17 years
ago, less than one month after the horrific attacks on September 11,
2001, weaponized anthrax was sent through the mail in a biological
attack that stunned an already traumatized nation. The first American
died from anthrax infection on October 5th. During the weeks that
followed, letters sent through the US postal system containing
anthrax were targeted at US media organizations and sitting US
senators. In the end, five people were left dead–two US postal
workers, a Florida photojournalist, a New York city hospital worker
and a 95 year old widow in Connecticut. Over 22 people were
hospitalized from exposure. Many dozens more tested positive for
anthrax in the months that followed.
It was a
one-two punch of guttural horror. Americans were already glued to
their television sets, watching 24/7 coverage of planes exploding and
iconic skyscrapers crumbling. Over and over, we watched thousands
perish. But terrorism was still abstract to those removed from the
tragedy. The anthrax attacks changed that, localizing the fear of
terrorism to everyone––even your grandma living in the suburbs of
Connecticut. Anyone could get a letter. Anyone could be the next
target.
With the
remains of the World Trade Center still smoldering, the Bush
administration made several attempts to connect Saddam Hussein to
9/11. The anthrax attacks gave them the perfect opportunity to
piggyback ‘weapons of mass destruction’ fears on a very real
bioweapons attack. They used willing reporters as instruments to tie
nonexistent bentonite from the anthrax letters to Saddam’s
nonexistent weapons cache. Journalist stenographers in DC were the
conduit for government propaganda, hyping up the threat of terrorism.
The anthrax attacks justified the fear-mongering that 9/11 was not
simply a one-off incident, and that terrorism was America’s new
normal.
In this
special episode of Media Roots Radio, after conducting extensive
research from public documents, tv news archives, wire stories, first
hand interviews and eye witness accounts, Abby Martin and Robbie
Martin tell the story of the 2001 anthrax attacks, what preceded
them, what happened during the investigation and how this seemingly
small event was instrumental in selling the Iraq war, shaping the
reality tunnel we live in now.
Full
transcript:
Read Trance formation of America by Mark Phillips and Cathy OBrien. To suddenly get righteous while killing 2700+ babies a day (1,000= black lives matter babies) and borrowing $20,000,000,000,000+ in debt while paying $30-$35 billion a month just in interest, we have bigger things to worry about ... like the WRATH OF GOD..........giftprofit.com
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