John McCain, October 2001:  Hey, is that Saddam's anthrax?

by Plutonium Page [courtesy of Daily Kos]

Since the "FBI Says It Finally Figured Out Who The 2001 Anthrax Killer Was" story broke last week, there has been some absolutely exceptional analysis of the story, namely by Glenn Greenwald, whose piece "Vital unresolved anthrax questions and ABC News" reminds us:

During the last week of October, 2001, ABC News, led by Brian Ross, continuously trumpeted the claim as their top news story that government tests conducted on the anthrax -- tests conducted at Ft. Detrick -- revealed that the anthrax sent to Daschele contained the chemical additive known as bentonite. ABC News, including Peter Jennings, repeatedly claimed that the presence of bentonite in the anthrax was compelling evidence that Iraq was responsible for the attacks, since -- as ABC variously claimed -- bentonite "is a trademark of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's biological weapons program" and "only one country, Iraq, has used bentonite to produce biological weapons."

We all know now that this is classic pre-Iraq war bullshit propaganda, something that not enough people questioned as we were still reeling from the September 11 attacks.

Marcy Wheeler ("Emptywheel" of Firedoglake) has carefully put together an "anthrax timeline" to help us understand more about why the FBI's investigation changed course in 2006.  What is so useful - and disturbing - about the timeline is that it shows us the general "blame Iraq" trend.  Note the part in bold (my emphasis):

October 14, 2001: Guardian first suggests tie between anthrax and Iraq

October 15, 2001: Daschle letter opened; Bush presses FBI to look into Middle Eastern links to anthrax

October 18, 2001: Nerve attack scare in White House situation room

October 18, 2001: John McCain links anthrax attack to Iraq and Phase II of war on terror

October 21, 2001: First of two DC postal workers dies of anthrax poisoning

McCain made the connection during an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, on October 18, 2001:

LETTERMAN: How are things going in Afghanistan now?

MCCAIN: I think we’re doing fine .... I think we’ll do fine. The second phase — if I could just make one, very quickly — the second phase is Iraq. There is some indication, and I don’t have the conclusions, but some of this anthrax may — and I emphasize may — have come from Iraq.

LETTERMAN: Oh is that right?

MCCAIN: If that should be the case, that’s when some tough decisions are gonna have to be made.

Well, hey there, Senator McCain!  That's one hell of a connection you're implying, right in line with what Bush and the architects of the Iraq war were also saying.  In fact, I'd like you to answer some questions, McCain:

• Who told you the anthrax was from Saddam Hussein's bioweapons program?
• Why were you repeating this claim on national television?

Please be very specific, Senator.  A little "straight talk" would be quite welcome here.