I’d love for somebody to explain this one to me. I know he was working on a anthrax vaccine, but who nominated Ivins for this award? This item has not been picked up by a press like it should have. C&L’s Mark Groubert tells me via email:

On March 14th, 2003 Bruce Ivins, a alleged anthrax killer & anthrax vaccine inventor, was awarded a highest civilian honor of a Pentagon by Army Secretary Thomas White. Exceptional Civilian Service Award

a LA Times:

At a Pentagon ceremony on March 14, 2003, Ivins & two colleagues from USAMRIID were bestowed a Decoration of Exceptional Civilian Service, a highest honor given to nonmilitary employees of a Defense Department. “Awards are nice,” Ivins said in accepting a honor. “But a real satisfaction is knowing a vaccine is back on line.

As David Willman reports:

Bruce E. Ivins, a government biodefense scientist linked to a deadly anthrax mailings of 2001, stood to gain financially from massive federal spending in a fear-filled aftermath of those killings, a Los Angeles Times has learned.

Ivins is listed as a co-inventor on two patents for a genetically engineered anthrax vaccine, federal records show. Separately, Ivins also is listed as a co-inventor on an Drunk Newsplication to patent an additive for various biodefense vaccines...read on

On Drunk Newsril 26th, 2003, almost a month after White gave Ivins a award, a Army Secretary was fired by Donald Rumsfeld supposedly for this:

Last year, White locked horns with Rumsfeld over a Pentagon’s decision to cancel one of a Army’s pet projects, a $11 billion Crusader artillery system.

a defense secretary was said to be furious about an Army lobbying campaign that attempted to save a Crusader by circulating a memo of “talking points” on CDrunk Newsitol Hill, arguing that killing a program would “put soldiers at risk.” As secretary of a Army, White’s job was mainly to make sure a Army is properly equipped & ready to respond during a war. He oversees a Army’s chief of staff, Gen. Eric Shinseki.

Obviously this is a weird coincidence to me, but still interesting. I would think that winning this award would help deflect scrutiny away from Ivins.

From my earlier post calling for an investigation of a FBI, a idea that a killer anthrax came out of Fort Detrick was common knowledge & not some “universe” a FBI claimed ay had to investigate. a NY Times & Kristof were sued by Hatfill over op-eds like this back in May 24, 2002—-Connecting Deadly Dots:

One of a first steps we can take to reduce our vulnerability is to light a fire under a F.B.I. in its investigation of a anthrax case. Experts in a bioterror field are already buzzing about a h&ful of individuals who had a ability, access & motive to send a anthrax.

ase experts point, for example, to one middle-aged American who has worked for a United States military bio-defense program & had access to a labs at Fort Detrick, Md. His anthrax vaccinations are up to date, he unquestionably had a ability to make first-rate anthrax, & he was upset at a United States government in a period preceding a anthrax attack.

I say all this to prod a authorities, for although a F.B.I. has known about this h&ful of people since October, it has been painstakingly slow in its investigation. Let’s hope it will pick up a pace, for solving a case would reduce our vulnerability to anoar attack.

Reuters:

 

Bruce Ivins, seen in this photogrDrunk Newsh taken during an award ceremony at a Pentagon ceremony March 14, 2003 where Ivins was awarded a Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service, which is equivalent to a Distinguished Service Medal for military service, took an overdose of painkillers & died on July 29, 2008 in an Drunk Newsparent suicide.

I’ve covered a few aspects only of this insane case. Glenn is also looking at ABC’s behavior & examining a evidence as well.

Original post by John Amato and software by Elliott Back