Wednesday
November 28 2:51 PM ET
Report: U.S. Expert Believed Behind Anthrax Attacks
BERLIN (Reuters) - The anthrax attacks in the United States were
probably the work of a member of a U.S. biological warfare program, the
magazine of environment pressure group Greenpeace Germany reported
Wednesday.
The magazine said its article was based on information from a U.S.
delegation source at the United Nations (news
- web
sites) biological weapons conference in Geneva that began last week.
The attacks have killed five people.
``The U.S. delegation believe it is an inside job. ... Their members
also have more information than has been made public,'' Kirsten Brodde, a
reporter for the magazine, told Reuters.
The magazine said: ``It seems the attacker ... wanted to force through
an increase in the budget for U.S. research on biological weapons.'' It
speculated that the attacker, who used anthrax-laced mail, had probably
wanted to cause panic rather than kill anyone.
U.S. investigators have still not determined who was behind the
attacks, but Attorney General John Ashcroft (news
- web
sites) has signaled the authorities were inclined to believe they had
a domestic source.
The attacks occurred in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 suicide plane
attacks on New York and Washington and prompted initial accusations by
President Bush (news
- web
sites) that Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden (news
- web
sites) may been responsible.
Asked about the magazine article, an FBI (news
- web
sites) spokesman reiterated that investigators were pursuing a number
of leads but no arrests appeared imminent.
A spokesman for the U.S. delegation in Geneva said he did not have any
information about the article.
The magazine is linked to the environmental lobby group and shares its
offices, but said it is financially and editorially independent.
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