HUNT NARROWS FOR ANTHRAX SOURCE [feds home in on 1 postal route]

Trenton Times ^ | 11/02/01 | KEVIN SHEA and LARRY HANOVER

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Federal authorities investigating the three known letters that carried a Trenton postmark and contained anthrax have focused their investigation on a smaller part of the postal region served by the Hamilton processing center.

"Postal inspectors have narrowed the playing field down significantly from the original (46) post offices and the 635 drop boxes as the points of possible entry (of the anthrax letters)," Tony Esposito, a U.S. postal inspector and spokesman for the agency in Newark said.

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Follow up to yesterday's article, INS holding 2 men seized at apartment (anthrax letters - HANDWRITING link?)

[Diogenesis]

bump ......

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But a law enforcement source yesterday indicated that the FBI presence at the Hamilton apartment complex, Greenwood Village Apartments, may not necessarily have a direct connection to the probe into who sent the anthrax letters. "You're seeing a number of garden-variety criminals being uncovered," the source said. "These individuals may be crooks, but they're not terrorists."

I'm sure they are finding a lot of "garden-variety criminals" in that apartment complex. (And a few might be packaging up a little garden-variety anthrax.)

Statement by FBI spokeswoman at same site, three days ago:

Asked whether she was referring to the World Trade Center attacks or the anthrax probe, [FBI spokeswoman Sandra Carroll] responded: "The two are not necessarily separate at this point."

[syriacus]

There sure is lots of information in this one article. Thanks for posting it!!

[syriacus]

Asked whether she was referring to the World Trade Center attacks or the anthrax probe, [FBI spokeswoman Sandra Carroll] responded: "The two are not necessarily separate at this point."

This must mean they found a few extreme right wing militia leaders living in the apartment. (Sarcasm off)

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Esposito said the core of the criminal investigation of the letters remains in the Trenton area.

The FBI has been investigating individuals in the area, trying to detect if certain potential individuals have symptoms common to anthrax, FBI spokeswoman Sandra Carroll said.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm...

[George Smiley]

"Postal inspectors have narrowed the playing field down significantly from the original (46) post offices and the 635 drop boxes as the points of possible entry (of the anthrax letters)," Tony Esposito, a U.S. postal inspector and spokesman for the agency in Newark said.

I ***TOLD*** y'all in previous posts how tenacious and dedicated the Postal Inspectors are....

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I ***TOLD*** y'all in previous posts how tenacious and dedicated the Postal Inspectors are....

Maybe so, but I doubt they've bothered testing all 635 drop boxes. Mohammad Pervez has been suspect #1 for weeks, IMHO, and my guess is they've focused all along on the small area near the Greenwood Apartments in Hamilton.

[aristeides]

Sorry, I posted a duplicate thread on this article, at Hunt narrows for anthrax source (TRENTON ANTHRAX INVESTIGATION NEWS). I've asked people to come to this thread, but check my thread out for other people's comments.

I note on that thread that Asif Khan not only lives at Greenwood Village, but works at a Greenwood Avenue Texaco station, reinforcing Mindbender26's idea that this may be what put the idea in somebody's head of giving as the return address on the Daschle letter the Greendale school. The FBI are certainly interested in the handwriting of somebody on the lease.

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This must mean they found a few extreme right wing militia leaders living in the apartment. (Sarcasm off)

Haven't the media been calling the Taliban "right-wing"? So, in that sense, your statement may be true.

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Only 6 little minutes! But thanks for the acknowledgement and the bump.

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Asif Khan not only lives at Greenwood Village, but works at a Greenwood Avenue Texaco station, reinforcing Mindbender26's idea that this may be what put the idea in somebody's head of giving as the return address on the Daschle letter the Greendale school

And Franklin Park, the town listed under "Greendale School" in the Daschle letter's return address, is on the train route between Mohammad Pervez's apartments in Hamilton and Jersey City.

It's also interesting that the FBI is "investigating individuals in the area, trying to detect if certain potential individuals have symptoms common to anthrax."

Swabbing their noses, maybe? Blood tests?

[syriacus]

investigating individuals in the area, trying to detect if certain potential individuals have symptoms common to anthrax."

I hope they test them for recent antibiotic use, too.

[aristeides]

And I've seen people post on other threads that the nearby Islamic Center on Rte. 1 is either in Monmouth Junction or Franklin Park -- I've seen both asserted, I suspect there's some jurisdictional confusion. But the Islamic Center is definitely in the Zip code in the return address on the Daschle letter.

[randita]

Very interesting information.

Pervez, a naturalized American citizen of Pakistani descent, has been charged by the FBI with lying to an agent about the circumstances of $110,000 in checks and money orders written in 1995 and 1996. He also is apparently being pressured by the government for testimony about his roommates in Jersey City, where he moved in 1998. The roommates, Mohammed Jaweed Azmath and Ayub Ali Khan, are in custody regarding a possible role in the World Trade Center attacks.

Anyone know if there's a link between any of these turkeys and Atta--who appears to have been the ringleader of the 9/11 attack?

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the nearby Islamic Center on Rte. 1 is either in Monmouth Junction or Franklin Park

You're right! I can't quite make out the zip code on the Daschle letter, but it does look like 08852! (Or is it 62?)

   

Islamic Society Of Central Jersey     (Last Update: ) Address: Route 1 S. & Stouts Lane, Monmouth Junction, NJ 8852 USA (Map) Phone: 908-329-1988 Email: None Contact: None WebSite: None

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Anyone know if there's a link between any of these turkeys and Atta

Azmath and Khan were on a Newark - L.A. flight on September 11 that was grounded in St. Louis when the FAA got wind of the multiple hijacking plot.

They were caught later in Texas (supposedly on a drug sweep), carrying box cutters, hair dye, and lots of cash.

There may have been an article on direct contacts between Atta and Khan and Azmath at an apartment in Paterson, N.J. (Don't remember where I saw that, however.)

[aristeides]

Azmath and Khan had also shaved their bodies, something that I believe was called for in the document found in the effects of three of the hijackers.

[MindBender26]

Back in my crusading journalsit days, we often spoke about good reporters having a "nose for news....." the ability to "smell" a good story. Good cops have it too.

This one just "smells" solid. Too many coincidences, too many people who keep showing up on lists....

I'm not surprized that these people are being help on only Immigration department charges at this time. Much easier, no bail, keep them around for a while. Wait till you have a better murder/terrorism case, then file it.

Think what the Feds know that we don't know yet.....

[aristeides]

A couple of the hijackers lived in an apartment in Paterson (and regularly ate Chinese takeout, which must have been laced with pork.) But I don't recall ever having read that Atta was ever in Paterson. Anybody recall that?