WASHINGTON (Islamweb & News Agencies) - The State Department said on Monday it knew of no clear link between Iraq and the deadly release of anthrax bacteria in the United States.``We don't put anything past (Iraqi President) Saddam Hussein, but I don't believe that there's any clear linkage at this point,'' State Department spokesman Philip Reeker said at a briefing in response to a question about a possible connection between the U.S. anthrax scare and Iraq.(Read photo caption below)
``We have no illusions about Saddam Hussein, and his record of threats and assaults upon his own people, as well as neighboring countries, is very well known, as are his attempts to develop weapons of mass destruction,'' Reeker said.
Reeker's comments came within hours of an announcement by health officials of the suspicious deaths of two postal staff who worked at a facility that handles mail for Capitol Hill. Two more postal workers were suffering from potentially deadly anthrax inhalation, the officials said.
If anthrax is confirmed in the deaths of the two postal workers, it would bring the total number of U.S. anthrax deaths to three this month. Fears that anthrax would be used as a weapon grew after hijack attacks on Sept. 11 on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
PHOTO CAPTION:
With the Capitol building in the background, a pedestrian walks past a truck from the Fire Department's hazardous material response team outside an office building in Washington October 16, 2001. A spokesman for the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services team said a suspicious white powder was found on an elevator's control panel in the building, and authorities were called to investigate. The spokesman said the powder in question came "came from a donut." REUTERS/Gregg Newton
- Oct 16 3:26 PM ET