TERRORISTS & SPIES > TERRORISTS

AMERITHRAX 2001

By Rachael Bell

Pre- September 11 Letters

On November 1, 2001, Murray Weiss of the New York Post reported that threatening letters to media personalities were mailed before 9/11 from Indianapolis and other locations. These letters did not contain anthrax, but the writing was allegedly very similar to that on the anthrax letters.

Coincidentally, anthrax was found the day before the article was printed on post office equipment in Indianapolis. Officials claim that it isnt related to the Indianapolis letters. The letters may have gone out to some 15 media people, among them was Sean Hannity of Fox News. Hannity told Newsmax.com that he had begun getting the threatening letters in the winter of 2000 and again in August of 2001.

"In my gut, I know it's the same person," Hannity told his audience. "It was the exact same handwriting that I had recognized. ... When I saw it I said, 'Oh my God, that's the same guy.'" Because the letters were part of an ongoing investigation, he could not go into any more detail about them. The letters that were sent to Hannity were mailed from Indianapolis and from Trenton, N.J. an anthrax hot spot.

Hannity wasnt the only popular Fox News talk show host to receive threatening letters. Controversial, but very popular Bill OReilly was also a recipient of letters very similar to those received by Senators Leahy and Daschle.

The FBI was been very silent on the pre-September 11 letters and the details of the investigation have been hidden from the media. In the absence of any additional information, it is impossible to evaluate the significance, if any, of the pre-September 11 threatening letters.

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1. The Beginning of the Outbreak
2. Anthrax?
3. Fear Revisited
4. Germ Warfare
5. Deadly Letters
6. Panic on the Hill
7. The Investigation Begins
8. Clues from the Letters
9. A Recurring Theme
10. A Deadly End to a Deadly Season
11. Unofficially Suspected
12. Hijacker Connection?
13. Pre- September 11 Letters
14. New Chapter - The Nightmare Scenario
15. New Chapter - Are We Safe Yet?
16. Bibliography