I love the PBS program Frontline -- it delves deep into current events, without regard for who might be dinged.
The first episode of the new season is entitled, 'The Anthrax Files' and aired on Tuesday, October 11. It is available for online streaming here.
Just weeks after the September 11, 2001 attacks, another stealth terrorist(s) attacked by sending anthrax through the U.S. mail. Five people died, 17 were injured and hundreds had their lives turned upside-down. And to this day we don't know with 100% certainty, the perpetrators.
Why am I so fascinated by this case? Because (s)he attacked my place of employment and disrupted our lives for years! Thankfully, no one lost their life there.
On that fateful day in October 2001, I sent two co-workers in my place to attend a meeting in one of the other Senate Office Buildings in Washington, DC, coincidentally, next-door to Senator Daschle's office. At the same time that my co-workers were sitting down to their meeting, an intern in Senator Daschle's office opened a piece of mail filled with anthrax spores. Because of the close proximity, my co-workers were quarantined for a bit and were told to take Cipro for several months -- Cipro is an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections and it is not without its side effects. I felt awful.
This Frontline investigation, coupled with a new Journal of Bioterrorism and Biodefense report, cast doubts on whether Bruce Ivins, the person the FBI focused on, could have acted alone in this case. Before he could be indicted, Ivins committed suicide. Was he involved? Did he act alone and if not, who are these other terrorists and where are they now?
I don't know the answers but I hope the Department of Justice continues to investigate.
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