "peaceful" but...

[lawdude]

"It seems to Clinton years have sapped the will of Government to act quickly and decisively."

klinton was too busy "jerkin' the gerkin" to properly lead. Wadda maroon!

[NautiNurse]

Against my better judgment, I'll explain: There are some patterend similarities between
the bombing of the WTC, Pentagon,
the bombing of the USS Cole, and
the bombings of the US Embassies in Tanzania and Kenya.

The insidious mailing of anthrax doesn't fit the pattern.