Senate Judiciary Committee demands more insight on anthrax attacks

“It should be a concern of all American people that are on our soil, biological weapons was used to attack us,” Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) said at the Senate Judiciary Committee on the oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The committee discussed the handling of past anthrax attacks and further biological weapon threats on America.

Leahy addressed the 2001 anthrax attacks, asking Director of the FBI, Robert Mueller if there are other facilities that develop anthrax weapons in America. According to Mueller there are laboratories existing on both American grounds and overseas. Leahy pushed for answers on the anthrax incident where Leahy himself addressed one of the contaminated letters. “My office and myself was put at risk [...] but I realize we did not suffer like the families of those who had people die,” Leahy said.

Ranking Member Arlen Specter (R-Penn.) supported the chairman, keeping the rough tone at Director Mueller saying that he’s skeptic against the new regulations causing limited insight to the investigations and demanding further answers on the investigation. Mueller assured the committee that the FBI is focusing on the threats from terrorists in form of biological weapons that have been experienced on Congress, saying that they have handed over suspect Bruce E. Ivins work to National Academy of Science for further review.